FAQ on CBD Oil

I am not an expert, scientist, doctor or any type of specialist. I also do not claim to be any of the latter. I didn't even go to college, YET. However, I am a super happy customer that just wants to help out a 100% woman owned and ran company. She is also local! I am always supporting the small business owners, I know how hard it can be to put yourself out there and grow your business.

This post is about what I have learned, researched, "geeked out" over and the results I have personally seen in the use of CBD oil and my pets. The most jnpkrtenat thing to remember is that there is little to no THC which means your animal is not getting high !!

First off the company I stand by and trust is healthyhorsecbd.com 
The owner is a strong, passionate individual that believes in the quality of her products. She is also a life long horse lover so she knows the importance of having only the finest ingredients. All of her ingredients are quality tested by an independent third party lab to ensure you get the best CBD products possible. ** You can also get 15% off your order and free shipping when you use promo code :   Clydesdale2019  

The "Healing Ingredients" in her products: 

MCT Oil is all natural, organic and non-GMO.  It promotes brain & heart health for your horse.

Coconut Oil deeply nourishes & restores skin health.  It has anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.

CBD from Hemp. CBD has many medicinal benefits per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  It is an anti-inflammatory and treats chronic neuro and muscle pain.  CBD treats stress, anxiety, depression, mood, and sleep disorders.  It is even currently prescribed by doctors for certain seizure disorders.

Beeswax provides protection for the skin against irritants while allowing the skin to breathe.  It offers anti-inflammatory, antibacterial & antiviral benefits.

Grape Seed Oil is rich in antioxidants & has anti-inflammatory properties.  It helps vitamin E & C be more effective at preserving skin health, speeds up the healing process, and moisturizes.

Lets start with the basics: CBD stands for Cannabidiol.  CBD is a naturally occurring constituent of the hemp plants. It is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis. There is little to no THC in CBD oil. Cannabinoid is also naturally occurring in your body, and like melatonin, sometimes you just need a little boost! Recent studies into cannabis have uncovered the endocannabinoid system. This system helps regulate the nervous system, immune system and different organs through out the body including pain and inflammation. CBD has also been shown to interact with the serotonin receptors and that may be why is has beneficial effects on anxiety. CBD supplementation further helps the ECS by specifically blocking the fatty acid known as FAAH : this compound is responsible for breaking down one of the body's primary endocannabinoids called anandamide. Anandamide regulates many of the body's basic functions, including pain sensation, inflammation, immunity, body, temperature, sleep , mood and more. There are so many different articles that describe how CBD effects different receptors in our body and how that can potentially benefit you and your pet's quality of life. 

IS IT LEGAL? Yes but....  The CBD oil I use is derived from hemp. Hemp is used is many different things like; string, paper, lotion etc. Although CBD is legal in numerous states, it is however not legal on a federal level. So the answer to that question is difficult to answer. You can find CBD oil in any of your local pet stores. I personally trust a local business that has worked hard to get where they are and I like supporting her. Again there is more information on line if you want to dig deeper into the legalization of CBD. There are rumors of removing hemp from the controlled substance act, making it an agricultural commodity. Again just rumors and you can do your own research into that subject.

Speaking of being legal, this one is for my horse friends. 

IS IT USEF LEGAL : I went to the USEF guidelines & Rules for drugs and medications:

CAUTION AGAINST THE USE OF HERBAL/ NATURAL PRODUCTS TRAINERS, OWNERS, EXHIBITORS, AND THEIR VETERINARIANS ARE CAUTIONED AGAINST THE USE OF MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS, TONICS, PASTES, POWDERS AND PRODUCTS OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THOSE USED TOPICALLY. Persons administering an herbal or natural product to a horse or pony to affect its performance, having been comforted by claims that the plant origin of its ingredients cause it to be permitted by the rules as well as undetectable by drug tests, might have been misled. The use of herbal and natural products in a horse or pony might result in a positive drug test, i.e., a finding of a prohibited substance, contrary to claims by those who manufacture and/or market such products for profit. The plant origin of any ingredient does not preclude its containing a pharmacologically potent and readily detectable prohibited substance, e. g., cocaine, heroin and marijuana all come from plants. Although the use of some of these products may not have resulted in positive drug tests in the past, this may change as the USEF Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory incorporates new methods into its battery of screening tests, a deliberate and ongoing process. Please see the link provided for more info www.usef.org

For the above reasons, the Federation cautions against the use of herbal and natural products. The ingredients and properties of products to be classified as prohibited are valerian, kava kava, passionflower, skullcap, chamomile, vervain, leopard’s bane, night shade, capsaicin, comfrey, devil’s claw, hops, laurel, lavender, red poppy and rauwolfia.

