Scary morning . . . it's just hit me . . .

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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There's an elderly, blind mare at the farm where we keep Kal . . . she's such a sweetie. This morning her owner found her cast in her stable and asked us to help her get the mare up . . . poor thing (mare) was exhausted . . . heaven knows how long she had been down - at one point she appeared to give up - just laid her sweet head down and closed her eyes :(. However, after propping bales of feed and bedding behind her and using lunge lines and encouragement, we got her to her feet. Relief all round :). Owner's niece walked her around in the school - she was very stiff, bless her - we got some bute in her and some breakfast and, when I left, she was snoozing in the sun in the field.

It's weird - when it was happening, I was calm as you like - but I just spoke to YO about it, and when I hung up the phone I burst into tears.

No point to the thread really - just unloading. :(.

P
 
It's funny how things happen like that! When Ned escaped and ran home, I was calm as anything. I just got stuff done and didn't cry or panic.
However, when I was home and in bed, I must have cried into my pillow for over an hour! I was shaking and my heart was beating like mad! I didn't get much sleep at all!!

Glad the mare is ok, that must have been so scary!!!
 
Chan said:
It's funny how things happen like that! When Ned escaped and ran home, I was calm as anything. I just got stuff done and didn't cry or panic.
However, when I was home and in bed, I must have cried into my pillow for over an hour! I was shaking and my heart was beating like mad! I didn't get much sleep at all!!

Glad the mare is ok, that must have been so scary!!!
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It was awful, bless her - when she just rolled over/sighed/closed her eyes, I thought she had given up . . . and her poor owner was beside herself too.

I, too, am glad the mare is alright . . . she is such a sweetheart.

P
 
Sheep said:
Poor old girl - hope she is okay now. It's funny how things often don't hit us until after the incident - hope you are feeling okay now.
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Thank you - when I left the yard, she was lying down in the sun (head up) having a snooze. YO's house overlooks her field so she will be keeping an eye on her.

I'll be alright . . . think it was delayed shock.

P
 
Spilletta said:
Not pointless if it helps you get over the shock. Hope the mare is ok, and glad there is some sunshine for her to enjoy today.
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Yes, me too - she needed to be out and able to move about today so how lovely that it is nice and sunny here. We will all be keeping a close eye on her from now on, bless her - I think she's at least 30.

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Horrid when this sort of things happens. I know exactly how you feel - I'm very composed in a horsy crisis, but tend to have a wobble once it's all over and everythings sorted.
 
Be grateful that you are the sort of person who can think sensibly and be practical in that sort of situation. I've seen plenty of people literally screaming and of no use to man or beast. I also found it stood me in good stead when I elected to have my girl PTS. Is there any chance you could calmly talk to your friend about the future options for this poor old mare? My girl was rising 30, her eyesight and hearing was failing and her arthritis was worsening. My biggest fear was that she would lose her footing and fall, or be knocked over by the the other horses, in the mud and meet her end lying exhausted in the cold and wet. Dying in a stable is no better as you have all the problems of removal afterwards. So I jumped before I was pushed. You got away with it this time, next time.... You can't watch them 24hours a day :(
 
Auslander said:
Horrid when this sort of things happens. I know exactly how you feel - I'm very composed in a horsy crisis, but tend to have a wobble once it's all over and everythings sorted.
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TBH, I seem to be like this in any sort of crisis . . . when my (now) 18-year-old daughter needed to be hospitalized when she was two (oxygen tent, intensive care), I was fine and dandy while I was in the hospital with her, but when I went home (two days into her stay) to take a shower I just lost it in the car on my way home. She was out of danger (or I wouldn't have been going home), I was alone, and I just fell apart :(.

Poor wee mare, though.

P
 
When mum fell off and knocked herself unconscious I managed to stay fairly calm and new I had to call for help and shouldn't move her in case of back injury all that stuff, got the horses back to the field once the ambulance found her and then went to my sisters and burst into tears. I think it's once the adrenalin wears off that the tears come.
 
fatpiggy said:
Be grateful that you are the sort of person who can think sensibly and be practical in that sort of situation. I've seen plenty of people literally screaming and of no use to man or beast. I also found it stood me in good stead when I elected to have my girl PTS. Is there any chance you could calmly talk to your friend about the future options for this poor old mare? My girl was rising 30, her eyesight and hearing was failing and her arthritis was worsening. My biggest fear was that she would lose her footing and fall, or be knocked over by the the other horses, in the mud and meet her end lying exhausted in the cold and wet. Dying in a stable is no better as you have all the problems of removal afterwards. So I jumped before I was pushed. You got away with it this time, next time.... You can't watch them 24hours a day :(
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Unfortunately, owner won't even countenance having the mare PTS, so all we can do is keep a close eye on her . . . I can't judge her - if the mare were mine, I'd be making different decisions, but she isn't mine and I'm not in the owner's shoes . . .. I can give the owner suggestions (many of which she has taken), but ultimately the mare is hers.

