Peter did it and survived 
So here it is, his first jump after childhood at Ponyclub
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x1Z4A3Xzno
(It is not on Puika, he is not used to trailer trips at all, it is the school horse. That’s one, The second - Puika has never jumped in his life so start him jumping at 16 yo would ruin his legs at least)
How fantastic! Peter looks wonderful, what a great job he does! Your horses are all looking fabulous. I am glad they have all found your family
Wow Peter is doing so well! He has great balance!
Anna you need to open and Bed and Breakfast so we can all come and visit you!
This is just so fabulous.
WAY TO GO PETER!!!
You guys rock!
I’m quite sad after my last conversation with our vet. There are no easy solutions with Puika. Tests came out clear, so only suggestion that vet has now after all consultations with other colleagues - (sorry for my poor English in medical terms) - he has long string between kidneys and liver, and the bit of testains moving over there. When it is hanging on, gas is collected there, and he is in pain. (Hope, this description will make any sense for you). Taking him to hospital is out of question - vet says (and i totally agree) that he will not make it even sedated, surgery at home - bad idea because of septic problems, so only way now - try to reduce amount of gas by some medications and something like linseed gruel. But his future is not bright. Now we shall take him off the grass, put him on hay and the medications wil go on… But no big hopes.
So sad… Now, when he is ok, he has overcome most of his tantrums, he is walking nicely, is easy to put bridle on, loves to be ridden, sweet and loving well beheived horse. When he has his bad moments he is completely wild scared creature. The time gap between good and bad could be just a second… and it repeats several times a day. We feel soo sorry for him, and the worse part - no big hopes to give him relief without surgery, but surgery might kill him… Tight … 
Oh, Anna, I am so sorry about Puika! He turned out to be such a wonderful boy with you and Peter taking care of him. Even if the worst happens, please try to remember in your sadness that these past months have been heaven on earth for him and that he was well loved. I am so sorry.
So sorry to hear about Puika! He’s a legend already and I hope he will recover fully and go on making more history! My thoughts are with you and Peter!!!
We are not rushing making any decissions, for sure we will try and try and try… Winter turnout will be ready any day now (fencing posts are in already, now only cross boards must be done), so Puika will have some freedom again (hope he will respect the wooden fencing better than electric), plenty of hay, mash and medications… But it drives me crazy that we are unable to help him.
We were so happy offering him much better life quality than he had and hoped that his gas colics will be gone soon… He had not had enough movements, too long time spent in box… give him freedom and movements, and tummy will start working right. We tried, hoped and … failed.
We must think about his life quality. He has these scary pain moments every day and it is not fair.
And we must also think about our own safety - i can not hold him when he has these moments - I just let him go free as seems he knows how to help himself. But leading him is like jumping into unknown and we must be really on our tiptoes all the time. With his weight and power - if he will jump accidentally on us…
On the positive note - both mares are doing great. Giva’s back is healing nicely, her ground manners are nearly perfect, she is keen, willing and happy to work with us. Today Peter tried riding Shella outside the electric fencing with Giva freely following. And she did it 100%.
Peter dressed up Shella at our usuall place - the gate near home, Giva was waiting at her usuall place - other side of the gate, on lead waiting. When Peter was on Shella, I released Giva and they went all the way down through our garden to pastures and gallop area, girls said hello to Puika and off they went over the fields… trotting, galloping and cantering, Peter on Shella and Giva taking each turn along with them.
After the ride they returned to the gate, still together - so perfect, so sweet and so… Put more lotion on Giva’s back and she let me do that, kisses and cuddles… Just perfect. Just in five weeks from quite shy broadmare to very sweet loving pet horse. It really seems that she enjoys every moment here.
Not boring life here - next month she will be on TV (because of the cygnet story), in health magazine (because of us) Quite a star, i would say. And she acts now like a star - today i took the magazine team down to pastures and she was just brilliant - i called from gate, she appeared and greeted every visitor, photographer included (she even checked out the huge camera bag in case there are some treats), posed like a real glamour girl for trillion pictures and when I released her with command “now GO!” left with noble pride…
Both girls now have fenced area of about 10 acres of green soft grass - it is something to enjoy freedom, isn’t it? Why, oh why Puika can not have all these pleasures of life? Not fair, not fair at all
Just read every page of this and LOVE it!!
