{"id":1895,"date":"2014-09-30T01:20:48","date_gmt":"2014-09-30T01:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=1895"},"modified":"2022-02-12T01:41:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T01:41:05","slug":"ride-for-the-ribbons-2014","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/newpromisefarms.com\/?page_id=1895","title":{"rendered":"Ride For The Ribbons 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am entitling this story as LESSON LEARNED<\/strong><\/span> …<\/p>\n

It all started on September 26th:\u00a0 I believed we may not be attending this ride.\u00a0 I have sent in my entry fees but I have had a knock down drag out cold. It is busting my chest and lungs with constant flemmy coughing.<\/p>\n

AND!<\/p>\n

Miss Daizy has had a dry cough all week.\u00a0 I decided to make a clear decision by Friday.\u00a0 If she is coughing just to keep me company, or coughing because everything is so dry dry dry right now, we’ll go.\u00a0 The vet is coming today to pull a culture.\u00a0 She has no snot, no fever, and is certainly not off her food (or any one else’s food!) If she is coughing because she really has a cold, we’re staying home to get healthy for the Jersey Devil at the end of October.<\/p>\n

Remember, I have a plan and a goal this year.\u00a0 We have achieved her versatility and I really just want to do one more 50 mile endurance ride before the year is finished.\u00a0 Mustang Memorial is the last ride of the year in our area.<\/p>\n

By September 30th: Miss Daizy is feeling much better than I am.\u00a0 However, the babies started coughing so I am wondering if the problem is contagious.\u00a0 Cultures are back and they’re negative.\u00a0 I sent Sandy an email to be courteous and give her a head’s up regarding the fact that I may not be coming.\u00a0 That way she won’t be surprised by any “no show” from me.<\/p>\n

Now, if only MY culture would come back negative.\u00a0 I am pretty sure I have some kind of bubonic plague.\u00a0 I cough my lungs out, and then while they lay on the ground at my feet, they continue to cough all by themselves.<\/p>\n

October 1st:<\/p>\n

MY EMAIL TO SANDY: (read as follows)<\/p>\n

\u00a0Sandy! I am giving you a head’s\u00a0 up.\u00a0 I have a pasture full of coughing horses.\u00a0 Seems that\u00a0 Miss\u00a0 Daizy and Steel brought something home from Chesapeake\u00a0 as\u00a0 Miss Daizy started it first, then Steel (and now the babies) Miss Daizy seems to be\u00a0 getting better, but if she is still coughing on Friday, I\u00a0 will be pulling her entry.\u00a0 I\u00a0 don t know if Ann Kennedy\u00a0 sent in an entry for Steel, but if she did, we will have to pull that entry, too. SO\u00a0 SORRY! ~~Dodie PS:\u00a0 I ll keep you posted\u00a0 by Friday on what\u00a0 we’re gonna\u00a0 do.<\/em><\/p>\n

SANDY EMAILED ME BACK:<\/p>\n

YIKES!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That’s scary.\u00a0 There are a lot of contagious diseases\u00a0 going around this fall!\u00a0 Please make sure they aren’t\u00a0 going to bring something contagious to the ride!\u00a0 Hope\u00a0 everyone if feeling better soon! \u00a0 -Sandy<\/em><\/p>\n

THEN I RESPONDED BACK TO SANDY:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s bizarre because they don\u2019t have snot or fevers or even gone off their food, they just have this dry hacking cough.\u00a0 I had the vet out and she was stumped, too.\u00a0 Thought maybe it was allergy related until she heard Bombardier cough and then she said it sounded too croupy for allergies.\u00a0\u00a0 She took samples from Miss Daizy and Steel\u2019s noses and throats and called this morning to say that the slides are negative \u2026 that\u2019s a relief (I think)\u00a0 So, I will let you know what they sound like on Friday! ~~Dodie<\/em><\/p>\n

THEN I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM JESSICA: (I did not email Jessica, Sandy copied her into the conversation)<\/p>\n

Hi Dodie,\u00a0 I am sorry that your horses seem to have caught some bug or something.\u00a0 I haven’t heard anyone else that went to Chesapeake having an issue, so I hope it is an isolated incident.\u00a0 And I hope they recover quickly. Have you taken their temperature or had the vet out?\u00a0\u00a0 I am concerned about bringing them to the ride for a few reasons – their health, even if they are no longer coughing, they might still be recovering and the stress of the ride could be too much for them and the other horses – wouldn’t want anyone else to get sick. Could you please let us know more about their issue so we can all make an informed decision as to what is best for everyone involved?\u00a0 ~~Thanks, Jessica<\/em><\/p>\n

Below is the response I sent to her.<\/p>\n

Jessica, I have been competing for 15 years.\u00a0 I am a pretty good judge of when to keep my horses at home (not just for their own health, but for the health of the horses with which they would come in contact).\u00a0 That was my sole reason for giving Sandy a head’s up on the situation.\u00a0 The vet has been here.\u00a0 They do not have a temperature and their cultures came back negative.\u00a0 They are fully functional and eating.\u00a0 It is a dry cough with no mucus.\u00a0 She (the vet) is thinking that the dry conditions combined with fall molds may have some kind of allergen.\u00a0 HOWEVER, since you seem to be so concerned, I will pull my two horses from the ride.\u00a0 Please refund the money back to me and to Ann Kennedy for our ride entries.\u00a0 ~~Thanks for reaching out to me, Dodie<\/em><\/p>\n

AND THEN FACEBOOK GOT INVOLVED: (this is too funny)<\/p>\n

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Ride for the Ribbons update. I’ve recieved over 17 entries in the past 48 hours. WOW! Thank you all for entering. We went from hurting for entries to having a wait list. Official email to come tomorrow.<\/p>\n