# Rode Princess Dee!



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

She started out being a little "testy" as in testing me. Just little things like stopping when she wanted to, fighting turns etc.

Then I felt something...I felt her give over to me completely. I FELT when she gave herself to me, like a relaxation in her body.

At that point, she turned on a dime, stopped when I asked, walked on when I asked her to. I walked her all over the pasture, turning her etc in the halter and clip on reins. We had an saddle issue, the pad was way big so we had to put just the saddle on her with no pad. I suspect it was pinching a bit on her...fluffy...withers. :happy2:

I didn't trot because we had already had DD on her (epic fail) and her friend (epic win) and she was getting close to done.

The neighbor was watching her, and she expressed concern over the tail flagging the entire ride; I shook my head. She IS an arab, right???

The next thing the neighbor did freaked me out. I don't believe after this I will ever allow the neighbor to touch her again . It happened so quick I never had a chance to stop it.

Ready?

I wondered if she had wolf teeth, she is reportedly that age and it would certainly make her not want the bit. Neighbor siad she would check.

She grabs the horse's tongue and pulls it WAAAAY out and to the side and proceeds to put her hand all up in Delilah's mouth. When she was done, delilah's tongue was still sticking out the side of her mouth. The horse FREAKED and couldn't get her tongue back in. She backed up, I said, "Oh my God" as she stared at me, frank terror in her eyes. Then she collapsed, tongue still out of her mouth. Neighbor was closest to her head and shoved her tongue back in her mouth.

Delilah lay there for a second on her chest, then got back up and stood quietly as I crooned to her. The neighbor immediately said there was a neuro problem. She said the horse had a glazed eye when she went down; I saw terror and confusion.

I asked her when the rides were over if she saw a different side to Princess Dee. She claims she saw some of the same behaviors...I saw nothing. Perhaps the tail flagging?

I suspect Delilah had either bitten her own tongue or gotten it hung up on her teeth. The entire incident was so quick I couldn't stop the neighbor from her actions. 

This is the last time neighbor will be around Delilah. To me, it speaks volumes about Delilah's nature that she was quiet enough to allow neighbor to put her tongue back in her mouth.

As for DD, she got frustrated quickly when Delilah would stop or not turn for her. It was completely user error. :hair

Her friend had a slightly stronger hand and got more out of Delilah. When I got on her, I got the most and was very pleased. She did balk at backing up, however. I didn't push it because she was just about done.

Tomorrow I will be going back up with a shorter pad. The arab saddle did fit her pretty well; she has an amazingly short back!!! I hadn't noticed it until we put the pad on her, the same pad I used for Buddy!!!

I hope to get her to her other gaits tomorrow. *IF* there is a neuro issue it should show in the trot.

FTR, I plan to call out my vet anyway during this 30 day trial. He is awesome; if there is a problem, he will find it.


----------



## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Glad you got on your new girl. I would have freaked out if I saw what your did. Does she just not like Dee? I do not believe I'd ask her opinion about horse flesh unless your vet agrees with her assessment. 

Is DD still getting lessons? If so, can your trainer give them on Dee?


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Tell your neighbor to leave your horse the heck alone! Good grief.

If you want anyone's assessment, get a real horse trainer to assess behavior and get a vet to evaluate health issues.


----------



## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Joshie said:


> Glad you got on your new girl. I would have freaked out if I saw what your did. Does she just not like Dee?


Hmm. Could Joshie be on to something? Would you be selling Spanky even if things didn't work out with Dee? Is it possible the girl resents the new horse knowing she's about to lose the old one? And maybe even trying to make you doubt Dee's stability? Boy, the two of them do NOT seem to belong together!


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

The neighbor did *what*?! Oh, no. I'm glad you had more restraint than I would have, because as soon as what happened happened, I would have slugged her for doing something so cruel. You can check a horse for wolf teeth by sticking your hand in the side of the mouth, where the bit is supposed to go. Push fingers apart into the gums and a horse will glady open wide to let you see any issues with what may be going on with their teeth.

