Bestie so loves her front half door and back window, enabling her to keep an eye on things whenever she's in. This picture was from late last week. I brought her in to groom her, and she hung out in the front, a little snoozy-eyed, and watched Percy and Jazz, who were in the roadside field. The most amazing thing last week - actually, two amazing things - I arrived to see her and Mia nuzzling together in the field, and shortly thereafter Bestie actually took a little rest in the grass. NEVER have I seen her nuzzling with another horse or lying down in her field. Testimony to the relaxed vibe of Laurie's little slice of horsey heaven.
I'm hoping she settles in just as happily when we move to a barn and training facility much closer to our new house in Culpeper. That move happens this week, the end point of a long 5-6 months of transition to a new area. The barn's website first caught my eye, both for the amenities provided and the fun events they schedule. A visit confirmed the positive feel I had from poking around online, and amazingly, they had one stall available. So off we go on Thursday. I'm excited to have the use of an indoor arena again.
More on the yucky oozy spots. Laurie suggested that the spots might be tick bites, noting that Mia, Bestie's pasture mate, had a similar spot. Right now, knock on wood, Bestie seems pretty clear. Her hair is growing back in where the worst spots were on either side of the center hairiness, with some skin flakiness/dryness from my efforts to clean and sanitize.
I never have seen a tick on her since she arrived in Virginia. They don't seem to hang around like the few ticks I found on her in Vermont that stayed attached getting bigger and bigger. For the last few weeks I've spent extra time currying with the jelly curry and also using the hairbrush under her chin in hopes of dislodging any that might be crawling up to biting territory. So gross. Poor Bestie.
I'm reading up on garlic supplements as a way of fighting ticks; some people seem to have had success with this treatment. But from the testimonials I've read, it seems that they only use the supplement part of the year, like spring through fall. Judging by our experience, in Virginia it might be needed year round. Not sure whether that's a good thing for the horse or not. More investigating needed....
