rafer johnson's progress

I haven't mentioned this specifically lately, but something that happened yesterday made me stop and think about how well he's doing.

After his broken leg mended, and he got his first post-break hoof trim, he has literally not taken an off step, and I have not seen him resting a hind leg. He walks, trots, and does the fast donkey run. He lays down. He rolls. He jumps, he rears when playing with Redford, he pivots, and he has no qualms about going through a certain part of our fencing that is not board or HorseGuard tape. Fortunately the part he goes through only leads to the big barnyard, which is secure. But in all ways I can see, he is back to his normal Rafer self.

I went out yesterday with my big dosing syringe and Salina's Lubrisyn gel. It is clear gel, and has no smell I can discern, but neither she nor Keil Bay like it. I suspect it's the consistency - gel not being something horses really encounter when grazing or nibbling.

So Salina sees the big syringe, and although she doesn't walk away from me, she looks disgusted. I give her dose. There's a little bit left in the syringe.

Rafer walks up and as clear as can be, asks me for some of the good joint lubricant stuff. I thought maybe if he smelled it, and realized it wasn't a treat, he'd back off, but he smelled it, licked it, and asked for his own dose. So I gave him that little bit left over, which was about what a donkey dose would be, and he was satisfied.

The last medicine I had to give him with the big dosing syringe was what we named the "applesauce antibiotic" and he came to hate it. He came to hate the dosing syringe, and he came to hate the halter. About the time we got him over that, he broke his leg, and then the halter meant vet, and needles. So we've worked off and on during the months since making the halter only come out when good things are happening. He considers getting his hooves trimmed a good thing, and taking a walk with one of us, and going into the arena to "work."

I generally give medicines, including injections, without halters, using a lead line draped over the top of the neck if necessary just to let them know they should stay with me.

Rafer hasn't had any issues with dewormer pastes, but I was so happy to see yesterday that the big fat dosing syringe is now a neutral thing again, and that in fact, he is not only happy but seeks out something he thinks might be good for him.

The funny thing is Redford, who huddles up with Rafer, and so far I just let him lick the end of the syringe, and see that Rafer likes it, in hopes that when Redford has his own encounter with the "applesauce antiobiotic," post gelding, it at least won't be scary to him. Just yucky for a few weeks and then we'll let him come back to neutral with it like his brother has.