Being ill and caring for horses

poiuytrewq

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Bit of a rant more than a question but omg how do you cope?!
Last week I had a cold, never have colds and was a bit thrown at how awful they can be! but not a huge problem- carried on as per.
Until it hit my chest and gave me an asthma attack. Luckily I felt so bad I'd gone to A&E and it conveniently happened there!
Horses are at home and I've had to rely on my daughter and partner.
Horses beds are yuck, field is full of poo, they are eating like kings (which I don't expect they mind at all 😅)
O/H has kindly stocked up on straw and deposited a quadrant bale on top of what was left of my Haylage (I mean just why?) It's actually like a bridge going over it so can't be opened and I can't get any hay out.
NEED to be better😣
What do you do during illness?
 

debsflo

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Mine are at home so husband has to step in.Luckily I'm normally fine but when I've been bed ridden with illness I just have to let him get on with it. Luckily he's now aware of feeds etc and as I only have 2 it's been ok. I would worry if I had another as think that would be harder.
 

Wimbles

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I had pneumonia for four long months last year and feel like over the past few years that I've gone through the Great British book of illnesses!!

I had seven horses on livery and had to rely on my non-horsey OH and a couple of friends on the days when I was so poorly that i was in hospital but other than that I had to keep going up to sort them which definitely put back my recovery but there was little I could do.

Yes, their beds weren't as I would have them, they weren't groomed and their rugs weren't changed but in all fairness they didn't care and I was just so grateful to everyone.

Try not to criticize too much as they will be doing their best and it's all pretty small fry even if you do find it mind blowingly annoying! :)

This spring I am underway at getting the numbers down so that if I go downhill again then it's not so much of a nightmare!
 

Wagtail

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The last time I was properly ill was seven years ago when I got flu and it turned into pleurisy, bronchitis and pneumonia. I remember collapsing in the field whilst trying to break the ice on the water troughs. The pain in my lungs was like nothing I had ever felt before. I had a livery yard with five horses on full and my own two horses and so I had tried to carry on. My husband and sons and two of my lovely liveries took over the yard when I became bedridden. I have always dreaded something similar happening again and that is why I have reduced the numbers of liveries over the past few years. I am down to a maximum of five horses now. I also get annual flu jabs.
 

MotherOfChickens

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well, last week I came down with what I thought was just a pokey cold, but ended up with a fever for two days and vomiting-couldnt keep anything down for about 72 hours and am still fairly ropey with a horrible cough. Luckily the weather has been nice- cold with a bit of snow so they've all been out with lovely OH haying them and checking the for me. There are still beds to muck out but they'll get done when I feel well enough.
 

Starbuck

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Reduced horses over the years and I've let the frustration wash over me. Now I am incredibly grateful for the help hubby or anyone else gives me as I realised that the horses didn't come to any harm at all (and probably didn't miss me half as much as I missed them), and life is too short to worry about beds not being done the 'right way' etc. Actually, my OH is now better at mucking out than I am!
 

MyBoyChe

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Its actually one of the reasons I chose the breed I have now. If I am bed ridden my non horsey OH can manage to do water and hay if its winter, or water and move the strip grazing line if its summer. Although I fuss and faff about my pony can manage very nicely on this regime and is a very good natured chap to boot so he's happy to be in the field with him. Other diy'ers will always help out if needed but I like to know that hubby can cope if he has too.
 

Jojo_Pea4

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I came down with flu/fever Christmas day, i carried on doing my horse till i couldnt get out of bed then my mum done him for me and visa versa if mum was ill i will do her horse. But when my mum had a livery yard i had to take annual leave to run the yard when she ended up in hospital after a nasty horse bite.
 

EmmaC78

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I had very bad flu last week and apart from one day where I had to ask one of the other girls on the yard to help, as I couldn't physically get out of bed, I just managed myself (despite thinking I was going to pass out a couple of times when mucking out!). I probably shouldn't have gone up but I always feel bad asking other people for help.
 

poiuytrewq

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Oh I really am very grateful in reality! I didn't mean to moan. I too had a horrid attack and pneumonia/ pleuresy (sp) some years back after refusing to ask for help. I've learnt from it.
In all honesty though its about time daughter pulled her weight a little bit, it may do her good!
 

