Far far from Wall Street

Some people say that we came out to Montana to escape the stresses of East Coast civilization. Looking at the news today, I don't know what is so civilized about our East Coast. The hornet's nest is buzzing, the headline Dow Takes Record Fall after House Bailout Failure doesn't tell the half of it.

But out here in Montana, my horse- a Tennessee Walker who is the sweetest mare to prance the gravel road I live on- needed some dental attention. Her teeth needed to be "floated." That means filed down so the bit won't bother her by hitting in the wrong spots. The vet came out to the house, and he is one of the finest vets in Montana, I have done my research! His name is John Erfle and he is affiliated with a great equine hospital in Kalispell called the LaSalle Equine Clinic.

I decided to watch the teeth floating procedure, and must say I learned a lot. Dr. Erlfe had a wonderful assistant along with him who knew just what to do, and when. I just stayed out of the way.

Several items are absolutely necessary: a horse sedative, a metal mouth brace to hold the mare's mouth open, a pair of ear protectors to block the noise of the drill, and. . . the drill. Lily was VERY GOOD. She didn't even think about struggling. She was too tired from her sedative. And so, one more piece of absolutely essential equipment is a crutch. Yes, a regular crutch with a cushioned top. The crutch was placed under her chin to help hold up her heavy head as her dental procedure was performed. She came through just fine. A little sleepy and wobbly. But all in all, she did far better than I do at the dentist.

Next, Dr. Erfle administered her various vaccinations and wormers and checked her hoofs for me, and then he gave me the bill, which was less than $200. Much less than an office visit when I show up at my dentist. And Dr. Erfle came to my barn! So, there is still something of good value in this country. You just have to know where to find it. And it's far from Wall Street.