In Which Carmen Meets the Vet

Every year I have the vet come and do the annual vaccinations, teeth floating and general check up.  I was happy that we could arrange it for the week after Carmen arrived. This is the same vet who loaned us Lexie and I knew that he would be interested to meet our new addition.

I had planned to get home before he arrived so that I could bring the horses in, sweep the barn and maybe give them a quick groom. I didn't want him to think that my horses lived in a pig sty. As I'm in the truck heading home my cell phone pings with a message.
crap

I'm pretty sure that I know what it is- and I'm right. It's Ed telling me that he's here an hour early. I send a message that I'm on my way and to start with Irish. I know that the vet had arranged us so that he could home after and that farm appointments with vets are general time frames because they never really know how their day will go. He will have to endure the unswept aisle from this morning.....

I pull up and hop out of the truck. Ed is there chatting with the vet. He says "I learn all sorts of things when Rob comes" I agree. Rob is one of those vets who loves to answer questions. We talk about Irish while Irish makes calf eyes at Rob. Irish loves this vet and will tolerate anything he does. I say "I truly believe that you could cut off his leg and he would stand there and let you do it". 
And while that might be an exaggeration, it's not by much. A few years ago Irish had stitches in his hind leg (up by the inside of his hock) where he got his leg caught over an electric rope fence. Rob was able to take his stitches out while he stood in the paddock without even a lead line. Irish just stood there and let him do it. Irish has his needles and his teeth lightly floated and he's done. We did discuss that Irish has lost muscle over his topline. I'm not surprised. With all the snow he really doesn't have room to move around.

We move on to Carmen. I take off her blanket and she looks at this new person in her stall. He looks her over just like he's doing pre-purchase exam. I'm not surprised, he loves to check out new horses. We talk about where she's from and how I came to own her. He commented that she was lovely, well put together and athletic.

 I said that the vet in Virginia who did the PPE said she needed her teeth done.  He looked and agreed- she had a lot of sharp points along her back teeth. Rob gave her a light sedative and within a few minutes she was all mellow and dozy. He let me feel her teeth and they were quite sharp along her cheek. It took a while but he got them all done and then gave her her vaccinations.  She began to come out of her sedation and began to happily munch on her hay.

As he was getting into his truck and I was checking that he hadn't left anything (he often does) he smiled at me and said 'you have a nice horse there'  and then he drove away. Irish watched him drive away and gave a sigh.

I went back in and hung over her stall door watching her eat. She came over to say hi and and I scratched her  nose.

I do have two nice horses.