Can't Touch This

For those of us who have a tendency to spoil our animals, we know that it can turn and bite us in the hindquarters big time. Those fur critters sure know where the buttons are and they sure know how to push them. And the big fur kid on the ranchette is no exception.

A few posts back, I wrote about the fire ants that Remington got into and his allergic reaction to them, the ongoing treatments and his ever present resistance to those treatments. Well, the saga continues, because after much research, vet visits, and different methods of trying to cure the situation, it seems he's also developed a problem with biting insects in general. You know, those pesky no seeum's, biting flies and of course don't forget the wasps and mosquito's. Egads, this is Texas, the list is endless.

If a mosquito bites us, we tend to scratch the afflicted area, but since Remi has no fingers, he sets about biting at his legs which causes extra problems with infection. Having massive amounts of hair on his legs only served to exaggerate the problem by incubating the outbreaks. No matter how much medicine we applied, it wasn't getting though all the way. So, in order to get this situation more in control, his feathers had to be shaved off. Yes, I now have a bald legged Clydesdale. Hmmm, sounds like a song may be in there somewhere, (Remi the bald legged Clydesdale) :)

Trainer mom has endured several hours of back breaking hair removal and Remi, well let's just say, isn't cooperating like he should be. Oh, he'll stand there for a little bit, but approach his left back leg where the trouble all began and he starts to swinging it around and getting himself prepped for major cow kicking action. "No, don't touch me, whaa, I don't like it."

He's not being malicious, he's just being a gigantic, spoiled, pain in the rear. And it's not flying to well with poor trainer mom who has been knocked off balance, done several tuck and rolls in the stall and has ended up with major back pains and headaches. It's too bad he doesn't realize at the beginning that the medicine makes it feel better and is very soothing. Nope, the big knucklehead doesn't recall that little tidbit one iota.

The treatment we have going for him now seems to be working pretty well, and we're hopeful it will continue to help him get better. But let me tell you, he is on the "bad boy" list every day because of his big spoiled tude. He has never had a problem with sprays of any type until now. His horsie imagination goes ballistic when he hears that spray and it's close to his legs. Ok, I know what you're thinking, "it probably stings". Well, no it doesn't, because he has a coating of other medication to keep it from stinging.

Flat out he's being a big doofus and it's gotten old. So, how do you cure that problem, well we're still working on that one. But, let me tell you, trainer mom isn't letting him get away with it. She lets him know that his behavior is not acceptable. Of course, he goes into sulky Remi and pouts, but soon forgets why he's pouting and gets over it. That is until the next time and the whole progression of woose boy in a pony suit starts all over again.

Once we see that we'll have several days without rain, we'll begin the massive hunt and destruction of fire ant mounds, treatments for mites and other vicious varmits that are causing problems. Endless battle of the bugs all summer long, oh joy.

In spite of his little hissy spurts, Remi is still a big sweetie. So, I guess I'll keep him ;) So all of you with spoiled fur kids, keep on spoiling them and lovin' on 'em because the joy it brings outweighs many things. Uh, just remember to hide those buttons so they don't always get their way, if you know what I mean.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!

Big Horse, Big Heart

A few weeks back we took Remington on a little road trip to Dallas to visit the children at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. This hospital treats children with orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. We've been there before to do carriage rides, but Remington wasn't with us, so this was his first visit.

All eyes and attention were on him as we backed him off the trailer and led him toward the spot where the children and their families could meet up with the big guy. Of course, Remi had his eye on the luscious green grass and flowers, but alas, wasn't allowed to even nibble a tasty morsel. C'mon Remipup, you can't eat the lawn. Well, yes he could, but we didn't let him.

It was a pretty different experience for him to say the least. One by one, the children came to meet my boy. Some were in walkers with halo's attached to their heads, some were in wheelchairs and some were on crutches. As the first wheelchair rolled up to him, he took a good look to see what this object coming at him was. Trainer mom and I assured him, it was ok, and he, like the good boy he is, put his head down so the young girl in the chair could pet him.

For over an hour and a half, the children and their family members came up to meet him. I had plenty of carrots and peppermints on hand so the kids could see him eat his treats, and they all loved it. There were questions to be answered, pictures to be snapped and throughout it all, he stood there like a big sweetheart and I think he loved the attention. We were so very proud of him for bringing a little joy to everyone that afternoon.

With a little luck, you may be able to see him at the hospital with the kids. He will be on a segment of Inside Edition that will air sometime the week of May 10th. We don't have an exact date, but it could air as early as the weekend of May 8th. We just have to set our DVR to record it every night. If you're interested, check your local listings and try to catch a glimpse of his visit.

We love sharing Remi and we also love making a difference and bringing a little happiness into people's lives. And for a little while that sunny afternoon, we left the ranchette and did just that. What a wonderful experience it was and it certainly won't be the last.

My boy may get into a little mischief now and again, well ok, a lot, but when it comes right down to it, he's a big sweetheart with a big ole heart who loves people, the attention, and of course the extra carrots and peppermints.

Stay tuned, Stay happy and Stay with us!