Annagain
Well-Known Member
OH and I had this week off so, even though the horses aren’t out 24/7 yet, we decided to go away for a few days (I never go for more than one night when they’re in) leaving my sharer in charge. We went to Cornwall on Sunday and were due to be away until tomorrow.
Last night, my sharer phoned, Archie came in from the field, a bucket of sweat (she said he looked like he’d run the Grand National) upset, with a cut eye and didn’t want to eat. He was pooing ok and happy to walk so she didn’t think it was colic but when she FaceTimed me so I could see him, I knew straight away he needed a vet (she did too but it had to be my call). I started heading home straight away, phoning the vet as OH drove. Two M5 closures and lengthy diversions made a mockery of my “it’s late, the roads are quiet, we’ll be there in 3 hours.” Just when you need it to be easy, it never is!
The vet was there within an hour. Luckily, Archie didn’t have colic but had got himself in a proper state, was severely dehydrated from all the sweat and his eye needed stitching. He also has a large but superficial graze on the outside of his front leg on the same side as the cut eye. The vet thinks he either cut his eye then panicked, or something panicked him and he cut his eye in the ensuing hysteria. Either way, it was a very extreme reaction for a normally very chilled horse. He was sedated for the stitches and was tubed to get some electrolytes into him. The vet left about 30 mins before I arrived at 11.30pm.
I stayed with him until 1, and was back there at 6.30 this morning. He’s ok but exhausted today and a bit stiff after all the galloping about he did. He’s eating his hay but not his hard feed so I’ve syringed his antibiotics into him but he hasn’t touched his danilon (he has one daily anyway no it’s not the Danilon putting him off) The vet has done an amazing job of stitching it, you can barely see the wound. We kept the other horses in and he went out with his fellow oldie for a few hours rest as he lies down to sleep in the field but not the stable. I’ve got him in again now so the other horses can get some time out and he’s tucking into his hay again. He looks brighter again after a bit of field time.
My sharer (she shares Wig but looks after Arch if I’m away) and my friend (who has a love hate relationship with Archie) were amazing, dealing with the vet and staying with him until I arrived. I feel terrible that they had to though. I don’t think I ever want to go away and leave them again. Being 3 hours away and thinking I was going to lose him before I could get there was horrible.
This winter’s been so bad, I keep telling myself if I can just get him to Spring we’ll be ok and he can have one last lovely summer. We’ve almost made it, then he goes and does this!
Last night, my sharer phoned, Archie came in from the field, a bucket of sweat (she said he looked like he’d run the Grand National) upset, with a cut eye and didn’t want to eat. He was pooing ok and happy to walk so she didn’t think it was colic but when she FaceTimed me so I could see him, I knew straight away he needed a vet (she did too but it had to be my call). I started heading home straight away, phoning the vet as OH drove. Two M5 closures and lengthy diversions made a mockery of my “it’s late, the roads are quiet, we’ll be there in 3 hours.” Just when you need it to be easy, it never is!
The vet was there within an hour. Luckily, Archie didn’t have colic but had got himself in a proper state, was severely dehydrated from all the sweat and his eye needed stitching. He also has a large but superficial graze on the outside of his front leg on the same side as the cut eye. The vet thinks he either cut his eye then panicked, or something panicked him and he cut his eye in the ensuing hysteria. Either way, it was a very extreme reaction for a normally very chilled horse. He was sedated for the stitches and was tubed to get some electrolytes into him. The vet left about 30 mins before I arrived at 11.30pm.
I stayed with him until 1, and was back there at 6.30 this morning. He’s ok but exhausted today and a bit stiff after all the galloping about he did. He’s eating his hay but not his hard feed so I’ve syringed his antibiotics into him but he hasn’t touched his danilon (he has one daily anyway no it’s not the Danilon putting him off) The vet has done an amazing job of stitching it, you can barely see the wound. We kept the other horses in and he went out with his fellow oldie for a few hours rest as he lies down to sleep in the field but not the stable. I’ve got him in again now so the other horses can get some time out and he’s tucking into his hay again. He looks brighter again after a bit of field time.
My sharer (she shares Wig but looks after Arch if I’m away) and my friend (who has a love hate relationship with Archie) were amazing, dealing with the vet and staying with him until I arrived. I feel terrible that they had to though. I don’t think I ever want to go away and leave them again. Being 3 hours away and thinking I was going to lose him before I could get there was horrible.
This winter’s been so bad, I keep telling myself if I can just get him to Spring we’ll be ok and he can have one last lovely summer. We’ve almost made it, then he goes and does this!
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I think your sharer handle things perfectly, but agree nothing makes up for being their yourself does it no matter how much you tell yourself it could have happened when you were there or not. I hope he heals up nicely and you can stop worrying about him. My oldies have always been the ones I worry about most but my biggest vet bills have also always been with the younger horses! Why do we do this?
