A Miracle!
10 Sep 2010 15:40 - 15 Apr 2011 06:04 #1
by DavisRanch
A Miracle! was created by DavisRanch
I've had acupuncture treatments for my horses, dogs and myself for many years so the modality is nothing new to me. But after yesterday, I'm convinced that there's nothing short of miraculous regarding this ancient practice.
There is a gelding in my barn who I've owned since he was in-utero. I owned his sire, Andy, a Thoroughbred registered under the name, "Dance to Amerika". I lost Andy when he was just eight years old to a brain aneurysm. One of those freak things that happens and makes you go a little crazy. When Andy died, I went into such an emotional tailspin that upon learning that one of the mares he'd impregnated was for sale, I bought the unborn fetus on the spot. Too quickly and for entirely way too much money. Heck, I had to take a loan out to pay for the unborn foal, but what the heck, it's only money, right? Waiting four months for the birth was pure torture.
Finally, the colt arrived--in the midst of the Buffalo Creek Fire and just after midnight on May 19, 1996. Of course, having no sleep for the entire 2 weeks preceding the monumental event, I grabbed a quick nap so that I missed the birth. Figures.
I walked into the stall and up to the little bay colt. A spittin' image of Andy to boot and the little guy turned to me, laid his ears back and tossed his head. In that instant, I knew who he was, how he'd be and could only stand there grinning with tears streaming down my face.
First thing in the morning, my vet came out to do a check on both baby and mom and to draw blood to run an IgG test that checks the level of immunoglobulins (antibodies in the blood) to determine how the immune system is doing. Although Tchaiko (Tchaikovsky) has gotten plenty of colostrum, he was not showing IgG levels that were high enough. A transfusion was needed and the process required mom and baby to go the clinic for the four-hour ordeal.
Ever since that day, this horse hates needles. Could be due to the transfusion, could be something he was just born with. But I knew both his parents and I tell you, neither cared if you stuck them with any needle of any size.
Anyway, the point of the story is this: I have owned this bugger for fourteen and a half years. And in all that time, no matter how many shots he's had, no matter how much training, desensitization or rewarding I've done, I have never convinced the 15.3, almost 1200 pound cry-baby that a little needle wouldn't kill him. So, here's how I shoot him and I warn you, it's not pretty.
First I position him so his neck is even with the partially open barn door, then I snub him real short to the bars on the stall. I go into the stall, behind the door. This protects me from him body-slamming me, twisting his head back to cold-cock me and anything else he may dream up. Needle and syringe ready, I grit my teeth, hold my breath, then stab him quickly. Sometimes, if I'm real fast, I have time to aspirate, sometimes not. I administer whatever it is that he's getting, wait for him to calm down (read this to mean he finally stops rearing, striking, kicking, bashing his weight into the barn and snorting) and then I go out and untie him. We glare at each other a moment before he walks away, indignant disappointment clear in his swishing tail.
So yesterday, the vet is coming out to float his teeth and he must be sedated so that he'll allow the tools (and her hand) into his mouth. I cringed just thinking about the fun time we were going to have. She arrives. I tell her what to expect. We talk about putting some acupuncture needles in so that he'll calm down some. This horse loves this vet, loves getting acupuncture and since it always, always makes a difference with his attitude we commence to prepare him for his "Get Drowsy" shot.
This vet, she's different than Tchaiko's other vets. She is calm, quiet, slow to approach and examines each horse with respect. She genuinely likes horses and they like her. Tchaiko is no different so he allows her to put the acupuncture needles in without me even holding him. I walked over to help after I'd finally won the fight with the extension cord I'd been battling and there he was, head down, enjoying his flowing 'chi' and looking quite content and happy.
Standing there, I realized that the vet's feet weren't moving and neither were the horses'. I whispered, "Did you, you didn't hit him with the tranq yet, did you?"
She just grinned this funny half-lopsided smile so I stepped around so I could see what she was up to. There, hanging from his vein, was the needle and she was pushing the tranquilizer in, ever so slowly.