In short … They caution against it during competitions. They also caution against any herb or natural remedy product where the ingredients are unknown. Any substances which affects the performance of a horse in a calming or an energizing or stimulant manner. This is also at an FEI level. 

I also emailed medequestrian through the USEF website. Diana emailed me back stating "CBD oil should not be administered during the seven days prior to competing under us equestrian rules."

That does not mean that your horse cant benefit from it!! That also doesn't mean you cant compete on it! You run the risk of precautions if your horses is tested, or you can use it up to 7 days before the competition. I am currently not competing Charlotte at the level we use to. We are starting from the ground up due to her losing the eye from cancer. The CBD oil is perfect for pets that are uncomfortable, have arthritis, or need help with anxiety. There are many older horses, hot horses, and over worked horses that could GREATLY benefit from this product! 

Along with horses, other animals can greatly benefit as well. According to Dr. Klein, with the American kennel club, CBD is also used because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cardiac benefits, anti-nausea effects, appetite stimulation, anti-anxiety impact, and for possible anti-cancer benefits, although there’s no conclusive data on this use. AKC has even sponsored a study through the Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, that will evaluate the use of CBD in treatment-resistant epileptic dogs. The CHF hopes that this will be the first study to gain scientific data on the use of CBD in dogs with this condition.

My point to all of this is ….. CBD has many benefits for all animals and people! I believe it was said perfectly by Healthy horse CBD:   "Cannabidiol (CBD) has many healthy benefits.  It helps improve wellness by supporting the internal recovery and healing process.  It promotes a healthy state of mind and stress reduction naturally.  It is beneficial for treating inflammation, muscle and joint aches, autoimmune, and neuro-degenerative diseases.  According to the US Department of Health & Human Services "CBD is a neuroprotectant & antioxidant." 

I urge anyone thinking of using CBD for themselves or there pets, please contact your vet and do your research! I love to "geek out" on this stuff and from what I have read and the difference I have noticed in my pets, makes me a believer. I love this product and I love the support of people behind me during this time. 

Also make sure to check out the Healthyhorsecbd.com website and feel free to reach out to her with any questions you may have ! 

ON THE RIGHT PATH WITH CBD

If you have been following along with our journey, you would have read about our new discovery and trial with CBD oils. (if you are just now starting this blog, I recommend going back and reading, some of it is very entertaining! )

I wanted to give everyone an update about CBD. This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions.Remember, this blog is my opinion and my own personal observations. If you have questions, I would be happy to help in anyway that I can, however I recommend that you always consult with your veterinarians!

Lets just start off by saying "I love the results I am seeing with CBD" and you can quote me on that!

Cooper my dog, with all of the heart problems, had his follow up appointment this week. At each appointment we have a hard time getting a good EKG because his heart rate is up so high. He gets so nervous at the vet, his teeth start chattering! So one week on the CBD (and his other heart meds) I was getting ready to take him in. I remembered the fact I read about anxiety. So I gave Cooper a few drops of the oil under his tongue and we drove to the vet.

When we arrived he was still pretty nervous but he took a treat from the vet which he normally doesn't eat. This time he gobbled it up! When she listened to his heart she could tell a significant difference in the heart rate. It was low enough this time to pin point a more definite answer on his diagnosis.

Cooper has been diagnosed with DCM. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that is characterized by an enlarged heart that does not function properly. The upper and lower chambers of the heart do not function properly. In short it is a disease of the heart muscle that results in weakened contractions and poor pumping ability. The disease can be fast moving however we will continue to monitor him and adjust his meds as needed. 

On a happier note!! After just one weeks on the CBD oil regularly twice a day, Cooper has become WAY more active and eating all his dinner for once!! So as long as he continues to be happy and comfortable we will just continue on this path of monitoring him.

Charlotte also had a check up this week. On Sunday we dropped her dose down and took a blood sample. Her labs came back  ……. most of her numbers look in the normal range. Her globulin levels are still on the high end of normal, and her protein levels are also elevated which could be from the globulins. It doesn't necessarily mean that she is in remission, however it certainly looks like we might have the circulating lymphocyte count under control! All good news!! So we will keep her on the lower dose of her steroid medication and recheck her levels again in one month. If the lymphocytes count goes up we will have to increase the dosage again but like my wonder vet has said …… We are all positive thinkers so we will pray for the best results!

