Shy is digging her new hoofs. I noticed she can turn a lot better instead of picking and placing and then twisting, I noticed she is starting to pivet and not twist her hoofs. Yippeee.

She is digging the hay also, yep she is balling it and no matter what we do that is something that wont change. She even does it with her slop. Part of having paralysis in the tongue. But yeah she drools for her hay, and loves it. She is starting to actually leave some. Instead of scarfing it down. To me that means she is full and also she knows she wont have to worry about her next meal. That in itself is a HUGE mile stone.

I did have a realization that broke my heart today. I am 98% sure Shy can never be integrated in our herd. Her disabilities make her over react. Misty and Shy who have been pastured many times together,  were in the big pasture sharing a fresh round bale. After Shy moved the 600+ round bale around with her butt and using it as her own personal scratching tool, they settled in to eat peacefully. So Gina and I thought it was fine to go in the barn. I had to bring Maggies toes back and also trim Mazzie since her leg has healed enough. Well I was holding Maggie while Gina was checking my work ( I hate the nipping part), I looked up in time to see Misty JUST pin her ears and add a little head jab to the air. Shy was about 3-4feet from her and she totally over reacted. It was on her good side, but this is something I have noticed with her. I think her sensitivity level is elevated and her hind end just does not cooperate. Shy went to back up fast and lost it. Her hind end collapsed and she went over. I dropped Maggie’s line and flew out there. I helped her get steady and she stood there dumb founded and a little wobbly. I held her head for a few minutes until she chose to go eat again. I did spread the hay out FAR apart. The rest of the afternoon went incident free.

My heart sank, she stands in her stall with her leg cocked up right next to the gate, thats as close as she can get to the other herd. She wants to be in a herd. It breaks my heart, you don’t even understand how much my heart aches over this.  I am gonna see if placing Misty and Dee in there will help a litte to even the bodies out and keeping Misty more occupied. I would never dream of putting her with any of the others they put the chase onto any new herd member and thats not something she can handle. I would put her out alone but she runs and sweats herself up and I can’t blame her.

I am thinking after she foals and once the foal gets about a month old, I might look for a easy keeper (has to be a easy keeper as far as not needing butt loads of grain), perferably a gelding, to be her permanent pasture mate. Something that will stay just with her and be a buddy. But this is all tenative and see how things go. Maybe once the lopsided baby is over with she will have better stability, I am trying to keep a optomistic mind about all of this.

Her sides are healing well!!! Bout time. I am now putting furazone paste on it and she is keeping it on YIPPEEEEEEE. They still are a little itchy but when anything heals it itches.

Tomorrow, I am gonna massage her down. I am going to put a sheet in the dryer get it warm and lay it on her. Her neck muscles, they still need some more work specially the right side. She loves this. Loves to be brushed, rubbed, scratched and hugged.

OOOOOOO, remeber when I was first starting to put halters on her? When the regular weave halters rattled she would get seriously upset. Well the rope halter is working awesome, she is getting to the point that 98% time she will put her nose out so I can slide it on!!! No more turning away wide bug eyes!!! See little things mean so much!!!

I will be getting some more beet pulp, alfalfa and senior grain tommorow. She has 1 bale of hay left, and she looks forward to that EVERY day. She is now getting 1 flake after supper. She wont eat the dengie, she throws it around and grinds it into the floor, so I am taking her hint and no longer giving it to her, unless I deem it neccesary. Sure she is happy about that!!

Hopefully tomorrow I will get some more pictures, to much was going on today to haul it out.

Take care and have a good night!!

Yesterday, I was to tired to write, sleep is just not happening. I don’t know if I am nesting or what but the baby dreams are unreal and almost real. Man o man!

She went outside for while yesterday with Misty. We let her out and she immediately ran for the round bale, I was like your not starving deary. No she had something else on her mind, she used it as a scratching post. Her sides and belly. O she was loving it. Misty was looking at her in disgust, like you know I EAT off that! After her romp with the round bale they settled down to afternoon lunch under the drape of a blue sky and the beaming sunlight. O can not forget the rolling in the mud then the hay, almost like she tared and feathered herself, leaving it to me to clean up. I took the shedding blade to her, which she LOVES, brushed her and tackled her mane and tail. Its so waxy and brittle at the same time. So I was like you know what we are chopping it. Yup cringe cause I did it, she can get air to her neck and not have that yucky mane there ewwy. Its about 5 inches long now. I have to clean it up cause someone who not stop wiggling. I then braided her tail and it looks so purty, she on the other hand just looks at me and sighs.. somehow I don’t think she cares for dress up LOL.