This girl needs to stay *away* from your horse, permanately. Your vet should be the only one to do any such actions and I'm sure he will do so with much more grace and training!

I'm going to have to say that this girl has something out for this beautiful horse. Maybe she has a distinct dislike towards Arabs? All Arabs are hot blooded, and they move far differently than other breeds. Send that girl my way, I'll let her test out a hot blooded Thoroughbred and see what all things nasty she has to say about my precious old man.

Either way, you keep going with what you know! You can judge a horses personallity far more in the saddle than you can from the ground. If you like the way she handled, then she's a good horse. Keep it up!


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

She actually is not overly fond of arabs. She also seems to be holding Dee up to the standards of her own horse, who is admittedly dead broke to a "T." No doubt Hawk would have ridden her up to the skies and stopped the thunderstorm. I am kidding, but he really is a sane, calm horse, practically truly bomb proof.

I am glad for the support, she really did make me wonder about the whole tongue/neuro thing. Dee truly seemed incapable of putting her own tongue back in her mouth, yet she licks and chews just fine. I truly think she bit her own tongue or something, it was horrible and it happened so fast I couldn't do a thing to stop it. I thought the neighbor was doing as AJohsnon said, next thing I knew she had grabbed her tongue and pulled it out, big time, and to the side of her mouth.

The worst thing about the whole tongue incident was that I was the one holding the lead rope when she panicked; she was looking right into my eyes. I so hope she doesn't remember this and hold me "responsible" in her horsie mind. I think it speaks so much as to her personality that she laid still long enough and allowed the same girl who had caused the incident to push her tongue back in her mouth, then calmly pull herself together, hop back up and carry on as if nothing had happened.

Yes, she is banned from any more "help" at this point. She is doing nothing but causing bad mojo with the horse. Even after today, seeing how patient she was with the kids, she told me she wasn't sure how long her patience would hold out.


----------



## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

It sounds to me like your neighbor is very confident in her own ability and knows the proper vocabulary. How much have you actually watched her working horses? It sounds to me like her confidence is outreaching her knowledge. She may be what my DGF called a rider, not a horseman. Whatever her problem is, it seems obvious she doesn't like or is afraid of Dee. 

Is it possible she actually blocked Dee's throat when she pulled her tongue like that? She may have cut off her air, making her start to faint.

I would not leave my horse where she can do whatever she wants with it. She may do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. 

Pony club for your DD is a good idea for your DD if there is one near you. Mom is usually not the best instructor without backup, and Pony club or a good 4-h horse club would be good.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

SS and the others might be onto something. They know that this is Spanky's ticket out of there. Hmmmm. Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously?


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Also... two strikes with the neighbor, you are right, she must be entirely done with handling Dee. If you can be firm and tell her that it wasn't a neuro problem but entirely her mishandling if YOUR horse, it would help you to set some boundaries. For Dee's sake you need to do this. No casual handling of Dee either, because it can become something disastrous way too fast, as you saw today. I suspect that Dee had her air cut off and was choking, of course she was afraid! For Dee's sake, you need to be firm here.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Hmmm...if that was the case, it would have ended in fainting indeed. I have been googling my fingers off and can find not one single thing about this issue, even under neuro sites.

PS: She is a vet tech, believe it or not. AND trains horses, AND gives lessons. Why she dislikes Dee, I just don't know.


----------



## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

"PS: She is a vet tech, believe it or not. AND trains horses, AND gives lessons. Why she dislikes Dee, I just don't know." 

Dee may just be smarter than she is!


----------



## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

beccachow said:


> PS: She is a vet tech, believe it or not. AND trains horses, AND gives lessons. Why she dislikes Dee, I just don't know.


AND she has an attitude, apparently. Maybe she's secretly envious. I wouldn't let her near Dee at all.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Don't all arabs flag when being ridden? I know Buddy's tail was about "half mast" every time I got on his back. Not the full out freaked/excited flag, just half mast. I thought that was part of an arab's movement?


