Max the Orphaned Exie. Vibes please.

Irish gal said:
GG you're a star. I've been through something similar, foal didn't get enough colostrum and it didn't end well, unfortunately.

It's tough being up all night nursing them. Get that MIL to make some use of herself and cook a good meal like a casserole, that will keep you going over a few days.

If you don't have a rug the right size I made a smashing one out of a sack by snipping off a corner for the head and neck and ripping one side - it fit so neatly. That little guy is so tiny maybe a pillowcase would work...just a thought in case you don't have one that fits.

Hopefully now he got just enough of the colostrum or he would be on the way out by now...Fingers crossed for you guys xx
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I just laughed out loud at the idea of MIL cooking anything and Dan asked what made me laugh...now he's laughing too. She will be put to use taking Jakki for walks with Dan and Paulo and doing copious amounts of grooming...but she'll get bored after 10 minutes when she realises we won't back down about Max and she'll be back up the house in her PJ's, watching the SciFi channel ;)

As for rug...that's something I really can get MIL to do for us because he's a dab hand with a needle and thread and I have just the thing to use. He's holding his own at the moment and not needing it, but with his age, he can change by the hour so want it on hand just in case. :)

Sorry about your foal :(

Lammy said:
I've just caught up on all the Max-ness and I hope he continues to get better, so sorry about Jakki's foal though ): Poor girl. But Max is very very cute and you're doing such a great job!
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Thanks. He's a joy bless him and Jakki is doing really well now...his arrival has snapped her out of her distress.

Wagtail said:
I am sending vibes that he continues to pick up. What a rollercoaster :(
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It is a little bit. Dolly, then the foal, so Max has no choice but to be okay...even if I have to live in his stable...but I won't push that on him just yet, lol.
 
if he needs a rug have you tried a dog rug they go down to tiny but still give warmth thermatex do good ones that are a bit stretchy. Wish I had one to send you. We didput pullovers on the goats when they were poorly so that might work too. Anyway I hope he is soon bouncing like a gud un
 
windand rain said:
if he needs a rug have you tried a dog rug they go down to tiny but still give warmth thermatex do good ones that are a bit stretchy. Wish I had one to send you. We didput pullovers on the goats when they were poorly so that might work too. Anyway I hope he is soon bouncing like a gud un
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Yeah, he's a little big for one of our dog coats and a little small for the other one, lol.
 
That's the last thing I could be doing with if I was you - a difficult MIL paying visit! Get her on the case with the rug, it will come in handy in the middle of the night, when it's much colder. The poor little mite won't be losing heat and energy - last thing you want. Good luck for tonight:)
 
Irish gal said:
That's the last thing I could be doing with if I was you - a difficult MIL paying visit! Get her on the case with the rug, it will come in handy in the middle of the night, when it's much colder. The poor little mite won't be losing heat and energy - last thing you want. Good luck for tonight:)
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Thank you. He's such a dude bless him. xx
 
You really do need some good fortune now. I hope karma comes round for you. For what I've read over the years, you put so much care, attention and love into your animals that you deserve it back in truckloads. Wishing Max all the healing vibes I can muster. Please make sure you look after yourself too.
 
Is it 7pm already? Is it? NO! IT ISN'T.

That hasn't stopped the in laws arriving two and a half effing hours early. I had planned a little housework and a sleep catch up before they arrived. Oh well...who needs sleep anyway.

I said, "Hi...you're very early...I thought you said 7pm?". Mil response, "yes, the traffic was really good so we flew through".
My reply to that, "blimey...you're only two hours away...I didn't think you'd need to leave until, well...about now! You'll have to excuse us, the house is a tip and we're both still busy so are you okay to look after yourselves?". It was more of a demand than a question.

I feel like actually crying right now. I have done the sum total of zero housework since last Thursday when Jakki foaled due to colostrum collection and little Max then arriving and they do this every single time. Dan even called them last night to confirm it would be an EVENING arrival due to him working and my current schedule. "No no...won't be there before seven"!!!

Shoot me now!
 