Today I went out and she was her hyper self, she is feeling good and that protein has her going going going. It was funny, I saw she was eating the last of her breakfast denji this morning when I came, I am thinking good she can wait an hour for her lunch and all is well… WRONG. I went to clean her stall after giving her some rubs, she was fine till I walked right past the denji bucket and showed no signs of turning around. So then I hear a big ole knicker with a snort, I look over she is hanging her head out the gate with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. I turned around and went back to cleaning her stall, then I hear a BANG BOOM CLANG BOOM. I look over she is going at the broom, trying to eat the bottom of it. Good lord thats not hay!! So I take the broom away and give her some denji, problem solved, with a little snort and sigh so was off to munching land.

While she was eating her mash for lunch I went to bend down to look at her udders, holy cow little miss pissy!!! To get her to let me was in itself a challenge!!! But to my amazement, they both have milk now and the nipples are hard and the bags are hot. I wish I did not forget my camera!!! They are getting there, I have not seen the baby really move the last couple of days either. I know she is getting HUGE! I think she has 2-3 weeks!!! I can’t wait! Hopefully she will have a good foaling experience!

I did got to the tack shop today and pick up some stuff for her skin issues, reading a talking with Sue, it reminds me of hotspots. It all seems to fit. So I got some stuff thats like resin and promotes healing. I also picked up, probios, and MTG. Came to $14.87.

Here are some pictures taking on the 15th

Look at that belly!

Enjoying a little hay

Man she looks good.

As usual I walked in this morning, her head over the gate with a nice big whinny and a snort! Brings a smile to my face every dang time. No way I can be in a bad mood with her, she is to darn cute.

I was mucking out her turn in stall and I was doing something in the corner, think I was moving a hook, I turn around and there she is head to the wall butt to the door, wiggling her nose to me. All she wants is my touches and scratches. I LOVE it. She follows me around the stall, instead of taking a short time to clean she makes me work LOL.

Her diet has changed some, she is now on a little more protein to help with making milk, she is no longer getting as much bran, we have added oil to her food along with the more mineral oil. I have begun to cut back her feed some as well, she has gained like crazy. Proves does not take months and years to get weight on a horse, high quality feed does it! When I got her you remember you could see her back bone her butt was all slanted instead of round. Well she has junk in the trunk and back bone what back bone???? She is looking good, and bright full of life and sassy. Shy Shy is back and going strong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Without the help of everyone one from the prayers, well wishes and donations I don’t know what would have happened. I do know she is smothered with love, has a nice place to live, has caring people who are around her and come and see her (I call these fans aka Gina and I’s friends). Above all she is getting the best care possible!!

The next few days are supposed to be really nice out so she will get turned out, and I am hoping for a quick bath with a blow dry. Her skin is bad bad bad. I don’t know what it is. When I looked at the bottom of her belly today right by the base of her hair was yellow flaky stuff. The tea tree oil and aloe helps some but I just don’t know. It reminds me of dry itchy skin. Could possibly be. Even though her coat is starting to get shinier and less waxy feeling. She is getting brushed every single day from head to toe! She loves it and looks forward to it.

Today I brushed her with a curry, hard and soft brush, she got her mane and tail brushed out and she was in heaven I have to admit. I tried getting her hoofs picked but her balance has gone down the tubes. I am not sure if its cause the baby is all on one side or not. I do know her equal liberium is off and her depth perception. So I left her alone with that one. She is scheduled to have a barefoot specialist out on March 21st, along with a massage and a reading. She will have a full day for sure!

