Jester's Fan Club

2010-09-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Jester is doing pretty awesome! We went for our second trail ride on Saturday around the big pasture that has the trails in it. He gets pretty spooky in it, but it has a lot of hills that are perfect for building his muscles up again, so its really good for him.
His hooves are practically perfect again! He still needs to grow his heels out and has a little bit more work to do on his right front frog. He is almost sound again. He still limps a little at the trot, but his walk and cater are perfect:) He will be trimmed on Thursday by Jan.
His rain rot hasn't returned ever since we used the shampoo with 2% captan in it. I got it on Sunday since it will forever be my holy grail with his rain rot:) its called Paragaurd Shampoo by Priority Care. Its an anti-ringworm, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial therapeutic shampoo for dogs, cats, and horses. When I don't use that, I spray him with a Listerine mix.
That's pretty much it. If you have any questions, i would love to answer them:)

2010-07-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Jester got another trim from Jan today just to keep him in shape. His toes were getting a little long and he was getting some splits. Jan was impressed with how far his hooves have come and will start recommending the stuff I'm using (the ToDay) to everyone.
On another note, I am changing Jester's joint supplement. Right now he is getting the Vita Flex Combo with HA. His new supplement, which should be here tomorrow, is called Absorbine Flex+Max. It is an overall much better supplement with much higher concentrations of the main ingredients Jester needs. I can't wait to try it out, I'm sure it will help Jester out tremendously.
His rain rot is gone thanks to the captan shampoo bath. I will get some shortly. I have also been using a 50/50 mixture of listerine and water to help with his rain rot.
Other than that everything is pretty much the same.
Steph

2010-07-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just got back from camp. Jester has improved a lot ever since i started using the Today every time I'm out there. i bought it a few weeks ago and it has done wonders for his hooves! His back hooves are perfect and his front hooves are almost there. He got a trim from Jan two weeks ago. I will try to get Marion out there soon to check up on him. As his hooves are almost 100% percent again, another problem has arose. Jester battles rain rot every year in the summer time, but this year it is so much worse. I bathed him in an anti-fungal shampoo a couple times a week and put an anti-fungal spray on him too. It just kept coming back and covered his entire back and backside. While I was gone at camp, Mrs. Cheryl bathed him in an anti-fungal shampoo with a main ingredient of Captan (a rose fungicide). When I got to see him this week, I was surprised that it was almost completely gone and his hair had grown back. So I have a few more weapons to fight it, so we will see how that goes. We think it might be because of a weak immune system. I will be out today to hopefully soak his two front hooves in Cleantrax.
S

2010-05-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
So funny story with the temporary boots. I found them 4 days later out in the pasture trashed. Yeah, so those didn't work as well as I had hoped. I found a tube of the Today stuff and I was able to get two applications out of it. I don't know how well that is working since I only was able to put it on all of his hooves twice. One of his hooves I have noticed is getting better. His frog is starting to open up, which is what we want. I will try to get his hooves trimmed again this week to keep them in shape and see how we are doing as far as treating them goes. So I will look into getting that done.
S

2010-05-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Jester's temporary slipper/boots arrived yesterday. They came with foam comfort pads too. I will put them on his front hooves instead of the duct tape. They are really strong so they should stay on really well. I will get the easy boots either today or in a few days. I am also going to get a product for cattle mastitis called ToDay. It was recommended by the farrier for Jester's thrush. It is supposed to be good stuff so we will see what happens. I will let you guys know how it goes tomorrow.
S

2010-05-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Jester had his hooves trimmed today. I am very pleased with the work our new farrier did! She is here to stay. She said everything the vet said but in so much more detail. Jester's hooves are looking so much better. I have measured for the boots and I am waiting for a reply from Miss Cheryl (I wanted to double check that I got the size right:) Once I get a reply, I will order. I may start trimming Jesters hooves every 2 weeks to make sure we are staying on the right path and things are working. I also bumped up his food to a scoop and three fourths since he is eating again. I will check up on him again on Saturday.
Steph

2010-05-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Jester is getting settled in well. He now has a stall with a window (he's very happy) and spends most of his stall time chewing on his Uncle Jimmy's Hangin ball (a big treat in the form of a ball that hangs from a hook). I will be getting him feed on Saturday. He is up to a scoop of feed with 1 ounce of vegetable oil and 1 ounce of a high fat supplement (40%) every feeding. I'm so happy he has his appetite back! His limp has gotten significantly better. He still has a little trouble turning and coming out of his stall, but he is walking much better. So that and the fact that his appetite has returned has told me that his white line is healing, although it dosent look like it. The farrier will be out tuesday to trim one of the horses, I don't know for sure if she's trimming others, but hopefully she can trim Jester and I can finally get him sized for boots. Overall, Jester is staying pretty clean. He has some spots of dirt and such on him, but he is staying pretty clean. His coat has a shine and is smooth and silky (all thanks to the fasttrack!). Let me know if you have any questions!
~Steph

2010-05-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Jester is back at the rescue. He was moved over yesterday and is still going to be on his summer turnout schedule. He is back in his old stall near the back of the barn. I will see him today after my tennis match and get everything settled in. I will schedule an appointment for Jester to get his hooves trimmed so that we can measure for the boots. That should be it for now!
S

2010-04-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Just a quick update on the situation with Jesters hooves. I will be getting him 2 easyboots for his front hooves. I have to get his hooves trimmed since they are long. Then, I will measure them and buy the size boots that he needs. He will be going back to the rescue this week so hopefully he can get them trimmed soon. We have to be out by Saturday so it's going to be a hustle trying to get everything out in time! I'm hoping I can be there when we move Jester back so I can help him settle. I got an equine deluxe slipper so I am going to use that to pack his hoof while he is in his stall. Because the rescue is so much dryer than ducktown, his white line should go away quicker. So I will keep you guys posted!
S

