Best of Friends

Cimba and Garth, with Boogie in the back

Cimba lives at a boarding facility and has done for 5-6 years.  He's well taken care of there.  He's happy with the owners and staff, and, best of all, he's made friends. 

During the day, Cimba runs in a herd of other geldings.  Garth is his best friend and is owned by the barn owners.  Garth is the Alpha male of the herd and therefore calls the shots.  Garth's call most of the time?  Pay attention to Cimba.  He loves Cimba, and Cimba loves him.  This leaves the other members of the herd, Boogie and Pary, out in the cold more often than Boogie would like.  (Pary doesn't care--he's happy to follow the rest of the herd around)  The picture I posted with this story pretty well exemplifies the relationship of the herd.  Cimba standing around,  Garth nibbling on him, Boogie trying to get some attention too, and Pary off who knows where. 

I find this relationship funny for several reasons.  One, Garth is the Alpha yet lavishes his attention on Cimba.  He's constantly gently nibbling on his back, nudging him on the shoulder, or resting his head on Cimba's back.  And two, Garth is huge, and beautiful, and he's enthralled with a tiny little Arab.  Cimba seems to like the attention, as he rarely walks away from Garth.  I don't know if that's because my vain horse likes the attention, or if he's happier that the attention is driving Boogie crazy.  I wouldn't put that past him.

Last week, Cimba was tranquilized for a veterinary procedure.  After we were done, Cimba was starting to wake up, and we put him outside with his herd, so the fresh air and breeze could help him wake up faster.  Nikki, the owner of the barn (and also Garth), said, "Cimba will be fine outside.  Garth will take care of him."

And take care of him he did.

It's not unusual for the herd to rally around another member who is returning to the pen.  What melted my heart is the fact that Garth wouldn't leave Cimba's side.  He walked alongside him, lavishing his usual attention, but in a gentler manner.  Keeping the other horses from Cimba, making sure he was safe.  And when I left, an hour later, Garth was still at Cimba's side.

Cimba is lucky to have such a good friend. 

Oh, It's a Guilt Trip, Is It?

There's been a lot of manipulation around our house lately.  And I don't mean between the humans.  Oh, no.  It's the four-legged critters who have been putting on their best guilt faces.  And you know what?  It works every time. 

Indiana is, well, Indy.  When you've battled cancer...twice...and won, you get pretty much whatever you want.

Isis has a new obsession with running.  Jim started running with her several months ago in an effort to get her into shape.  She's always been a horrible walker (she loves to stop and sniff every two feet, plus she has weird rules about where she will and won't walk--if you try to force the issue, she lays all 60 of her pounds down in the middle of the road.)  But surprisingly, she's a good runner.  And she loves it.  Fairly frequently, she sees Jim getting on his workout gear and is convinced they're going running, even if Jim only intends to work out in the house.  But when faced with such unbridled enthusiasm, and an, "Oh, Jim..." from me, Isis wins every time.

Mr. Squiggles, like Indiana, has a built in guilt-trip excuse--when you reappear after being missing for over a year, you want for very little.  But still, he has a trick that gets us every time.  Stage One of his trick is an expectant, very quiet meow, complete with an intense, expectant stare.  This trick means he wants you to sit down on the couch so he can snuggle with you.  Stage Two of the trick, from which we have no immunity, involves the quiet meow along with him standing up on his back legs, pawing at your legs as desperately as he can.  I'm pretty sure I'd commit a crime, if that's what he was asking for.

Gus doesn't really pile on guilt, per se, but he's got the whole disability thing that makes him impossible to resist.  Plus, he takes what he wants.  So if he wants to lay on your lap, you sit there until he's done.

Samson's trick is really handy, as it's what got him adopted by us in the first place.  Samson, like every Maine Coon, is very smart and very dexterous with his hands.  So when he wants something, he reaches his huge paw out to get it.  This includes people most of the time.  Who can resist 15 pounds of cat reaching out and lovingly placing a paw on your arm?  I sure can't.

