Rough week
Aug. 8th, 2008 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meezergalThis week was pretty rough, as if getting the news from Wendy last Friday wasn't bad enough.
Tiki fell down on Monday, when the farrier was out to trim his hoofs. He fell once before, as you may recall. This time we weren't able to get him up as he was in a bad position, caught in between the feed bin and the stall wall. Ryan (the farrier), Bonnie (barn owner), and I tried for about half an hour, putting down shavings and sand before we admitted defeat and I called the vet. Bonnie also called her husband, Gary, to come home from work early, as he was there the other time Tiki fell down.
Wisconsin Equine got out there the fastest I've ever known them to--20 minutes. When a horse is down, you don't delay! The vet gave Tiki bute IV in his neck, and we tried a few ways to get him on his feet until finally we got him on a large sheet of plywood and used the Gator to sledge him to the indoor ring. Once he was in there, we turned him over with ropes on his feet, and me at his head. He was then able to get up with no problem. The vet gave him electrolytes and I walked him around for a while, then he was watched for colic and tying-up for a couple of days. He's fine, with no lasting side-effects. I can't say the same for myself!
Tiki is now permanently retired. I haven't ridden him in months, and that was only walk-trot. Now--not even that. If he falls over just from having his right hind picked up, it's just too dangerous to risk riding him. I'm sad, though. He's been such a great horse--he taught me so much. How to ride a hotter, more spirited horse--not your usual, deadheaded school horse; how to jump a course; how to ride a dressage test; I could go on and on. I still will keep him till he dies or has to be put down, of course; it's just that I'm sad our riding days are over. :(
Then, yesterday, Buster went to the vet to be neutered. I had premonitions about it and was scared to death, but I know the surgery is very minor, so I went ahead with it anyway even though his regular vet is out of town and I had to use Dr. C., whom I don't really like. I figured she'd be ok for a routine surgery. So I dropped him off at eight o'clock and, assured by everyone he'd be ok, went to the Wisconsin State Fair with Rachel. I checked in when I was told to and he was FINE. We picked him up and he was perfect--sleepy, but fine. He ate, drank, and used the litter box at home, but wouldn't stay "quiet" despite my best efforts short of drugging him.
This morning, he kept licking himself, so I bit the bullet and inspected him. Great--some sort of bulge. I knew there was going to be a problem! I called the vet and was told to bring him in. It seems there was a "bit of fat" hanging out, so they "tucked it back in and stitched him up". I'm never, never going to trust him to anyone but his usual doctor again. It's a minor thing, but my nerves can't take it. ACK!!!
AND I've had no luck finding a new horse to buy, so I've leased the Quarter horse, Red, that I've had two lessons on. I was supposed to ride him today, but no such luck due to the Buster emergency, and Red had acupuncture today, so he can't be ridden tomorrow. I'm riding his turn-out mate, Stan, instead. C'est la vie!
Tiki fell down on Monday, when the farrier was out to trim his hoofs. He fell once before, as you may recall. This time we weren't able to get him up as he was in a bad position, caught in between the feed bin and the stall wall. Ryan (the farrier), Bonnie (barn owner), and I tried for about half an hour, putting down shavings and sand before we admitted defeat and I called the vet. Bonnie also called her husband, Gary, to come home from work early, as he was there the other time Tiki fell down.
Wisconsin Equine got out there the fastest I've ever known them to--20 minutes. When a horse is down, you don't delay! The vet gave Tiki bute IV in his neck, and we tried a few ways to get him on his feet until finally we got him on a large sheet of plywood and used the Gator to sledge him to the indoor ring. Once he was in there, we turned him over with ropes on his feet, and me at his head. He was then able to get up with no problem. The vet gave him electrolytes and I walked him around for a while, then he was watched for colic and tying-up for a couple of days. He's fine, with no lasting side-effects. I can't say the same for myself!
Tiki is now permanently retired. I haven't ridden him in months, and that was only walk-trot. Now--not even that. If he falls over just from having his right hind picked up, it's just too dangerous to risk riding him. I'm sad, though. He's been such a great horse--he taught me so much. How to ride a hotter, more spirited horse--not your usual, deadheaded school horse; how to jump a course; how to ride a dressage test; I could go on and on. I still will keep him till he dies or has to be put down, of course; it's just that I'm sad our riding days are over. :(
Then, yesterday, Buster went to the vet to be neutered. I had premonitions about it and was scared to death, but I know the surgery is very minor, so I went ahead with it anyway even though his regular vet is out of town and I had to use Dr. C., whom I don't really like. I figured she'd be ok for a routine surgery. So I dropped him off at eight o'clock and, assured by everyone he'd be ok, went to the Wisconsin State Fair with Rachel. I checked in when I was told to and he was FINE. We picked him up and he was perfect--sleepy, but fine. He ate, drank, and used the litter box at home, but wouldn't stay "quiet" despite my best efforts short of drugging him.
This morning, he kept licking himself, so I bit the bullet and inspected him. Great--some sort of bulge. I knew there was going to be a problem! I called the vet and was told to bring him in. It seems there was a "bit of fat" hanging out, so they "tucked it back in and stitched him up". I'm never, never going to trust him to anyone but his usual doctor again. It's a minor thing, but my nerves can't take it. ACK!!!
AND I've had no luck finding a new horse to buy, so I've leased the Quarter horse, Red, that I've had two lessons on. I was supposed to ride him today, but no such luck due to the Buster emergency, and Red had acupuncture today, so he can't be ridden tomorrow. I'm riding his turn-out mate, Stan, instead. C'est la vie!
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Date: 2008-08-09 03:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 12:09 pm (UTC)