2010-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Jester isn't doing to well:( We got the vet out today to figure what has been making him limp so much. Dr. Amanda said that his hoves are in pretty bad shape. They have no heel and are putting way to much pressure on his sole. This is causing bruising, separation, and white line. He has severe white line on his front right which is causing a lot of pain. I feel so bad since I had no idea that he had it. All of the previous farriers (except for Fred who was an eye opener) said that his hooves were in good condition. To sum it all up, he is in enough pain that it is all he can think about. He thinks about it so much that he won't even eat:( So Dr Amanda said that shoes with wedges, to allow his heel to grow out, or special boots. He would a few cycles of shoes to help get him right again. So I am looking into boots at the moment and if those don't work I will go to shoes. It's a hard decision since both alternitives are expensive. But I'll do anything to get Jester right again:). Until we get the boots, I will be making a ducktape boot with extra cushioning for both his front hooves (those are the worse). So I will keep you guys updated as the process moves forward.
S

2010-03-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
First off, Jester does have stone bruising. He has two on his front right hoof. One is a really big one and one is smaller. When Fred ( our farrier) trimmed him, he said his hooves were in prety bad condition. Not beachase of deseases, but beacause of the way he was trimmed before. Because Jester had years and years of incorrect trimmings, it offset the balance of his hooves and totally messed him up. I am not going to go into detail right now beacause I have to make this fast, but if you would like to know just let me know. But I soaked the hoof with the stone bruises on it in espom salts for 15 minutes and then wrapped it up in cotton pads, guaze, vet wrap, and duct tape forming a boot. I will be doing this every time I'm out there until he is better again. One all of his problems are clears up in his hooves ( which is going to take several months) his lameness issues should be gone! I'm very excited about that. It pains my heart to see him limping and having know idea how to help him. But now I do and I will be taking care of it every time I'm out there!
Also, the lease of Ducktown has been extended a month:)
Steph

2010-03-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I have been doing some research concerning Jesters soreness. He had seemed to be getting worse, but now he is getting better. I'm going to have him treated by Brooke soon (we are currently working out a date). But I have been researching stuff about hooves. If you spend time around horses, even for a month or two, you will become very familiar with the very famous quote "no hooves, no horse no kidding". So the root of all problems (most of the time) is with the hooves. So my sister (who is very knowledgeable in this area) and i have been looking at various things. And there was one condition that Jester showed all the symptoms for. It's called stone bruising. As the name states, it's bruising of the frog and sole because of rough terrain containing stones and rocks. TB's are notorious for their thin soles, making them extremely prone to bruising. So he has stone bruising and split frog (which is caused by thrush). His hooves are in pretty good condition. I treat them every time I'm out there. Now that I know what he has I can treat him effectively. Ever since I knew him he has had a split frog, it has gotten better over time. The farrier will be out Saturday and hopefully he will confirm my thoughts. I already have a plan and once I get the ok I will start. Hopefully this is the root cause of his lameness and it will clear up within a few weeks:)
If you have any questions please ask.
Steph

2010-03-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
The lease of ducktown will be ending this month:(. It has been really good for Jester. He has built up a lot of muscle and has been enjoying life so much more. He will be going back to the main barn at the rescue in a week or so. The winter that we had was the coldest it's been in years, so with all of the grass it has kept weight on Jester. He looks really good right now. He still has to build more muscle along his topline but it is going to be hard to do that. Because an ill-fitting saddle was used on him for so long, it had compressed those muscles so they can't develop. That and his older age. But it has filled out some and hopefully will continue too. I will try to upload some pictures of him out there soon!
Steph

2010-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

So there's not much to update about. We are usually out at ducktown 3 times a week. Jester is looking great. I learned a move that I can do on Jesters shoulder to help loosen them up (that's where his main problems are). I have been doing that the past couple times I have been out there. It has been working wonders! I will still use the the liniment when I dont have time to loosen up his shoulders. I did worm him last Saturday too. My sister and I are planning on going out for a trail ride soon. Jester is going to have a lot of fun exploring his pasture! There are trails that run along the outside of his pasture next to a creek. It is surrounded by woods so its going to be intresting! Jester was an arena horse so he has very little experience trail riding. But its going to be good for him.
steph

2010-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Jester has settled down now. He is pretty much back to his normal, quite, slow self! He still gets excited and is no longer a LBI (left brain introvert) but is alternating between a RBE (right brain extrovert) and a LBE (left brain extrovert). It depends if he is with the herd or if he is separated.
I got him a few things from horse.com (I love that place!). I got him Hoof Cut Heal, a liniment, and a bareback pad. The Hoof Cut heal is fantastic stuff. It creates a seal around the hoof, which blocks out bacteria and excess moisture. Plus it makes his hooves shiny:) The liniment is ok. I have used it 3 times on his shoulders and i have noticed some difference in the way he walks out to the pasture in the mornings. So I will continue to use it. The bareback pad is very nice. It has a deep navy blue color and black stirrups and girth. I am looking forward to using it on him in the near future.
The farrier came out again today. Jester's hooves are doing well. He dosen't have thrush, white line, or any major splits and cracks. He does still have that disease in the central sulcus. It can be hard to make it go away, but I have been working on it every time I get him out (which is a couple times a week). Jester also got a visit from Brooke. She is an Equine Massage Theripast. They target the soft tissues of the horse. It really works too! Thats it for now
Steph

