Saturday, August 6, 2011

Wa on walkabout


Yes, that is my mare's eye in the hands of my vet professional.


While having a nice summery day out with my man, 2 wks back on a Sunday, I got "that call"  from the stable owner. I was told, " My mare got lost"...But no, she did not get out, as I thought, she had gotten stuck in the thicket of the out reaches of her field. Scared me half to death as I was unable to make it to the stable under an hour and half,  from where we had jaunted to, in leisure that day. I quickly called my sissy who happened to be in town.

Here's what we know....Some passers by the property fence line on horseback,  saw my mare ensnared in brambles and wedged next to the fence line, kicking and furious with the deer flies and bots that were attacking her. She was unable to move anymore, for the sturdy batch of brambles had cut into her tender skin.( I know, I have found many places with skin ripped up, recently, on her back!)
They the Horseback riders called out to whom ever could hear-"HELLO-HELLO, There is a bay horse stuck in the thicket out here!!" Apparently my PBO had just settled down to bath in the sun and heard them, THANKS GOD!
She came to see and then had to go fetch clippers and gloves and probably iron clad clothing -as when my sis and I walked the parameter  later, trying to reconstruct it all-My PBO had to cut through the thicket to get my poor mare out...it did not look like a path of any sorts!
All that to say, she had something in her eye and the vet had to be called out. My sister rushed to help, I am  thankful was available- though- my PBO would have been a wonderful help as well. My sis is Wa mare's first human mother, having been there for her birth and raising her, she's first on my emergency call list.

I arrived in time for the instructions and to pay the bill..wooo...it's like our  vacation costs-w/o the fun!

Blessings of the timing were,  My PBO being there, my sis being available, I had a very light week that week..and was able to come out several times a day to administer the ointments. My wonderful PBO was great to help out with the evening rounds of applications and Bannemine.  Wa mare, She now has recovered wonderfully so! My vet came by again, 3 days later, to put a special fluorescent liquid into Wa mare's eye. it will show any remaining tears or debris...all clear and practically smooth. WHEW!


THOUGH I had plenty of time to learn......and I am able to do anything with flesh and wounds and such, with my horse(not people)...for the life of me, though given 4-7 times a day to administer the ointment to my mare's eye-  I NEVER WAS ANY GOOD AT IT! I had the darnedest time "pushing" the lids in and down..I ended up smearing most the goo in...effectively creating the "Arabian Show horse" look on one eye...really greasy- shiny and all! Which, made it more difficult for me to get a grip on the lid! She healed all on her own practically...not sure how much help I was! She was an excellent patient too.



She got most the week off and the first time we rode out together, I had her wear her fly mask for the shade effect, her eye looked dilated still to me. She was great,  and so I have been riding  nearly every day since...letting her choose the paths and taking it easy mostly around home.

Here's what I think happened:  while adventurous under saddle, Wa mare NEVER likes to go anywhere that the brush, trees and brambles touch her. If she has no clear vison of the ground,she balks. Having been in this turnout for near 7 months on and off, she would have NEVER entered a thicket on her own- loose. While walking about, I noticed some twine, I inquired..it was for the older grey mare that was set to eat grass that day, on my mare's and Theo's fence line.  In all the time she and Theo have been out there, it is the only change .(aside from red horse of doom a mo ago, and Theo hearded Wa away then too)
 Theo is fiercely possessive of Wa..I really think the close proximity 
of another horse on common fence, made Theo herd Wa around,and she got pushed into getting away from him..into the wooded area...I know she traveled so near the fence she probably got shocked several times and where we found her fly mask ripped off... I am certain of it.
I feel TERRIBLE she had to go through that! So glad it is over for her. I wish my boarding facility had enough room for her to have her own pasture, but alas...and the mare Iwish for her to be with, her owner is too afraid of them becoming too herd bound to each other.


Other news and partially why I have been absent from visiting all my blogger friends-again- Pantz moved to another barn and I have been super -duper busy helping my sister with that.
 Doesn't this photo I captured on my phone, look like a painting?!
 I love to draw and paint..so I am endeavoring this, it inspired me!


 More to come  on Panz's move but - I'll  leave you with a "SMALL WORLD" note...
you know how when you meet someone somewhere, like in another country or state..and they are from your home town you say," it's a  small world"...Well, on Wa' (forced)walkabout
 day when she got herself into a mess...the folks who found her and went for help...are Pantz's new barn owners friends...they told her the story a day later,about how they found a bay mare in the brambles, on their ride!
I am sooo very happy it is a small world!

18 comments:

  1. So glad she's going to be OK - that's very scary!

    Beautiful picture of Pantz!

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  2. Yikes - horse emergencies everywhere!

    SO glad for Wa that your sis and BO were there to help, as well as the small world friends. Thank goodness she's okay. Eye injuries are nothing to mess around with...

    That photo is stunning K - worthy of framing and further creativity :)

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  3. poor wa:( glad she is doing better. We had a similiar small world experience with our horses like that. One day AJ and his Arab buddy broke free and were running alongside a very busy road. A couple years later we became friends with one of the ladies that turns out grabbed my horses and held them until my mom made it out to take them in!

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  4. Mee too Kate..so breathing a sigh of relief and THANKS..Pantz actually seems to pose for shots!

    C~ I know...I was thinking that too, as I read about Val today...sometimes they happen out of nowhere. Pantz is so pretty, she makes me smile!