Dry Rot

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I'm 76, live alone, and have 12 Highland ponies and four dogs. The other day I did what I should have done a long time ago and made a list of emergency telephone numbers and 'things to do' just in case which is now posted in the barn. I've also told friends where my spare house key is kept. I have always managed to struggle out and do livestock whatever but the years are catching up.

I few weeks ago I has a dizzy spell and the doctor prescribed two days in hospital connected up to enough wires for a telephone exchange! A false alam as it turned out. A 16yo and her mum who keep a couple of ponies here totally took over and I had no need to worry! Ponies fed, dogs fed and walked, everything managed better than I could do it myself. Can't say how grateful I am as my interferring neighbour was poised to move in (NOT something to be encouraged for various reasons!) and I was able to truthfully say everything was sorted.

So, for those living alone or with not very savvy relations, I'd suggest sitting down and making an emergency list. Helpers seem to manage quite well but sometimes just stating that Foxy doesn't get on with Kinky and there is a cockerel with a sore leg in isolation in the woodshed that needs feeding can save a lot of heart ache when things get back to normal. Someone has also suggested listing medications and recent medical history in case the emergency services need to be called. Sounds like sense to me.
 

Princess16

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I had pneumonia for four long months last year and feel like over the past few years that I've gone through the Great British book of illnesses!!

I had seven horses on livery and had to rely on my non-horsey OH and a couple of friends on the days when I was so poorly that i was in hospital but other than that I had to keep going up to sort them which definitely put back my recovery but there was little I could do.

Yes, their beds weren't as I would have them, they weren't groomed and their rugs weren't changed but in all fairness they didn't care and I was just so grateful to everyone.

Try not to criticize too much as they will be doing their best and it's all pretty small fry even if you do find it mind blowingly annoying! :)

This spring I am underway at getting the numbers down so that if I go downhill again then it's not so much of a nightmare!

7 horses wow ! Why do you have that many ? And all,on livery how on earth do you afford that #amazed.com
 

MochaDun

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I was off work today, I'm very rarely off work ill as overall I'm quite a hardy healthy and sometimes too stoic/keep going type! Set off today for work but turned and came back about half a mile away as felt pants (been brewing since yesterday and I'd been up unwell since 4am). I have a horse on assisted livery now and in all the years I've been on livery I always managed to get myself there if I really needed to (ie, if I had missed booking him in for extra/full cover at the yard that day). I would hope where I am now there would be people I could ask to help me in an emergency or for very serious illness. That is what I worry about being on my own though as I age - something more serious coming along that lasts a while and would impact on the horse's care long term and what I would do about it.
 

Groom Mum

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DONT complain how things are done !!
If I got too ill to do mine there is no way i could ever rely on my OH, he hates horses and wouldnt know where to start as he has never done anything regarding them.
My daughter would do it at a push, it was because of her I got horses in first place, i was her groom, she did the competing. Now she isn't interested and I love it, but at least she has the knowledge to do it in an emergency.
 

Sukistokes2

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I've just spent all day in hospital with my father in law who is very poorly. Dad let horses out and out they have stayed. They are rugged and have round bales, they will survive until tomorrow..........not sure the round bales will.

I think you just muddle along, horses are not going to melt away over a few days. Long term illness is another matter.
 

wench

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What do people do when they get very ill, with horses on DIY, and a "real" job. Do they not get annoyed if you've been off ill, but you've also had to sort the horse out
 

Izzwall

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Getting proper ill is one of my worst nightmares!! I provide livery services to private yards and holiday cover as well as a professional dog walker so most of the time I have around 12 horses to feed/muck out/turnout at 3 different yards and there's only me doing it plus up to 5 dogs at 3/4 different homes to pick up and walk. Their owners are at work or busy so if I don't turn up I think a few animals would suffer and leave their owners in a complete pickle especially if I can't get hold of them!! I went down with savage flu this time last year and still had to do all the horses and walk for 2 hours with the dogs, by the 3rd day the only way I could hold myself up was by using a crutch and I developed bronchitis, was awful and took me more than a month to get over it! My worst fear is going down with the norovirus on the middle of the moor with another 3 dogs to walk afterwards, I mean what the hell would you do!?!
 