2009-12-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
I hope you all had a merry Christmas! Jester recieved a few presents as well:). He got a red scoop, more joint supplements, and 3 different kinds of treats.
I wanted to update on Jesters feed and supplements just so everyone is informed. He is getting a scoop of triple crown senior, an ounce of flax seed, an ounce of Vita Flex equinyl Combo with HA, an ounce of Fasttrack probiotics and an ounce of Fasttrack Fortifier. He gets a fourth of a scoop of alfalfa pellets and 3 flakes of hay.
He has gained a lot of weight and muscle over at ducktown. He has a lot of spunk and is now high strung. He will settle down soon though. He is overall mentally and physically healthier. The lease of the ducktown property ends in April, so he will have to to back to the rescue.
I have been working Jester when I'm out there and that has settled him down quite a lot. He will get his hooves trimmed tomorrow. The only thing he has problems with is his shoulder. It gets really stiff when he stands in his stall for long periods of time. Once he gets moving around it gets better.
I will update again soon,
Happy New Year!
Steph

2009-12-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
I have some big news...... I MOVED JESTER!!!!! I moved him over to another barn about ten minutes away from the rescue. It has 3 barns, many little pastures, an outdoor arena, and a huge pasture with a ton of grass (it is 3 feet high in some places). So I moved him Saturday with his best friend Buddy. Our one and a half year old baby boy, Rusty, is over at the other barn and it has brought out the wild side in him! Jester is really going to love it over there!
I have added two more things to Jester's feed. I have added the Fasttrack Probiotics( a little less than an ounce a day) and Alfalfa pellets (a half a scoop per feeding working up to a scoop). If you have any questions shoot me an email or call! I will be glad to hear from you.
Stephanie

2009-10-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
So a couple of things have happened. First, I have started buying Jesters feed. He is still on the TC senior and he gets 2 scoops of it ( which is 4 pounds a day). He is still getting the Flax seed, Fasttrack, Acti Flex, and now the Max E Glo. Which brings me to the second change. I have not seen the improvements that I am looking for with his joint supplement, the Acti Flex. So after talking to Miss Cheryl, I am now changing his joint supplement to another joint supplement called Vita Flex Equinyl Combo with HA. It is a great supplement and has done wonders for another horse at the rescue, who has similar needs to Jester. I have already ordered it and it should be here sometime this week. So I will keep you guys updated on that.
Steph

2009-10-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
So sorry I haven't updated in a while, school is keeping me busy!
Jester is doing fine. His rain rot is clearing up nicely. I have been taking care of his hooves every time I'm out there so they should be improving. I worked him a couple weeks ago for tapeworms. It looked like he had them since he was showing signs of tapeworms. We are going to do a different form of worming the horses. We are going to send a sample of their droppings into the vet and there they will test to see if they have any worms, if they do then we will treat them accordingly. Nothing good comes out of worming a horse if you don't know what kind of worms they have (if any), it's just putting poison into them.
I haven't been able to do much with Jester since I have missed a couple Saturdays. I will be trying to take him exploring the trails more often and allowing him to graze in the big pasture too. I will also try to do more Parelli with him as he is starting to become a little more pushy than normal. But all in all, Jesters doing great! His pasture gets real slippery and dangerous when it rains. So it isn't the best place for him, in his condition, to be. He is starting to get a little ribby so I'll start adding a fat supplement called Max E Glo to his food. He will get a cup of that a day. Hopefully he will put on some weight before winter arrives:). I will let him loose and give him extra hay when he needs it.
That's it for now. Sorry it was a shorter post:)
Steph

2009-09-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
We were out on Saturday and last Tuesday. On Tuesday I wasn't able to do much with Jester since we weren't able to stay out there as long. I did get to get him out and groom him though.
I have failed to mention Jester's coggins test. The test went fine and I'm not sure when we will know the results. Jester also got his hooves trimmed too. The farrier came out before the vet did so several horses got their hooves trimmed. Jester has an infection in all four hooves. It can cause lameness in the hooves and, if it goes untreated, it can spread up the bone. I can't remember the name of it but it can clear up in anytime between a few weeks or a year. So Miss. Jan said I need to put a couple drops of thrush medicine in the infection (which is a hole in their frog) a couple times a week.
On Saturday I was able to give Jester a good grooming and play with him in the arena. He has rain rot all over his hind-end. He is sensitive to the water, so if he's out in the rain or if he's had a lot of baths he will get rain rot. It clears up in a week or so if you put baby oil or MTG on it. I am going to get Jester some more wormer the next time I go up to the feed store. It's about that time when he needs to be wormed again.
We are also ordering some more Fastrack as we are getting low.
I was able to take Jester on a trail ride today with my sister Kristin and Buddy. I have been using the Natural Ride when I ride Jester. It is kinda like a bareback pad. I'll post a picture in a second. It is very comfortable to ride in. Since Jester has a "bony back", it can be really uncomfortable to ride him bareback. So we had fun doing that.
We should be back out early Saturday mourning.
~Stephanie