    Sasha~ WOW...very small world. Neat -o you got to become friends!

    I did that for someone's horse once too...I now carry a halter and rope in my truck...as the day I found a loose horse grazing by the roadside..I had a breatcollar and that was it!

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  5. welcome to my life!*LOL*

    it's virtually impossible to get the eye open again once you've smeared the outside, hehehe, as you found out. i would take a towel and wipe it away and start over, and i ended up wasting a lot; (

    i'm glad her eye is better.

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  6. OOoohhhh my goodness poor Wa mare. SO glad she is OK....but how scary for you to hear of her distress and be so far.
    Love the photo of your sissy's mare. WOuld make a great painting!!!!

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  7. Whew! that mare of yours sure does get herself into some situations! Glad she's going to be ok, the recovery seems much faster then the others.

    Small world indeed!!

    I hope your sis and pantz are happier at the new place =)

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  8. Poor Wa. She must have been so scared. I'm glad she's all healed and you're both out riding enjoying the scenery.

    Small world indeed. So interesting that the new barn folks are the ones that found her. Love that picture of Pantz, you've definitely got to paint that. Or at least blow it up and frame it. Perfect picture.

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  9. Glad she is gonna be ok! Bet that was scary, 7 years ago, when I had just bought Gracie, she got caught in some old discarded rolls of Barbed wire.
    I couldnt find her for some time, as the field was a huge thing!
    Anyway, we did and she was ripped to shreds! but she let me get her out!!

    then it took somer time for her wounds to heal. I was beside myself.

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  10. Glad that mare is ok. It's good there was people riding by....less damage when somebody notices.That pic from your phone is gorgeous and you are right it does look like a painting....a very good one.Why is your sis moving, will you still be close enough to ride together?

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  11. Lytha~ I so thought of you when this happened!! Others can administer the ointments so easily..I find it too diffiult to PRESS HARD on an eyeball! I feel for you...now that I know how difficult is is from experiece! You are a saint!

    Sally~
    I was very distressed and since have had to go to the massage and Chiro for HUGE knotts in my shoulders- for driving like a maniac to get to the stable for 2 hours! It is such a miricle that she is intact...so glad she did not kick through the fenceline for the 60+ bott eggs I found =on one leg alone!


    Jen~
    Most all the injury incidents WE have had are stable manegment issues(either doing something they shouldn't or not doing something, they should) I am afraid... the horses,they are captives of our world with thier worlds rules. Mine is a social butterfly, and when she is with another horse that is dominant and possesive(Pantz is too of her) she will get hurt without a "BUFFER FENCELINE".She loves to meet and greet!
    It is really a simple rule to follow but sometimes humans think...oh they will take care of themselves or they would not be that stupid...well ==NEWS FLASH==they are the stupid animals and WE are the SMART humans!
    I have had this kind of costly mistake, several times boarding.
    I would have been such an over protective mother had I had kids...I think around the blind corners!

    My sister will be happier with someone that knows horses!! My other freind that she boarded with ( I moved away from last Sept)got so tired of it, she just left her out all the time, with no cover whatsoever... even through some of the storms we had been having..she lost tons of wieght and already now, has begun to gain with consitancey of the new place..whew..when people -get lazy- they become negligent with care.

    Arlene~ YES...she has been so freaked out ...not wanting to go that direction at all. We have trail ridden, new directions since the incident. She assocoates the fence shocks with that direction now, I think. She'll get over it soon...the other direction we ride- is more work!

    Oh Cheyenne, that sounds horrible, totally terrible for Gracie!! They become numb to moving after awhile, I think. The pain is so bad for them...I found so many Bott eggs on my mares legs...she, must have been traumatised to allow so many !

    Does Gracie have many permanent scars?

    JANICE~
    Yes...I am so happy that she got found so quickly...would have been near dark( like 5 hours time from then) when they brought in..she would have been discovered.
    She, thanks to God, will be just fine!
    My siter HAD to move...the gal she boarded with had rented the entire property out, to someone else, and Quit boarding altogether.
    She had been care-negligent for some time, hense my move the fall before.
    She was there when I needed a place to land, and thought she'd make a go of boarding..but hated the work...it showed. All involved, will be much happier now!

    Yes on the riding, she still comes and rides with me and I am able to go over for lessons with my sister now, in the outdoor sand arena. Win-win! Wa will be able to go over and stay there too, when the owner goes on endurance rides, taking both horses.

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  12. You are very lucky things weren't worse! I've had similar "fun" with eye ointment--it does get easier with practice, but it's no fun for anyone.

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  13. Oh, poor Wa! Hugs, kisses and carrots to your sweet girl. Thank God she was smart and didn't panic.

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  14. Poor Wa mare! That must have been awful. How lucky those people came by when they did.

    I agree with you on the Pants picture- you should definitely paint that!

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  15. Sorry to hear this has happened, your poor mare, but I am very glad to hear she’s going to be alright. I really do know what you mean about it being a small world. Yes that last photo does look like a painting, and a very nice one at that, good shot.
    Regards
    Edward

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  16. Poor Wa! So glad she's recovered completely. Hugs to you both.

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  17. Good news about Wa, and a GREAT photo of Pantz.

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  18. Kacy...you & Wa seem to be doing well.I am happy you guys still are together.Miss you girl

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