I started both pets on the CBD oil about a week ago and I am already seeing results! I know that they are both still on there recommended medications from the veterinarians, but I don't think it is a coincidence that they are both improving so well during this week. Charlotte was not on a high dose of CBD. I was giving her a CBD cookie every other day with her meds but my dog is on the recommended dose per day and it has made a significant difference. I don't want to take him off of it to test and see if it really is the CBD oil. Don't fix something that is not broken, but I truly believe it has made a difference with him. He is playing and going on walks again and he is hungry, ready for his next meal for once.

Check out Healthy Horse CBD https://healthyhorsecbd.com/

* Stay tuned for the next blog coming soon. I will answer questions about CBD oil and why I use it*

Our trial with CBD oil

I have to start this blog post being completely honest - I didn't know the difference between "pot" and CBD. All I knew was that I didn't want to make my animals high, sick or harm them in anyway.

With everything that has happened these past few months, one thing I have done numerous times is open my computer and research. So when I found out that Charlotte may have cancer, I did an abundance of research so I was prepared and could follow along with the results when they came in. When my dog was diagnosed with CHF (congestive Heart Failure) and SVT (super ventricular tachycardia ) just a week after Charlotte's diagnoses, I did the same thing...RESEARCH. And then when I met someone that told me they started a new business harvesting and distributing CBD for people, dogs and wanted to start marketing horse cookies I knew I needed to do my research again.

I have been approached by two other individuals about my older dog, Cooper and how CBD oil would benefit his elderly and sore body. Truthfully, I didn't look into it much at the time. To me I thought it was just the new craze, like coconut oil and the benefits of that (which is a whole other blog topic I found out). Just by word of mouth, the CBD oil benefits would hopefully improve pain management. What I found next was much, much more.

Just a little back story on my pup Cooper. He is 10 and a half now and started going through the normal "old man" aches. We continued our long walks and hikes through out the summer but in October he started to slow way down. He would be walking way behind all the other dogs on the way back down the mountains during our hike and he didn't seem as excited to get up and eat breakfast in the morning. Shortly after all of that, we slowed down on the hikes and he seem to have a weird breathing pattern. I had a vet appointment scheduled for him, just a wellness exam and some bloodwork to have a base line in case anything was wrong.

Charlotte got sick around that time and the vet bills were pouring in for her eye problems, and I am ashamed to say that I cancelled the appointment for Cooper. Again we all chalked his behavior up to the normal aches and pains of a 10 year old lab mix. I was calling him my little old man and taking him to the barn with me during Charlotte's appointments. Next in the sequence of events dates back to the week I brought Charlotte to WSU in Pullman. Remember the part toward the end where I mention my "older dog" wasn't eating and his breathing seemed off to me. He was not acting normal and I was scared we would have to stay longer but this time for him??? If you remember that sections ……. well I regretted every second of waiting after I brought him to the vet.

Shortly after we got home from WSU Cooper seemed to get better and I thought maybe it was due to me being stressed about Charlotte that Cooper was acting this way. I scheduled an appointment for him to see a veterinarian and do blood work so I had a base line, I didn't want the same surprise I had with Charlotte. The veterinarian stated that Cooper was nervous which caused his heart to race so she could not listen to his lungs. Everything else was normal, for an older large dog. His bloodwork even came back normal. He continued to have this slight cough and I continued to have a slight un-nervering feeling that something was wrong.

That same night, between work and Charlotte's appointment I called around to different vets. I found my old family vet, we use to use with our other dogs and thankfully she had an appointment available that evening. It just meant that I would not be getting any sleep before

work. When I brought Cooper in he weighed 70 lbs and was so very weak. The first thing she did was listen to his heart and tell me that his poor heart was over working and his pulse was very weak. We did a chest x-ray right away and that showed us his very large heart! It was so large that it was pushing on his esophagus, which was making him cough and the wheezing/croup type breathing. He was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure) along with his enlarged heart was the fact that his heart was unable to pump all the fluid out of his lungs, along with his lungs filling his body was filling as well. First step was to put him on a diuretic and heart med to get the fluid out and help his heart.

We have been back and forth each week to the vet, trying new medications by adding new ones and changing dosages. Some days he eats breakfast, others he wont even touch his treats. One evening he just stared at me, he seemed so sad and I though maybe it was the end. That next morning he was excited to get and he brought me his ball in bed. I told myself as long has he seems happy and is eating I will do everything I can to help him , in the mean time I will make him as comfortable as possible. We were on our next batch of heart medications to try and Cooper didn't seem himself at all. I decided to take him for a small walk to the coffee stand, we were ok'd to do "stop and sniff" walks. However we never made it to the coffee stand, Cooper was so exhausted he could barely walk back. It took us an hour and half to get half way to the stand and back home with how slow he was. The medications were not working and I was starting to break down. The poor lady walking her dog in front of me was probably scared of the emotional lady crying behind her haha!!