2009-08-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
sorry I haven't posted in a while, I started school last week so I have a lot of homework! Anywho, Jester got adjusted by the chiropracter on Saturday. He was starting to get a little stiff again so it was good that he got adjusted. I have still been taking him into the creek every chance I get. Last time we got into some trouble with an underground bee's nest. We were coming out of the creek up a steep tiny little hill onto a ledge type thing with a drop off to one side and a steep hill on the other. So Tie and Kara went up first and then Jester and I, Buddy and Kristin, and Tater and another one of our friends come up onto the ledge that barley fit three horses. So then all of a sudden Buddy and Tater start going crazy and jumping and kicking and rearing up since a bunch of bees start to attack them. Then Jester starts freaking out and tryed to bolt up the hill. My friend got stung right above the eye and bended over holding her head right underneath Buddy while he was still going crazy. I think Buddy new she was there because even though he was still being attaked by bees, he didn't hurt her. So I let Jester run up the hill and drag me up with him. Then up came Buddy and Kristin along with Tater and my two friends. We all calmed our horses down and regrouped, checked on the horses and tended to my friends sting. Just as we had everyone settled down, the bees started attacking us again! So Kara ran to help the two girls with Tater. Tie was loose and started walking, but he stepped on his lead rope and jerked his head up, breaking his halter. So I quick tie Jester to a tree and go and grab Tie. Thankfully his halter was still wearable. So of course the bees just had to go bother Jester while I was with Tie. So Kristin grabs him until Kara gets back and I go and free Jester. Since I couldn't get his lead rope undone quick enough, I unsnap it from his halter and get him away. So I calmed Jester down and went back to get his lead rope. So once we all got situated again we high-tailed it out of there as fast as we could! We all breathed a sign of relief once we got out of the woods (including the horses). We were very blessed to have avoided serious injury. It was so easy for any of us to have gotten hurt. My friend, Mallory, only had a little red spot from where the bee stung her.
So we are going out early tomorrow and the get will be out there. I am going to get Jester's coggins test. A coggins test is just a blood test. Hopefully we will have an uneventfull day!
That's it for now

2009-08-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I hope everyone had a good first day back to school! School has not started for me yet, yay! Anyways, as you have probably already guessed, we went to the rescue on Saturday. Jester is doing fine. I groomed him first thing when I got there and then we went back out into the creek with our friends kristin, with Buddy, and Kara with Black Tie. We found another entry to the creek. Jester and I were the first ones to go down it and it was a little muddy. So as we were going down it Jester started freaking out and trying to spin around and take off. So I let him calm down and eat some grass; once he was calm I asked him to move his front foot one step. Once he did I rewarded him. Pretty soon he was confident enough to pull his hind legs out of the mud and come down. He relaxed once we got going in the creek. We didn't have much time out there since it was almost time for the evening feed. I bagged his supplements while waiting. After evening chores were done, we got the horses out and went for another trail ride. I actually used a different bareback pad that was kinda more like a saddle. It was very comfortable to ride in! So we mounted up in the indoor arena and then went out to the big pasture for a little while. Then we came back down and cooled the horses off. I rinsed Jester off in the washrack since he was still sweaty and hot. I am thinking of getting a bigger container to hold his supplements since his is cramped and small. We are going to be out there again either tomorrow or the day after.
~Steph

2009-08-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone~
so we went out on wendsday and I was able to take Jester out into the creek! We went out there with my sister Kristin and her favorite horse buddy and also Kara and her horse Black Tie. There is a trail that you follow until you reach a low point where you can enter the creek. We weren't able to go that far because a huge tree had fallen and we were to lazy to find another entry. Jester was a big scardy cat of the water. He started blowing through his nose loudly which generally means that the horse is nervous. Jester isn't a trail horse and never was, so all this stuff I'm doing with him is new for him. He enjoys getting out and trying new things though! We stayed out there for a while and then headed back up to the barn.
I talked to Mrs. Cheryl and I'm now giving Jester Fasttrack Fortafier in addition to his other supplements ( which are the Acti-Flex joint supplements and flax seed, to help with the omega-3 levels). Fasttrack fortafier is a powder supplement that will make his coat, mane, and tail shiny and silky and soft. It will also make his hooves strong and prevent them from getting cracks and peeling. This version of Fasttrack also has joint supplements and more vitamin C. So he will be getting 1 oz of this in the evening with his flax seed, he gets his Acti-Flex in the mourning.
We are still planning on doing the trail ride on Saturday if the weather permits. I have also talked to Mrs. Cheryl about using a bareback pad on Jester. Since he has such high and narrow withers it is very hard to fit a saddle on him without causing him damage. A bareback pad is like a thick saddle pad with a girth attached, they also occasionally come with stirrups. Mrs. Cheryl said the rescue has one somewhere. So I looked around and found it in the tack room! I tried it on Jester and it fits him. So I will be trying that out on Saturday.
I will let you guys know how it goes!
Steph

2009-08-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Wow, summer has really zipped on by! School is about to start, boo:(.
Anyways, we went out to the rescue today and Jester was sore:(. He had his hooves trimmed and I think that contributed to it, but he does have arthiritis and the changing seasons get to him. I had him adjusted today so he should start feeling better soon:).
He was pretty easy to groom today. I haven't needed to give him a bath recently because he has been so clean! Which is vveerryy rare for Jester. Since he was feeling sore today I didn't want to push him. So I wasn't going to go out and play in the creek today:(. I did do some Parelli with him in the arena though (for those who don't know what Parelli is, it is a natural horsemanship developed by Pat Parelli).
Jester was in kind of a crabby mood today. I can't blame him though! So we pretty much just took it easy today. I'm hoping he feels well on wendsday so we can go play in the creek! We are planning to do a trail ride next Saturday (it was originally planned for today but Jester and another horse came up lame so we decided to try for next week).
That's It for now!
Steph

2009-07-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
We went out for a few minutes on Tuesday so I finally wormed Jester! I got to groom him for a couple minutes too. We could only stay out there for area minutes because we had to go somewhere else. We should be out there on Saturday.
Steph

2009-07-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Jesters doing pretty well. He got adjusted a few weeks ago. He hasn't been sore for the past weeks which is really great! It's quite the transformation:).
I have been taking him out for rides in the big pastures. He is still not a very good trail horse, but he's getting much better. He does well in the big pasture where no horses are turned out. He doesn't do so well in the pasture with all the horses in it.
I am going to try to bring him out there and go into he woods (while i'm leading him) and let him play in the creek. I think he would be interested in it. I would like him to try something new since he seems really bored. I added water bottles with rocks in them in his stall and a jolly licker thing, but I would like him to get out and do something!
I will be worming him on Saturday. I was supposed to do it 2 Saturdays ago, but some things came up and I didn't have time too. Then I forgot the keys to my tack trunk and couldn't get the worker out without causing serious damage to it (which I wasn't going to do). So I'm definitly going to do it on Saturday or if I get the chance to do it sooner I will.
That should be it for now.