Moomin1

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I've had my mare on DIY for the past 5 yrs and I've always managed when I'm ill. You just have to get on with it. The only time I had to have help was when I went into hospital to be induced and have my daughter, and my instructor very kindly looked after my horse for a couple of weeks.
 

poiuytrewq

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What do people do when they get very ill, with horses on DIY, and a "real" job. Do they not get annoyed if you've been off ill, but you've also had to sort the horse out
Sorry not sure I've read this correctly! Do you mean do the employers get annoyed?
 

dizzyneddy

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I also have no choice but to look after my horses when l'm ill. Even when l was pregnant l had two horses to look care & did abit of heavy lifting something l shouldn't really do when expecting but you just get on with it if you are on your own. Whem l'm unwell l just do the essentials & that's that as you have to take care of yourself. If it's any consolation due to the wet weather l can't get a wheelbarrow in the field cos of the mud & it's normally poo picked every 2 or 3 days in winter & hasn't been done for 5 days it looks a mess but you can only do what you can do. Hope you feel better soon
 

Orangehorse

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I was ill all over Christmas and into January, most of the month. I have mine at home and managed to stagger out of bed int he morning to throw them some hay and feed. As it happened the pony had to stay in as she had laminitis (in January!)
so the horse had to have a small pen in the field next door, but the bonus was that I didn't have to go out to fetch them in from their normal winter field. I managed by putting down lots of straw int he stables and having a clear out once a week. I was so ill even the dog didn't get a walk some days and there was NO WAY I could have lifted the saddle onto the back of my horse.

Over the years there are very few occasions that I have been unable to stagger down to at least throw a bit of hay to them and water buckets. Once was when the room was spinning and another time when I had "gastic flu" and OH gave them hay and water in the stable.

Oddly, when I was injured with a horrid ripped stomach muscle -rolling around on the ground in agony - and broken ribs from falling off, and once a kick to the thigh, I was better off standing upright, rather than trying to sit down or lie down in bed, so I was able to do the minimum of stable duties and animals survived.
 

SatansLittleHelper

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I have Fibromyalgia and can be completely floored by a "flare up" and have to rely on my friend who keeps her horse with mine.
Having them living out is a godsend as I don't have to panic if I'm a little late to the field etc...plus we keep them in the same village that we both live in which makes a big difference.
Aside that it's a case of just dragging myself down there and doing the basics on a bad day x
 

TwyfordM

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I have mine on diy livery but with assistance when needed so worst case scenario I can have her on full if I'm ill. Bigger issue is the ponies I look after for their elderly barely mobile owner, they live out but one is on medication so I have to get there regardless of how ill I am even if its just to do meds and chuck a feed in! I've had one day this winter where I was that rough I just had to do that but the rest of the time I've just carried on through! I've also continued doing them with a dislocated shoulder, just couldn't empty barrows!
 

Wimbles

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7 horses wow ! Why do you have that many ? And all,on livery how on earth do you afford that #amazed.com

I used to have my own rented place so it wasn't much problem having more.

Most of them are sob stories/difficult and I'm too soft but all of them apart from the youngster do a job for me. Five of them play horseball and are often ridden by other members of my team and some are fantastic to hack but don't jump and some I compete jumping on but aren't so much fun to hack! If you added them all together then I would have the perfect horse but as it is I have a horse for every occasion!

I must say that this winter has been a real struggle financially with them on livery but I work bloomin' hard all week, I haven't been blessed with children so the horses and my sheep are what I do and what I want to spend my hard earned pennies on! I live on very little sleep, my house is often a bit of a disaster zone but when I have an amazing horseball session with great friends like last night or ride as the sun comes up on a frosty morning like today then it is all worth it.
 

Hannahgb

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The only time I've not made it to the horses was with Glandular Fever, where my mum and sister helped. Other than that, I have to get on and do it myself. My mum helps where she can but works long hours. OTherwise I just cope, the beds may not be immaculate for a day or two.
 
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