Updates

 I have a lot of updates! First of all, Lim's chest is all but normal now. You can see a tiny, tiny spot of pink flesh but that is quickly filling in. She also has some scar tissue beneath that area, but it doesn't bother her, nor is it visible.

We had a big storm last Thursday. I took some photos as it was rolling in. The last one shows a funnel cloud--scary! That picture makes me think "Auntie Em!". Fortunately it dispersed not long after I took the pic.

Then on Saturday was try #2 for getting Limerick out in the pasture. Since my gut told me to not try again but my heart and mind said "do it, it's healthier for her", I asked a few people after she was injured about what I should do. Most of them said to give it another shot because that injury was likely a freak accident. 

But on Saturday, when I put led Lim towards the pasture and put her in there, she was fidgety and anxious. She clearly didn't want to go in there. And it was immediately clear why--the same paint horse that had been terrorizing her during try #1 came galloping over at breakneck speed. The chase was on, but Lim was fortunately able to outrun him. She ran over to the opposite end of the pasture, out of sight from this horse. With a heavy heart, I walked over to where she was. 

A part of me felt like I should bring her in, while another part of me thought, "What if that was it--no more chasing?". I told her I would come back in a few hours and left.

But it wasn't to be--that horse kept chasing her again and again. I received texts about the same horse chasing her, so right after the Kentucky Derby, I headed over to the barn to bring poor Lim in. She was very glad to see me and so sore and exhausted than she began tying up when I brought her back to the barn. I gave her water, quickly groomed the dried sweat marks off her, then put her in the stall with fresh water and lots of hay. She drank long and heavy, and I re-filled her bucket. She ate hungrily, her hindquarters trembling. I wanted to see her pee so I waited around until she did. The amount wasn't as much as I would prefer, but the color was good and normal. After allowing her to eat hay for a half hour, I gave her wetted-down grain and lots of peppermint oil. I returned a couple hours later to check on her and she was so tired that she began dozing off after eating an apple. But besides that she appeared better, and by the next day was nearly normal (although clearly muscle-sore).

Just another example of needing to trust your gut, I guess. And the Kentucky Derby? Wow--I barely know what to say about it after all the issues with Limerick. But give me a couple weeks!

I also have some big news about another area of racing--rescue-purchasing a racehorse my husband and I have been following for a few years. More details on that later!