2009-07-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone~
Saturday I was able to do several things with Jester. I was able to give him a good cleaning. I hadn't been able to groom him the past couple of times I had been out there because I didn't have any time. So after that I took him into the arena and did some work in there with him.
Nowadays I don't take Jester outside in the hear of the day since it's not good for him, but if I do he always has his fly mask and sunscreen on his face. He is starting to get a little pink on his face(more pink than he should).
I am still giving Jester Acti-Flex (a joint supplement) and flax seed (to help with his coat and omega 3) everyday. He gets Acti-Flex in the mourning and flax seed in the evening. He gets 2 scoops of Triple Crown Senior too.
All of the horses stalls and some of the pastures were decorated for the 4th of July! It really lit up the place. And of course Jesters stall looked the best! As you can see I took pictures of it and posted them to the right of the page. I hope you like them! I have taken out a lot of old screws and nails in Jesters stall while I was cleaning it up. I dusted cob webs and a lot of dust off it too. Let me just say his stall is in much better condition!
After feeding was done I put Jester out in the big pasture with Buddy. Jester was very happy to see him and eager to be let loose.
That's it for now,
Stephanie

2009-07-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

So I just posted some new pictures! The pictures that you see Jester grazing in are him in the big pasture. It has a lot of grass in it and it's really big so I like to let him lose out there for a while. His pasture dosen't have much grass in it and there's 3 other horses that go out there.
Buddy is Jester's best friend! Last week my sister and I turned them out into the big pasture together (like we always do). Kristin went out there to retrieve Buddy and when Jester saw that he was gone he started running around and neighing for him. Now Jester doesn't do that for just anyone! So it was really special to see him do that. Of course Jester dosen't go outside without plenty of sunscreen, fly spray, and his fly mask on!
But yes, that is what Jester usually looks like! Ya'll only get to see him clean so I thought it would be a good idea for you to see the real Jester! I gets hard in the winter time becuase I can't give him a bath.
I usually groom him in the washracks. That is where he is in the bath and grooming pictures.
We are probably going out Sat. So I'll try to post soon after that. I may not because I will be going to camp for the week.
If you have any questions just let me know!
Steph

2009-06-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are having a great summer. Sorry I haven't posted for a while! I have been having some computer problems:( We have been going out to the rescue about twice a week for the past several weeks.
A couple weeks ago Brooke and Miss Sue came out from Australia. While they were here they adjusted horses and offered clinics. They fix many horses with soreness, lameness, stiffness, and anything that is tissue related. There work is slightly simaler to a chiropracters. So as you can probablly tell, this is right up Jester's ally!
While they where here for 2 weeks, I got Jester adjusted twice. He had been sore for about 3 weeks and wasn't in very good condition. Let me just say that 2 weeks after his treatment he is almost normal again! Seeing the results for yourself after you have seen what Jester has been like is truly a miracle! I have taken him into the arena to do some work with him on Saturday and he would niot stop cantering and shaking his head. Usually he would not want to give me a forward walk and just slouch around. So I'm vveerryy happy to report that he is doing much better!
I have ordered some things for him from Horse.com. A jolly ball, new lead rope, and a couple other things. I also got him a fly mask. It has been pretty hot and sunny here and since he is white, it isn't good for him to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time otherwise he will be sunburned. So the fly mask will protect his face from dust, flies, and the sun.
There has been some comotion out at the rescue so Jester had been switched to a different stall, but now that everything has quieted down he is back in is regular stall. And speaking of stalls, I have adopted Jester's stall. This means that I'm in charge of keeping it neat and clean and decorating it for holidays.
I have been giving Jester baths regularly now because he sweats a lot when it gets hot. So he has been staying nice and white. That makes it a lot easier to groom him too!
I'll update soon and post pictures
~Steph

2009-05-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
We went out all day Saturday for mourning and evening feed. So I was able to feed and bring out Jester twice. They are now on summer-turn out, which means the horses will be in during the day and out at night. One of the first things I did was bag Jester's supplements. Then I got him out and groomed him. I also let him roam around the arena and did some Parelli with him. After that I rode him for about 20 minutes then turned him out. Even though we were out there all day we were very busy and didn't have much time to ourselves.
S

2009-04-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We were out on Saturday and Sunday this week. On Saturday I bagged Jesters supplements and put them in the feed room with his name on the container. We stopped over at a feed store (Cherokee Feed) and got a big bag of grounded flax seed on our way over there. I gave him his first bag in the PM and he ate everything. I also got him out and groomed him up nicely (for once he was a white horse). After 2 hours I finallly got his old, disgusting corner feeder off and put up his new one (there was a lot of rusted bent nails). After feeding I took him up to the out door arena and did some Parelli work with him and he did excellent!
On Sunday I took him out to graze in the big pasture for a couple of hours since his pasture has no grass and it was such a nice day. I also got some new black clip on reins and an indian bosal hackamore (it looks like a rope halter with a built in rope hackamore). I tried on the hackamore and it's a little small, but it still fits.
Thats it for now,
Thanks 4 reading!
Btw... I will try to post some pic's asap:)

