Loulou23
Active Member
Last month I started a job at a private stables, just a few hours a week on the grooms days off, really lovely people, 2 ponies that are there for the grandkids to ride in the holidays, no stress just pop up hay and feed, poo pick, check them over and do a few odd jobs. 2 weeks ago the groom went on holiday so I increased my hours to cover her duties while she was away. All seemed fine, 1 of the ponies has EMS so they are kept on a starvation paddock and given rationed hay, anyway after the first rainfall in the grooms holiday I thought Princesses crest was a bit firmer than I would like so cut their hay down a bit and when the vet was out a few days later for jabs I asked her opinion (as i dont know the pony that well yet for what is her "normal", shes not like other lami / EMS ponies I know who have a constant big crest that is soft and floppy when everything is fine, her's isnt that well defined but does get firmer / fuller if that makes sense). She said Princess was a good weight and that previously she had been rather overweight so shes pleased that she is looking so good, agreed that the crest was a little firm but said rather than reducing hay we should soak it, so this is what I started doing. I also upped there exercise a bit but then worried that Princess was not very forward and as she has a history of back problems didnt want to push her too much but also didnt know her well enough to know if she was trying it on so opted for more in hand walks instead of lunging. Anyway groom returns and messages me to say that Fudge the native that lives out with Princess has come down with laminitis which shes never had before and that Princess has a huge crest so they are on box rest now and that Princess is going to have investigations on her hocks as she still wasnt right after the chiro visit. I know that ponies everywhere are coming down with Lami at the moment after it finally rained following on from the extreme dryness, and I know that in switching them to soaked hay and checking with the vet that I have probably done all that most would do but I'm feeling really bad and like I'm a total failure. Poor Fudge was a bit shuffly on his front feet on our last walk and did want to walk on the grass rather than the road but I didnt consider it to be the start of laminitis as hes so conservatively kept due to Princesses EMS and he had no history of it, also he had been being a totally pillock charging around the field the last few days so just assumed he was a bit sore from the hard ground. Please can someone kick me up the backside and stop me feeling so abysmal, or explain why I'm being such an emotional mess at the moment, Im crying over the lyrics to songs, being really clingy and soppy with my partner (which is not who I am) and last night couldnt sleep because I felt so bad for not doing enough to stop poor Fudge getting lami.
