Wizard Sessions 368, 369, 370, 371: On a Hillside Turning

Since May 30, I’ve been battling with my herniated discs. Barn time has been sporadic, which is unfortunate since we are in the heart of the wonderfully long days of June. On June 16, I weight-taped Wizard and he weighed in at (drum roll, please) 1019lbs. He is now gaining over 20lbs per week (estimated). YESSSS!

He completed his course of 28 days of UlcerGard tubes on June 11 and I gave him one more week of the omeprazole granules at the treatment level for good measure, followed by tapering amounts. We started two packets on June 20.

Thursday, 6/7/12

My mom and I took Wizard for a hand walk down the main road, up the cinder road to the “bowling pin” and back down the road to the farm. It was about a mile. Wizard was very happy to get out and good to work with.

Saturday, 6/16/12

I took Wizard for another hand walk in the park, this time with Christie and Brigid. We took a short walk, less than a mile, just to the hunt club, around the brush jump, and back to the farm. Wizard was happy to be out with his buddy Brigid.

Tuesday, 6/19/12

My husband came to the barn with me and we took Wizard for a really nice evening hike in the park. We walked to the parking area, up the hill to the bowling pin, down the cinder road, and onto the main road back to the farm. It was about a mile and a half. We saw a red-tailed hawk and several rabbits. Wizard had one bucking fit when we got past the log cabin and the flies really got to him. Thankfully, I was leading him and my back did not have to suffer through those bucks in a saddle. Other than the bucking, he was very good to groom and walk.

Thursday, 6/21/12

The weather was H-O-T! Temperatures were humid and topped out in the high 90s. In the morning, I took Wizard out for a hike with my mom and with Christie, who rode Brigid. We walked to the log cabin, hiked up the hill to the bowling pin, walked down the hill on a trail that circles around the field’s perimeter to a trail that took us to the wheat field, which led us to the road home. We saw several rabbits, including a REALLY cute baby.

Wizard was a little agitated when I groomed him. It was earlier than our usual walks, just after breakfast. I think I was interrupting his morning time with his girlfriend, Sunny. It must be the time when they usually have coffee and do their crossword puzzles together. After the walk, I hosed him off and got a little more hair off him. He is mostly shed out, but held onto a little hair when he moved to the new barn in April. I’m counting down the days until my physical therapist says that I’m allowed to ride again!