2009-04-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Today we had a field trip out at the rescue. We got there early before feeding so I had time to get out Jester and give him a good grooming. He didn't shed as much and he wasn't that dirty so it didn't take me as long as it usually does. His rain rot is starting to come back so I will start treating that immediately. When I brought him out to go to his pasture he was very excited! I also gave him an apple:) A couple of days ago I ordered from Horse.com and got Jester a new, blue corner feeder and apple and oat flavored treats (he's out of his other ones). After we left the rescue, we went to Hamps and I also got 2 bottles of fly spray, roll-on fly spray (fly season is coming to a start), MTG (for his rain rot), and I also got some really good joint supplements after clearing it with Mrs. cheryl. There called Acti-Flex powder supplements by Cox Veterinary Lab.
He will get one ounce in the mourning and one ounce in the evening for 7-14 days. Then he will get one ounce in the mourning or evening. He will also start getting flax seed to help with the Omega 3. I haven't gotten that yet, but I will soon. I will be bagging them together too.
We will be going out there on Saturday so I'll update again soon!
~S

2009-04-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
We were at the rescue on Saturday. Jester was a little stiff. I'm looking into getting him joint supplements to help him out with his artharitis and stiffness so I'll keep ya'll updated on that. I got him out and gave him a good grooming and found his itchy spot as well! It's inbetween his front legs. I also soaked his hooves in warm soapy water since they were really dirty. We had a birthday party out there so Jester got hand painted. I gave him a bath after that and took him out to the big pasture for about an hour to graze. Thats pretty much all I did with him.
~Steph

2009-04-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We went out to the rescue on Thursday and Saturday. On Thursday I only got him out and groomed him. I got a LOT of hair off of him! After all it is shedding season. On Saturday I groomed him again (not as much hair came off) and took him out into the outdoor arena for a little ride. As usual, I gave him treats!
Thanks for reading!

2009-04-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, things have been kinda hectic! We went out to the rescue on Saturday and I got Jester out and gave him a good grooming. We also went out into one of the big pastures for a "trail ride". He's doing pretty good. He got adjusted by the chiropractor 2 weeks ago. We all are enjoying the warmer weather too! We will be out there on Thursday so I'll try to update again if I have time too.

2009-02-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

On Wedsday I went out to the Rescue to help with a field trip. After I was done I got out Jester and gave him a good grooming. He was a little sore walking in today from his pasture. His hooves were just trimmed. I also took him out into the big pasture to let him graze and do a little exploring! We went up there with my sister and her favorite horse, Buddy. I gave Jester a treat while we were up there as well.
We should be going out there again on Saturday,
~Stephanie

2009-02-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

We went out to the rescue on Saturday and Jester is doing well. I got him out and groomed him and gave him treats. After feeding I went on a trail ride with him in one of the big pastures with some friends. We also went up into the outdoor arena too. I think he had fun! Here's an upcoming event:

Upcoming event - ARF
Each year Cheryl's sister, Michele who heads up a K-9 rescue under the horse rescue assembles a huge animal rescue event at Wills Park. This year is no exception and sadly with the economy as it is there are many many animals who need a good home. Please join us at the following event:On March 29 2009, the event will be held at the covered arena at WillsParkEquestrianCenter in Alpharetta, Georgia. ARF has grown to over 4000 attendees, and is the largest pet adoption and educational family fun day in Georgia. Attendees, rescue groups and vendors come from the southeastern United States including Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama not to mention the entire State of Georgia. People stay and spend time learning about the animals, their needs, available pet products and services in the community. Each year the number of attendees has grown and so has the number of animals that have been adopted due to the event. With the Atlanta metro area having one of the highest kill rates for pets in shelters, we hope to be able to reach more people, secure more adoptions and spread the word about animals available for adoption reducing the number of animals killed in shelters.Event hours are noon to 5pm on the 29th of March. Please come out and support this important event.For more information: Sign up today. Download forms at www.ARF.SaveTheHorses.orgQuestions: contact Sue at suem75@gmail.com

2009-01-31T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
We went out to the rescue today and Jester is doing fine. I got him out and groomed him. He has a little rain rot that's starting to come back. I gave him a couple of treats. After feeding, I got him out again and rode him bareback around the farm and in the out door arena. He also just got a new hay role in his pasture. That's about it!
~stephanie

2009-01-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in a while! Jester is doing well. It has been pretty cold out there though. It has been pretty much muddy for the past month or so as well. So when I have been getting him out I've been grooming a paint instead of a white horse! When it gets warm enough he's going to need a nice bath. He still gets sore. He has days that are better then others. I've have started to pick up his parelli training again. He has definitly remembers some of the stuff that I taught him. I will try to update again after we go to the Rescue on Saturday. Stay warm!

2008-12-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Jester's coat has gotten really fuzzy. He looks like a big teddy bear! On Saturday I groomed him,and since it was in the 30's, I put his blanket on. I will have to put up a pic of him in his blanket, he's very cute! I didn't get to do alot with him. It had rained alot in the week so things were still wet and muddy. They were also getting ready for a Christmas party.
Merry Christmas!
~Stephanie

2008-11-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Everything is fine! Jester had gone to a chiropractic class and got checked out. I walked him up the driveway and grazed him in one of the big pastures. I rode him in the arena 2 weeks ago. I also did some round pen work with him. So I basically caught you up with stuff that has been going on. He is growing in his winter coat and is starting to look fluffy. His rain rot had come back, but it's almost gone now.
Here's something coming up;

On Sunday December 7th from 1-4pm we are having our annual Christmas/Holiday fundraiser. Please come join in the fun - Fun for the entire family ! Barnyard gift bazaar, photos with Santa Horse, holiday goodies, create your own s'mores around the fire pit, sleigh rides, petting zoo and much much more. Make a horse's wish come true and help us fill their stockings full ! Lots of fun for family, friends, animal lovers....come join us!
that should be it for now!
Stephanie

2008-10-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

HI all,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We've been really busy. Jesters been doing fine. He has been a little bit sore latley. He now gets 2 scoops of senior with fat as opposed to 2 scoops of sweet feed with fat. There has been some things going on at the rescue as well. You can see the events calander for more info.