So the most recent vet appointment told me that his heart rate was still very elevated (in the 200s and a normal range is 60-120) but the water weight was shed and unfortunately that showed he had lost 10 pounds in a week. Not good! I decided to go back ……. Think about different options that might help? I met a new friend that happened to dispense CBD oil for dogs and people and get this ….. They are starting a new line of horse treats with CBD! GO figure!!

A little bit about CBD --- First off, It does not contain THC so my pets are not getting high. CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound found in cannabis and hemp. It is extracted from the plant. Most CBD oils are the benefits of that without the THC. There maybe relaxation, but without the intoxication. And speaking of relaxation, one of the benefits of CBD oil is for anxiety. CBD has been known to help with anxiety disorders, panic disorders and PTSD. There has also been studies that it helps with seizure disorders and epilepsy in dogs and humans. One of the biggest factors of trying CBD with Cooper is pain relieve. It has shown to decrease chronic pain, inflammation, and even suppress some autoimmune disease.

After digging into more research that has been done with CBD and dogs, I found not only has it helped with pain, but also appetite and nausea! And with even more digging I found new studies linking CBD and heart health. The studies showed it van reduce the damage from damaged blood vessels and irregular heart rates, protect blood vessels from damage and dilate the arteries, and reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Pretty much all the things we are trying to achieve with his medications.

All of this sounded great to me! After talking with my vet, she stated that there is no harm from it, and its legal. Just be aware that it might not change anything. It could do good, but be aware that Cooper may not show any differences.

This is day 3 on the CBD and not only has Cooper's attitude and energy level completely changed, he is eating! Like a vacuum! We went on a walk and he played with Mac. It has been great seeing Cooper back to his normal self! I have still continued on his normal meds and during my next appointment we will come up with a game plan and see how he progresses. I have been shocked by the life changing events in just 3 days! CBD is all natural and legal, and has completely changed my dog's life. Trust me I know this could be the new "fad" but I truly believe in what I am seeing.

SOOOOO..... I did some more research and discovered that some hospitals are prescribing CBD oil and lotions to cancer patients. Why you might ask? First off, it helps with pain and appetite so there is that but a newer study has shown CBD to aid in suppressing tumor cell creations. WHAT!! CBD and other substances found in hemp and cannabis have been found to have an anti-tumor effect. CBD has even been shown to stop cancer cells from growing and increasing tumor cell death!

One study I found was on a Staffordshire terrier, he had a 6cm mammary tumor  and metastasis that disappeared with in 3 months and didn't come back …..
The second study I happen to come across was a jack Russell with a severe heart murmur and painful arthritis. After a month he wanted to go on walks and his murmur was much improved ! …..

Ok that's all great, can it help Charlotte??!!? Of course the first thing I did was consult with my vet and she said the same thing. There is no harm, but be aware you may not see any difference. Right now we don't know what to look for so who knows if anything has changed, but why not try it! So my new friend made up some delicious horse treats with CBD and we will see if anything happens? Charlotte is so very stoic and I feel that she would not tell me if anything hurts to begin with, but maybe this added support will help anyway.

Of course I will continue to keep you all updated on our progress! So far I have had the best jump lesson after just one cookie, but that could have been just that she was so fabulous. I don't think the CBD had time to get into her system by the time I tacked up and started my lesson. If you have any questions or would like to purchase some, I am going through this amazing local couple! There company is called "CBD therapy Shop". The website is almost up and running so make sure to leave your email with the site and you will get an email back when they are open so you can purchase products! check it out ….. https://cbdtherapyshop.com/password

Check out the video of Charlotte eating her cookie! She bit my finger to get it!! The hazards that come along with trying to video at the same time she eats a yummy CBD Cookie!

Luekemia & Lymphoma Society

"Good people are like candles; they burn themselves up to give others light"

For the past 3 years I have contributed my time fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each year my family and I train for the "big climb". The Big Climb is a stair climb up the Columbia Center - the tallest skyscraper in downtown Seattle. There are 69 floors of stairs, 1311 steps, and 788 feet of vertical elevation. Although it will be challenging, it pales in comparison to what blood cancer patients go through. All proceeds benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

The big climb is similar to the fire fighter stair climb, which happens the weekend after. This one is for civilians and you don't wear all the bunker gear up 69 floors! 

The first year was an experience. I learned that I needed to train better and I would not feel like death at the top haha! But the view from the top is spectacular and worth every step! Year two, I signed up to be a bone marrow donor and still patiently awaiting the call. This year will be the first time I can add the name of a family member to my t-shirt. I know Charlotte is not a human but she is part of the family and she was diagnosed with Lymphoma.