I took her for a little walk, she stood in the door way closed her eyes and breathed the fresh air. She is getting really good about pressure, I have got her so if I jiggle the lead a tad and say easy she will slow down. I do have to walk on her bad side so she don’t go in circles. So we walked down the driveway and she felt the spunk. She started to trot and all of a sudden I am being jarred, my knee twist. She had lost her balance and if I was not there to push her I think she would have had a really bad spill there on the gravel. I got her straight, she stood with her head in me sighing and wobbly legged. I firmly told her, her sea legs are not ready and that baby has you so off kilter you need to WALK, not go calavanting off like a racehorse. After that she didn’t, she cleaned up some scraps of hay on the ground, stared at the herd, who was to busy eating to even come and say hi!!! So after a few rolls in the snow, leaving a nice brown spot lol, well they are not as bad as before, we walked back inside and had her afternoon snack of denji with some oil and water on it (just a tad). I guess I was not going fast enough cause she was in there whinnying and snorting away, I never turned around I just stood there grinning thinking, you can whinny all day long and be perky all you want dear, its music to my ears!!

O, before I forget. The vet did call with the pregnancy test results, its confirmed she is REALLY REALLY pregnant!!! Any one wanna take a guess when the baby is born?? I am thinking 3 weeks! Her right udder is getting bigger, I looked at it today. On her teets are TINY little balls of white stuff. I didn’t touch it this time. So that is solved!! Not that I had a ounce of doubt thats for sure. It was either she is prego or she has a alien in there!

I was thinking, I have a lot that has happened to me in my life, just like many of our readers, from verbal to physical abuse. I had a HARD time forgiving and moving on with things. I sit and watch Shy she loves us TRULY loves us. For all the crap she has had to deal with from ass hats and people only thinking of themselves, racing life, life in home after home after home ( I know she went through the auction 3 times), and she STILL gives us a chance!!! WOW talk about humble pie. This mare has taught me so much about forgiveness, never giving up and perseverance. Tell yeah I have learned more from this mare then I have in a long time. Geesh I spent all that money on therapy???????????? I should have just found a horse thats been through hell and learned from them!!!!

We are going to be opening it so Shy can have visitors. We have had a bunch of inquires about it and I was holding off. She is in a awesome space now, she rarely shy’s away from us when we touch her face.

I will screen people. I am not trusting with the background of people I know of attached to her past, I don’t want negative around her period. The property is surveyed 24/7 with cameras. Is a shame it had to come to that point. Anyways, back to my point that if you would like to visit her just let me know and I can see what days fit.

I will be getting more pictures of her, I am working on a little movie of her as well. From the first day to now. So we can all see her changes, not just in her weight but spirit!

I went out today and I could tell immediatly that she was not feeling well. She was kinda dopey dpressed looking and she was not even into her food she just picked at it. That is SO not her. I thought maybe we had a little bit of colic going on so we backed off her pellets and gave her more bran, and little sweet with some pellets and her mineral oil. She at outside today and still, she ate but not with the vigur she usually does.

I took her for a little walk, I think we rolled ever 100ft, first one side then the other side grunting and groaning all the way. Was like she lives to roll but this much??? Whats up with this.

Well Gina informed me she pooped A LOT last night normally 1 or 2 piles thats it. Well there was like 5 or more. So my instant thought was the baby moved up into that void that I talked about a few post back that the vet found, where tons of manure was getting caught. I think the baby moved up into the birth canal and all that manure got pushed out. SO, we investigated more, her right teet is hot and baggin up more and she has a little tear drop of wax on each, Gina pulled some to make sure it was dirt but nope, and she has a little bit of sticky yellowish liguid. So we moved the back end, she is split up more, vulva long and thin. So I guess we don’t have to worry about that prego test after all, looks like she is showing us already!!!!!

We medicated her bobo’s again. Tomorrow she will have her teets, and backend washed up all nice and clean, along with her yucky scabs!!

I apologize, I had some video of the Princess rolling and pictures outside, but I thought I had my camera… even sent hubby to scour the car.. no camera I think I left it in the dang barn. I am so kicking myself right now!!!! So you will just have to wait for video and pictures!!!

Take care off to call Gina, see if I need to spend the night in the stall or not!

What a day, spring is COMING!!!! I can not wait neither can Shy Shy. I did manage to get some pictures, not all that I wanted but hey its a start. I did pick up at stall mat at Katahdin Trail Saddlery in Newport today for $40 bucks. I will put it in tomorrow, some thing she really really needed!!

