Getting Old
All of us, who have reached a certain age, recognize that our bodies are speaking to us more and more these days. I am slower and more cautious now than I was even ten years ago. I take longer to heal and longer to recuperate than I used to. I am currently fighting back, however. I have joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. Yikes. Who knew that someone like me, who has always resisted exercise would walk into a gym and sign up? And it's not that my life is particularly sedentary. I have animals to feed, feed bags to haul, hay to put out, animals to be checked on and moved from one pasture to another, not to mention wrestling with the goats and the llama to get them wormed. I've been active but not in the pumping iron way. Now I am and I'm really pleased about it. I had no idea I would love going to the gym. Really? Yes! I love it.
The animals are not immune from getting older and having issues any more than we humans are. Millie, our oldest goat, has arthritis. Sadie, our oldest dog, is slowing down and getting very grey. And then there is Steele.
Steele is our last remaining equine. He is a Welsh pony and is in his early 20's. The oldest recorded Welsh pony was 45 years old so compared to that, Steele is pretty young. But he is old enough to have started having problems. He had a bought of heaves last month which we are very happy to report has resolved. We will pay particular attention to him in the spring when it is likely to come back. This month his adventure was blinding himself in one eye.
Poor Steele. I had the job of catching him up three times and then twice a day and putting antibiotic in that eye. He was not best pleased. By the end of the first week he had started walking away from me even though I had his feed bucket. By the end of the second week it was a real struggle. Then he turned the corner and didn't need anything put in his eye. He was thrilled and so was I.
For now, at least, everything is running in greased grooves. All the animals are showing up under their own power at mealtimes eager to eat and not showing me any blood or broken bones. Ron and I are ambling along under our own power also. For now all is well.