Nothing worst than people arriving early, but if they do they cannot expect you to be ready for them. You have have such an emotional and sleepless week, just let them see it all, then they might go and find something else to do for a few hours and arrive when expected next time.
 
Oh heck what a nightmare. Nothing worse than having to let the house go because you're rushed off your feet with FAR more important things and then get visitors! The stress! You poor thing.
 
_GG_ said:
Yeah, he's a little big for one of our dog coats and a little small for the other one, lol.
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Can we pretend this is a PM? I wouldn't know how to send a PM if it bit me in the bum

I have a brand new fully adjustable Dinky stable rug in size 3' - you could chop it, alter it or do as you please and keep your 3'3" one for later - all I need is any old random address to send it to if the rug would be useful. It has never been used so is spotless

Good Luck with Max
 
Cecile said:
Can we pretend this is a PM? I wouldn't know how to send a PM if it bit me in the bum

I have a brand new fully adjustable Dinky stable rug in size 3' - you could chop it, alter it or do as you please and keep your 3'3" one for later - all I need is any old random address to send it to if the rug would be useful. It has never been used so is spotless

Good Luck with Max
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And the tears are back. What a lovely offer and yes, I'd love to take you up on it. I shall pm you. In a little while, you'll see a notification to let you know it's there. Thank you so much.


So, apparently the in-laws being here is the straw that has well and truly broken this camels back. I know it's bad to bottle things up, but with 20 horses here, I don't have the luxury to be self indulgent and they do a great job of helping me. However, in the past few months we lost Dolly, had a livery put to sleep, my cousins wedding which was incredibly happy but also brought up a whole lifetime of grief again and now the foal and Max being unwell. I have apparently reached my limit and the tears are flowing every 5 minutes.

Good thing is...Max is looking stronger and while not out of the woods and doing a lot more lying down than normal, he's more playful again after feeds and being a cheeky monkey again...enough that I had to gently tell him off.

Mil just waited until After Dan and I cleared up after doing dinner to say, "now...we want you to use us to help you this weekend".

I thought, although I know where this is going, I'll be nice, let's not assume the worst. We went through all of the things she could help with...can't do any of them. We've settled on grooming the ponies and taking them for walks (she'll get bored after 10 minutes) but amazingly (yep...sarcasm), she'd be fine feeding Max and looking after him for me!
Not sure what part of, only Dan and I to do him for the time being does she not understand?

Then of course I'm made to feel guilty for not letting her help. I know what she wants to do. She wants to clean the kitchen. It's not necessarily tidy, but it's certainly not dirty. Last time though, she cleaned the brushed steel hob with a knife...an actual serrated knife!!! She broke the hob. I asked then was it dirty...she said no, but thought she'd put a shine on it for us!

Now I'm off for a nap and she said, "come and give me a cuddle, you look so upset sweetheart"...as she sat on her arse waving her arms in the air for me to walk back across the room, lean down and make her feel better about herself. I didn't. I'm now brain dumping so I can catch 40 minutes.

I've been perfectly okay until 4:30 this afternoon and Dan bless him...he looks like he's about to punch one of them.

As an aside though...cauliflowercheeseagne is absolutely delicious!!
 
And sending a couple of boxes of aloe vera kleenex tissues for those tears. Hugs by the wheelbarrow load. Wish I lived closer so I could come and help.

I think you also need some alcohol and munchies to help you through the night. X
 
Peregrine Falcon said:
And sending a couple of boxes of aloe vera kleenex tissues for those tears. Hugs by the wheelbarrow load. Wish I lived closer so I could come and help.

I think you also need some alcohol and munchies to help you through the night. X
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Tears again. What's wrong with me...this is very out of character.

Thank you. X
 
Try to resist bottling up those tears. A really, really good howl will make you feel 100 times better and help you get some good sleep too. Sending over warm hugs for you and Dan and loads of strong vibes for Max. I hope this night will see him over the worse and you'll have good news for us all in the morning.
 