Tchaiko, meanwhile, looked like he'd just had the most relaxing massage. Head down, eyes soft. Ears happy. Feet stayed still. No body slamming, rearing, head-slinging tornado of a horse. NO reaction at all.
Me, I was in shock. I'm sure I looked as intelligent as an empty box with my jaw hanging open and my hands doing all the talking. No reaction from my horse. Only soft, calm energy coming from him. Goosebumps marched up my arms and tingled my spine, then I got giddy and tried not to jump up and down in excitement. "Did you SEE that?" I kept asking.
Never, in all the years, with all the horses, in any situation, have I watched a horse be so miraculously changed by any one thing. I'll never try to give Tchaiko or any other similarly needle-fear/hate plagued horse a shot again without this vet present with her little box of tiny silver-tipped needles.
Oh yeah, the wonder-vet? Dr. Leticia German. See her column in this same forum and try acupuncture on your own horse--http://285bound.com/Forums/viewforum.php?f=76 . Let us know how it goes!
Thank you, Leticia!
Tanya and Tchaiko-man
[url=http://www.TanyaBuck.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.TanyaBuck.com[/url]
*******PRIVATE one hour riding lesson for $50, (normally $75) with mention of [url=http://www.285Bound.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.285Bound.com[/url] ,email
; must be within 20 miles of Conifer, CO
Tanya Buck was born and raised in Carmel, California, where she grew up on a small ranch. A graduate of UC Davis, she majored in Animal Science with a concentration in Equine Reproduction, and a minor in English.
She is certified through UC Davis as an Equine Breeding Manager, is a certified horse show judge, and a Reiki Master. Currently, Tanya and her husband live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with five horses, four dogs, three cats, a couple of parrots and a bunch of fish.
Besides her passion for horses, Tanya is an avid Scuba diver, an active bicyclist, and loves to hike, snowshoe, read and write. She is currently working on two books, one fiction that needs an agent now, and a creative nonfiction about training horses written from the horse's point of view.
Tanya has been helping to bridge the communication gap between horses and humans for over 35 years.
There is a gelding in my barn who I've owned since he was in-utero. I owned his sire, Andy, a Thoroughbred registered under the name, "Dance to Amerika". I lost Andy when he was just eight years old to a brain aneurysm. One of those freak things that happens and makes you go a little crazy. When Andy died, I went into such an emotional tailspin that upon learning that one of the mares he'd impregnated was for sale, I bought the unborn fetus on the spot. Too quickly and for entirely way too much money. Heck, I had to take a loan out to pay for the unborn foal, but what the heck, it's only money, right? Waiting four months for the birth was pure torture.
Finally, the colt arrived--in the midst of the Buffalo Creek Fire and just after midnight on May 19, 1996. Of course, having no sleep for the entire 2 weeks preceding the monumental event, I grabbed a quick nap so that I missed the birth. Figures.
I walked into the stall and up to the little bay colt. A spittin' image of Andy to boot and the little guy turned to me, laid his ears back and tossed his head. In that instant, I knew who he was, how he'd be and could only stand there grinning with tears streaming down my face.
First thing in the morning, my vet came out to do a check on both baby and mom and to draw blood to run an IgG test that checks the level of immunoglobulins (antibodies in the blood) to determine how the immune system is doing. Although Tchaiko (Tchaikovsky) has gotten plenty of colostrum, he was not showing IgG levels that were high enough. A transfusion was needed and the process required mom and baby to go the clinic for the four-hour ordeal.
Ever since that day, this horse hates needles. Could be due to the transfusion, could be something he was just born with. But I knew both his parents and I tell you, neither cared if you stuck them with any needle of any size.
Anyway, the point of the story is this: I have owned this bugger for fourteen and a half years. And in all that time, no matter how many shots he's had, no matter how much training, desensitization or rewarding I've done, I have never convinced the 15.3, almost 1200 pound cry-baby that a little needle wouldn't kill him. So, here's how I shoot him and I warn you, it's not pretty.
