Pippin the pony

[tda]

Pippin is booked in for gelding this afternoon. I hope the vet turns up. There's no reason to assume he won't, but it's the first visit from this vet. I decided to used a traveling equine specialist vet rather than my local generalist vets, who have had gelding disasters in the past. I would rather use someone who does this kind of surgery on horses regularly.

The weather is lovely so that should be a plus, though I have enough covered space to do the gelding inside if necessary.

Wish me strength. I'm sure Pippin will be fine, but the owner passing out is never a good look...

I'm sure it will all go fine x

 

[Titchy Pony]

Well, Pippin is now a gelding. He had quite the pair of nuts on him, though one had decided to slide down alongside his sheath, which is why I wasn't sure for quite a while that they were down.

The vet did a good job and it was over in under an hour. A good job really as the sedation was wearing off fast. The owner (me!) didn't faint, but came close a couple of times. It's extremely annoying that my sight goes blurry and I start hearing buzzing at random points, for no particular reason. It's not blood, needles make me edgy, but I wasn't looking, just focusing on the head...

I didn't realise there was quite so much aftercare for a gelding, but the vet is advising three weeks of bow rest / very small paddock turn out (7x7m - the instructions are very precise). We are shouting the village down with Pippin's neighing at hand walking without his friends and a kid we passed asked if Pippin had had his tail chopped off because it's all bandaged up.

My biggest issue now is injecting Pippin with his follow up antibiotics every two days. He is not having it! My instructor (used to injecting horses) came round at lunchtime to try to help me, but Pippin reacts very violently to the needle and we just couldn't get him injected. I've called my vets for some oral sedative and just waiting for them to get back to me. I may have to get a vet to do the injections, but I'm not sure they'll find it any easier than we did...