luv4chance
09-25-2009, 10:26 AM
About a week or so ago, my husband called me while I was off on a horseback riding trip..told me Charlie got inside the hayring and he had to get him out of it. NOTE: Charlie is my stepdaughter's horse....
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x119/Kyhorsemom69/psc22.jpg
One side of the hayring's leg had rusted out and broken off, which makes the hayring tip to one side. That particular side is about a foot less taller b/c of this. When the horse eat down the hay enough, Charlie got this bright idea that he wud put both front feet in there, & get to the good hay in the middle.
Wednesday, while I'm outside, I see that Charlie is AGAIN 1/2 in the hay ring 1/2 out. I jumped in the middle of the hay ring, push on his nose, tap on his chest and tell him back. Within a few seconds, he takes a couple steps backwards, rears up enough to get his front feet out of the hayring and off he goes. No big deal, right?
Yesterday (which was Thursday)... I wake up & guess where Charlie is? I didn't feed yesterday morning b/c it was raining cats and dogs. I thought, "I'll feed them when I get home." I get ready for work and as I back my truck out of the driveway, I notice that Charlie is STILL in the hayring. I thought, "You goober....you got yourself in there, you can get yourself out."
NOTE TO SELF: They don't think that way...
At 4:45pm yesterday afternoon, I call my husband (he gets home b4 I do) and asks him, "Is Charlie still in the hay ring?" He said, "Yup."
I get home, jump in the hayring, tell Charlie "BACK!!" He doesn't move....which is very UNLIKE him. Even though he's a turd to all the other horses, he listens to me on the ground. I kept pushing him, tell him back. Then I noticed he was only moving 3 legs and not his back left leg. I'm thinking "It's stuck in something." I move all the hay, dirt and mud away from his leg, and there's nothing holding his leg down. I try picking it up and he wudn't give it to me. I'm beginning to panic then...thinking the worse... ."Did he get it stuck while we were at work? Is it broke? Fractured?" Finally, my husband comes out and he tips the hayring on it's side....Charlie finally stumbles over the side and get out of the ring. After he's free of the hay ring, he walks off and he's DRAGGING that leg and his pastern is turned behind him. I'm loosing it, virge of tears and more panic. That leg is stiff and he has no use of it at all. But there is no visible signs of swelling in any of his leg.
I run to the phone, call my vet. He makes me even MORE upset telling me he cud have bruising, temp paralysis for days, possibly nerve damage, etc etc. Within 5 minutes, Doc was @ my house. (I happened to call him when he was on his way home and his way home is pass the road I live on) He checks out Charlie.... tells me that Charlie and I got off really really lucky. He expected ALOT worse; and even though Charlie did have temp paralysis, he felt like it will be Ok within 4-5 hours, once the feeling comes back in his leg. He gave him a shot of BUTE and a steriod. I checked on Charlie b4 I went to bed, he had moved around in the horse lot and was standing on his hoof, instead of the pastern joint.
This morning, Charlie was moving around like normal...no limping, swelling or problems. (sigh).
We all see our horses everyday, and take them for granted that they're going to be there when we wake up, when we come home from work and they're all going to be fit and healthy. Until something like this happens, when you're thinking the worse..... we don't ever realize how important these magnificent creatures are. You then realize just how important they are to you and how much part of their life is YOUR LIFE!!!!
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x119/Kyhorsemom69/psc22.jpg
One side of the hayring's leg had rusted out and broken off, which makes the hayring tip to one side. That particular side is about a foot less taller b/c of this. When the horse eat down the hay enough, Charlie got this bright idea that he wud put both front feet in there, & get to the good hay in the middle.
Wednesday, while I'm outside, I see that Charlie is AGAIN 1/2 in the hay ring 1/2 out. I jumped in the middle of the hay ring, push on his nose, tap on his chest and tell him back. Within a few seconds, he takes a couple steps backwards, rears up enough to get his front feet out of the hayring and off he goes. No big deal, right?
Yesterday (which was Thursday)... I wake up & guess where Charlie is? I didn't feed yesterday morning b/c it was raining cats and dogs. I thought, "I'll feed them when I get home." I get ready for work and as I back my truck out of the driveway, I notice that Charlie is STILL in the hayring. I thought, "You goober....you got yourself in there, you can get yourself out."
NOTE TO SELF: They don't think that way...
At 4:45pm yesterday afternoon, I call my husband (he gets home b4 I do) and asks him, "Is Charlie still in the hay ring?" He said, "Yup."
I get home, jump in the hayring, tell Charlie "BACK!!" He doesn't move....which is very UNLIKE him. Even though he's a turd to all the other horses, he listens to me on the ground. I kept pushing him, tell him back. Then I noticed he was only moving 3 legs and not his back left leg. I'm thinking "It's stuck in something." I move all the hay, dirt and mud away from his leg, and there's nothing holding his leg down. I try picking it up and he wudn't give it to me. I'm beginning to panic then...thinking the worse... ."Did he get it stuck while we were at work? Is it broke? Fractured?" Finally, my husband comes out and he tips the hayring on it's side....Charlie finally stumbles over the side and get out of the ring. After he's free of the hay ring, he walks off and he's DRAGGING that leg and his pastern is turned behind him. I'm loosing it, virge of tears and more panic. That leg is stiff and he has no use of it at all. But there is no visible signs of swelling in any of his leg.
I run to the phone, call my vet. He makes me even MORE upset telling me he cud have bruising, temp paralysis for days, possibly nerve damage, etc etc. Within 5 minutes, Doc was @ my house. (I happened to call him when he was on his way home and his way home is pass the road I live on) He checks out Charlie.... tells me that Charlie and I got off really really lucky. He expected ALOT worse; and even though Charlie did have temp paralysis, he felt like it will be Ok within 4-5 hours, once the feeling comes back in his leg. He gave him a shot of BUTE and a steriod. I checked on Charlie b4 I went to bed, he had moved around in the horse lot and was standing on his hoof, instead of the pastern joint.
This morning, Charlie was moving around like normal...no limping, swelling or problems. (sigh).
We all see our horses everyday, and take them for granted that they're going to be there when we wake up, when we come home from work and they're all going to be fit and healthy. Until something like this happens, when you're thinking the worse..... we don't ever realize how important these magnificent creatures are. You then realize just how important they are to you and how much part of their life is YOUR LIFE!!!!