Normally we do a fundraiser at the local grocery store raising funds for the society before we climb, this year I was thinking we might do something with Charlotte? Possibly something like the kids do at school, like when you give them $1 per lap they run? Like a fun run? Jog-a-thon? Cat walk???? (dress her up) ….. Something like? Don't worry guys I am still trying to come up with something. 

If anyone has any ideas, no matter how big or small, please let me know! 

I want to shout out to the two people that have already donated! I sent out the link back in October before everything happened with Charlotte and kind of dropped the ball. These two individuals have helped me in so many ways and on top of all that, they donated to an amazing organization and I greatly appreciate that.

If you also would like to donate please  click here    And thank you so much for your contribution!

Time to celebrate the New Year

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book.

Write a good one.

-Brad Paisley

With the new year coming in hot I just want to take a small amount of time to reflect and then I'm going to do something new! 

Everyone keeps say "I hope 2019 is better for you" … well you know what, 2018 was not a bad year. It was a great year, just not the best ending which I have come to accept. 2018 in a whole was amazing! I met new friends, completed goals and dreams, and then I got engaged! 

If you have been reading along with our blog since the beginning, you know about Charlotte. Her story and achievements on her road to Rebecca farms. If you are just joining us I encourage you to scroll back and read or skim read out story. You will not be disappointed. Its a story about a Clydesdale barely started under saddle whom would not stay in her pasture. She continued to jump out, so her owner (me) decided to try her hand at jumping this full bred Clydesdale and who knew it would turn into the story of a lifetime! A simple goal of wanting to compete at the Rebecca Farms eventing competition turned into "Charlotte the eventing Clydesdale, first full bred Clydesdale to complete a long format 3-day event for Novice level in the country" 

But this post isn't about Charlotte this time, its about her owner, Cortney. This year my goal is to be a little more transparent. I want you all to know Charlotte …. and Me! I want to share the struggles that I didn't bring to the light as much as I should during show season. The work, life, horse, sleep, eat, drink balance because let me tell you, there isn't one. Eventing is all about the horse I agree, but it takes a special someone to listen to that horse and you need to bring your "A" game, so I am hoping this will help you all get through it! Maybe we can even start interviewing a few people about there plans, goals and tricks of the trade. The best way to learn is to ask questions and actually listen and absorb the answer. Seek out help and new ideas to get you through the tough days.

 I personally listen to podcasts and love to read. Getting together with friends and fellow riders, discussing different opinions over sushi is one of my favorite ways to stay current! 

Alright, a little bit about the owner of Charlotte, well my name is Cortney! I feel like I am a fun, easy to talk with kind of person. I always try to find the positive in life. Sometime that is very hard, but when you realize how short life is you try to hang on to the good times as much as you can. I am currently 29 years old and truthfully I am still trying to find my way in life. Things come up that make you go HMMMMM ….. maybe I want to do that? Or maybe I want to change my goals and do that? What ever it is just always remember, your goals are just that, YOURS! You can change them and rearrange them, pause them and replay them as much as you want. 

Currently I am a 911 dispatcher for North king county in Washington state. I have been here just over 3 years and I am fully released to take 911 phone calls, dispatch police, fire, and medical. We chat with them on the radio and we also take care of one another during the tough calls and the successful calls. Some days are harder than others but it is very important to leave work at work. It is what you are all thinking, a difficult job, stressful at times and it is very thankless, however very rewarding all together. For the entire year of 2018 I worked 0100 - 1100, which means I sleep during the day. Try to imagine sleeping at 3 pm in the afternoon. Especially during the summer months when everyone is out playing in the sun. Thankfully starting next year I have my new schedule! 1700-0300 (5pm -3am) where I can sleep when its still dark out! One of the many reasons why I spend so much time at the barn is to decompress and relax. Shut off my brain and enjoy the outdoors with such a loving animal. 

Along with Charlotte, I rescued a draft mule whom we named Templeton. At the time he was at the kill pen in Yakima and when I saw that sad face I knew I had to rescue him. He was at least 500 lbs under weight with no mane or tail. His feet were years over grown and all I all I was told he was about 10 years old. After the vet checked him out and we came up with a plan to get him ready for his forever home I was told he was in his late 30s and we should focus on giving him the best summer of his life because he most likely wouldn't be with us very long. Whelp, 4 years later he is happy and now into his 40s retired in a pasture with his friend star. I still own him and visit as much as possible but he is such a happy little fat draft mule! 