Q*bert is newest to the household and therefore less equipped with guilt trips.  He's not sick/disabled/previously missing, so those tricks are out.  He's also not super smart, but honestly, that's what wins us over most of the time.  He's so...ummm...simple, that we can't resist him when he wants something.  His needs are so simple, basically food and an occasional lap, so who are we to say no?  Bless his heart.

Though he doesn't live in our house, Cimba has tricks of his own too.  I don't ignore him often, but sometimes I will walk away from his stall to pet another horse, and this makes him mad.  I'm his Mom, after all.  Most of the time, if he's craving attention, and some other horse is getting it, I'll hear a stern smack against his stall wall, and I'll turn around to see a very annoyed horse staring me down.  Flared nostrils, perked ears, and the brightest, sweetest eyes you've ever seen on a horse.  I am powerless against him.

Society has the idea that humankind is smarter and superior to the animal race.  Looking at all of this, though, I often wonder. 

Back to Work

Sam's staring at a large bug on the other side of the

pet door.  Can you see it?

The last few weeks have been crazy busy in the Schneider household, and by crazy busy, I mean I've been travelling and generally being a kept woman.  Oh, and Jim started a sort-of-new job.  Somebody's gotta pay for the horse, and it ain't me. 

Anyway, in Jim news, the new job is really a new position within the same company/department, and it's been a looooooooooong time coming.  When Jim was hired by Exelon (then ComEd) back in 2000, this new position (Licensed Control Room Operator) was the ultimate goal.  We were told by the company that Jim and his fellow newly hired co-workers could expect to be non-licensed operators for 3-5 years.  It's been 11.  So we're very happy that this new position finally came open (and it's based on seniority, not merit, so that's partly what's taken so long).  Jim is currently in Reactor Operator Training, which will take between 18-24 months.  For the time being, he works 7-3 Monday through Friday, and cannot be forced to work extra shifts.  He also gets holidays off.  After 11 years, we're finally living what is a relatively normal life.  Once he's passed the training, he'll go back to 12-hour shift work again, but it's still nice to have a break from that routine. 

Jim is now able to pursue interests he previously had no time for (12-hour shifts don't allow for much else in your day), like training for a half-marathon.  He also has time to take riding lessons and go for bike rides with me.  We can run errands and go grocery shopping together.  Oh, and lots more time for Criminal Minds.  Whew.  Don't forget that!

This new job will put a bit of a damper on our travel schedule, as he's not really able to take vacation days right now.  He can't really miss classroom training, so our travel, for the time being, will be relegated to weekends and holiday weeks.  That'll be the hardest part for us, honestly, but it's not forever.

Meanwhile, our critters are loving the new schedule.  Daddy is home at 3:30 every day, so if Mom is out, Daddy can feed them lunch, and give them snuggle time.  They have two parents home more of the time.  It's a win-win for them.

In other news, Indiana is doing well.  She's bright-eyed and alert, eating pretty well (though picky), and getting around as well as can be expected.  She has recovered from her earlier UTI, and we're waiting on test results to tell us how her kidneys are doing.  Her tumor on her back is larger now, and it's carrying a lot of heat.  This could mean one of several things: that the tumor has grown larger, that the hematoma around it has grown, or that there is some kind of abscess around it.  Our vet doesn't want to poke it to find out, so for now, we're simply putting a clay mask on it to draw out the heat, and adding in a drop of Frankincense, which is an essential oil with anti-tumor properties. 

Our horse, Cimba, was diagnosed with bursitis in his neck last month.  That's a swelling of the joint--for him, it's just behind his left ear.  He has a rather large lump there, and I know it causes him some discomfort.  Today, the equine vet is coming out to take an x-ray, to see if there is any arthritis, and to see what the extent of the lump is.  My poor boy has to be tranquilized, which freaks me out a little but is probably totally safe.  Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers for good results--nothing we've done to the lump so far has changed it in any way, so I'm anxious to find a treatment that works. 