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

beccachow said:


> Hmmm...if that was the case, it would have ended in fainting indeed. I have been googling my fingers off and can find not one single thing about this issue, even under neuro sites.
> 
> PS: She is a vet tech, believe it or not. AND trains horses, AND gives lessons. Why she dislikes Dee, I just don't know.


ANYONE can hang out a shingle and call themselves an instructor and/or horse trainer. How old is this young woman?


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Pretty much every arab I've been around flags their tail when ridden.


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

beccachow said:


> Don't all arabs flag when being ridden? I know Buddy's tail was about "half mast" every time I got on his back. Not the full out freaked/excited flag, just half mast. I thought that was part of an arab's movement?


Most Arabs I've seen carry their heads and tails pretty high. At least all of the ones that I've seen! Flagging a tail isn't always a bad thing. We had a Tennessee Walker that pranced like that no matter what you were doing with her. She wasn't exactly the most level headed horse, but she wasn't a bad horse just because she flagged her tail.

As for this girl being a vet tech/trainer/instructor... That's fine and dandy. You can call yourself whatever you want, that doesn't mean that you know anything. That or the title has gotten to this womans/girls head and she thinks she knows more than what she actually does.


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Is this the same neighbor who was working Spanky without permission and letting her very young child ride him and then wanted to pony your daughter out on the trails with him?


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

By the way, I did a little googling of information to see what the idea was for pulling your horses tongue out of her mouth. You need to have a vet look at her, as this is actually a very damaging move. Horses have a Hyoid Bone connected to their tongues, so with enough force, you can actually permanately damage a horse. It's possible that this was the reason that Dee freaked out. I'm not trying to scare you, but it is something that needs to be seriously considered.

Here is a blog that gives a little information on the Hyoid Bone. http://foreverhorses.blogspot.com/2009/12/hidden-structures-of-equine-skull.html


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

@Lisa, nope, that was another one. She had her comeuppance tho by running off to a rescue and getting her own pinto...who has thrown everyone who tries to ride him. 

I'm surrounded, lol.

She is young, 21, but she had a pretty good background, worked with some good vets, and talked a good game.

I DO know that some people do the tongue thing to work on teeth. My bet,though, is that she was rough and Dee had never had anything like that happen to her before. It SAYS that a horse won't bite their own tongues, but it could have been an accident.

@AJ: man, I hope not . I would assume that is a pretty painful thing and she wouldn't have been so good afterwards?

No matter, I am having the vet here next week.

Yup, she has two strikes and I'm not giving her a chance for the third. She's made it apparent that she can't do an impartial evaluation of the horse. I will try putting the bridle in today, she claims Dee freaked with the bridle but again, that was during a storm for cying out loud. I know that while a halter and two leads was the owner's preferred trail riding method, the horse had a bridle in when I went to see her and she spit the bit out like a pro when I un-bridled her.

I actually lost sleep over this last night. What this horse has already been through, and then when she has been uprooted from the girl who saved her and has to learn to trust all over again and is thinking maybe beccachow and her daughter are ok after all, then WHAM...what the HECK??? 

I am going up there today, ALONE, and riding her again if only for fifteen minutes or so. SHe hadn't been ridden during the four months prior to getting her since her first mom found out she was preggers (mom not horse). Small sessions of 100% good experiences for her should help cement her trust.


I'll try to get some pics of me on her. I admit...I am so nervous about my size...5'9" and 170-175 pounds, I am a bit "fluffy" these days myself and I feel like I am too big for a horse . SHe is bigger than Buddy, but not Sunny or Sid sized...she may be about 15h even. I know, stupid. She is DEFINTELY one of the arabs that is missing the ribs and vertebrae, that short back of hers is built for carting people around all day. Shoot, Buddy did it, why do I worry about HER? Maybe cause she is a HER, my first. Delicate little flower (LOL).


