Here is what it looks like! Dr. Thoni did say that after surgery, he took the scar tissue and was checking it, just to make sure what it was. It was a puncture wound or bite wound that had abscessed and gotten infected and he thinks the friction from the girt caused irritation and made it bigger. He did say he got it all and it shouldn't come back.
Hope you all have a great and Happy New Year! See ya next year!
Me and my girl, I just love her so! Well this afternoon I had to take her to the vet and drop her off, she is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning between 10:30-11. I will get to pick her up Wednesday morning. Here is the whole story~the last time we worked cows when I was saddling her I felt a couple of bumps/knots on her left side where her front girt goes. Saddled her anyway, thinking they were just bites. Well we had been penning cattle for about 30 minutes and I asked her to start loping and she kicked out! What in the world I say and try again and this time I know she was kicking out. Which, even though she is a mare, she doesn't ever act this way. I knew immediately something is wrong and take her back to the trailer and get "Willis." We finish working for the day and I call the vet and make her a apt. for the next day. Of course I'm thinking everything from nothing to she has cancer by the time I get her there! He exams her and determines she has a huge girt knot. It is accumulated scar tissue that can happen and the only way to get rid of it is to have it removed. The best way he said is to lay her down so he can make sure he gets it all, if he did not it would come back. He did say it is very painful for the horse and that is why she was kicking out. After surgery it will be 30 days before I can ride her again. He said I probably could after 15 days, but he would prefer 30 to make sure she is completely healed. Not a problem, I was going to give her a break this winter and work with "Willis" anyway. So we took her this afternoon and dropped her off. That was hard, I tell ya. She is such a special horse to me and we have such a bond. I know I'm ready for it to be over with and have her back home with me!! So say a prayer for her and Dr. Thoni! And for me as well~that I don't go crazy with her gone!!
Christmas morning~she was not wanting to pose for the camera~!
She was so excited~she got what she asked for! FYI~only the stocking at our house is from Santa, everything else is from us. She got her little cricket rifle, gun case and bullets to go with it.
We had to wait a couple of days due to the weather to take her and let her shoot it. Let me just say we are proud of her. She wasn't all over the place, it will just take her some time to get used to the sights. I will say this is a nice little beginner gun. Very lightweight, no kick and easy for her to handle. I don't think I started on a gun like that!
She was having so much fun!! Of course we took our 22, my pistol and several shotguns to shoot. Hubby even pulled out the skeet thrower and we did that as well. It has been awhile since we have shot skeet. We all had a great time.
Hope everyone had a great and blessed Christmas and hope and pray that your New Year will be filled with many blessings.
Wishing you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS from our outfit to yours! God Bless!
Geared up and ready to go feed this morning! I'm wearing insulated coveralls, new down filled camo coat, rubber boots. Needless to say I stayed nice and warm! Thanks honey for the rocking coat! :)
And yes this is a picture from this morning! Crazy hen was sitting on eggs and hatched them out last week! I was shocked to say the least, they normally don't sit during the winter! Crazy weather even messed up the chickens! LOL!
"Willis" and his baby face! He's such a love! I was trying to get a picture of his whole head, but no he wanted to be closer to me!
Ice off our water troughs! 
"Shelby" scoring a piece of the frozen treat! She had them spread all over the pasture by the time I was done breaking up both troughs! And yes she did eat frozen poop as well, didn't get a picture of it though! 
Savannah tracking "Pedro" on "Angel" She was so funny, she was really enjoying it!
Me and "Willis" getting in some roping training! Notice Savannah in this picture she is practing her dally skills! She was telling me she was gonna gett the heels! LOL!
Love this pic! She had gotten down and let her and "Angel" into the return alley and was getting back on! 
She yelled over at me and said look Mom, and then proceeds to do various trick riding moves! 
Mad momma cow brushed up!
You have to look real close but this is a picture of "Shelby" on the head of the cow! You go girl! Hubby was very proud of her! This cow meant business and had already slung one of the other dogs through the brush. They had to doggie up and get the job done!
Here we are sorting the cows and calves. Me and another guy were holding the gate horseback. I was busted, yes honey I've got them go on with your sorting! LOL! Note~put camera away for a little while!
Moving the smaller calves to another pen until we are ready to work them! 
I'm sure this picture needs no explanation! I was the designated ear notcher and whatever else hubby needed! I only got a few pics of us working and none with me in them! I was there I promise, all muddy and bloody!
This is what little cowgirl does to pass the time! She's defiantly a country girl!
I wanted to let you all know about these great rubber boots I found! I don't know about you, but I normally go through a bunch of the cheap rubber boots in a year. I wear them everyday, sometimes multiples times throughout the day. The cheaper ones, didn't last and were not warm at all. When I was at our local feed store a couple months back we started talking about this new line he was carrying. Sounded great, till he told me how much. I left with no boots, I'm such a tightwad! Well I was telling hubby about them and he said honey as much as you spend on the cheaper boots several times during the year, you would have paid for these. Oh, I didn't think of that, I was just focused on the cost right now. So needless to say I bought the boots and I LOVE them! They are the best money I have spent. They are called Bogs. They are 100 % waterproof, 100% breathable and 100 % warm. I wear them all the time and my feet are so warm! You can check them out at there website at http://www.bogsfootwear.com/. *I guess I could have cleaned them up!! But now you know how much I wear them! LOL* HAPPY FRIDAY!!
Getting ready to swing~I rope donk with a breakaway rope. 
Hubby's turn on my mare~he's practicing his heeling skills!
Just had to take this picture~I looked up and told hubby stop, that'll make a great pic! He just rolled his eyes! LOL! We are on the backside of our place.
Did someone say new halter for me?!?!?Check out her new bronc halter! I've always wanted one and have been searching for the right one for awhile now. Found it, in a friend's tack room, and told her if she ever wanted to get rid of it let me know! She never used it and was selling things to buy more tack for her new horse. Thanks RoeAnn! What is it with us horse owners always wanting new tack for our horses!??!? I'm not a shopper at all, but could spend hours in a tack store or looking at horse related magazines!
Today was our November play day after church. The events were barrels, pony express race, ribbon roping and obstacle course. It was a beautiful day and as always we had a blast!! I rode "Angel" for my points and took "Willis" my winter project to just get exposure. He is 3 1/2, he did great! As always, I am proud of my mare. She just rocks! We took 1st place in the barrels, pony express, obstacle course. And 2nd place in the ribbon roping. 
Pony Express
Ribbon roping
Waiting to hear running order of teams!
Woo Hoo! Clean!
Dallying and fixing to turn left!
Waiting on the heeler!
Releasing the loop!