Seconding let it all out and then the alcohol and munchies. Hope you get some sound sleep tonight and little Max improves quickly. You are amazing xx
 
You really have been through it, at least if you can't cuddle max you can cuddly his teddy. Hope everything seems brighter afrer some sleep and max continues to improve ..... Once it all settled sounds like you need a holiday x
 
Thanks all. I know I need to let it all out and one day, I will let Dan take me to my cousins grave as bottling up all stens from her dying when we were 14. Long story, but young me learned to just man up and crack on when the adults all fell apart and I know it's not healthy but I do cope very well most of the time. Sometimes, when lots of things come at the same time, it gets a little overwhelming but that's the beauty of caring for children/animals. They rely on us and keep us from going under.

I just might vent rather a lot between now and Monday! Xxx
 
_GG_ said:
Thanks all. I know I need to let it all out and one day, I will let Dan take me to my cousins grave as bottling up all stens from her dying when we were 14. Long story, but young me learned to just man up and crack on when the adults all fell apart and I know it's not healthy but I do cope very well most of the time. Sometimes, when lots of things come at the same time, it gets a little overwhelming but that's the beauty of caring for children/animals. They rely on us and keep us from going under.

I just might vent rather a lot between now and Monday! Xxx
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Vent away, I know you've supported many on here including me so you have definitely have the right x
 
Vent away GG. You are doing a marvellous job with little Max. Having the in-laws arrive at this very stressful time would be enough to turn anyone into a basket case. I think you have coped brilliantly. I probably would have stopped them coming, but I'm a bit of a battleaxe :).
 
Lurfy said:
Vent away GG. You are doing a marvellous job with little Max. Having the in-laws arrive at this very stressful time would be enough to turn anyone into a basket case. I think you have coped brilliantly. I probably would have stopped them coming, but I'm a bit of a battleaxe :).
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I tried lol.

Got in the house at 1 with the prospect of getting 5 hours sleep as Dan is doing the 3-4am feed (we trickle feed over the hour to be more natural, less risk of aspiration etc) so I don't need to be up til 6. I've spent an hour convincing his dad, who has been on the whiskey, to go to bed or turn the telly off. I got his life story instead...I won in the end though...I said, "I know it's a pain and that's why I said to come a different time but I really need to just sleep and you walking around after I've gone to bed will stop me doing that. Sorry, I just need you to not prevent the little bits of sleep I can get ". It worked...so I'm of to snooze land. Thank you all. Gosh....4 hours in a row...I'll he like a spring chicken tomorrow :)
 
Hope you and little Max are feeling better this morning! Sending lots of chocolate-healing vibes your way - my friend at work is convinced the change of weather is sending everybody a bit funny, so we've eaten plenty of chocolate this week to make us feel better :)
 
He's still doing well bless him, I'm really hoping we can get him out soon so he needs to keep building up. Appetite is getting better all the time. Thank you Aintree Foal Milk replacer, he loves it and it's the very best thing for him at the moment and I'm hoping to start him on milk pellets in the next day or two as well. Been getting his head lower and lower for feeding so when vet gives go ahead to put him on the bucket again, he should find it much easier. He's getting through 14-15 fl oz each feed now and he has grown half an inch since Sunday. Definitely filled out a little and straightened up a little.

So many things going through my mind. Was he premature? He's certainly not as a week old Exie baby should look. Was he maybe a dummy foal that's been rejected and then had a unintended madigan squeeze by people picking him up/holding him in a car.

Can't put my finger on it but he just seems *behind* developmentally in a physical sense.

Anyway...hopefully won't make a difference long term as he's growing stronger by the day.

xx
 
Not offering much practical support (bit like your in-laws!) but just to digress on the tears front. This did happen to me, and I am not a crier. Long story short (and with other symptoms) I did then find out that being weepy (the Lloyds ad with the handicapped girl getting onto ride made me cry) can be a symptom of the peri menopause. I have been researching it, Mother Nature is incredibly unfair on us, and if you want to have a quick off line about it, pm.

But the weekend will be over and the in-laws gone, Max is gaining strength and there is nothing like having a proper nights sleep to make you see the world in an entirely different way.
 
Glad to hear hes feeling a little better GG. keep the updates coming . continuing to send more good vibes xx
 
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