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

PS: Thank you ALL for not flaming ME for this. I put my trust in the wrong person, perhaps. Strange that she is anti-Delilah, because this is the same girl who talked me into Spanky who was no where near trained enough for DD.

Trust me, I had NO idea she was going to grab that horse's tongue. As soon as she did, Delilah started to back up and no sooner were the words, "I don't think she..." when that tongue was pulled out.

I KNOW you've all been googling, too, lol. Have any of you come across this an an indicator for neuro? Dee started to half jig towards the end, a sort of side prance no biggie, and neighbor claims it was a neuro thing in that she thought Dee didn't know where to put her foot. Felt like a jig to me, and trust me, Buddy taught me allllll about jigs. So naturally my mind is spinning with, "what if she's right..." Meanwhile, we have been able to walk her in small circles and she hasn't fallen over or anything...

Ugh. Calling vet today. It only takes one negative person to ruin everything, yes???

Oh, do you think I ought to tell him about the tongue thing or let him do his own evaluation without that tidbit of info?


----------



## CheerfulMom4 (May 21, 2008)

I don't think I would worry about the neuro thing until you talk to your vet. Have you noticed anything that made you think she had a problem or is it only things your neighbor has pointed out.

I'm wondering something about your neighbor. Not to be judgemental but I've done this sort of and that's why I wonder. Do you think your neighbor may overestimate her horse training ablitlies because her horse is so good? Did she buy him that way?

I asked because when I was 17 years and had only had a few lessons my Dad bought me a 2 year old horse that had never been ridden. She had lots of round pen hours and I was the first one to ever ride her and we did great. Looking back I did about everything wrong! lol

Anyway..that horse caused me to totally overestimate my horse training ablitlies. It took me a quite a few young ones as an adult before I realized I really know practically nothing and have no business looking at a horse who isn't at least 10 years old.  My experience just made me wonder how many horses this girl has actually trained and how many she thinks she has. lol


----------



## Chaty (Apr 4, 2008)

I know my Arab carries her tail high when we are riding or even if she is running in the pasture.This is why they are Arabs. I also have a Qtr horse that does this also.

Knock the crap out of your neighbor that did that as you dont know if when she did this if the horse has hooks on her back teeth and if by chance she does it shocked her with this behavior. Pure pain, and my vet doesnt do this even when I get my horses teeth floated.
My mare had Wolf teeth and it caused her to lose weight. Its the first sign for them. I had them removed under sedation. She did great!
Horses normally carry their tails out when in motion so it wont tangle up in the legs and in the hind quarters. Have you ever been cut with horsehair? It can do damage pretty fast. Got ficked with tail hair and got some cornea damage, it healed but hurt like heck.
With my mare the only people that touch her is me, the farrier and vet. They tend to be 1 owner type horses. That is the way mine is. She will let others pet her and brush but not ride. Good luck with your mare and keep that neighbor AWAY from her!


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I had initially expressed some doubts about Spanky, but she assured me she would be able to ride him on occasion to keep him in tune. Unfortunately, an old injury she had suffered from a prior fall has been acting up and she has been warned about being tossed off a horse again (neck injury). She is heavier, but short enough to balance on Spanky. My toes would drag the ground, lol. So that's why we are where we are.

She HAS done quite a bit with him as far as ground manners and such. OTOH, I did the same with my boys with NO experience, just good old fashioned common sense and lots of reading and applying of the knowledge.

I offered her a turn on Dee, and she didn't want to ride her. I don't think she will get past the Arab dislike enough to ever do me any good. Hey, I swallowed my MARE dislike; simply couldn't let it get in my way when faced with a potentially perfect horse.

I LIKE the independant thinking spirit of an Arab; I love the way they move, I love how they can pick up on your every mood and I think that this accounts for why they can be difficult. If you so much as THINK "oh, no, I bet he spooks at that tree" an arab picks it up somehow and thinks, "SHe is afraid of that tree. I better spook!" I think you either like them, or you hate them; not sure there is a lot of gray here.

