March 14, 2004

• All Creatures Great and Small?
• if you've ever been around the vet doing this on your horse or cow, you'd appreciate their having some skill. but since i don't see any shit falling out and the (usual) elbow length gloves, i don't think this simulator actually captures the true essence of the experience.
• Disturbing. Fascinating, but disturbing. Who knew that such things existed? Geez.
• dxlifer: yup, essence of the experience indeed Round these here parts, we call the vet, "The Man With The Golden Arm." speaking figurativly, of course.
• on the same theme....med schools often use human body simulations due to the lack of cadavers. one has to learn somewhere. bluehorse.....did you ever try an internal yourself? i did once, with my vet.....no, excuse me...under the supervision of my vet....and what a strange world it is in there!
• Yes, it is dxlifer. Actually, I have folicle tested and preg checked mares before with a vet's help. The first time, the vet went in and immediately said, "This mare's ready." He then had me go in and check the folicle, which I could easily feel, and then he wanted me to compare it to the one on the right. I felt pretty stupid, because I couldn't FIND the other one. Finally after me rooting around in there forever, he went in himself--dang if she only had one ovary! Wasn't my mare and I wouldn't have bred her as she wasn't much to look at, but she caught everytime they slung the stallon at her. If she'd have been worth lots of money and registered, she'd never have caught. Which brings us to the Law of Reproductivity: If it's worthless, it will reproduce like mad. The one thing students can't learn from their Mechanical Bovines is how to *DODGE 'n DANCE*.
• If it's worthless, it will reproduce like mad isn't that the truth! i bought a beautiful colt, nurtured him to a three year old and he won regional championships for breed and confirmation. (i couldn't afford to go national.) he was beautiful. when i bred him to my two best mares, both exellent throwers of type....he passed on the crappiest foals imaginable! no prepotency at all! then one day he got into where the mares were and the stalls were all destroyed....and we had a big castration ceremony! and i sold him....he was a great performance horse, but a lousy stud and the end of my dreams of equine fame and riches.
• dx: equine fame and riches Wazzat??? Surely you know how to make a million dollars breeding horses? Start with ten million.
• i was so young and foolish then....i looked at the successful breeders and didn't figure out that the money came first...and the tax deductions next. i still get to visit the progeny of my favourite mare....but now i am content with my dogs... no barn costs on the vet bills! i miss and still love horses dearly, but would never have my own again. i turned a friend on to horses at one point and she decided to get into thorobreds and the racing track....twenty years later they have never won a race but have met lots of interesting people and travelled to bluegrass country etc.....she still blames me. they sold their herd of black angus to invest in the race of kings....now they say...'where's the beef?'