Spot Me A Ruby Sioux

Ruby is my other 09 foal, she had a rocky start (vet didn't think she'd make it) but she made it through - mostly thanks to a big dose of Appytude! She had severely contracted tendons and had to be held up to nurse along with bottle feeding, a heart murmur, urine leakage through her umbilicus and monkey mouth. She'll be a year old in June and has come quite a long way!

This was the day she was born, after a vet visit for Oxy and soft splints that were useless.





Later that same day after a second vet opinion and much more appropriate hard splints.





The hard splints stayed on for 10 days, she looked so funny trying to walk around but at least she was mobile under her own power!



She was getting pretty quick in the splints by the time they were ready to come off.



She has a lovely little face.



And loved to play in her Moms tail.



At about a month old she was ready to meet Indy (who's only 1 month older than her!)



2 months old and looking much better than she started out.



By September she was getting around really well.





January shows how she's coming along, toes out but otherwise looking good.



Easter and we learned how to tie, had to show a little Appytude first though.

You guys did such a good job! She is a miracle baby and looking great!
Kudos to you guys for going the extra mile and encouraging that appytude
to flourish.

She's coming along so well! You guys did a great job with her and I love the registered name, very cute! You take such fun pictures. Any babies planned for this spring?

Miss Ruby yesterday - all braided and looking so grown up!

Wow! She's looking awesome!
You would never know she had the problem.
Nice Job Rachel!

She sure does look good. And I still say that Indy is a MOOSE.

Here is her pissy face!

Just curious, but how is her mouth now? Monkey mouth is so rare...

Amazingly, she has a near perfect bite! The first vet (who made the soft splints) said she would never out grow it Our regular vet (who suggested the hard splints) said he thought it was also a side effect along with the tendons of her being so cramped up inside Pip. Neither her sire nor dam had any bite irregularities.

This pic is from May:

I got email notification that a new post had been made on the thread and as soon as I saw Ruby's pissy face it made me laugh. I love that photo Rachel.. Thanks for sharing it!

This is where her Appytude comes from:

Admin wrote:

Amazingly, she has a near perfect bite! The first vet (who made the soft splints) said she would never out grow it Our regular vet (who suggested the hard splints) said he thought it was also a side effect along with the tendons of her being so cramped up inside Pip. Neither her sire nor dam had any bite irregularities.

This pic is from May:

Wow, that is really something. I'm happy for you and her that her mouth straightened up.

I didn't get so lucky....

My 2008 colt started developing a monkey mouth by 5 months old. It has gotten worse as he has aged but seems to have stopped now. He is a cute 2 1/2yr. old gelding now, and will start saddle training next year. I am going to train him in a bitless bridle. His "ailment" doesn't seem to bother him at all. He eats well. I had his teeth floated this spring, the vet said he just had normal hooks like other horses get.

Was he kicked in the mouth at all or did it just develop? I know a lady whose colts bite started out normal but then started growing funny after another horse kicked him in the face, probably fractured his jaw. Her colt also eats fine, no problems and I believe she's going to train him in a bit.

Admin wrote:

Was he kicked in the mouth at all or did it just develop? I know a lady whose colts bite started out normal but then started growing funny after another horse kicked him in the face, probably fractured his jaw. Her colt also eats fine, no problems and I believe she's going to train him in a bit.

No, he was never kicked. It just started developing @ about 5 months old. My vet said it was likely a genetic thing but also could have been related to poor nutrition...I bought the mare when she was early in foal and she was in pretty rough shape when I got her. We spent a couple months pouring the feed into her (she is actually a very easy keeper) and she was in good weight by the time she foaled.

IF a genetic anomaly, the vet told me that 1 horse a hundred years ago could have had this condition and it just happened to pop up in my colt. It was enough for me to geld him though, in that regard, I was HAPPY he was a colt and not a filly. I would never risk passing that condition on... He is otherwise a very nicely built boy, a shuffler, with a great in-your-pocket disposition.
He will make a great trail or endurance prospect and maybe I will keep him around and have someone train him for Mounted Shooting. Or, he is available to the Right Home should it come along.