I do need to call the vet on Monday she has come down with a skin issue. Her coat is gross, stinky, waxy, dull and dandruff hell. Just not a healthy coat, it defiantly reflects her past history for sure. Right where her belly ends and her leg starts, on both sides she has pea like hard spots, some have the hair coming off, some are scabby, but they sure are itching her like crazy to the point of her chewing it raw!!! I lathered her up with baby oil and iccima. Tomorrow I will take warm cloth and a mild baby soap wash her areas good dry her off and apply more ointment (I am only washing the areas that are affect and have the bumps) He is the best picture I could get:

Ouchy

Here is a udder picture. I have never noticed the far sided one a little swollen before

The far sided one is a tad puffy. But thought I would show you all, so you can watch with the rest of us.

I did get brushing pictures!! She had fun between scratches carrots and apples we had when happy girl that was in my pocket and just being so sweet!!!

OOOOOOO thats the spot.

Here are a couple videos as well. I tried to get hoof shots and it just was not happening. So I got some quick videos so you can see the hoof wall and flares.

This is the other back hoof

(see the video of her sratching under the videos page)

Shy’s coat is really gross, its a product of her former environment. Bad living conditions, not the proper nutrition either. Her skin is dull, waxy, stinky (abnormally), and the dandruff is enough to make you sneeze for hours on end. I feel bad for her I really do, she is so itchy and her skin is sooooooooooo dry it has to be uncomfortable. I lathered the bad areas with baby oil and iccima. I am also going to start putting oil in her food on top of her mineral oil. We will get her cleaned up tomorrow with a spot bath and try and get her comfortable again.

Sorry I did not post yesterday it was just hectic!!
I am so wanting spring but I can seriously so away with the dang barn flooding! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Shy was enjoying having her blanket off, strutting around and itching herself. I did give her another wormer, hopefully this will be the last time she needs them back to back. We will see when I get the results of the stool sample. She is getting better about her wormer. I have been working with her letting me hold her head and touching her face. Before she would head for the rafters, poor vet almost got her arm pulled off. She is getting A LOT better. Once she releases her head and relaxes I give her release and she is getting it. I do move slowly around her damaged side she guards this a lot more then the other side… understandable.

I brought out the curry comb, hard brush, soft brush and mane/tail brush. Her eyes got big and she let a low knicker go. I bet I was grinning ear to ear ! OMG does she loved to be brushed, her head, neck and lip does pretty neat things LOL. Shy loves her neck, chest and belly done. If I stop she will turn around and position herself exactly where she wants me to brush next, its really heart warming. I feel guilty after an hour of brushing and my arm is jelly and she STILL wants more. How can I say no????

I did discover some old injuries on her legs, some have that yucky white scab on it, and I need to pick up some destine to make a paste for her cannon bones, its got that waxy yucky build up. Looks like scratches. I also still need to do her white lightening treatment, just waiting for a nicer day. Her hoofies are so full of thrush man they stink like mad! I am tackling her hoofs this week, I was cleaning them out yesterday and her flare is SO BAD, that there is hoof wall separation, there is hardly any frog either. For all my trimming friends yes pictures are a must and I will try and get them 2morrow so I can get some advice. Karina, my farrier and wonderful friend is actually coming out in a couple weeks, to do a reading on her, some muscle work and to peek at her hoofies as well. So she will be feeling spiffy by the end of that day!

Monday is feed store day. She is almost out of beet pulp, she has enough Denji for her morning snack, all out of Emerald and alfalfa. So we be fresh out after her morning feeding. So her feed that I got lasted about 3 weeks. I have bought some hay stretcher in between also. I have not heard from Pam yet, if she has received any checks or not, I will find out tomorrow. I am also going to pick up 1 stall mat, put $100 down on her vet bill. So yeah. I am looking into getting a second job, in efforts to have some extra money to put on her. Now if my body can handle 5 hours sleep!!

I hope also to get this week a few jars set up at some places and hear from the therapy center. I used to do guided Therapeutic Trail rides and I want to give back, so I am talking with the therapist about bringing some animals lovers and clients with different diagnosis out to do some horse therapy and see a horse that has gone through what Shy has and to see yes you can trust again, you can over come and be a inspiration! I will be excited to get the final details down!

There is a lot of stuff in the works and I am hoping it all flows together. Shy’s spirit is FLYING in full color. She loves where she is at and is quite talkative and we all love it!

