Spook comes in degrees. My horse Sig (now gone to greener pastures) and Nic was/are as close to spook proof as a horse could be. If scared, both will freeze and stay in their tracks. All four hooves have to stay planted on the ground in the hoof prints they were standing in. Their bodies would startle to one side or the other but they never spun around, bolt or buck. In fact, when Sig spooked he'd close his eyes and turn his head slightly towards me so I could see his eyes were closed. Guess he felt if he couldn't see it, it wasn't scary. Nic, on the other hoof, will startle and hunker down an inch or two. He feels like a spring but he's never uncoiled. Guess he thinks that if he gets closer to the ground, it's not spooky and whatever it is won't see him on the ground. To get going, I'd simply talk quietly to them, pat 'em on the neck and urge them on. Because when it comes to getting a spooky horse through something your tone of voice can do a lot to keep a horse FROM SPOOKING.

A rider may tense up but the voice is what quiets the horse. If you reach down, lean slightly forward but keep your balance, pat the horse on the neck and say something like "It's OK.  It's only a 10 foot tall grizzly bear but he's not hungry" and then urge the horse on you'll get through a spook. And in the process of doing that, you'll relax too. 

Some horses will never spook and then suddenly they walk past a fence post with a bucket that's been on it for 10 years and spook at that fence post. It's like he never saw that bucket before!! Some of it is vision. Some of it is the fact the horse has never paid any attention to the bucket on the fence post -- so he decides to spook. Again, the secret is keeping his hooves in those hoof print marks so you don't get dumped.

How do you do it? Simple: Ride. Get your horse accustomed to everything you can think of from wild flowers to loose ropes on the ground to slamming car doors to everything God has on this earth. To get to that point: YOU RIDE. Saddle up and just ride around the barn. Or just lead your horse around the barn to see things. As I've said before, being with your horse even though you don't ride is NOT lost time. It's time for you two to bond, get to know each other and let him know that that shadow or flapping tarp isn't going to hurt him so it's nothing to spook at. The more wet saddle blankets your horse has on his back, the less spooky he'll be.

Stay safe,

Bonnie 

 



With Nic comfortably positioned on surgery table, the operation of removing the sarcoid began......




After shaving area, Dr. MacDonald first moved the sarcoid around to find out its depth, width, where it was attached, how deep.




Covered with sterile drapes, the first incision was made.




The incision was made around the sarcoid and it was 'lifted' up.  Skin was snipped and cut as it was pulled up and away from Nic.




Nic was lucky!!!  The sarcoid was attached into the skin only.  None of it was attached to veins, muscle or tissue.  The yellow tissue shown is fat tissue on top of the muscle.  No muscle had to be cut into!



Once removed the sarcoid looked like a 'red beet'.




When sliced in half you can judge the size of the sarcoid using Dr. MacDonald's thumb tip as a comparison.  Located between Nic's hind legs its size and rubbing was beginning to irritate Nic's skin.




A round patch of skin had been removed along with the sarcoid to make sure all tissue was taken out.  Now the process of 'pulling' the skin back together began......



.....one stitch at a time.




Once the incision was closed and sutured, a 'packing' was stitched on top to provide extra support to the stitches and protection from Nic's legs rubbing together as he walked.



After surgery was completed, Nic was 'unhooked', lifted from surgery table and.......
 



.....placed on a padded mattress back in the recovery room.  The attendant stayed with Nic until he began to wake up.  Then he left and the door was closed.  Nic was 'supervised' through windows.  Medical help and staffing was only a couple steps away at any time if needed.



Within 30-40 minutes Nic was up.  Groggy but he stood on his own eventually walking around the room.




Once awake Nic was removed from the recovery and taken back to his stall.  Fresh water and feed was in a corner but Nic showed little to no interest in it.  Nic was now an official "Hospitalized Patient".......