I am so heartbroken to hear about Puika’s problems, although if he has spent that much time in a stall I am not surprised that it had some long term effects on his body. I send lots of jingles his way that he is able to re-coop from it. You have been the best thing for all of your horses.
Just a thought… has anyone sent Fugly a link to this? I’m sure she’d be thrilled to read Anna’s story and how smart horsekeeping goes all around the world!
Sorry to hear about our dear Puika…and he is “ours” isn’t he? COTH’s own big boy in Latvia
While it’s not comforting in a big way, at least you know it’s not something you ever did or could prevent. It just is.
You, Peter and all your faithful readers know that you have shown nothing but love and respect to Puika…and that’s what counts.
Hang in there darlin’ :sadsmile:
Jingles for Puika…
Few good things to tell
First thing - seems that Puika feels better already - calm, nice, well beheived horse. We keep him on dimeticone emulsifier, and it works. So vet suspicions seems to be right - at least we know where the problem is. On the other side - we can not keep him on dimeticone forewer, so again… not so good news.
We also keep him on mash with probiotics and oil, and herbal supplements, and I do hope that it will help him in long term.
Other thing - we put saddle on Giva today and she liked it! What a relief in general! Do not worry, we are not crazy, we just put saddle on her back - no girth, and in completely wrong position (far away on the back to be sure that saddle will not press anywere near the wound) - we just wanted be sure that she does not mind saddle and riding as an idea in general after her bad experience.
I was brushing her around the wound - I use soft brush just to massage her back) and she allowed me to touch everywhere around the wound without any reaction, so I removed some crust bits (it is still weeping there, vet says that’s ok and convinces me that she is healing brilliantly) from her hair around the wound and she said nothing at all. She was just standing calmly and enjoyed the brushing and attention. So we decided to try out does she has bad feelings about saddle as it is and about riding or not. No ill feelings! She seemed actually proud and not nervous at all! And she was standing still, like an angel.
When we took the saddle off - that’s completely different story 
She was soo annoyed! She was really naughty girl, refused to do anything on voice, so we needed to put her back on lead - only then she was good girl again. Not really naughty, but she tried to show us that she wants to work, i’m sure about it. For me it seems that she feels so left out and bored.
Other than that she is one lucky girl - look how she has improved in 5 weeks
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/21-09-08/PICT7059.jpg
Not the best picture, but you can see how nicely her bum is starting to fill in - no more Oxfam add with these terrible hip bones. She is getting one cup of oil with 3 cups mash, soaked, on top of grass 24/7, and seems that it works for her just nice (we try to bring her back slowly so not to make her fat, just let her get muscles back). She really had no more problems than lack of food when she arrived (I was worried about so many possibilities when I saw her condition for the first time - worms, teeth, all sorts of things). But not - she just needed a good meal daily, and a bit of love - that’s all.
I have been away from this thread too long!
I did not even know of your latest addition: Giva :eek:
So sad to hear of Puika’s troubles. Hope your treatments fix him up.
Can you hear me jingling all the way from US/Indiana?
Very sad about Puika… I didn’t know he was having such trouble every day. It is so difficult to have a sick horse you cannot help.
Wow, Anna, Giva looks gorgeous and so happy! And I’m so sorry to hear about Puika. Jingling hard that he continues to improve. If there are two people in this world that can pull him through, they’re definitely you and Peter.
I found Puika again!!
Hi AnnaCrew!
I found your Oakhills farm blog just browsing through the net and fell in love with your story and especially Puika! I must have read all the posts in a day. And then it stopped on May 17th and I was so sad. I wanted to know what happened to Puika and your life on the farm.
I am so happy I found you again on COTH! And to have met Giva and see Shella progressing nicely. I am so excited to see pictures when the foal is finally born. :yes: I long to be able to work from home and live on a farm and live with horses! (in the dining room or in the fields :winkgrin:).
Thanks for all the updates. I send luck and good energy your way. I hope Puika gets better. I am a fan!
