My Grey Mare is not a sore and sorry sort of horse; unlike my sister’s thoroughbreds, who have a habit of hopping on three legs if they suffer the indignity of a scratch, the grey girl grins and bears it. So, when something is wrong, I fly into full panicking mother mode.
Initially, we thought her lameness was due to a poison foot. She was dually poulticed on Saturday and Sunday to draw out it out. The farrier came on Monday to probe for the pus. There was none. Suddenly the confidence of certainty disappeared and the butterflies stirred in the pit of my stomach.
“Never mind,” I thought, “the vet is coming to the yard to see some other horses.” I booked the afternoon off work and rang the surgery. Apparently the vet was “too busy” to look at her, the receptionist informed me. She would book me in for Friday instead. This didn’t help my mood. I tackled the vet (who, incidentally is a lovely person and a damn fine horse vet) when she arrived. “I’d hate to think,” I said, “of her suffering until Friday.” The vet agreed this wasn’t an ideal state of affairs and promised to look at her if she had time. Fortunately, she had time.
The poor Grey Mare has a bruised sole and has been prescribed three days of box rest and a course of anti-inflammatory powders, which are mixed into her dinner. For a greedy horse, she is very fussy and is very suspicious of the tiny yellow granules added to her food. However, she eats it if I feed her by hand.
Initially, we thought her lameness was due to a poison foot. She was dually poulticed on Saturday and Sunday to draw out it out. The farrier came on Monday to probe for the pus. There was none. Suddenly the confidence of certainty disappeared and the butterflies stirred in the pit of my stomach.
“Never mind,” I thought, “the vet is coming to the yard to see some other horses.” I booked the afternoon off work and rang the surgery. Apparently the vet was “too busy” to look at her, the receptionist informed me. She would book me in for Friday instead. This didn’t help my mood. I tackled the vet (who, incidentally is a lovely person and a damn fine horse vet) when she arrived. “I’d hate to think,” I said, “of her suffering until Friday.” The vet agreed this wasn’t an ideal state of affairs and promised to look at her if she had time. Fortunately, she had time.
The poor Grey Mare has a bruised sole and has been prescribed three days of box rest and a course of anti-inflammatory powders, which are mixed into her dinner. For a greedy horse, she is very fussy and is very suspicious of the tiny yellow granules added to her food. However, she eats it if I feed her by hand.
She is also very upset at being confined to barracks rather than being out in the field with her mates. Consequently, she is very pleased when I arrive. She mugs me for sweeties, insists I scratch her itchy bits and makes me feel incredibly guilty by refusing to eat her hay when I am there. I am told she settles down to munch when I have gone. She is bright as a button in herself, but I can’t help fretting. I love that little horse.
22 comments:
Sorry to hear little Grey Mare is confined to barracks...hope she gets better soon. Rather a coincidence as I blogged today about our horse whinnying as I approach with carrots and Polos at the ready...and I had a little (tiny) grey pony when I was 'ickle...best of luck!
Gosh, 3 days of box rest, being fed by hand, and having ones itchy bits scratched by a young lady... I wish I had such treatment when I was ill..
Seriously, I hope the grey mare is back in fine fettle and able to run around with her chums soon - it sounds as though you are giving her plenty of tlc so I'm sure that she will be on the road to recovery in no time at all..
Best wishes for speedy recovery.
It's tough being a mother.
Always more worrying when sturdy horse is ill because then you know something is up. My thoroughbred could go lame just walking out of the box and grew so used to having his hooves etc examined that should I dare to glance down at them he would offer one up for immediate inspection!
Give her a scratch from me. Here's to a speedy recovery.
oh poor thing! I hope she gets well soon. Don't get too stressed youself worrying about her though.
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you really do love her don't you M&M. Hope she's well soon
Polo mints winging their way virtually to the Grey Mare - here's to getting better very quickly.
Sorry to hear that. I'm not an equine expert and I thought that horses had souls, not soles.
Consider this a virtual 'get well soon' card. Hope she - and you - are back in fine fettle soon.
How do you get a bruised sole? (Maybe I should click the link to find out...duh!)
Hope the grey mare is on the mend.
Thanks for mentioning sloes - we collected blackberries last weekend, and the mental jolt might just get me out looking for sloes this weekend. Jen's away at a conference in Elgin from Friday to Monday, so I'll have some time to fill. And I do so like sloe gin & tonic!
Poor Grey Mare xx give her hug from me....sending vibes for a speedy recovery
NMO x
ow!
poor baby, hope she recovers quickly.
How worrying for you, and rotten for Grey Mare. How she is better soon. There's nothing quite like the reproachful look of a poorly animal for making you feel really bad too, so all the very best to both of you.
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and good wishes.
The mother tells me I can go home to my field tomorrow. I hope so - I really am not fond of this hay she's got for me!
Hope she is getting better. I am struck again by how like a child she is! All that refusing to eat, and being fine as soon as you've gone, exactly like a child! In fact for a minute she sounded a bit like a man when she insisted on being hand-fed...
Pigx
Hope she's better soon. I'm sure she's enjoying the sweets and scratching, lucky girl.
Well, I turned her out about 6 this morning. At first she didn't realise she was on her way to freedom so walked politely beside me. Then she did and we bounced a bit down the fields to hers. She didn't drag me down though (another reason why I find Connemara xs preferable to thoroughbreds ...)
She did a bit of showboating in front of her boyfs, a wonderful floaty extended trot ('See mum, I can do dressage') then settled down to graze.
I was afraid she wouldn't speak to me when I took her tea and medication tonight, but she came straight over.
Pig, you're so right, she's my wee girl. I do think horses are like giant toddlers!
Thankyou for your good wishes Marianne.
these thoroughbreds are a curious breed M&M. A friend of mine drove into a field to load up on manure at a local stables and while he was off chatting the horses ate his car, or at least chewed the wing mirror and left teeth marks on the bonnet. Don't believe what you hear abut horses being vegtarian...
Hope things have gone well today too.
I am very relieved to hear that it is something treatable, as you have made her dear to us as well. Here's to her being out in the pasture soon!
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