I don't know why my lot in life is to have animals with every sort of lump or bump known to man.  Between Indy and Cimba, I'm gaining a pretty good knowledge of lumps.  Surely we have to run out of types pretty soon?

My Little Pony

I've officially been a horse owner for just over three weeks now, though I started getting to know Cimba in the beginning of June.  I spent about a week riding him, to see if we could bond.  I needed to like him, but, just as importantly, he needed to like me too.  It didn't take me long to decide that there was something between us, that special bond between a girl and her pony, a life-long dream come true. 

I've really enjoyed owning a horse, which I anticipated, or otherwise I would have never taken this large step.  But what has surprised me (besides how LITTLE I know about owning a horse), is just how amazing it is.  I know my capacity to love, so it hasn't surprised me how much I love Cimba.  When I adopt an animal, be it 10 pounds or 1000, it's forever.  Cimba is my son, until the end.  What's been truly amazing is how much he loves me.

I am Cimba's third owner (or maybe fourth? He might have had a trainer prior to his first owner).  One a little girl, one a teenager, and now, me.  Horses do recognize and bond with their owners, and I had been warned that Cimba might be a little "gun shy," having loved and lost before.  I made it a point early on to talk to him, to let him know that once he was mine, he was mine forever.  I knew that I needed to earn his trust, to treat him with love and respect.

And it's paid off.  Cimba knickers when I come by.  He recognizes me and acts excited that I'm there.  He also is exhibiting signs of ownership over me.  Earlier this week, while visiting him in his stall, I walked away for a moment to pet another horse and donkey, who were vying for my attention.  I suddenly heard a loud "bang," a horse kicking the wall of a stall, and I turned around to see my little horse standing as tall as he could against the wall of his stall, with his head as far out the window as possible.  With nostrils flared, and annoyance in his eyes, I knew then that my horse was jealous that I was petting another horse, and not him.  I was, in his eyes, officially his Mom.

What an amazing journey we two have ahead of us.

Connections

As most of you know, I own a horse now.  I've been taking riding lessons for about two years, so I've come to know a lot of the horses who live and board in this barn.  One particular horse, Dolly, captured my heart from the first moment I met her.  At four years old, she's a huge paint horse, higher at her withers than I am tall.  Yet, she's one of the most gentle creatures I've ever met. 

One of the highlights of visiting the barn has always been my snuggle time with Dolly.  She sticks her head out of her stall and lets me stroke, kiss, and hug her huge head.  Most horses like attention, but Dolly is one of the few who will actually let you wrap your arms around her face, as she nuzzles against your chest.  I've always loved spending time with her.  Everyone who meets her can tell that she's someone special.  She's everyone's favorite horse.

About a month ago, Dolly got injured.  Her family and vet thought that a month of stall rest would heal the injury, but over time, she's just gotten worse and is still lame.  Now there might be a new injury, and Dolly is headed to Purdue University today for diagnostics, to see exactly what's wrong.

I'm a nervous wreck about this today.  She's not even my horse.  I know it sounds nuts. 

Last night, I went to visit my horse, Cimba.  On my way out, I stopped to see Dolly.  She was laying down, as she often does these days, and she didn't get up when I came over.  I wanted to stop and speak to her, give her a pep talk for her upcoming trip.  I wanted to give her nuzzles and hugs, and tell her I love her, just in case.  But since she wasn't standing, I wasn't able to give her those kisses.  I did talk to her though.  I told her she was a special horse.  That fate didn't put such an amazing soul on this Earth, only to take it away so soon.  I told her that her work here wasn't done, that she had to get better, to fight, to heal completely.  I told her that I loved her.  A lot. 

In the short time I've owned a horse, I've learned that they are surprisingly fragile.  They are injured easily and some injuries aren't recoverable.  I am hoping with all my heart today that whatever is wrong with Dolly, she can heal. 

So today I am sad, nervous, anxious.  Maybe others look at that and say that I'm crazy.  After all, she isn't even mine.  But love is love.  The heart can't distinguish between who "belongs" to whom.  Dolly has my heart, and she always has.  And she has to get better.  Because I still owe her those kisses.

