Well, we were talking about Claire being the unsound horse of the pair of Clydesdales that I bought and brought back home from the rural Alabama hills.

But, we are not talking about Claire right now…

Don’t get me wrong………..Claire is still in dire need of concentrated hoof treatment, and she needs major poundage put on her bones…

 

This will be an on-going battle for this big, silly pony.

 

 

 

 

Today however, we are talking about her “sister”, Chantilly.

The two aren’t related, but I still call them sisters anyway.  They’ve been together since Oklahoma via Alabama (it’s on their registration papers).

I think one was born in Manitoba and the other in Wisconsin………..but I’m not 100% sure…………I’d have to check their papers again.

 

Something’s up with Chantilly of a serious nature.

She’s been spiking fevers.  She’s been breathing hard.  She’s been laying down (a lot)———next to her sister.

 

In the past, she would choose to stand next to Claire while Claire was laying down (just to be close)———now they both lay down together.

 

 

It breaks my heart.

They both need an abundance of T.L.C.

They haven’t had much (if any) of that in their lives in the past.

Some of Chantilly’s tests have returned……………….elevated white blood cell count…………….elevated neutrophils.

Her nasal swab test has returned………………it was negative for a number of viruses & bacterial infections…………….including three different streptococcus , as well as three different EHV viruses……………….phew!

Most of those would have been really hefty problems……………worthy of quarantine by the Florida State Department of Health……………….so, we were really glad they were negative…

But, what IS wrong with Chantilly?………….

Our vet (we’ll call him Stevie Wonder) (pppsssssssssttt……..it’s an alias) said that given her lung sounds, we needed to take her up to Ocala to the Equine Medical Center of Ocala.

 

He felt that her lung condition was not something that could be treated in a farm-setting……………….so we did…………(take her up to Ocala).

*******Equine Medical Center of Ocala*******

 

Ocala is steeped in thoroughbred racing history and tradition.

So many of the great racehorses had their beginnings at the brood horse farms in Ocala.

 

Ocala is a mecca for horse facilities & knowledge.

 

I have to admit…………the barn Chantilly was in while she was there was picture-perfect………..I want to live in it…

 

 

…………..it was everything you could imagine as “the perfect barn”………….the perfect setting…………..with perfect views…………..perfectly clean breezeways………. and perfectly clean stalls (that never seem to have poop in them).

 

Even the barns ceiling fans had less dust on them than mine do in our den.

 

 

Absolutely, perfectly perfect……

 

 

 

All the necessary tests and lavages were done.  She was only there for less than thirty-six hours………………(I’m so glad———otherwise……..$$$$$$$).

 

 

 

 

Chantilly is home now.  She’s safely back on our property.

 

 

We are anxiously awaiting cultures to finish growing from some more specific testing…

Maybe today?

Her temperature this morning is 101.6F, but last night at 10:00pm it was 103.0F………………..

What’s up Chantilly?