Today wasn’t a day in which we had a veterinary VISIT. No, we had a full blown clinic here at Squalor Holler. Dr. Wellington and his assistant Donna Forrester ministered to seven horses, all of whom were under 15 hands. It would have been nine horses – Dick Stofflel was hoping to bring Yukon and Kohlfaxi over, but Dr. Wellington rightfully said that this would be too many horses for him to deal with in one day. As it was, he’d had an emergency call last night, so he was quite tired today.

Dr. Wellington’s work day began with his first taking on Vickie Talbot’s

Icelandic, Hunar, and her POA, June Bug Carter Cash. He floated their teeth, administered vaccines, and did EIAs. He next took on Ruth Hesinger’s horses, a Shetland pony gelding named Diablo and a Curly Bashkir mare named Curly Sue. He floated their teeth and administered vaccines.

Dr. Wellington then palpated Curly Sue, in order to determine (once and for all) if she was pregnant. It turned out to be déjà vu all over again for me. As the veterinarian stuck his hand up Curly Sue’s rectum, I recalled his checking to see if Signy was pregnant. I suspect that he does this often, and then he waits until the last possible minute before saying one way or another if the horse is pregnant. This time he said (to himself) that he felt “a foot and a head,” meaning of course that the mare was in foal. We were to have a baby shower for the mare, so in preparation for this, I’d wrapped up presents for Ruth –pregnancy test strips, a copy of Blessed are the Foals, and Synergist Saddle drink coasters.

We next moved on to Tinni – Pete and I requested that our veterinarian do a lameness assessment. Yes, he agreed, after having Tinni trotted up and down the road, “he’s lame.” He said that for now we can walk him, but not ride him. He added that if need be, in a month and a half that if Tinni doesn’t improve, that he’ll do diagnostic work – this might include nerve blocks, weight on the affected leg, and perhaps x-rays. Pricey of course, but Pete and I agreed that Tinni is in good shape for being 26, and therefore, this will be a good thing to do.

Dr. Wellington next administered vaccine to Hrimmi and checked her teeth. The news was not good. She needed quite a bit of dental work. Dr. Wellington then set to pulling her wolf teeth, removing molar caps, and taking out her front (temporary) incisors. He sedated her and then placed her head on a padded stand and put a speculum in place. Like the other horses, she was not in pain during the procedure. Dr. Wellington surmised that after, she’d feel a whole lot better.

Raudi was last. She didn’t need to have her teeth floated. She was given a tetanus shot and a flu/rhino shot, just like the others. She was in essence spared from the dental work; however, she remained unaware of this.

Next: 126. 5/13/15: A Conversation with Hrimfara