And, yes, I am aware that this situation is a ticking timebomb. All I can do is keep advising owner, and check the mare whenever I am there . . . I am usually up in the mornings before her, so will now make sure I stick my head over mare's stable door as a matter of course first thing.

Bless her, she's a sweet old girl . . .

P
 
fatpiggy said:
Is there any chance you could calmly talk to your friend about the future options for this poor old mare? My girl was rising 30, her eyesight and hearing was failing and her arthritis was worsening. My biggest fear was that she would lose her footing and fall, or be knocked over by the the other horses, in the mud and meet her end lying exhausted in the cold and wet. Dying in a stable is no better as you have all the problems of removal afterwards. So I jumped before I was pushed. You got away with it this time, next time.... You can't watch them 24hours a day :(
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Agree with this, I knew a horse who had the same problem - not blind but old and weak behind, he got stuck down a couple of times and we managed to get him up, but the decision should have been made then as the final time he was down we tried for several hours to get him up, but he had given up, and looking back it wasn't a nice way for his last hours to have been spent, with people pulling and pushing and trying to get him up, he was exhausted poor thing
 
ridefast said:
When mum fell off and knocked herself unconscious I managed to stay fairly calm and new I had to call for help and shouldn't move her in case of back injury all that stuff, got the horses back to the field once the ambulance found her and then went to my sisters and burst into tears. I think it's once the adrenalin wears off that the tears come.
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I think you're right . . . and once the mare was up and obviously (relatively) alright, I was busy with my own boy so it wasn't until I got home that it really became real - well that and talking to my YO about how great her daughter was (she was - so helpful and grown up - she's only 13).

P
 
Adrenaline keeps you going in that sort of situation, as soon as its over and you flop it hits you!
When my mare got colic badly i was fine/calm all through the transporting her up to the vets, her treatment and helping get her settled into the stables there for the night. It was only after i got in the car to go home i fell apart. She was fine thankfully but its still a highly stressful situation! It takes its toll on you :(
 
TwyfordM said:
Adrenaline keeps you going in that sort of situation, as soon as its over and you flop it hits you!
When my mare got colic badly i was fine/calm all through the transporting her up to the vets, her treatment and helping get her settled into the stables there for the night. It was only after i got in the car to go home i fell apart. She was fine thankfully but its still a highly stressful situation! It takes its toll on you :(
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You've just reminded me of when my boy was in horsepital . . . he was kicked by a fieldmate and required emergency surgery to flush his hock joint . . . the day it happened I had a good friend staying and she was with me overnight and into the next day when we all went to see him at the vet hospital . . . it wasn't until she left and I had to go up to the yard to clear up some stuff and he wasn't there that I lost it . . . funny how these things work, isn't it?

P
 
PolarSkye said:
There's an elderly, blind mare at the farm where we keep Kal . . . she's such a sweetie. This morning her owner found her cast in her stable and asked us to help her get the mare up . . . poor thing (mare) was exhausted . . . heaven knows how long she had been down - at one point she appeared to give up - just laid her sweet head down and closed her eyes :(. However, after propping bales of feed and bedding behind her and using lunge lines and encouragement, we got her to her feet. Relief all round :). Owner's niece walked her around in the school - she was very stiff, bless her - we got some bute in her and some breakfast and, when I left, she was snoozing in the sun in the field.

It's weird - when it was happening, I was calm as you like - but I just spoke to YO about it, and when I hung up the phone I burst into tears.

No point to the thread really - just unloading. :(.

P
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I think that's normal... and well done you. Glad the mare is OK.

I'm the same. Once found friend's horse impaled on a fence. It had done an artery. Was completely calm through getting him sorted and getting emergency vet etc etc... it was only once he'd gone off to horspital that I went to pieces. I think it's just our way of coping.
Hugs to you x
 
Same happened on our yard recently. Old horse got cast in the stable and we couldn't get her up. It really looked like the vet would have to PTS when finally the oldie managed to get up with a lot of people shoving her. Since then, she's been fine. She is much loved and we're so happy that she is still enjoying her retirement.
I'm always calm and practical in a crisis but like the OP, I go into shock afterwards. It's a horrible feeling. So glad the sweet old mare is ok.
 
thats how i 'deal' with emergencies etc too, absolutely fine during the event, totally in control and calm, as soon as it's all over i turn to a wibbly jelly and usually have a cry! When Oh cut the back of his hand with a chainsaw i was fine, drove him to hospital through Bath, which would have me stressing on a normal day, dropped him off at A&E and headed home to collect daughter from friend who had kindly taken her home, got half way down the bypass and had a complete meltdown and had to pull over until i could calm myself!
 
She was right as rain this morning . . . phew! Thought about her all last night and worried - as I'm sure her owner did too. Was lovely to see her on her feet first thing toddling out for a mooch in the field with her friends.

P
 
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