First I position him so his neck is even with the partially open barn door, then I snub him real short to the bars on the stall. I go into the stall, behind the door. This protects me from him body-slamming me, twisting his head back to cold-cock me and anything else he may dream up. Needle and syringe ready, I grit my teeth, hold my breath, then stab him quickly. Sometimes, if I'm real fast, I have time to aspirate, sometimes not. I administer whatever it is that he's getting, wait for him to calm down (read this to mean he finally stops rearing, striking, kicking, bashing his weight into the barn and snorting) and then I go out and untie him. We glare at each other a moment before he walks away, indignant disappointment clear in his swishing tail.
So yesterday, the vet is coming out to float his teeth and he must be sedated so that he'll allow the tools (and her hand) into his mouth. I cringed just thinking about the fun time we were going to have. She arrives. I tell her what to expect. We talk about putting some acupuncture needles in so that he'll calm down some. This horse loves this vet, loves getting acupuncture and since it always, always makes a difference with his attitude we commence to prepare him for his "Get Drowsy" shot.
This vet, she's different than Tchaiko's other vets. She is calm, quiet, slow to approach and examines each horse with respect. She genuinely likes horses and they like her. Tchaiko is no different so he allows her to put the acupuncture needles in without me even holding him. I walked over to help after I'd finally won the fight with the extension cord I'd been battling and there he was, head down, enjoying his flowing 'chi' and looking quite content and happy.
Standing there, I realized that the vet's feet weren't moving and neither were the horses'. I whispered, "Did you, you didn't hit him with the tranq yet, did you?"
She just grinned this funny half-lopsided smile so I stepped around so I could see what she was up to. There, hanging from his vein, was the needle and she was pushing the tranquilizer in, ever so slowly.
Tchaiko, meanwhile, looked like he'd just had the most relaxing massage. Head down, eyes soft. Ears happy. Feet stayed still. No body slamming, rearing, head-slinging tornado of a horse. NO reaction at all.
Me, I was in shock. I'm sure I looked as intelligent as an empty box with my jaw hanging open and my hands doing all the talking. No reaction from my horse. Only soft, calm energy coming from him. Goosebumps marched up my arms and tingled my spine, then I got giddy and tried not to jump up and down in excitement. "Did you SEE that?" I kept asking.
Never, in all the years, with all the horses, in any situation, have I watched a horse be so miraculously changed by any one thing. I'll never try to give Tchaiko or any other similarly needle-fear/hate plagued horse a shot again without this vet present with her little box of tiny silver-tipped needles.
Oh yeah, the wonder-vet? Dr. Leticia German. See her column in this same forum and try acupuncture on your own horse--http://285bound.com/Forums/viewforum.php?f=76 . Let us know how it goes!
Thank you, Leticia!
Tanya and Tchaiko-man
[url=http://www.TanyaBuck.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.TanyaBuck.com[/url]
*******PRIVATE one hour riding lesson for $50, (normally $75) with mention of [url=http://www.285Bound.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://www.285Bound.com[/url] ,email
; must be within 20 miles of Conifer, COTanya Buck was born and raised in Carmel, California, where she grew up on a small ranch. A graduate of UC Davis, she majored in Animal Science with a concentration in Equine Reproduction, and a minor in English.
She is certified through UC Davis as an Equine Breeding Manager, is a certified horse show judge, and a Reiki Master. Currently, Tanya and her husband live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with five horses, four dogs, three cats, a couple of parrots and a bunch of fish.
Besides her passion for horses, Tanya is an avid Scuba diver, an active bicyclist, and loves to hike, snowshoe, read and write. She is currently working on two books, one fiction that needs an agent now, and a creative nonfiction about training horses written from the horse's point of view.
Tanya has been helping to bridge the communication gap between horses and humans for over 35 years.
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