2008-09-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Something coming up!

September 13, 2008 - Saturday from 10 am to noon Mother and Daughter Day at the Horse Rescue What a beautiful way to spend a nice autumn Saturday morning with a loved one and hanging out with the horses. Join Us for Fun with Horses, Learning about Horses, How to Groom, Arts and Crafts and Pony Rides. This of course includes grandmothers-granddaughters, aunt-niece, etc. Great for Big Sisters Programs, Girl Scouts, etc, too!Clinic Price: $30PRE-REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED. CALL TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE! SPACE IS LIMITED.

2008-08-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all~
We went out to the rescue on sat. I got out Jester to do the hand painting at the birthday party. After that I gave him a bath and put some MTG on his rain rot. Then I took him into the arena and let him lose and, of course, he rolled! And this time I have pictures. After hr rolled I did some Paralli work with him and then rode him bareback for about 10 minutes. Then I let him lose around the arena while I put his stuff away. He followed me around the arena for a few minutes too! Then I came back and put him in his stall. I gave him a treat. I also fed him and turned him out.
Thats all for now!

2008-08-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi all~
We went out to the rescue today. I didn't get to do much with Jester though. I gave him some treats, mucked out his stall and took him into the arena to do some Parelli with him.
We will be out there tomorrow too. Here is some upcoming events too:
August 25, 2008 - Monday @ 6:30 pmJoin Us For BINGO at Foster's Grille, 2955 Bethany Road, Alpharetta 770.475.5840Invite your friends for a Fun-Filled Night, Free Bingo Cards, Great Prizes and Great Food!
September 13, 2008 - Saturday from 10 am to noonMother and Daughter Day at the Horse RescueWhat a beautiful way to spend a nice autumn Saturday morning with a loved one and hanging out with the horses. Join Us for Fun with Horses, Learning about Horses, How to Groom, Arts and Crafts and Pony Rides. This of course includes grandmothers-granddaughters, aunt-niece, etc. Great for Big Sisters Programs too!Clinic Price: $30Visit our Upcoming Events Section for More Fun and Information below...

2008-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We went out to the rescue yesterday and Jester is doing well. He had rain rot, but now it's gone. I got him out and groomed him and then took him into the arena and did some Parelli work with him. He did very well:) Then I rode him for a while. I sort of lost track of the time so from now on I will be wearing a watch! He did well he was a little sore so I did walking and one very short trot. He also spooked twice. Then after I was done riding him I let him lose in the arena and when I was walking out toward the gate to put his stuff away Jester was following me! Then I came back and checked on him and he was standing by the gate. Then I went and mucked out his stall and when I went and dumped the wheel barrow (The muck pile is behind the arena) I called Jester and he came over to me! Then I went to put clean shavings in his stall and then went to the arena and Jester was standing at the back of the arena looking over the side, so i called him and he came walking back over. He is such a sweet heart:) So I brought him back in and put him back in his stall and gave him some mints.
That's all for now.
Thanks,
Stephanie

2008-07-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hi all~
We went out to the rescue on Sat. and Jester is doing better:) I got him out and groomed him. His cut is starting to heal. I also rode him bareback in the arena for about 25 min. Then I brushed him off and put him away. I fed him about 30 minutes early so he was one of the first ones to go out (of course with sunscreen on!)
We will be out there monday too.
~Stephanie

2008-07-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Today we went out to the rescue. Jester has been sore lately. Also when I brought him in I noticed he had a big cut, but not deep. So I got a bucket and filled it with warm, soapy water and got a sponge and cleaned it up. Then I put some medicine on it. I also gave him a bath later. I used shampoo and conditioner and a rosewater
mane and tail cleaner that worked really well. I gave him treats and then it was time to go.
Thanks for reading!

2008-07-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here's some things that have been or going to happen at the rescue:
Mr. Vern Yip from HGTV's ''Deserving Designs'' came out and redid the kitchen.The show will air in either october or december. I will let you know when I know for sure.

Motorcycle Ride for the Horses!
Sept. 14th -- Rev your motors and strap on for the Ride for Horses motorcycle run! Vie for the grand prize while helping to support the Horse Rescue, Relief and Retirement Fund in its efforts to save horses from neglect, abuse and slaughter. More information coming soon. Contact
Horseinc@aol.com

The Fashion Show was a success and much appreciation goes to all that purchased tickets and attended this fundraising event. Special Thank You's go to volunteer Peg who secured a location for this event in Cumming, Fran and Chris from Coldwater Creek-Forum location who worked with all models and assisted with the actual Fashion Show and provided door prizes, volunteer Miaka for providing beautiful hand made, custom designed jewelry for the models to wear and available for purchase with a percentage of proceeds going to the rescue, to the beautiful ladies who modeled and showed off their fashions from Coldwater Creek, All About You Day Spa located in Alpharetta who provided us with gift certificates as door prizes, all fundraising committee members who put alot of time, thought and effort into making this a successful and fun event, and last but certainly not least a thank you to all that purchased tickets and attended.