Many Happy Returns

I'm baaaAAAaaack.  Sorry for the long delay in returning to blogging regularly.  (And blogging well--last week was barely good enough, people!)  Doing the show was super fun but super stressful and super busy, and it's taken me most of the week to recover, both physically and mentally.  Now, some updates on what you've missed:

Indiana is doing really well.  Her hematoma on her back burst last about two weeks ago, creating a mess but unfortunately not a smaller lump.  She had to go on 10 days of antibiotics, which always make her feel crummy.  So she was picky-pants about eating for several days and even stopped taking pills again for a while.  But now that the antibiotics are done, she's returning back to normal, eating well (actually, eating really well) and taking her pills like a champ. 

I've been struggling a bit with how to give her the pills.  Ages ago, we started using cream cheese, but that eventually dried up as an option.  Then peanut butter. Then liver sausage.  All are persona non grata in Indy's eyes now.  What a turd. 

We moved on to lunchmeat, which has been working pretty well.  The problem?  Just about every lunchmeat out there contains added nitrites.  I'm not a big fan, so I've been searching our local grocery store high and low for something that doesn't contain them.  I've found one.  One, people.  I can't explain why.  It's not one brand.  It's one type within an entire product line.  Go figure.  And wouldn't you know it, it's hard to come by.  Apparently everyone else in Kankakee wants to buy nitrite-free Hillshire Farms ultra-thin sliced Roast Beef.  Who knew?

Two days ago, our store was out of this particular product, so I had to buy a different product containing nitrites.  Wouldn't you know it, Indy loves it.  So now my dilemma is, do I continue to switch up different products, keeping her happy with the variety, or do I go back to the one product that doesn't contain nitrites, but risk letting her get bored with it?  It's the never-ending question for us purity-seeking parents. 

In other news, I am incapable of owning a healthy animal.  My horse, Cimba, came to me with a large lump on his neck, just behind his ears.  I knew about it when I "adopted" him, and I had every intention from the get-go of investigating it and healing it the best I could.  So I suppose I have no real room to complain.  But I will anyway, so hah. 

I had a vet I know, Dr. Dan King, come out and take a look at Cimba's neck last week.  He's had the lump for about a year, and while the local horse vet did an ultrasound (which indicated simply soft tissue), I wasn't convinced that was all that was going on with it.  For one, it was hard.  For two, it was giving off a small amount of heat.  Plus, you know, that whole Mom instinct thing.  I got it goin' on.

The vet did a needle aspirate (which the horse vet, though competent, didn't do--maybe that's the dog owner in me?).  When he stuck the needle in, a yellow, sticky substance came oozing out.  I didn't know what the heck it was, but apparently, it's joint fluid.  Not what I expected at all.  The vet sent the sample away for cytology, though he was fairly confident that it wasn't cancer.  And as it turns out, it's not.  It's actually a chronic inflammation of the bursa (the joint capsule) at the back of his head, just behind his left ear.  It's not infected, but the lump is pretty large, and, according to Dr. King, probably pretty uncomfortable, which I already suspected. 

Cimba got a shot of Traumeel, which is a homeopathic drug, to decrease the swelling.  I'm also giving him homeopathic Arnica montana twice a day, as well as putting a poultice of wet clay on it, to draw out the inflammation.  I haven't seen a big improvement yet, but considering the swelling has been there for about a year, I don't expect it to go away quickly.  Luckily, I'm a hands-on Mom who doesn't mind the challenge.  And my friend and mentor, Nikki, who boards Cimba for me, is helping every step of the way with her expertise in horses. 

If Cimba's lump isn't improved in 3-4 weeks, he'll be evaluated again, and we might change treatment.  But if our treatments appear to be working, he'll get another shot of Traumeel, and I'll continue with the homeopathics and the clay.  I'm crossing my fingers that he gets some relief soon.