Its a WONDERFUL Friday warm weather and spunky horses!! Its nice and warm out and looks like she will be blanket less 2morrow, think she is loving it!!

Mommy Gina took over my motherly duties, as I was home sick and a slew of appointments to attend to and also get the security cameras so we can hook those up. Unfortunately they will not have access to the Internet they will be for business and personal use. We just thought this would be a safe move to have the place recorded not that the horses are left home alone for very long to begin with.

I sold my Amish made bridle today to Cathy Maher of Canada!!! All the proceeds go right to Shy Shy, Maggie was fine with me selling it, she hates the bit anyways. Have fun with it Cathy and TY Rudy I hope it fits you like a glove, remember pictures please!!

I have got some more donations in, I have been adding them to the donations page. I am trying to think of other ways to show whats coming it but its hard to come up with something creative and efficient.
I will be making another run the the feed store either Sunday or Monday. For Denji, haystretcher, Emerald, supplements the vet would like her on. She goes through Denji like its going out of style, she loves it I damp it down with a dash of water and a squirt of mineral oil and she loves it, well she loves food period, even me chewing carrots up and giving it to her LOL.
We did pick up a truck load of sawdust for her stall and her day time turn in. She was just going through so many bags of shavings this was a economical way and its all pine saw dust so its safe. Once she gets close to foal it will all be pulled and straw will be added.

We have been taking her for walks as well and working on some manners as well as listening. She wants to go so bad and her body is just not in the condition it needs to be. I am afraid she will take it a little to far and wipe out or hurt herself. So we jog her a little and walk, she wants to GOOOOOOOOOO. She gets a little bossy so I am teaching her easy and not letting her be pushy. She may have been abused and neglected, but she is still a horse and needs some manners. She is coming along and getting better all the time.

I have not got any results back from the blood work, that will be in sometime next week so we might know what phase of her pregnancy she is in!!

TY for all the donations, well wishes, long talks on the phone, positive wishes and the talk therapy and letting me know its gonna be alright!
Love,
Shy Shy & Michele

They day started out like any other, food first once she is done then its loves. Yeah know food is important!!
Well I started scratching her and OMG did she love that, the right side of her nose was doing all sorts of things. I would stop and she would position herself for the next scratch. Her favorite was her armpit! O man did that make the baby kick… I was giggling she was REALLY enjoying herself!

So I am thinking its warm out lets go for a walk. She stole a mouthful of hay on the way out the door, she loves the stuff but coughs and gags… she just wants to be a normal girl. I brought her over to where my 2 girls are pastured OMG spunk. She spun and popped up. Deary where did this come from. She is walking almost like a yearling, you know where there legs and body are not on the same wave length.

So I walked her down the driveway, then Maggie (my wild mustang) decided to RIP through the pasture which in turn got the princess all fluffed up to the point where she reared and did a buck with a kick. She has a rough landing, partly cause of the loss of muscle and her hoofs. She wanted to go. I think the feed has kicked in!!!!!!!!!! She is feeling good.

After the little prancing trotting and pouncing I brought her inside she grabbed a drink and went to lay down. Think she needed to rest her sea legs!! Its SO good to see her spirit and wanting to romp and play. We try to keep it down, I think if I let her loose she would have flown. I guess its like when you have the flu one day you feel REALLY good and go all out and the next day you kinda wished you had taken it slow. I think slow and steady is what she needs, even though she may disagree but I AM THE MOM!!

Since upping her mineral oil and bran her poopies have been much softer, what a relief those bad ones were really worry some. I have not seen no more worms in a couple days, so I am hoping we are over the hump!

The vet will be out tomorrow. I will make sure to take pictures, and maybe even get my hubby to take some video. I want her checked head to tail, no fooling around! She will get her immuno booster for the baby, so we can get that on board. We will go over her dietary needs again to make sure we are on track. I taped her today and as of today I have her at 76 pounds gained. But before I officially say that I will have the vet tape her, so no one thinks I am not on mark.

I am still in need of mostly feed donations and shavings or saw dust and denji. I have been picking hay stretcher up for her to add to her mashes.

I tried to get some video but the excitement put it on the back burner. We got a couple pictures. I promise I will get some tomorrow!

