Taking Care of the Big Dog

 February 2020  It was a Sunday morning and we called Chuck and Cindi to say "Hi".  Chuck said they were in the middle of putting Bob to sleep.  He had colic and went down that morning.  He was in his late 20's, had asthma, COPD, Cushings Disease and HYPP.  He had been sick for many years.  Later that day I spoke to the vet and was told that Doc was healthy and fine and he could travel to Salem.  

So after over 15 years, I got my horse back!  He arrived a week later and he seemed OK.  He had not left Bob's side in over 15 years and I was worried.  He looked rough and surely looked his age of 33.  We found a place to board him in Turner, just six minutes from the house.   Stall at night and turnout during the day.  This was his 2nd day in Salem.

His hips are sunk in, I can count his ribs, his hair is long and matted, his hair is all tangled and he seems sad.  I'm going to do what I can to keep him comfortable and as happy as possible.  I don't know how long he will be around and I'm not going to be selfish. 

It's been nearly a month.  I have been coming out to the barn every day, grooming, loving and taking him for walks.  I wondered if I could still ride him, I wondered if I should still ride him.  I though I would find out and the exercise would be good for him, maybe he would gain muscle and weight.  I borrowed a saddle from Sandi (the barn manager and owner with her husband Dan).  I got on.  He was so happy!  

And I was so happy too!

It took nearly a month to shed him out!  Sometimes the hair came out in handfulls.

In May I bought a saddle on e-bay and it fits him perfectly.  He is still

thin and I'm trying different foods for him.  Old tummies can be cranky but he is tolerating

all the increases and changes.

We usually just walk around the arena and sometimes trot a little.

The lump on his jaw got suddenly larger.  The vet in Medford said it was an abscessed tooth so I called the tooth specialist.  She was very nice.  She looked at him and I asked her initial impression and she said she thought it was adenocarcinoma.  My heart sank.  I asked how much longer he had and she suggested we put him down that afternoon but we would know more after a few x-rays.  She sedated him and took the first picture.  She was surprised at what she saw!  She said it WAS NOT adenocarcinoma.  She took more pictures.

She revealed it was a relatively rare enamel tumor.  She looked inside his mouth and said he had an infected tooth right over the tumor (which probably made it blow up like it did). She pulled the tooth and was very pleased to give me the good news. 

July 2020 - it got pretty hot, in the high 90's to low 100's so I bought him a fan for his stall.  He appreciated it and would stand in front of it.

Always so happy when I ride him.  I don't use a bit because of his tumor but he is so sweet.  I use his string halter and bought a bosal.

Kissy kissy!

This heart is outside his stall.  Love!

Kitty likes to sleep in his hay.

He's eating a ton and doing great.

A small wildfire that started nearly a month ago suddenly went crazy due to extremely high winds.  It burned hundreds of acres in a very short time.  The air quality was horrible but the horses didn't mind.

9-8-2020 still gaining weight

9-30-2020

10-04-2020  This beautiful boy is doing so well.  He hit 978 lbs.

Had a few cool nights, his winter coat is coming in.

                             

 He has a new best friend.  He is totally in love with a 28 year old miniature donkey that came in during the fires in the canyon.  Sadly his owners lost everything.  He is Doc's new buddy and his name is Max.

Newbie Guide to Motorcycles

 Newbie Guide to Motorcycling

New motorcyclists have lots of questions.  Here are the most frequently asked ones along with the answers most frequently given by other riders, and probably some smart-ass answers by me.  Enjoy!

1.   What is the best motorcycle for a new rider?   The BEST bike is used, and small (650-800), and not very expensive.  Why?  Because you ARE going to drop it, probably more than once.  Find a less expensive bike, practice till you can handle it, sell it to another beginner then buy a bigger bike.  If you can't handle the little bike, you can't handle a bigger bike.

Other answers are: Indian Scout Bobber, CBR 500, Honda Rebel 500, Ninja, Superlow, Suzuki 125.  Suzuki Boulevard.  Many people start on dirt bikes.  

For those of you that are challenged in height, do a search "motorcycles for short women" which will give you a list.  Go to dealers and sit on them.  Do not buy a new bike before you learn to ride!  Get a used one and practice. Practice a lot.  There are even videos on you tube!!

