Spring Vaccinations

Today my little Rosie Toes received her yearly vaccinations.  She got the standard Rabies/Tetanus/Eastern/Western combo and then West Nile.  I wormed her also.  Has anyone tried the tapeworm dewormer before?  I don't really think she has them since we were in such a dry place in Texas but she had also never been dewormed for them before so I tried the Equimax stuff.  Then my poor Rosie had to suffer the indignities that any woman of child bearing age has had to endure.  I had her palpated.  Granted our OB/GYN's don't usually go through our rectums but it is still pretty similar.  If some of you are wondering why on earth I had this poor horse palpated you can catch up here.  I explained to the vet what had happened and so she palpated her and said that while she couldn't be one hundred percent sure with out doing an ultrasound she didn't think Rosie was bred.  She also didn't see any reason to do an ultrasound so I'm pretty sure nothing occurred.  Which is what the barn manager told me but I figured since the vet was there I should probably just cover my own ass.  Huge sigh of relief from me.  Horses, I swear.

We also walked the gauntlet between the two stallions so I could get her out to her pasture.  I had expressed my displeasure to the barn manager regarding the placement of these two stallions and the fact that I didn't feel safe walking my own horse down between them.  He said that while he didn't have anywhere else to move the stallions to he or the barn worker could go get Rosie for me.  I guess it is an okay solution but it is one that leaves me feeling like a loser for not being able to handle my own horse.  So today I decided that I was just going to buck up and her out there myself.  I brought in a little reinforcement though.  Normally I use a rope halter on her but today just for the purpose of taking her out to the pasture I got a regular nylon halter and put a chain over her nose.  I had never put a chain over her nose before but figured, what the hell, it will either work or it won't and if it doesn't she will spend the rest of the day in her stall.  We started down the alleyway, the stallions started their usual crap and she started to try to get ahead of me.  I gave her a little tug, enough for her to feel that there was something over her nose and she came back to me.  I had to come onto her a couple more times and we made it down the alley at a trot but we made it without any of the craziness of last time.  I also don't think she was in heat this time but I am not positive.  Just to reassure anyone who might be worrying I have used chains on horses in the past without incident.  In fact I had a mare who you absolutely could not lead with out a chain over her nose.  As soon as you put the chain on she was as easy as pie but she knew if you had put the chain on or not.  

And just because I haven't posted any pictures lately I will post this one of a flower I took at the Botanical Gardens in Grand Junction.  Don't ask me what it is, I have no idea!