Her horse was very well trained when she got him. He actually had belonged to a double BKA (below knee amputee) war vet. His story of Hawk was how he had fallen off on the trail and had no idea how he would get back up; Hawk put his head down and the guy was able to climb up his neck liek a spider and get back int he saddle. Hawk also helped an elderly neighbor who had gone out there in three feet of snow and fallen into a snow bank; he walked up to her and nudged her with his head until she grabbed him, then he helped her stand back up. True story! Hawk IS an amazing horse, no doubt. It is EASY to "train" an already trained horse, yes?

So yes, this has all made me think perhaps she is better at sticking to lessons. DH had an interesting thought. SInce she was the one giving DD lessons, and she dislikes arabs, could she subconsciously be picking the horse to shreds in the hopes that she goes back so she does't have to deal with her for DD lessons?


----------



## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

We purchased an older Crabbet Arabian mare for our lessons string last December. The seller was very concerned that the horse go to a good home so she told me every last thing that she thought might be wrong with the horse. She said that her daughter's trainer hated the horse and was surprised that I loved her from the first ride. 

This mare is probably a lot like your mare temperment-wise. I was told that she was stubborn, didn't like arena work, and hated jumping. Guess what. She doesn't like off balance riders so she walks very slowly with beginners, If you know what you are doing she will give you whatever you ask for (she does require a lot of leg, however). She will only trot if she has confidence that her rider is ready to trot. She does not hate jumping, but instead will only jump for someone she trusts. She is actually quite talented at jumping. 

Knowing now what I do about this horse tells me a lot about the previous owner's daughters trainer. It tells me that she probably wasn't as good a rider as she thought she was, and she probably had something against Arabians as well.


----------



## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

My arab was 15.1 and i weighed 200#. She had no problems carrying me at all...all day on trails. We had some wonderful times and i rode up to three days before she passed at age 29. BTW: she always flagged, she was a very proud mare and acted the part. I do not think your horse will have any issue carrying you. They are way toughter than we think.

I certainly think you are on to something regarding this young lady and her intense dislike for this horse. I have not read one single thing yet that tell me there may be a neuro problem and I am betting your vet will tell you the same thing. in fact, i am betting your vet will tell you to not pay a whole lot of attention to anyting that comes out of her mouth.

if you like the mare, and your DD likes the mare and you both have had good experiences on her....go with that. have your vet check her out and then make your judgement based on SOUND professional advice and your own experiences with the mare.

I am glad you will not be allowing her to handle your mare any further. it sounds like a diaster waiting to happen with your "trainer/friend" being the diaster. She has it out for this mare for some sill reason, not a sign of good character.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Very similar, SG. Dee needs a lot of nudging to keep going with DD, but settled in for me and walked much faster for me and DD's friend. SHe walked with her head lower, plodding along with DD and DD was upset that she had to keep urging the horse forward. After the initial three minutes with me, she lifted her head and stepped it up to Arab pace. She was doing a lot of licking and chewing for DD's friend, probably trying to figure out how she needed to respond to a child who had a little more riding under her belt.

I do know this neighbor did a lot of eventing. I truly don't think she knows how to deal with your average joe schmoe horse; most of the ones she dealt with were trained in eventing, push button horses. Lessons on Hawk were fine, but now I need to think about whether or not she should continue the lessons if we will be using Dee. A horse can sense dislike from a mile away, you know?

For now, I should be able to teach basic walk/steering and such. DD is no more ready for trot than I am ready to run a triathalon. I will be looking into pony club, however.


----------



## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

Oh, I forgot to tell you. My arab mare was very tuned in to what the riders abilities were. if my grandkids were on her she tip toed around very carefully. When i rode , we had a blast. When my DD got on her....My DD knows how to ride and Sharas would take off on her every time because DD would not MAKE her mind. There was never any accident or malice. She just expected my DD to make her do what she wanted and if DD was too wishywashy with her she would take advantage of it. Arabs are very smart horses. This old girl could open any gate without a padlock. I loved her dearly.