2.  What kind of boots do you wear?  Steel toe, traction on the sole, and above the ankle. Any brand you want, any color.  Make sure they are comfortable or you will never want to walk around.  I choose Thorogood (SWAT boots).  So comfortable!

3.  How do you do your hair?  How do you stop it from itching?  Long hair does best with braiding. wear a dew rag if it's comfortable, there are braid covers too.  Me?  I keep mine cut short.  Does it itch?  After awhile you won't feel that, you are getting used to wearing a helmet.  I keep a ball cap on my bike too.  Remember, it's NOT a beauty contest, it's a motorcycle ride.

4.  Where did you get your first bike?  Did you finance or pay cash?  Dealership - it had a warranty, wanted to be sure it wouldn't break down, financing was a major bonus.  (Many dealerships have a 0% financing during sales!)  

First bike was financed, my next bike my boyfriend technically owns because he bought it. 

Craigslist, paid cash.  

Dealership. Tiny dirt bike.  3 months later got a bigger dirt bike, 3 months later bought a Suzuki Boulevard 800.  

I financed my own.  I want my name on the sales slip and the ownership papers.  Nobody can take my motorcycle away from me.

3.  I don't ride a Harley Davidson, can I still wear Harley Davidson clothes?  Oh hell yes, wear anything you want.  Doesn't have to be black, doesn't have to be leather, doesn't have to have any label at all.  Harley riders can wear gortex, Yamaha riders can wear HD leathers.  Don't get hung up on your clothing.  Be comfortable, but be safe.  

2.  Where did you get your jacket?  "OSI, I love my woman's riding jacket because the fit can be customized with an adjustment of the straps and velcro"   

"Just Google and you will be inundated with sites."  

"Local leather shop"  

"Bought both of mine at the dealership, one is off brand.  Love them both." 

"Harley Davidson shop, awesome year end sales!"  

"Revzilla.com"

4.  How old does a kid need to be to ride with me?  Check your own state laws.  Most require the child be able to reach the pegs in the United States.  

5.  Gloves or no gloves?  49 said YES always gloves, 3 said not always or depends on the weather.  I have heated hand grips so I wear light gloves year round.

6.  I went to a motorcycle dealership and nobody paid attention to me.  OMG are you bike shopping or what??  Ask questions! If you don't ask questions, they won't give answers!  They can't read your mind.  Pretend you are shopping for new shoes - what size do you want?  What color do you want?  How loud do you want?  How much money do you want to spend?  Grow a pair and ask!

7.  Nobody waves back at me.  Harley riders don't wave back at me.  You are NOT on a parade float.  Wave or don't wave.  Some people don't, some people do.  It's not personal.  It has nothing to do with the type of bike you ride.  It has nothing to do with you being a girl.  Get over it.

8.  Will Harley Davidson riders let me ride with them if I don't ride a Harley?  If they say you can't, then they are not your friends.  Find other people to ride with.  

9.  Did you name your bike?  (or what did you name your bike, or how do you name your bike?)  Name it if you want, it's not a requirement. Name it for the color, your favorite song, your favorite Walking Dead character.  Mine is Kismet because it was meant to be, my husband named his Twisted Sister.  Here are some more and I included the best pictures for you.   

"Lilo and Stitch", "Quinn", "Draco"- after the dragon in Dragon Heart, "Falkor" - after the luck dragon in Neverending Story, "Rosie", " Diamond", "Fiona" after Shrek's wife, "BOB" - Boyfriend on Batteries, "Betty" (Black Betty), "Cherry", "Cherry Bomb", "Clyde", Karona, 

"Lilith"

"High Maintenance"

The royal is Queen Elizabeth II aka Lizzy and the blue is Princess Margaret aka Maggie. The red one is Baymax. The white one my husband won't let me name.

Drogon- after one of the dragons of Game of Thrones

"Little Beast"

"Yammy in Pink"

"Stella"

10.  A final lesson: Ride your own ride.  I don't mean ride your own motorcycle, you are already going to do that.  Ride at the speed you feel comfortable, don't try to keep up with the more advanced riders.  You will gain speed as you gain confidence.  I will repeat - DO NOT ride faster than you are comfortable.  This is very important.  If you are riding with people that leave you behind, find another girl rider who will stay with you.  If you can't find anyone, go to your local dealer and ask if there are any girls that may want to mentor you.  If you are near Salem, Oregon, I'll mentor you.

Updated 9-10-2020