Ah yes...Miss Marley.

Miss Marley has had many adventures.  I had intended this summer to be one of working with the cattle to move her training into the "practical application" phase, but June 12^th was a day that shall live in infamy.

Marley likes to chase birds, but of course she never catches them.  On the day in question, she spotted a baby bird on the lane at the farm.  She went after it, and was certain that this time she was finally going to get a bird, because the poor little thing was just barely keeping ahead of her.  So focused on the bird was she, that she did not pay attention to the fact that Ray had turned into the lane in his truck.  He saw her chase the bird across the lane and down into the tall grass, and thought that they were headed off in that direction, but they turned back and came shooting out of the grass onto the lane in time to go right under the wheels of Ray's truck.   

Ray called me at work, letting me know what had happened.  He was already on the way to the vet in the small town close to our farm.  When he got there he was told there was nothing they could do for her due to the severity of her injuries.  They contacted the orthopedic vet in Regina and emailed the x-rays to him.   He indicated that he could help.  They heavily sedated Marley so that Ray could take her to Regina without her suffering, and off he went.

I met them at the clinic in Regina.  Marley now has a bone plate (like the one I have) and screws (she has 12, I have only3) in her femur.  She also had to have her hock joint completely rebuilt (3 more screws, 3 washers, and some stretchy sutures to simulate tendon action until all was healed).  She had a bruised kidney, bruised bladder, and bruised lung.  She also had ½ her body shaved for the surgery, so we shaved the other ½ so that she didn't look so ridiculous.    

Until the beginning of August she was restricted to leash walks, no running, no explosive starts, no uncontrolled movement, and being lifted in and out of vehicles because no jumping was allowed,. She and I did our therapeutic walking together all summer.

In August we began allowing her more freedom of movement.  The vet says she has made an astounding recovery.

On August 13^th, Ray went away to help adjust some hail insurance claims for a company in Sask.  On August 15^th 40 of our cows tore down the fence in their pasture and ran amok in the countryside.  I ran and ran with my gimpy knee, trying to round them up and get them back in, but I was hopelessly ineffective (I am not allowed to ride my horse yet).  Marley, however, picked up her injured leg, and proceeded to use her three good legs to circle up those cows, and to hold them against the fence-line while I went to get the neighbours to come help me.

All this without training.  What a magnificent creature she is!  We are planning to use her this week to move the cattle to their fall pasture.  I'll keep you posted.  Hopefully I'll get pictures, if we have enough ranch hands so that I'm not too busy keeping the cattle moving.