----------



## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I would not let her give my DD lessons. At 21 she thinks she knows way more that she knows. She doesn't like you DD's horse, that's reason one. The tongue thing is another.
I think she would be dangerous around kids and horses, she needs her experience to catch up to her opinion of herself, IMO. She was wrong about Spanky, don't let her ruin Dee and your DD too.


----------



## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

If the saddle was hurting her, excess flagging and little behavior issues could be related to that. 

Omg I feel protective of your horse from that girl! I'd make it very clear that she is to keep her hands off! I wouldn't even want her around the horse. She has the potential to be abusive to the mare - at least psychologically - from what you've said. She seems to feel entitled to do anything she wishes. Poor Dee.


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Molly Mckee said:


> I would not let her give my DD lessons. At 21 she thinks she knows way more that she knows. She doesn't like you DD's horse, that's reason one. The tongue thing is another.
> I think she would be dangerous around kids and horses, she needs her experience to catch up to her opinion of herself, IMO. She was wrong about Spanky, don't let her ruin Dee and your DD too.


I agree. A 21 year old can be a fantastic rider, but in my opinion...to be a trainer you have to have a lot more experience than a 21 year old can possibly have. 
I don't know about other sports, but in the horse world there are an incredibly large number of people who think they are far more capable than they are. You see so many of these people who enough to get by, but not enough to know how much they don't know (if that makes any sense). These people are dangerous.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Totally agreed 100% with all of you.

I did find ONE thing that MIGHT relate to her "diagnosis" of potential neuro. Under the EPV (is that it? For Equine Herpes?) it spoke of facial paralyis and seizure. Neighbor thinks she had a kind of seizure when she collapsed, I think she just went down from shock and fear. She DID go down a bit straight legged, but never lost any of her cognitive abilitites like a full blown seizure.

cataplexy: 
A transient attack of extreme generalized muscular weakness, often precipitated by an emotional state such as laughing, surprise, fear, or anger. 

I am so over this now. I get what probably happened to my poor girl.


----------



## CheerfulMom4 (May 21, 2008)

I forget why she isn't at your house but I was just thinking if you actually had her at home you would learn a lot more about her personailty. Plus you would know who was messing with her.


----------



## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Becky, stop googling and stop worrying about it until your vet comes and checks her out. Googling possible health issues can lead a person to look for health issues and possibly even see those that aren't really there. Deep breath and go spend some TLC grooming time with your lovely arabian.

You're letting your silly neighbor worry you. Just wait and see what the vet says(and don't let your neighbor touch Princess Dee)


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

Well, the information that I was looking up for the Hyoid Bone can not only cause a horse to stop breathing, but can also cause there muscular structure to act up. (Including their entire underbelly, which could explain why her legs went completely stiff). But either way, don't worry so much about diagnosis... Let your vet tell you for certain. But do tell him what some of your concerns are. And especially tell him about the whole tongue incident. He'll be able to come up with a better diagnosis than your neighbor will.

As for continuing lessons with your DD, I would definitely be concerned if you plan to continue her lessons on Dee. This is the same woman that the horse is going to be very quickly loosing confidence with. And can probably sense that something about this woman isn't right. Not only that, but what if she spooks Dee? And in turn, puts your DD in a very dangerous situation that she is not experienced enough to handle yet.


----------



## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

I'd get the mare home asap. Then miss priss will not be able to damage her any further. Your other horse(s?) will be fine, just make sure to bring her home early in the day so they aren't out there fooling around in the dark.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I was worried about bringing her home with a possible contagious neuro issue (I was going to get her here yesterday) but I am soooo over it now, lol.

I intend to try to ride her one more time up there alone, then walk her down to her home with the boys.


----------



## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Sounds like the perfect Arabian! They read their rider and respond accordingly. Don't you love that about them? 

Your neighbor does not like Dee. Maybe she just doesn't like Arabians. Whatever it is, she is picking the horse apart. You didn't even notice a lot of what she was picking apart. 

