Horses: the cause of and solution to all of life's stresses

Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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After my ride today, which had gone extremely well and she had worked so nicely, I gave my horse an apple that I'd brought from the house, as it was on its last legs but still kind of okay. She 's always careful with apples, bites chunks off with her front teeth. Anyway, she did that and then chewed at it for ages, then started doing that yawny, stretchy jaw thing they sometimes do. That's a bit odd, I thought. Then she tried to eat her hay, but was quidding all over the place and obviously not comfortable chewing it. I thought of a lot of sweary words that the bad word filter won't let me write here. I watched her for 30-40 minutes, hoping it would sort itself out, but it didn't, so I called the vet and called hubby to let him know I would not be home for dinner. If she'd hurt her mouth and couldn't eat, I wasn't going to wait about for that to cause colic. And she was clearly getting frustrated and sad about her struggles to eat hay. About 10 minutes after I called the vet, the horse got a lot better (of course!) and was able to eat her hay, but would still occasionally quid. Vet appeared about 45 minutes later and put the gag in, which my horse will thankfully tolerate without sedation, and had nosy round her mouth. The only thing out of the ordinary that she found was a small abrasion. Did she bite her own mouth chewing the apple, or did the acidity of the apple irritate something that was already there? Who knows. Vet gave her some bute and we called it a night. The horse was happily munching hay when we left.

Bloody horses.
 
I've had this happen before! Its really scary when they do that initially!! i was trying to massage his gullet and everything and then he was fine after a couple of minutes, i presume he got a bit stuck where it shouldnt be! :/ HORSES! Who'd have them.. ;)
 
They do like to worry us! I took my horses rug off last night to groom her and noticed that just before her bum (which is very high at the moment) about 5 inches length of her spine is risen by about half an inch than the rest of her spine. No swelling, no heat and no pain reaction!
Got my YO to have a look and she seemed baffled but thought it could be down to her growth spurt at the moment. She also isn't lame! Maybe someone on here has some insight but probably not without pictures. If it get worse or causes pain I will call the vet. So for the millionth time this winter my mare ha worried me but I still love her.
 
She never acted distressed or panicky, until it had been going on for about half an hour and she still couldn't eat the hay and she just started acting a little bit sad. Phoning the vet seemed to sort it, as she improved about 90% about five minutes after I got off the phone with the emergency on call vet. I still wanted the vet to take a look, though, as you obviously need the gag to have a good look and feel inside their mouths.

Haven't seen her this morning, but I can assume all is fine as my yard owner would call me if it wasn't.

Most expensive apple, ever.
 
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Phoning the vet for an emergency callout is a well known cure for a number of "strange" ailments, almost makes the subsequent call-out charge and consultation fee worth it!

Glad your mare is OK.
 
Glad she is OK. But yes I have to agree they make your heart soar with happiness and then have you on your knees in tears in equal measure over the years certainly.

(How dull would life be without them tho!)
 
Mine had a minor choke the other day and it was worrying, but thankfully resolved in a few minutes. From then on she took it upon herself (with her partner in crime) to make me look a right idiot. First she herds Henry into barbed wire all the way up the drive, to the extent I gave up at the road and turned back, dumping her in the field (shortest ride and lead ever!), then the next morning, someone leaves the outer field gate open (turning out) and Henry flys under the electric tape, pinging it across his back and cantering round to the yard, saying hello to an unsuspecting livery before finding his own hay net (livery never did see him - Henry isn't shod, so no clattering). SAME DAY, I go to retrieve them from the field and the springy gate wraps itself around the mains wire, shorting like mad and so Chloe decides it's HER turn to break loose and fek off, only she's too stupid to find a hay net and trots around a lawn with me shouting expletives after her.

Yes, the cause of most of my stress, for sure. I was asking the YM how much I would get for two ponies from Tesco. Still, at least life is now interesting, since I moved onto the yard... ;)
 
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