Horse ill - odd symptoms,ideas?

oh no, I am so sorry to see this. How very sad, but good that she went at home without the stress of operations or extended investigations…. Run free, dear girl x x
 
I recognised the symptoms sadly. The only one missing was you hadn't seen any rolling. I lost my beautiful 21 year old mare last year, thankfully start to finish was a total of 19 hours. I had ridden her, she had eaten and all was well. 3 hours later I was contacted and told she had been rolling and was laying down. Oh and I went straight to the field, she was lying down and as soon as she saw me she got back up as if nothing was wrong. The vet came, treated her for colic, I stayed with her all night in the field under the stars :) She kept doing the colic stance, she wouldn't eat or drink, she really was off. Vet came at midnight, no change. I went home at 4.30am as she had started to settle. She had done limited poo but in my naiivity I thought if she was pooing all must be fixable. My friend checked her at about 7am and said she looked a bit better. When I went back I could see she wasn't. She had been sweating in the night. The vet was called again, we had already discussed taking her to Langford if the colic diagnosis was not showing improvement. THANK GOD I had got professional help to train her to load or things would have turned out a lot differently. We took her to Langford as an emergency case. They emptied her stomach which was indicative of the vets diagnosis obstruction...it was found she had a growth blockage (via rectal exam) at the end of her small intestine. Surgery was not really an option for her at her age, and as she was arthritic. My mare was an amazing and totally dignified lady. I made the immediate decision to have her put to sleep and cremated. I took her out into a paddock and OH and I spent some last time with her, at 1.00 she was put to sleep. Many thanks always to my vet and the staff at Langford. Our other pony was so sad and in spite of our upset we knew she had to be replaced. I have a new little NF Welsh pony, barely 13 hands who is proving to be a challenge. Not her fault. I had my mare Folly for 14 years so starting again as many of you will know is hard. I will get there. So sorry to hear it did not work out well but your horse is no doubt comparing notes in horsey heaven :)
 
Thanks all for your kind words.
sorry to hear about your mare Follychoppins. Evie did roll more than usual - once four times in a row, the day before PTS,which I advised the vet. I also saw her lying down in the field - I've never,ever seen her do this and she didn't get up when I went over. Had the vet straight out but by the time they got there she was up, had wandered off and I'm sure they thought I'd over reacted!
She always rolled just the once when she was turned out, so I knew more than one roll a day wasn't right for her - it's so important to know your own horse. Thanks for sharing, it's made me feel a little better - sometimes I feel guilty that I should have done more (sent her to hospital) but that would have been for me (to know what was wrong), not her as I'd already stated she wouldn't have an op and vet seemed to think whatever it was this was most likely.
I booked her in for PTS, spent the whole morning with her - the only thing she would eat was carrots and mints - (half a sack of carrots and four packets of mints), groomed her to perfection( was important to me she went looking smart), 45 mins before vet was due to went to where she could see the road, I'm sure she was waiting. When she was put to sleep - just me and her- she stood with me, pony suddenly went nuts in the field, Evie didn't even flick and ear - she was ready to go and went so easily and peacefully. My beautiful girl. RIP.
 
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I am fortunate in that I live close to Langford so when the time for further diagnosis was required there was an easy choice and money had nothing to do with it. I did not want her opened up either before she was pts or after for a post mortem. It sounds like all of a sudden your mare deteriorated to the point where there was only one choice, as with Folly and you made it. I like to think of her pain free pulling faces at the other horses wherever she is, bless her little heart. If you have a nice photo of your Evie you may like to do what my Dad did for me ( I should add I am 55 lol) he had a lovely photo of Follys face made into a cushion at Asda. We all cried when he gave it to me, as I am now but I do hug it and remember my beautiful girl too.
 
How sad, your two posts above have brought tears to my , but what great strong owners you both are and you did what was needed when necessary.

Hope you can think back on your lives with them with a smile if not today then sometime down the line.
 
What a good idea (for a cushion). I have a canvas of her already. Took some hair when she was alive, but as I wanted her to go smart I didn't take enough for a bracelet - as you say hindsight is wonderful.
I also chose not to send Evie for a post mortem - didn't want her to be messed around with. Same as you, money didn't come into it, just wanted the right thing for my girl. Unfortunately it meant insurance aren't going to pay out - as there was a possiblilty she could in theory have had an op. IMO to carry out hugely invasive op on 23 yr old TB riddled with arthritis would have been unethical - but because I didn't do absolutely everything insurance won't pay. She had exclusions on varying stuff anyway- but it also means they didn't pay towards disposal. Something for others to be aware of I think!
 
Really sorry, our 25 year old pony had the same symptoms five years ago and was pts, we think it was a growth in his intestines that they couldn't feel or see on scans as it only scans to a certain depth.

Lots of hugs.
Xxx
 
Folly went as she was, headcollar, rope, shoes the lot. I kept the clothes I was wearing and sad though it sounds I have the t- shirt she bled onto from the cannula. It is rolled up in my horsey drawer. My insurance company paid zero, as horses get older the exclusions increase. We used to joke she was insured for her tail. Come the end that was about the size of it...if she had caused/been involved in an accident there would have been cover (allegedly). I am intrigued by the attitude of your insurance company. The chances of survival of surgery at age 23 is about 50% I was told. Once I knew what the situation was I told Veronica Roberts (who is amazing, and had just lost her own horse recently) I wanted Folly pts she looked me straight in the eye and said "Right decision". The recovery time and situation box rest etc for an elderly arthritic pony is a non starter unethical. I rang the Insurance co as I thought it was what I had to do only to be told "not covered" even for the disposal so I just cancelled the policy. The it's only an animal would never come into it for me. I had nursed Folly through illness previously and sitting in a field all night on your own in the middle of nowhere requires guts and determination (so I have been told). I hope you will in time find another one if it is what you want.
 