I promise, I will update the blog next week - too busy just now, must to catch the good weather, and also do some job as well - we all need some food in our boxes
Yesterdey Peter tried to ride Puika again, after 2 weeks. Just a short, light ride so very hard to say but seemed that Puika feels much better - he was like normal, healthy horse, just a naughty handful (but he might be a handful because he feels better).
On the other side - after Peter unmounted him, he instantly went for a quick roll, still under saddle, but again - seemed that it was more like a habit like “just in case”, not a real pain. So it goes here - ups and downs, ups and downs… But we are trying, we still do. If there will be a hope that we can afford, we shall do it. (The surgery that MIGHT help him can be done in Germany only, and such amounts we do not have and it would be not reasonable, with all my love to Puika - to train him to get into the trailer, work hard to train him to feel comfortable there, then 3 day trip one way… $$$ for transport and for surgery… For that amount we should be able to help much more horses here with not so complicated problems)
But other than that - Puika looks so good, at least for my eye
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/25-09-09/PICT7181.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/25-09-09/PICT7159.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/25-09-09/PICT7183.jpg
Peter also had his second riding lesson - he is doing better, but, of course, still wrong movements and hanging on reins. But trainer is praising him (maybe because of his age? ) and says that Peter will be ready for Giva when she will recover not to mess up her again.
Here are few of Peter’s attempts (good job that lesson horse is such a sweetheart and forgiving it all!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2KZt5kDKLw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UUNsUq8OnE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC-675keopc
And the latest news - as we have a free box for this winter, a foster is coming our way. He is nice small (14.2 h), calm children horse with some arab blood, who needs a stall rest for 4-5 mo after he pulled tendon (ligiment ? - do not know which is the right term in English) on his front leg, vet has done the job needed and now he just needs calm life in box and some supplements, and strong diet (way too fat, he looks like a fat pony, but he is not). When he will be OK, then short slowly walks on lead 2X a day, and then his future will depend on the recovery level - no decissions can be made just now.
His owners gave him up just because the injury (girl was riding in loose sand near sea). If he will recover fully (and vet is optimistic) then the loving and wise forever home will be found, if not, then he probably will go to the school or kindergarten to be a nice pet with plenty of children around.
We went to see him last weekend as I wanted be sure that he is such a sweetheart as vet described him (keeping bored horse happy in box for whole winter might be a bit of job) - he really is. He is also very submissive in pack dynamic and very well used to other horses so that also will be OK (we have enough problems with Puika’s lack of manners around other horses - he just does not know what to do).
The foster will arrive probably next week or so.
So - here is Nelson - our foster baby for this winter:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/21-09-08/PICT7101.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/21-09-08/PICT7108.jpg
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m138/BBCedrik/21-09-08/PICT7098.jpg
(Pictures are really bad, because there were many horses in that stable and I worried about using flash, and also Nelson was very interested so when i was getting closer with camera he was coming to me for cuddles so most pictures contain just a blurry part of one eye or nostril His injured leg I marked with red arrow - as you can see, it is not swollen and he is not limping now. The tendon is not completely tornd so it might heal quite well. And - also - might not. Let’s see.
It is somehow crazy, but you know - I’m soo very happy about us taking our first foster in. The thing is - our vets really wanted Nelson to come our way as (we collected a lot of gossips going around here) we are (by vets opinion) the ideal home for him - responsible, wise and loving people. You know, it was the best present for me to hear our vets opinion - you all here are so nice and polite to me, but you only know what I’m telling you, internet communications is not a real world, but both of our horse vets are here quite often, they see it all in real life and if they picked us… It tells me that we are not complete idiots anymore even if we can not help Puika properly. So to be trusted by vets… It is like top ribbon to me.
Congratulations on your first foster Anna!
The videos of Peter jumping are fabulous. He looks like he is having fun and for only having recently started formal lessons he looks amazing.
Nelson is a cutie! Looks like he’ll fit right in at Crew Farm.
Anna - You and Peter are simply awesome! Puika looks fantastic. Nelson may the luckiest pony in Latvia, I know he will heal perfectly under your care.
If one day you get a knock at your front door - don’t be surprised if I’m standing there - I would love to meet you and your whole Crew! :yes:
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