DIDN'T KNOW GELDING COULD GO SO SMOOTH.......!!!

We rushed around this morning to get to Tucson for Wister's appointment with "destiny".  Ruthie actually loaded real easy, & Wister still hasn't figured out how to jump up into a trailer.  Don't know why, since his answer to being restrained or anything is to get those front feet up in the air.

This is the first gelding that I've ever attended, that was done inside, under clean conditions, rather than in the dirt.  Like a lot of donkeys he didn't go down easy, she finally gassed him rather than giving him more drugs.  

She did a closed gelding, didn't have to use the emasculator because his little goodies weren't very big.  Tied him off & there was hardly any bleeding at all, left just a little opening about the size of a dime, where she "popped" his little "marbles" out before she tied them off.  

The yellow helmet on his head is designed to keep them from hitting their head if they flail around.  Never seen one before, has eye holes, really a great idea. 

Wister was enjoying his "nap" so much we finally brought Ruthie out of the trailer to get him up on his feet.  We tried to get her to bray from the trailer, but she wouldn't.  She didn't want to go inside because of the change in light, but when he saw her & started moving around, she figured out what was going on & dragged John to where Wister was.  Once he was up it wasn't but a few minutes until they were in the trailer & we were on our way.  

All in all it was as pleasant an experience, well Wister might disagree with me, but compared to other "slash & bleed" geldings I've attended this one went very well.  Hopefully in the morning they will be able to go out.  Moving around is suppose to cut down on swelling, but for tonight they can stay in. 

Rusty is BONDED, Reba........not so much.....!!

This morning Rusty has decided he needs to know where Reba is, even if she won't stick around until Cisco is finished eating and let out, so Rusty can go in and do clean up.  

Rusty is standing by the gate, and every once in awhile he'll take off yelling to see where she is.  So far she's ignoring him.  Once he finds her, he comes back to stand by the gate again. Jack, the mini mule lost Molly this morning and went running around like a maniac, grunting  and squealing (he has a very weird little voice) until he found her, same scenario, she didn't even look up from scrounging for hay scraps.  Guys are so funny, doesn't matter what species they are I guess.

Last night John came in and said he had a scary experience.  When he went out to do round-up, they were all standing in front of Ruthie and Wister's pen.  John waded thru the mess, and was putting those two in their pens with his back turned to the others.  He said he heard the corral panels banging, turned around, Pepper was on his back, feet up in the air, Boaz had him by the throat with his head and shoulders off the ground.  John said he yelled twice and Boaz let go, said Pepper rolled to the left, and popped up like nothing happened.  Have no idea what happened to cause Boaz to act like that, although that is pretty much his M.O. if someone irritates him.  He had little Cheyenne completely off the ground one time, when she "threatened" him with her little rear feet.  He's been caught a couple of other times with his mouth on someone's neck, under odd circumstances.  He is such a gentle soul and not aggressive at all with people or animals............but occasionally he seems to fall off the wagon and revert to a jack in with a lot of other jacks on a ranch, probably used for roping.  

Still trying to get Wister gelded before it gets too hot and too many flies.  Local vets won't do a 4month old, another vet only does field gelding and won't come out here.  One will do it, next week, at her clinic for $400 and I'm waiting for a return call from another vet.  

This brings up a subject that is near and dear to my heart, the cost of gelding and also the cost of euthanasia.  I don't mind that vets charge what they do for mileage, farm calls, vaccinations, medications all that.  They have to make a profit to stay in business and let's face it, most of them especially large animal vets earn their pay, long hours working with large animals that a lot of times don't want to be worked with, thank you very much....!!

But  how many people that want to do the right thing can afford to fork over $400 to geld or $150 minimum plus farm call to euthanize?  I'm sure there are lots of people out there that have to make choices they'd rather not have to make because of cost.  There are some groups in different states that have low cost euthanasia clinics.  They find a farmer than will let them bury on his farm and hold a clinic.  There are also rescues and sanctuaries that help with gelding and euthanasia costs, with donations and grants specifically for that purpose.  

I've always contended that it would be a good thing for society if vets would do both of these at a discount, amd mark up fixing "Flluffy's" overbite, football knee, docking tails or declawing cats (UGH).  So far I haven't found any of them that agree with me, although I do appreciate the ones that do low cost shot clinics.  Guess I'm just on the wrong side of reality......!!!!