Poor you and poor pony. It is quite common in ageing horses and my vet couldn't feel the obstruction bless her - she tried twice. It was having Folly in the "crush" which allowed a proper examination and the growth was found. Isn't it sad :( Hugs to all for their losses.
 
Thank-you. I think about Folly with a smile all the time. My Dad who is in his eighties and a horse lover came to see me the next day after she was pts. He could barely speak through his tears he was so upset. He gave me 3 indoor cyclamen (Folly must be looking after them as they are surviving, I am pretty rubbish with plants) and a card saying how immensely proud he was of me that I had done the right thing putting Folly first, above my feelings when the decision was such a hard one. I am actually in my own way proud of myself, I did it, I gave her the best life and when needed a dignified appropriate end. She cannot be replaced and I miss her so much every day. My new pony has only just graced my screensaver at work - 6 months later, on my home computer Follychops remains. Our house is full of photos of her and I have a basket of twigs on the dining table I light up in her honour most nights as she loved a good old chew on a stick :) When we turn them out we all say night night Follychops and have a few moments thinking of her. My OH reminds me what a difficult challenge she was when I first had her, she was but time and patience saw things right. I know I have mentioned the loading already but what a relief to be able to get her in the trailer to the experts she needed but how sad to return to our field and other pony without her. Brown boy loves our new pony, found some 3 long weeks later, I nickname her Grubster as she is such a little minx, totally different to my elegant upper class Follychops. I am on a steep learning curve once again just 15 years older and with a lot less nerve, every day another little step. I would be riding her today but she is in season and such a stress it is safer not to!
 
Sounds like Folly had an amazing time with you. im scattering Evies ashes on her birthday - 12th May and do similar things to remember her.
Good to know you were able to get another. I miss Evie so much, don't know what to do for the best really - she is irreplaceable, as I'm sure Folly was to you and my 'perfect' horse. I'll never find another like her but equally I don't want to love another as much - it hurts too much when they go.
TBF I have always reccomended my insurance company but was really unhappy about the way they dealt with Evie's passing. The letter I received stating "We are very sorry to hear about the sad loss of your saddlery and tack" certainly left a bad taste!! I rang and complained and the lovely lady I spoke to sent me a sympathy card and some forget me not seeds. I know insurance is business at the end of the day but a little respect doesn't go amiss!!!
 
Losing control when it matters is a big reason for me to shun insurance (have 3 party buts it now), no one wants to lose control at a time when you need to make the decision YOU want.
 
I could not face any ashes at all with my Follychops. She was cremated and as far as I am concerned "left" at Langford. I wanted her to be whole, un-fiddled with. The idea of some of her ashes...sadly no. We go to evening talks there which are brilliant, vets talks for horse owners what an inspired idea. I always go into Follys paddock where we spent our last minutes and stand by the tree and think of her, she was so happy having had her stomach emptied, for that short time she was my Folly again and I was pleased for all I had done in her last 24 hours, her last short hack, her lovely tea and when things went wrong I was by her side throughout, all night and without hesitation. I walked her to the indoor school where Veronica was waiting with the medical tray and injection. There were a couple of students who had asked if I would mind them being there with her. I didn't. I handed over the rope and turned away, the door was closed quietly behind me. Veronica came to tell me she had gone quietly, there was no crash, she sat down elegantly and rolled over, yep that was my girl. My OH drives by and tells me if he has passed Follys tree. There is a huge comfort for me knowing she had the absolute best care all her life. If I am feeling brave I walk across to the school and put my hand on the door and tell her I am here. She understands and I feel her presence :) Good luck with the ashes.
 
Sorry to hear of your loss. Some people would say "Its only an animal" but be a cat, dog rabbit, fish or horse they are yours and will always be that.

Although I have ridden all my life I only started owning horses as an adult. I still have the ashes of my pony and have a lovely Bay tree (My pony's stable name was Bay) planted in my garden and every morning I look out of my kitchen and see that tree. I have also got a candle holder made from his 2 front shoes. At times of sadness when I need peace I will light that lovely Church Candle and sit and contemplate how lucky I was to have owned him.
I lost my lovely New Forest mare 18 months ago and had a dream catcher made from hairs taken from her mane and tail.

These things will always remind me of the wonderful fun times I had with them.
 
Folly was a New Forest. My OH bought a lovely huge holly which we put in our field at the top where she used to stand. In the winter I moved the electric tape. New pony and brown pony ripped the holly to bits. I prefer not to remember the emotion that created. I gathered all the bits (about 100+) stopped on the way home to get a gro bag and rooting powder and started the onerous task of making cuttings. I filled the gro bag easily, those cuttings are on the patio and not dead yet. I popped a few more in my tubs and returned to the field with the remaining god knows how many and planted them all over the place. Everything happens for a reason - being philosophical and now I have little Follyhollys everywhere and the main plant is still at the field which should recover I've been told. At least they did it in pruning season! Follys numerous shoes are around my garden. I have her heart bars which were specially made when she had stress laminitis and we nearly lost her ( Farrier didn't tell me quite how ill she was until she was improving but I should have guessed as he came to see her just about every day and would ring if he didn't visit). I expect lots of people are as soft as me and give their pony the best possible life, and end where choice is necessary. My horse dentist told my new pony she was a very lucky girl and had landed with her bum in the butter. I hope Folly would think so too :) Sorry to all who have lost a dearly loved furry friend. It's only been 7 months, bless her heart.
 
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