For a horse that has had so much time off, she sounds like she's doing wonderfully. I look forward to reading regular updates on her.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Of course by the time *I* was able to have a few minutes to myself, darkness fell like a wall. I am so mad, all I wanted to do all day was ride her again but of course not, right?

I did approach her with the bit, didn't put it in, but after an initial head toss she lowered her head back down and let me put it in and on her lips. Being dark, I wasn't going there...she has already had one tragic mouth accident and doesn't need another. I got the feeling she would take the bit like a champ. I'll update more tomorrow after noon.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

INteresting.

So some of you know my Duke GSD story, and the empath accupuncturist who pretty much saved him. She is doing work on him again due to some Degerenative Myelopathy issues. She was here yesterday, and I half jokingly told her to "talk" to Delilah. I didn't tell her anything that had transpired and she has no way of knowing; I only told you guys, not even a share on FB because the girl involved is a FB friend.

She "talked" to Delilah, wrinkled her face in confusion and said, "Something very wierd happened a few days ago." She then looked even more confused and said, "Did she fall on her spine a few days ago?" Then she proceeded to tell me that Delilah said "she doesn't like that one girl, and who IS she, anyway, and why did she try to ride her the other night?" LOL. Those who have followed DUke's story know that for my accu miracle lady, this is all par for the course.

I walked her up to Dee, and she adjusted Dee's spine which got whacked out of alignment due to the force of her fall. 

About an hour later I wandered back up, saddled her slooowly (I am kind of weak these days) then clambored up on her back while she stood stone still. It was getting dark and I could tell she was nervous, but I did about 10 minutes or so and then hopped back off. She was a dollbaby.


----------



## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Wow very cool. So have you gotten Dee home and safely away from the disliked girl? I'm sure she is or will be extremely appreciative.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

The girl hasn't come back around since, but was grumbling to her mom about how the horse had a grand-mal seizure. If the horse had in fact had a grand-mal seizure, it would have taken her some time before she would have been able to hop back to her feet, in my opinion. She claims the horse was shaking, but what I saw was her trying to regain her footing. I think it is safe to say she has written Princess Dee off completely. Fine by me.

She was in fact a little goofy about taking the bit, but hey, I am used to that. I stuck with it til I got it in, let it in for about a minute then had her spit it back out because the bit was too wide for her face.


----------



## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Becky, aren't you and EMT and an officer in your fire dept? That certainly trumps a vet tech, especially one that is only 21. How much experience can she have? Horse and human medicine are quite parallel. Trust yourself!!


----------



## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

beccachow said:


> The girl hasn't come back around since, but was grumbling to her mom about how the horse had a grand-mal seizure.


Now it's a grand-mal seizure?? Oy! You know the correct response after having yanked Dee's tongue and causing her to freak out was, "oops, I'm sorry." Not "well something's wrong with the horse!"

Since whoever it was that posted about the hyoid bone, I've been wondering if she did some damage - and that's why Dee couldn't pull her tongue right afterwards! Hope not. Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing what the vet has to say, and am glad that YOU are not having any serious issues with Dee. I think she is in the right hands!


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

She "told" my accumiracle lady that she was rescued for us. If you believe this sort of thing, of course.  Trust me, she has told me wierder things that made me stop, open mouthed.


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

I would act a little funky about taking a bit too after having my tongue pulled from my mouth. I bet her mouth is sore and she's a little spooky about anyone touching her mouth period at this point. It's just going to have to take some work and trust for her to understand it. The bit not fitting properly can also cause a horse to be a little wary of having a bit. It might be a bad experience that happened in the past with it for the horse.

As for this girl, if I was ever in your area, I would want to know this womans name and the vet facility that she works at. I wouldn't want her near any of my animals. Especially now that she's singing a different tune about what is wrong with the horse. Neuro problem? Grand-mal Seizure? What will she be saying in the next few days? This girl needs to be taught her place. If she says something again, tell her to mind her own business and that you are no longer interested in her supposedly "educated" experience. She has no idea what she's doing.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

AJohnston, surprisingly she can't find a vet tech job. :eyeroll:

Yeah, the grand mal remark just about did me in. Now I am certain she almost wants something to be wrong with the horse.