Nikki, my aforementioned friend with the horses, also has an injured horse at her barn.  This horse has my heart and always has.  It's hard seeing her struggle and be in pain, and it kills me that Nikki, the best horse owner I could ever imagine, has to struggle along with her.  We wondered yesterday why things like this happen.  But as a cancer Mom who deals with other cancer parents all the time, I know why: because we are special parents, and we'll fight for animals when others would not.  I believe that our sick and injured animals are sent to us because they need us.  While others would ignore the problem, or put their animals down, we fight for them and care for them, and go above and beyond to make things right.  And usually, we can. 

It's occasionally frustrating, dealing with sick animals all the time.  But there are rewards.  Knowing that we have done what others could not, or would not.  Knowing that we sacrificed to make the life of another better.  Knowing, at the end of the day, that we have given of ourselves, but have gotten back much, more more.

Welcome to the Family and Happy Birthday

   Meet Cimba, the newest member of our family.

Last Thursday, I learned that Jim and I were parents again, this time to an (almost) 15-year old bay Arabian named Cimba.  I had met and fallen in love with Cimba several weeks prior, when a friend approached me about becoming his new owner.  I was blindsided by the invitation.  Many of you don't even know that I've been riding for just over two years, part of a life-long dream realized.  Or that I had intended to own a horse someday,  maybe several years in the future, when I was a better horseman, when my life was more simple, when I was ready.  But then this opportunity came up, and sometimes, being sensible simply doesn't make sense.  (It's how I ended up for four cats, people)  I couldn't pass up this opportunity, this lovely, kind horse whom I knew would become one of my best friends.

Lest you think, "Is she crazy?"  I say to you, well, yes, but not about this.  Cimba has lived at my friend's boarding/training facility for over 5 years already, and that's where he'll stay.  (A horse in my backyard?  C'mon, people.)  Plus, my friend, Nikki, is holding my hand through this whole experience.  She's sharing her vast knowledge with me, teaching me with patience and enthusiasm, teaching me about saddles and bits, taking me on shopping trips for tack.  Plus, I'm still taking lessons.  And I have several other friends who own horses, including my friend Jodi, who has already lent me books on owning Arabs.  Cimba and I have a great support system.

Maybe you'd be surprised to learn that Jim is excited to own a horse too.  He was surprisingly supportive when I came home and said, "Nikki says Cimba's looking for a new family, and she thinks we'd be perfect.  Let's get a horse."  But honestly, I shouldn't have been surprised.  Jim has always supported everything I've done.  Why would this be any different?  Plus, he constantly amazes me with his huge heart and willingness to welcome new members to our family.  They're not just my pets, they're our pets.  So Jim is starting riding lessons so that he too can ride and enjoy Cimba.  But once he gets good enough, we'll need two horses.  You heard it here first, folks.

Oh, and Cimba is small, and Jim is tall.  (But not too small, or too tall; he'll totally fit)  Jim was discussing Cimba with our friend Ranea, who basically asked him if he'd fit Cimba.  Jim said, "I hope so.  He's the only horse we've got."  Hah.

Today is Cimba's birthday.  He is fifteen years old.  I'm going over soon to see him and take him for a ride.  Though I give him treats almost every day, I'll take a few extra goodies along today.  Perhaps an apple and some carrots.  Maybe a banana.  Do horses eat bananas?  Hmmm...

Though the last few weeks have been crazy (owning a horse, even when you don't have to clean their stalls or feed them, is still a lot of work--fun, but time-consuming), I am beyond excited about what is to come.  Owning a horse is a dream come true for me, a realization of an obsession and love that started in childhood.  Taking this leap has helped focus my mind more than I ever thought--it's been a big leap not only in terms of responsibility, but also in terms of figuring out who I am.  So to my list of who Jen is, I've added horse owner.  And that has made a surprising difference.  It's altered the list of me, though in a good way, in a way I needed. 

I wish a very happy 15th birthday to Cimba, the newest member of our family.  Thanks for helping to make my dreams come true.  I'm excited for all the adventures we'll have during our time together.  I can't wait to see who we both become.