If you read the last few blog post you will notice I talk about my two dogs Cooper and Mac. Cooper is the light of my life! My 10 year old pointer, lab, Dalmatian mix has been with me through all of my tough times and always by my side through the good times. Cooper was recently with in the last two weeks diagnosed with an enlarged heart, congestive heart failure and super ventricular tachycardia. His heart is failing and we are racing against time to get him on the right meds to help him be more comfortable. A word I am all too familiar with is "monitor". We will be monitoring him and keeping him comfortable. Cooper is my right hand man, he was here before Charlotte and he holds a very special place in my heart! 

Mac is our 3 year old tan dog haha. We don't know much about is breed he looks like a mix between a lab and a mastiff?? or maybe a breed called a black mouth cur. He is originally from Georgia and we rescued him as a puppy. Mac is the definition of spaz! He is always keeping us entertained. And then there is Mitten, out 6 year old white fluffy cat who also is a spaz. but we love them all! 

Back in June my long term boyfriend asked me to marry him. This February will be 5 years together and I love him to the moon and back. He has supported me on this journey not only in the horse world but also in my career through public safety as a first responder. He is also in the same field with me, he is a career firefighter. We have this running joke that myself as the dispatcher is technically the first, first responder haha! with out me answering the phone, they would not have a call to go to. On a serious not, I love him with all my heart. And I am excited to add wedding planning to my list of things to do this year. Don't worry I'll add in tips and tricks on how to do it all!

I love to keep myself busy. I can not sit on the couch and watch a movie. Drives my fiancé nuts, but then again it fun when your partner is always trying to find an adventure to go on. Trying new places and setting goals we are in this together. Fun fact, my fiancé is afraid of horses! I don't blame him too much when the first time he met Charlotte she stepped on his foot, but don't worry I am getting him use to them slowly. 

My goal this year is to open up to my readers not only about life with Charlotte and out journey to jump again but also a little bit about my personal life. I feel like I can open up and help other that be struggling as I have with balancing all categories. So I beg you guys, please send me questions and comments. I can add them to the next blog. Let me know if you have questions about how I do certain things? or how I personally balance my life. Maybe even how to plan a wedding, work a full time job, and still ride your horse 4-5 days a week while competing on the weekends? I am excited to embark on this new adventure with you guys!  

Please visit our Instagram instagram.com/eventing_clydesdale

Or send us an email with your thoughts and any questions you may have eventingclydesdale@gmail.com

Wishing you all peace, love and laughter!

…. And the adventure begins

*Happy New Year*

Riding a one eyed horse : any differences

First off I have to say I have never ridden a one eyed horse before Charlotte.

A lot of people have asked about the differences that Charlotte my show now that she only has one eye. Well... She has always been an "in you back pocket" type of horse. She really likes to swing her large head around to get scratches and treats. Know that she does not have an eye on that side she seems to swing it that direction more often, I believe its to try to get her right eye in that direction to see better. But that being the case .. you better duck! Haha 

I am more aware of her needs now. It took some time for her to get use to being in the cross ties, I believe that has to do with the opening of the barn is on the side that she does not have her eye. She will swing her whole body in the cross ties to try and look and crank her head toward the barn opening. She has had no problems with me tacking her up and brushing on that side. I try to treat each day the same like she is a "normal" horse. I feel that if I start to baby her like something is wrong, she may start to feel that its not ok. And then she may second guess me or lose confidence. Which could result in her getting scared. 

I would have to say the biggest change for her is her eye socket. It took me a hot minute to get use to there not being an eye. The aesthetic part of not having an eye. Truthfully, I have to be honest, I was a bit taken back by the way it looked. It was not normal to me. But I remind myself everyday that Charlotte is not a normal horse, she is truly a unicorn. The socket area its self has started to sink in excepts the middle has stayed protruded a bit. This could be from a number of things that we are monitoring but all in all the area will start to sink in. 

As long as you keep on going, you'll keep getting better. 

And as you get better, you gain confidence.

That alone is success. 

-Tamara Taylor

The One Eyed Jumping Clydesdale : Results

Recap : Charlotte was taken to WSU for enucleation of the eye. After her bulging eye was removed they found a very large tumor behind the eye. They were only able to take about 75% of the tumor out. We have all been patiently anticipating the results of the histopathology report.

I have to admit, Charlotte's results came back a few weeks ago. We were waiting on further prognosis from those results and then we received almost everything we needed about 1 week ago. It has taken some time to develop a treatment plan and truthfully we are not done formulating one. It will be a process that I, myself needed to come to terms with before I wrote to everyone about it. I apologize if anyone is offended about the long wait, please understand that I value all of the support from Charlotte fans and we appreciate all of the love through this process.

