Trish C
Well-Known Member
Both of my planned lessons have been cancelled this weekend owing to our abysmal weather - torrential rain yesterday and drizzle/thick fog today. So got Monty out for just a groom today and he was very down, none of his usual antics, not really interested in anything, grumpy with me and bad tempered with other horses... he's always a bit grumpy to groom his belly but today was general temper at being groomed full stop and he actual kicked out at the wee yearling who's normally his best mate - I've never seen him kick out at another horse before, normally he's a saint and he'll let them clamber all over him. Even when he was getting bullied when he first moved in with the herd last month he didn't retalliate!
He didn't call to me in the field as he always does, didn't watch me when I went to get his food (always watches like a hawk with ears pricked whenever I go anywhere on the yard) and didn't even try to break/steal/throw anything left near him - VERY unlike him! Just had no interest in any of his normal routines - didn't come for a fuss after he'd eaten, didn't throw his bucket at me when he'd finished, didn't go to his normal spot with his friends after turnout (just stood by the gate looking sorry for himself).
Not off his food at all though, that was the one point at which he did perk up, though he was grumpy when I fed him - he always whickers and fusses but never barges and waits until I've put the bucket down before he tries to get to it... today he didn't whicker for the first time since I've owned him, he was bargy, ears back, though once he'd eaten he was a little brighter but still not back to normal.
I couldn't find anything obviously wrong, so am wondering if living out in the horrible weather we've had the last few days could have left him on an off day? Obviously will check him again tonight and first thing tomo morning and if he's still off will call the vet.
Please may I request precautionary vibes that it's nothing and that he just had a bad day and I'm an over-protective-worrying mammy?!
The rest of the saga of the day: after seeing beasties myself and two other liveries were going across the lough to another livery's father's funeral, but we got to the ferry and the crossings were cancelled due to the thick fog, so would have to drive round lough and be late.
Crawled up the road going very slowly with fog lights on, and a car appeared around a bad bend with no lights at all, on the wrong side of the road and going far too fast. Just clipped the wing mirror of our car (my friend, P, was driving us all) and then tipped/rolled through the hedge into the field. He's lucky he went that way and not the other way, otherwise he would've been into the lough at high tide.
Mercifully everyone was fine, but he got out and started laying into P, who was really shaken. I lost my rag a wee bit and gave him a few choice words back, which I probably shouldn't have done but the accident was entirely his fault and he was a pure a**eh*le about the whole thing.
I'd say his car is totalled - P's just needs a few dents/scratches repaired along with the wingmirror. We missed the funeral anyways by the time it was all discussed/details exchanged.
So I rang my OH to see would he pick us up as P was v shaken and didn't want her to have to drive us all home. OH, it transpired, was in minor A&E as he'd gone for a 'friendly' game of hurling (catholic cricket as he calls it) with a suspected badly broken hand (no xrays at weekends). So he's in pain and have to take him for an xray tomo I think
A day for forgetting.
Oh yes, and this is what my bog hippo looked like out of the field (had already hosed his feet down when I took this) - filthy horse! See, looking at this even in the photo to me he's not himself, but then sure I'm prob reading way too much into what hopefully is just an off day.
He didn't call to me in the field as he always does, didn't watch me when I went to get his food (always watches like a hawk with ears pricked whenever I go anywhere on the yard) and didn't even try to break/steal/throw anything left near him - VERY unlike him! Just had no interest in any of his normal routines - didn't come for a fuss after he'd eaten, didn't throw his bucket at me when he'd finished, didn't go to his normal spot with his friends after turnout (just stood by the gate looking sorry for himself).
Not off his food at all though, that was the one point at which he did perk up, though he was grumpy when I fed him - he always whickers and fusses but never barges and waits until I've put the bucket down before he tries to get to it... today he didn't whicker for the first time since I've owned him, he was bargy, ears back, though once he'd eaten he was a little brighter but still not back to normal.
I couldn't find anything obviously wrong, so am wondering if living out in the horrible weather we've had the last few days could have left him on an off day? Obviously will check him again tonight and first thing tomo morning and if he's still off will call the vet.
Please may I request precautionary vibes that it's nothing and that he just had a bad day and I'm an over-protective-worrying mammy?!
The rest of the saga of the day: after seeing beasties myself and two other liveries were going across the lough to another livery's father's funeral, but we got to the ferry and the crossings were cancelled due to the thick fog, so would have to drive round lough and be late.
Crawled up the road going very slowly with fog lights on, and a car appeared around a bad bend with no lights at all, on the wrong side of the road and going far too fast. Just clipped the wing mirror of our car (my friend, P, was driving us all) and then tipped/rolled through the hedge into the field. He's lucky he went that way and not the other way, otherwise he would've been into the lough at high tide.
Mercifully everyone was fine, but he got out and started laying into P, who was really shaken. I lost my rag a wee bit and gave him a few choice words back, which I probably shouldn't have done but the accident was entirely his fault and he was a pure a**eh*le about the whole thing.
I'd say his car is totalled - P's just needs a few dents/scratches repaired along with the wingmirror. We missed the funeral anyways by the time it was all discussed/details exchanged.
So I rang my OH to see would he pick us up as P was v shaken and didn't want her to have to drive us all home. OH, it transpired, was in minor A&E as he'd gone for a 'friendly' game of hurling (catholic cricket as he calls it) with a suspected badly broken hand (no xrays at weekends). So he's in pain and have to take him for an xray tomo I think
A day for forgetting.
Oh yes, and this is what my bog hippo looked like out of the field (had already hosed his feet down when I took this) - filthy horse! See, looking at this even in the photo to me he's not himself, but then sure I'm prob reading way too much into what hopefully is just an off day.
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