I took Rosso and Sera (the younger red horses) over to my vet's clinic yesterday.
We did a flexion test on Sera to check her hocks. After flexion on her left hind she took 1-2 steps off but my vet doesn't think she needs the hock injection yet. Sera didn't test sore over her back or rump at all and she was really sore last time... so this is good news! She is at the 6 mos marker today for the hock injections and we'll inject again at a year - will be a maintenance thing which is what I thought once we injected them the first time.
She was off a little on her left front - there was a nick on her leg - nothing deep, swollen or hot - but maybe that was why - the scab was pulling on her skin? I cleaned it off and put goo on it...
I tied Sera up to the trailer and took Rosso into the vet's shop and led him into the stocks. He was hollering to Sera and Sera was hollering back. Once he was in the stocks I told my vet I was gonna go check on Sera - as I walked to the door of her shop I hear ALL this banging around.
I open the door of the clinic and there is Sera - on the ground - she pulled the lead rope to the end with the tie blocker thingy... and she was hog tied with the rope around her legs... once she heard/saw me she went limp... the rope was stuck in the blocker at the very end where they double back the lead rope braid.
I couldn't get it loose because Sera had it so tight and tied around her legs - I carefully unhooked Sera's right hind fetlock from the rope. I was able to pull on it enough to loosen it so I could undo it... she stayed very still. This is good because if she began thrashing, she would have seriously injured herself.
I untangled the rope from around her legs and she stayed down so I kicked a little gravel at her to get her up. I walked her around she seemed o.k. Rope burned but no cuts, gashes or blood. The back part of the trailer wheel well is really bent - the piece that is a triangle of diamond plate connecting the wheel well to the trailer?
That could have gone wrong SO many ways. And to see her down and tangled like that... didn't really think I carried Louie around with me but that is the first place my head went! Scary.
I've left her alone at the trailer before to run in and pay for a clinic, check into a show, grab a bite to bring back to the trailer to eat ... never for long but for a few minutes just like I did taking Rosso in to load him in the stocks for the evaluation/injection of his eye.
After that mess, Sera came into the shop and stood near the stocks while Rosso got his eye injection... and of course I could see her backing into something and causing a noise that would make Rosso jerk his head riiiiiight as the needle was poised for the injection into his eye for his mysterious cataract....
His injection went fine and Sera stood quietly. The cataract isn't growing - but there are striations radiating out to the edges of his cataract that my vet didn't see before. She wasn't sure what that means and will call Dr. Robertson, the eye specialist, today to discuss.
I trailered both red horses home and felt very discouraged. Really about how out of control all of this really is and how we can lose them in an instant... anyway - Sera is fine. Everything was superficial and I am extremely lucky. I salved her up and I'll dose her with bute... she was moving around normally today...
Shew.
That is enough excitement to last ME awhile!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
in the blink of an eye! Sometimes surprises don't really surprise me anymore. Seems to be a pattern for me somedays...the chaos theory that is. But it seems to be when I let my guard down for a split second. Once in a while I actually size up a scenario just to see how many ways THAT'S NOT going to work. I am glad #1. You did not get hurt and #2 Sera did a good job on stopping the thrashing and wasn't injured. It was a good lesson learned by her to remain calm...stay calm...your gonna fix it for her! Boy I bet you were a bundle of adrenalin for a while!! I know I lose my knees and get pretty noodle like with the after rush...and sorry to say but those things give us gray hair you know! :)
No kidding! I AM very lucky I didn't get hurt and she remained still and unhurt herself. Good thing my red hair color comes from a BOX! grin.
Wow, that is terrifying! I am so glad that you kept your cool and could help Sera out. That is really scary! That was the thing I didn't like about the blocker ring- you have to use a nylon rope with it and I hate nylon ropes. Boomer hit the end on the tie ring once and flipped over backwards after the rope finally popped though.
I am so glad everything is OK, but it sure is scary to think about all of the things that can and will go wrong.
Take it easy for a few days and let the dust settle a little :)
Heather - yeah it WAS really scary! I don't know - horses - seems like you could bubble wrap them and put them in padded stalls and they'd still figure some sort of trouble to get in.
I use a regular length cotton lead with the blocker and I was suprised it didn't break actually. Tho I was glad in retrospect cuz if she got loose...?
Dunno if she woulda run out into our dirt road or thru a fence (our vet has that thin electric rope fence in her parking area and it's hard to see. Or if she woulda just stopped to graze? And she ain't tellin! I'm just incredibly glad nothing happened. BIG SHEW!
Tho' the next thought in my mind as I was working to get her out of the mess was - if she DOES hurt herself, at least we are already at the vet!
The way she went limp when you showed up...it's wonderful such a large, powerful animal should have such complete and utter trust in you. You are a really good horse mommy!
I hope the eye specialist can help Ross, poor guy.
Cheryl - I like to think that is why she stopped. I've had much more experienced riders tell me they can see the trust she places in me and I hope it's true! I try to be fair.
Rosso - yeah - at least it's not growing and he really seems very unbothered by it all which makes ME feel much better. We are trying to be proactive so nothing goes South and he does become painful or lose his eye...
HOLY COW! I'm glad you are all (all three of you!) ok. You can wrap them in bubble wrap,and still end up with a disaster. The only thing that really works -- is what you are doing. #1- be as safe as you can... and Big #2- have a good enough relationship with your horse so when you CAN make a situation better (rather then worse... which is so much easier!) they let you. I hope you can take this as a good experience over all, and know that it bodes well for the next time something goes wrong... because with horses, there is always a next time!
Kelley - Yes - I feel better now on the other side and Sera really seems unaffected. So chalk up another "incident". Yeesh.
Post a Comment