We all know that Charlotte is very special and not "normal" in the different challenges she faces. She became the first full Clydesdale to complete the long format three day at Rebecca farms in Montana. A huge accomplishment for a large breed in the Eventing world. So with how special and rare she is, of course she would have one of the rare forms of lymphoma. 

Lymphoma is not uncommon with horses, especially the Cutaneous form which is normally found on the skin and presents itself as a skin lesion or small lump that can usually be removed. Charlotte has B-cell Lymphoma which covers only about 4% of the horses diagnosed with Lymphoma. ( See I told you she was special )  

Unfortunately there is no cure and there is little research with this type of Lymphoma. Without doing multiple CT scans of different part of her body we don't know where else the cancer might be hiding in her body or if there are other tumors lingering. Unfortunately we are assuming there are more. If she was a dog or cat we could scan her whole body, but right now it would be a needle in a hay stack. I am not a veterinarian and I do not know all the medical terms, but the tumor did come back as a b-cell Lymphoma and you are welcome to read more information online as well.

So what do we do now? How long does she have? Can she still jumps? I am sure you all have a lot of questions at this moment and truthfully we can not answer all of them accurately but I will try.

First of all and most importantly, Charlotte is not showing any signs or symptoms of having cancer except in her blood work. If you google and research Equine Lymphoma you will see anything from weight loss and not eating to colic and diarrhea. You will see that most horses lack energy and may become lethargic at times. I am happy to say that Charlotte has not shown any signs or symptoms of being sick. (She is a rare I told you) 

What does all of this mean? … Charlotte could be with us 6 months, or 1 year or another 8 years.... She is a fighter! Since she never showed us any signs of being sick before and the only thing that has changed for her is the eye removal, we don't know exactly what to treat or how long she will be with us. It plays like a double edge sword. In one hand she is feeling her normal self and is happy to be back to work but we don't know exactly how to treat her with out symptoms. In the other hand if she were to show symptoms we could make a better treatment plan. However, it would be hard to watch her go down hill or struggle. It would be difficult to not have the normal Charlotte. 

In truth this blog is hard to write. I am grateful that she is happy and acting normal, it makes the days go by easier. But when you start to break it all down and write it on paper it starts to make it real and that can be daunting. I am fortunate to have the memories I do and the places and people we have met along the way. We will continue on our adventures until she tells me she needs a break or wants to slow down. We will continue to jump, I truly believe that is what she lives for. 

So what now? ….. How do you treat something you cant see? How do you treat something with no symptoms? I'll start by saying, you have to have a team and a village standing behind you through the process. Without Dr Heather Fraser and Dr Gold brainstorming ideas and treatments, we would not be where we are today. I have the most passionate team of veterinarians standing behind us researching on there own time, and keeping an open mind about different treatment methods. At first we were going to inject a steroid into the site where the remaining tumor lies inside her eye to hopefully suppress the lymphoma in that area. We do not know where else in the body a tumor might lay or what has already been compromised so we decided against a local steroid and have started her on an oral steroid that she gets every other day right now. 

Along with the medication we will continue to monitor her. Key words will be "monitor" …. Any change no matter how slight will be documented and shared with our vet. We will be doing bloodwork monthly to watch the different levels and lymphocyte counts in her blood. Along with regular ultrasounds of her eye socket to watch if and when and how fast the remaining tissue grows. (if it does grow, finger crossed it wont) We hare hoping with all of this monitoring that we either find out her body is in remission or we can tweak our treatment plan as needed. 

As for Charlotte, I came to the realization the other day that she most likely doesn't understand what's going on. She might have been in some discomfort and now feels relief with her removed? we don't know, I cant talk to her like dr. Doolittle. I really wish I could. With all the research and questions I have asked, I was told one thing from a very special person ….. "stop searching for the quantity of life, and start enjoying the quality of life". When my sister, who is an extraordinary oncology nurse at children's hospital told me that, everything fell into place. 

We will continue to monitor each day and hour and take bloodwork, ultrasounds and give medications but that will not be the highlight of the day. I wont sit and look forward to the days the vet arrives (no matter how much I love her visits *:)*  ) I wont count the days until the lab results come back or the days that she has to be on medications. I will go out to the barn and forget about all that and just be with her. She doesn't understand why I am stressed and worried and truthfully no one can fix her Lymphoma so why not just spend every day like its the last. (corny cliché I know) *insert sad animal faces and music from those commercials about adoption** 

But truthfully, all in all, the plan is to yes monitor and medicate and do all of that stuff. However, you will see me out there riding and grooming, she has an appointment this week to get clipped. We are going to continue our normal routine like nothing has change. Except the jumping we are taking a bit slow, I do not want to crush her confidence. But I go out there and tack her up like normal and ride around dressage and over poles. Charlotte is her normal self, she walks up to you in the pasture, bangs on her door for dinner, and her ears always perk up when we ride around and she sees the jumps in her view. 

