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Malibu and Moses
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When we rescued five Arab horses from a semi-wild herd in late 2008 one of the youngsters, Moses, found a new home with our ABRS examiner and friends Margaret and John in the Aora Valley. There Margaret schooled young Moses and rode him regularly alongside their own horse, Hercules. It wasn’t until about 7 weeks ago that Moses finally returned to the Centre and was back in the company of his Arab family and friends. He was, in a sense, ‘swapped’ with our popular Connemara pony Malibu who came to the Centre at a similar time to Moses and suffers from COPD (an allergy to dust). Malibu had been used previously by the Pony Club but was found to be a little too mischievous and strong, so we felt that the best thing for Malibu would be a one-to-one relationship with Margaret which he desperately longed for. Malibu’s COPD would also benefit from him being in the Aora Valley, being far less dusty than here in Rojales. Following the transportation of Moses back to the Centre and Malibu to Margaret’s, Moses has settled back in but is a very nervous, feisty horse. Katrina had been determined to ride Moses however the rain and flooding prevented this, only until earlier this week when Moses got into the school for some lungeing and a short ride. Malibu, however, sounds as if he’s having the time of his life. Margaret came to visit us this week and told us of how he’s enjoying his days with Hercules grazing in his field, and that she’s riding Malibu into the local town. We’re all so happy for Malibu now he has a loving home, and Katrina’s dream now is to pick up where Margaret left off and continue to work with Moses under the guidance of Margaret and her many years of experience in instructing and eventing!
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Cookie's on the mend!
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A couple of weeks ago we started Cookie’s third maggot treatment. Since then, Cookie has had the sterile maggots removed and we have been monitoring her progress. On removal of the maggots both hooves looked fantastic – both were clean, fresh, and amazingly her right hoof (which appeared to be clear of infection even on application of the third sterile maggots) had a small pink patch of regeneration! The next step was then to allow the cavities to dry out, where we applied her ‘UGG boots’ made using Shires breathable bandage pads, which are normally used under bandages to protect pressure points on the legs when exercising a horse, and cohesive bandages to allow air to access the hooves. Now the cavities in Cookie’s hooves have been thoroughly sealed with hoof putty, which hardens to create a waterproof seal and protects regrowth. She is now walking around the yard once again with her friend Little Miracle enjoying the mud and puddles remaining after the rain. We have found that the sterile maggot treatment is hugely successful in Cookie’s case, seeing an unbelievable amount of progress in that little horse’s hooves. We would definitely recommend the treatment to anyone who has a horse suffering a similar issue.
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Think this winter!
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Just a quick reminder that now the weather’s becoming colder both here in Spain and especially for those of you in the UK, it’s time again to think of the little critters out there! Some simple seeds and nuts for the birds can make a big difference and keep them fed during the colder months..
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After experiencing the recent terrential rain here at the Centre we had to crack out the petrol water pump in an attempt to pump the water from the garden and the almost overflowing pond. After succeeding to an extent, the most difficult part of the day was trying to roll the neverending red pump tube back into a coil neat enough for Rod to approve! After about 40 minutes of failed attempts, we managed to persuade Brad to get in the middle of the coil and wrapped the tube around him. Genius! Here's a picture for you all to have a good giggle at.
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