Gina and Shy

Mom where are my sunglasses???

Ps, I have had a long day and thinking man this vet bill is gonna be huge, then hubby comes in with the mail.

Thank You Gail and Gary Rideout of Millinocket Maine, and their 8 sled dogs casey, Bandit, Magic, Rocky, Patches, Sable, Crash and Mellow. Thank you for the wonderful card and check. I will be hanging the card on Shy Shy’s stall door! Lets hope she don’t eat it!! Big hugs!!

Wow what a day. Shy was patiently waiting her stall when I arrived. Gina and I clean the BIG side, then let her walk herself over and she gets a pan full of denji. Guess we were yacking to much and not enough work cause she was getting mouthy (music to my ears).

I was thinking, she is making eye contact, WANTING to be near us, not taking her food and doing away with us. So I am like you know what she has not been outside in awhile so lets do it. I put some denji in a pan and put it outside. It took me a minute to get the halter on the rattling upset her so I switched to a rope halter and out we went. HER EYES WENT BIGGGGG. She looked around, saw the herd was in sight. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, and let out a huge sigh and just stood between Gina and I. That to me said it all.. no words can explain this none, you had to be there to see it and feel it. She refused the food she wanted to explore (YEAHHHH). We walked around, she looked, miss judged a few steps but all in all it was awesome. I let her go wherever her heart wanted to go. We went in and out of the barn several times, watched the herd, then finally back into her stall where lunch was ready.

Soon after Channel 5 News arrived. We took the long walk down the driveway talking about her and I opened the door and she was still munching. You could tell the news lady was WOW. I went in the stall removed her blanket and then she saw, the bones, her back bone sticking up, her ribs, her dull dander filled coat. We talked went over things and I was so nervous.

Somethings I wish were in the news cast that were not, but all in all it was a good thing for people to see. I do have to make a correction she does NOT have ring worm its ROUND worms. That may freak some out who have had contact with her. So rest assured if she had that you would have been notified. I think it went well.

So after the news left we were on a feed run and a few things that are needed for her. She has a REALLY hard time drinking cold water. I have left water for her once it gets cold she wont touch it. So I picked up a small bucket heater for her, another bucket to drink from. 4 bags of shavings, 1 bag of haystretcher, 3 bags denji ( she goes through these fast). I spent,

Pam even donated a long cord so if we want to put her outside fore a little while she can have warm water and this will help if we need to use foaling lamps.

I have come home to SEVERAL donations, I am in awe!!! I really really am!!!! Paypal is back up too.

$162.68 USD

Check the donation page for the latest donors!!!

Ty you all and I will be adding pictures here in a bit from today!!!!

I will be back in a bit to write more but wanted to put the link to the news story.

I did not get out to see her yesterday I was stuck home in bed with big ole fever and pretty much the same today. Holy crap who knew working in – weather would do this.

Anyways, back to Shy. She is still hanging in there. We have had to put her food up everytime we feed her she has seizures anytime her head goes down. Not sure if something is getting pushed or not, the vet can determine more next week. She wont have her shots next week, the vet wants to hold off and get her worms under control. So we are getting on a plan for that and during that process her bran will be upped and mineral oil will be added.

I have been trying to figure out how much it cost to have her a day, and I am thinking 20-25 dollars. She goes through a bag of shavings ever other day, and her denji are the most costly things.

I am trying to find a alternative to Chipin, I think ppl seeing the total amount, are thinking thats what I have on hand or thinking oh she is set no trouble. I am not being ungrateful at ALL!!! No way. I am thinking by May I will be back on my feet, I will be paid money that is owed to me and paid money back that I had lent out to others.  The vet as kindly told me to charge, and not to worry about the bill at time of service (always been one to pay then and there), which I think is very kind!!

I bought Strongyle care today for $6.49 which brings my paypal total too, $105.01 USD

If its not storming to bad out I will be heading out tommorrow. Saturday we will be moving horses so she will have a little pasture to go out into for about an hour a day at first. Her eyes brighten when she sees the other horses and I think she REALLy wants to go out, in a safe spot supervised. I want her spirit back, I am not just nuturing a skeleton and a unborn foal, her mind is the key. I want her to be a horse again not a prisioner and I will move heaven and earth to see that gleam back, if its the last thing I do!