The last thing I want to do is take away the joy she has when she works. If she has one too many days off she will be waiting at the gate for you to come and ride. I can just picture her as a human, one hand on her hip the other held up in front of her staring at her watch, while she taps her foot on the ground. I am a strong believer in making goals, recently I was listening to a podcast that mentioned "your goals do not have an end date, or an expiration date"  … This year I want to make a few goals and I will keep that in mind. If at one show I don't succeed that goal, maybe I hit a milestone? or completed another goal? or it made me realize I need to revamp my goals? Whichever it is my main goal will be to have fun. I want to have a smile on my face the entire time. I want to make memories and leave memories behind. 

I truly believe Charlotte was put in my life to bring me on the path to eventing. With out her I would never have met one of the most caring and talented trainers. Jenny Holbrook has not only taken under her wing a Clydesdale pair that said "you know what I want to go to rolex" ….. and then had them do lots of trot pole exercises, but she also brought us into one of the most supportive communities I have ever had the privilege to be with. All of the friends we have met along the way, I look forward to seeing you back out at the competitions. Jenny has continued to help Charlotte and I through this next adventure, she never hesitate when I told her we still want to jump. She actually told me about a few other top level riders that took there one eyed horses up the levels in eventing. Jenny is the one that told me on the day I decided to have the eye removed "you will be jumping again in no time, and I am here to help you along the way" 

With out my family, friends and fur babies here by my side, I can tell you this process would have been terrifying. The encouragement, comments, and information about our new "one eyed life" and "life with lymphoma" has helped tremendously along the way. I could not have done this with out the help of everyone. If I did not personally thank you in the blog post please be aware that I am eternally grateful for your help and kind words ** you know who you are** 

Alright !!! We started this post pretty positive and now lets end on a positive note..... I think that's called a compliment sandwich. I am happy to announce that with the help of jenny and my videographer belle, I took Charlotte over two small cross rails! It was her Christmas present! We have made three goals so far for the 2019 season. I am not attached to any of these goals and of course Charlotte comes first, so if anything happens along the way I have no problem changing them.

1. Go to the Aspen schooling show in March and ride around the grasshopper course. *Keep in mind I don't need to go there and complete it. If we go in there and jump one or two jumps I will be happy and so pleased with her. If she loves it and says "mom, this is too easy" than we may sign up for a beginner novice round. The great thing about the schooling shows is that, if it goes terribly wrong you can do it again. Or if it goes so well that you are ready to move up you can purchase another round at a higher level. One of my favorite things about a schooling show that everyone needs to remember is that you are there to learn, whether that's about what your horse is capable of? or maybe what you need to work on before you go to a recognized event. … See you there!! 

2. Dressage. Kind of a wide spectrum. Before everything started we were on the road to an amazing dressage score! So lets get back at it! I want to be able to sit an entire dressage test in a competition. That could be at a schooling show or maybe we will make it out to a recognized event. I don't have to get first or third. I could even get disqualified at the end but I just want to complete one dressage test sitting the entire time.

3. Lodestar Camp. This is usually the first week of April. The most fun I have had in a long time was spending camp with the Lodestar team. I was new when I went to the first one 2 years ago and it was a great way to build confidence and relationships. I encourage anyone to go to camp, be a kid again and ride your pony bareback (with a helmet) into the grass field and just sit there thinking about your life. What do you want to accomplish? What are your fears and why? How do we help you overcome them? ….. Even if I take Charlotte to camp and I cant jump her or participate in the group events. You will see me out there either helping, taking pictures, or just sitting on my horse watching. Charlotte will be there even if the only thing we can do is practice our galloping around the large open field. It will be a blast! 

Remember to make goals and stick with your dreams. It helps me to write them down or make a vision board (stay tuned to the new 2019 vision board) Just keep in mind that its about you and your horse and the bond you guys share. 

If you don't already follow Charlotte on Instagram you can keep up with her progress and watch videos and see pictures while she goes through this adventure @eventing_clydesdale 

If you have any questions you can also email me at eventingclydesdale@gmail.com

p.s. there is a video of us jumping over the two small cross rails.... Baby steps to complete our goals. We will not get there in a hurry but it will be the adventure of a life time. Who knows, we might start writing a book in the mean time.