11/06/2019
I know I have been pretty inactive on here recently so I'm going to try getting everybody up to date without writing a novel.
April was tested and was positive for Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis this spring, not a surprise. She was treated and really showed no improvement other than being less back sore than she was. I let her go barefoot and gave her the entire summer off to "recover" and see what the difference in her would be after her short lived retirement. I still attended my favorite show every month, Friday Night Lights at Blue Stone Valley Acres, but with Autumn in the trailer instead of Apes. After many issues finding a truck, hauling partner and horse to use when Autumn wasn't feeling up to par either, we still made it to each and every one and ended the season 6th in the Senior division. Back to April, I recently learned about the symptoms of a horse with a Magnesium deficiency, which include, skin sensitivity, wariness, excitability, tight sore backs not related to saddle fit and so on. Hmmmm, that really got my brain working. I looked into supplements for days, finally found one costing a measly $12 a year and after consulting our vet and getting the go ahead finally said let's give it a whirl. I almost immediately noticed a difference in her skin sensitivity. She enjoys scratches now, lip quivers and all. I trailered her to Friendship Farms a few weeks prior to starting her on the supplement and she was most definitely not on her A game. She was nervous, super skin sensitive, bucky and just plain miserable. We went back to Friendship Farms again a week ago and to my honest surprise she was absolutely incredible. She wasn't tense, enjoyed being brushed in the cross ties, stood stock still to be tacked which is very unusual for her and looked as though she was genuinely enjoying herself. She rode around beautifully, there was no fighting with her, no shenanigans like we always have had in the past. I felt like I was riding a totally different horse. It was just a truly enjoyable day right up to the end. I'm leary it may have been a fluke so another trip to Friendship Farms is in store but fingers are crossed that we have the same experience as the last. I'll be working harder on keeping this page more up to date in the coming months with updates and the going ons with Moonstone Equine. Thank you to everyone for sticking around and believing in both April and I, as well as my other two retirement ponies. We appreciate you all.