2008-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but we have been haveing computer problems. We went out to the rescue 5 times in the past 2 weeks. We went out there on Saturday so I'll tell you what happend then. I got him out and gave him a good grooming in the wash racks and then rode hime for a few minutes bareback in the arena. We had to leave early that day so I didn't get to do much with him. He was a little sore. I gave him treats too.

2008-07-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We went out to the rescue on Saturday ( sorry this is late). I did get Jester out and groomed him. He is getting a sunburn under his eyes so I will be putting it on there as well. Jester got 3 scoops of senior feed plus fat. It started to thunder and lightning and rain so I didn't get to do a lot with him. I gave him carrots too.
Thanks for reading!
~Stephanie

2008-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We went out to the rescue on Wednesday to do a Field trip. Jester is doing well. He's a little sore. I got him out and groomed him. He has a few more cuts, but they are little ones. I rode him bareback in the indoor arena for about 20-30 minutes. After that I put fly spray and suntan lotion on him. Then I put him in his stall. I also mucked it out and gave him some carrots:). After I did some other things I came back and brought him into the arena and let him loose. And, of course, he rolled! Twice. After he did that he went to the end in the sun and looked over and watched everything that was going on. He's such a cutie!
Thanks for reading!

2008-06-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Today we went out to the rescue and Jester is losing a little weight so he has been put back on 3 scoops of senior w/fat.As opposed to 2 scoops of sweet feed w/fat.i got him out and gave him a good grooming plus treats.He got sun screen on his muzzle and fly spray on his body.I fed him early becuase it takes him longer to eat then the other horses.I broght him out too.

Thats all for today!

2008-06-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We did go out to the rescue on Sat. Jester got a bath from someone else, but I got him out and groomed him still. I let him out in the arena and he did a little exploring,but he didn't roll.I know he wanted to, but he didn't find the right place. It was really hot! He was sweating.But we fed and when I turned Jester out I told him when I was done I would come back and put fly spray on him.So when we were done with feeding and mucking out I went out to his pasture and put fly spray on him. I stayed out there talking to him and stroking him, telling him what a handsome and special boy he is and other things for about 10 minutes. So I gave him a kiss and hug and told him I have to go.So I started walking away and about 11 ft. away I looked back and he was following me! So I stopped and he stopped when he was next to me.He nudged me and I started petting him and he followed me all the way to the gate!!I was so excited, words can't explain it:).It was extremely hard to leave him, but it was time to go:(
Ttyl!
~Stephanie

2008-06-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all
We went out to the rescue yesterday and Jester is doing fine.I did take Jester exploring and we met other horses and grazed.He seemed to be enjoying it!What he really wanted to do is graze.After that I took him into the barn and gave him a good grooming.Then I took him into the arena and turned him loose.So he walked around and,of course it's his favorite thing to do!,he rolled.Every time I take him in there he rolls.I don't mind at all.I laugh every time he does it.I will try to get a pic. of him doing it and post it.While he was still in the arena I dusted him off and put some fly spray on him.Then I put him in his stall.I went and did some other things.Then I came back and gave him a few treats(I'm trying to cut back on giving him treats,but not doing a good job!)I took him back into the arena and rode him bareback at a walk for like 7 min.Then i took him back into his stall and mucked it out and gave him a hug and a kiss(like i always do when I see him:)I feel soooo sory for Jester when he's sore.He's the sweetest horse I've ever met!
~Stephanie

2008-05-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We went to the rescue on Thursday and Jester is doing well.I got him out and groomed him in the aisle since the wash racks were taken.He obviously had been used for finger painting again since there was left over paint on him.But I used cowboy magic green spot remover and they all disappeared,so now he's white again.He has some thrush in his hooves.I will try to put some thrush medicine on it.But he had found the salt block again,so he licked that for a while.On Sat. I will post again and tell you what is going on.I will try to take him exploring around the farm(He loves to explore!)
~Stephanie

2008-05-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

Hi all,
Friday Jester got his teeth floated(trimmed by the dentist).Their was a field trip out there.Then we went yesterday,Saturday,and all of Jester's cuts have healed up really nice.I gave him mints and apples and filled up his door feeder with grass again.I got him out and groomed him too.He loved it!He also found the salt block and that kept him busy for awhile.
Jester says hi!

2008-05-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
We went to the rescue on Saturday.And I saw Jester.They have now changed the schedule from the horses staying out in the day and coming in during the night to coming in in the day and going out at night.Jester was a bit sore.I groomed him and gave him a bath since he was used for the party.They use him for hand painting,in other words they paint him.Then he got to go out and graze for a while.I gave him his treats and filled up his door feeder with grass.All is well.
Thanks for reading!
~Stephanie

2008-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the rescue and helped muck out the stalls,water and other things.The grass is coming in so the horses are happy.Especially Jester.I always try to graze him when I get him out,but I haven't been doing it the past few times.so I got him out and groomed him.His bite marks are almost healed.He and his pasture buddies are always playing!His dapples are coming in and he's looking better than ever.After I finished grooming him I rode him bareback with my sister and a friend in the big pasture(Where the majority of horses get turned out)All of the horses were interested in us,but we soon got away from them.
Jester was thoroughly enjoying himself.He would take a few bites here and there.He wanted to go faster,but I needed to keep him at a walk.I was very happy that he wanted to go faster and that he wasn't sore.He has been very sore lately and I was elated that he was feeling good enough to go faster.my Mom took him back because my sister was having trouble on the horse she was riding,Buddy,and I needed to help her.But when I got back I gave him another grooming and an apple and mints.I helped with evening feed and fed Jester his grain.Then we loaded up the hay,but we had to leave.We will be out there tomorrow and I will tell you what's going on again.
Thanks for reading!