I will, however, issue a grand "I was wrong and she was right" should my vet find anything. I am keeping her in the other field til the vet comes out, just in case. The girl has no desire to be near her, so I have no worries that she will be doing anything else. In the meantime, we are using her isolation to bond with her. She has my boys just on the other side, so she isn't totally alone.


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

> AJohnston, surprisingly she can't find a vet tech job. :eyeroll:


What a shocker!! :umno:

Well, I'm glad to hear that she's officially put away from Dee. I feel sorry for any other animals in her possession however... And anyone else that may suffer from her opinion. And I'm glad to hear that things are going well with Dee. One step at a time.


----------



## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Yup. She is doing very well. I am curious about her age, though: I was told by the rescuer that the auction said 12-13, but accumiracle lady thinks only about 6. The vet will know. Accumiracle lady admits she feels strongly about "6" but has been wrong before.


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

Let us know when you find out. :3 I wouldn't be able to tell you myself without getting a good look at the teeth. But from the pictures you posted, she's not super young or super old.


----------



## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Galvayne's groove starts at about 10 and is halfway down the tooth by 15. Is it present on your mare?


----------



## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

beccachow said:


> cataplexy:
> A transient attack of extreme generalized muscular weakness, often precipitated by an emotional state such as laughing, surprise, fear, or anger.


Do horses have narcolepsy as I do? 

Becky, you know what a grand mal seizure looks like; this child does not. Whether or not the vet says something is wrong I would be surprised if what you describe was a grand mal seizure. My seizures are not grand mal but I'll tell you, I feel like a wrung out washcloth for at least a day, usually longer. She does not like your horse. Sounds like your horse wisely doesn't think a lot of her either. Sometimes we just don't get on well with a particular being and we pick them apart because the problem has to be _their_ fault, not our own. Sounds like this girl.


----------



## Stonybrook (Sep 22, 2007)

How or why would this person continue to have access to your horse? If the horse is on your property I would be inclined to tell her that her assistance is no longer necessary. I wouldn't even let her around Spanky if she doesn't have any better sense than she demonstrated. Also, I think you probably need to tell the vet because if he/she goes to look at Dee's teeth they might very well get a reaction. You know, a real trainer would be able to separate how they feel about a horse from how they treat the horse, and, like others have pointed out, anyone can call themselves a trainer. Craigslist is full of "trainers."


----------



## AJohnston (Aug 17, 2012)

Most trainers can't... It doesn't matter how much experience they had/have. When we were at a boarding facility, our Mustang was being trained by one of the girls. She was an excellent trainer, she taught me a lot and got my horse to the point she is today. However, I was well aware that because my horse was a _Mustang_ she wasn't very fond of her. She was used to full blooded horses, born and raised. She tied my horse one day with a chin strap and seriously injured my horse. I berated her that day and told her she was no longer aloud to train without me in the presence of my horse. I wouldn't tolerate another incident like that. She was wise enough to no longer train without me being there. She wouldn't even corral her after she'd been pastured for the night without me being there. I give her credit for listening to me as the owner... Some people that are trainers just don't... I'm not sure what the word I'm looking for is. Comprehend? Have some common sense? Something. It didn't make her any less of a trainer, but it did seriously make me consider that she may not be as well trained in some areas as others.

With this girl, she not only calls herself a vet tech, but also a trainer. And she attempts to combine the two. Sorry, that's just not how it works. When it came to my trainer, I wouldn't have trusted her with vet advice. I would call a vet to the site to take care of any questions/health concerns that I had. But when it came to training advice, it was her that I would go to, not my vet.


----------



## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Your mare would not be that gray by the age of 6. She is older than that.


----------

