Life Dares to Interfere with My Dream

Life just can't seem to figure out that I have a plan I am supposed to be following. Every time I think I am actually going to get where I need to be, life has to step in and throw me another curve ball. Sometimes they're big ones and some times not so much, but either way it takes up my time and puts me off course.

I'm supposed to be at the barn right now working those six horses. I am trying to get them broke enough they are ready to show so I can get some sold. Instead I am sitting at this computer, killing time because life has pitched me a fast ball this time so instead of posting about riding my Arabian horse into a corner, I'm posting about life's complications.

Before I'd even gotten dressed this morning, Lindsay called me out to the barn. A yearling colt, Scandalous Patriot, was caste in his stall. Lindsay couldn't get him turned on her own. (Patriot's story begins here Foal Watch with a Very Sneaky Arabian Mare)

I grabbed a coat and slipped on my shoes heading out to the barn. Looking in the stall, the horse was wedged up into the corner but clearly not caste. I questioned Lindsay because with her brain damage I couldn't be sure if she had misread what she saw or the horse had moved.

She peeked through the door and told me the colt had moved since she'd seen him and come for me. He'd been on the other wall with his legs pushed up tight against the boards.

I don't know if it's because I'm still tired from the horse show but I was kind of befuddled looking at this horse. He had an odd look about him. Something I thought I should recognize but it just didn't click. I got him up from the floor and took him outside to walk a bit.

The horse was sweating just a little. He was also a mess, covered with shavings, urine and manure. His mane was looking matted. Nothing unusual for a horse that had been caste but I had seen this look before with another caste horse. That horse had died from colic.

I wanted a better frame of reference for how this horse was feeling. I took Patriot out of the stall and walked him for just a bit so I could observe his behavior.

The horse's eye was kind of dazed looking. His movement was lethargic at best. His head was hung low and he wasn't responsive to my requests for him to pick up the pace. None of these were good signs.

I put the horse back into his stall and headed for the house to get dressed. Before I even finished getting my clothes on Lindsay was back in the house telling me the horse was now rolling.

The cloud cleared from my brain. I was now certain I was dealing with a colic. I instructed Lindsay to get a halter on the horse and get him up and walking. I'd be out as soon as I was fully dressed. I immediately called the vet only to get the answering service. I found myself waiting for a call back which always makes me crazy.

In the meantime I checked for gut sounds and found none. I couldn't help but have my mind race back to that other horse. It had been my son's pony, Sparkle Plenty. Despite our best efforts to save her, we lost her that day. I could only imagine how Lindsay was going to feel if we lost this horse today. He is one of Aana's foals and they all have Lindsay's heart.

When the vet did call back, he was an hour away from my farm. Any of my available substitutes were just as far. There was nothing I could do but keep walking the horse and hope and pray a vet could arrive in time to help this horse.

While I had Jack on the phone I asked about giving Banamine only to find out I needed the injectable kind. Because the stomach was shut down, the oral version would not be useful. I had never heard that before or injectible Banamine would be stocked in my emergency kit.

I did go ahead and give the horse an oral dose just in case the stomach was not totally shut down. I'm pretty sure it was more to make me feel like I was doing something than it helped the horse. The only changes I saw in his behavior as I walked him around the yard was him trying to lay down. Things were definitely getting worse.

In the middle of this walking and waiting for the vet, my cell phone was ringing off the hook. I heard from Rhythm's mommy and really wanted to talk with her only to be interrupted by the vet. There was no way I could pass up the vet's call, I knew I had a colt in big trouble, so I switched over to talk with him only to find B gone when I switched back.

The vet was on his way and none too soon. The colt's condition was deteriorating rapidly. I tried to call B back and left a message only to have it returned by her Dad. He called me back shortly before the vet arrived so I still haven't been able to really speak with him.

Emotionally I was falling apart fast with fear for Patriot and for the dream involving the red horse from Massachusetts. I want so much to save them both but am pretty sure that things are out of my hands. I know with all of my heart and soul these are both talented athletic horses. Not being able to "fix" things for either of them is really tough.

To be continued...........

Part 2


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