This warrants more explanation:

• We have crossed this bridge multiple times:
• As a group of seven in my post, Trail. Hell.
• With OR, Bene-Fiber-Ficial.
• And with OR and TE, At the Starting Gate.

With OR.

• It was approximately a mile and a half back to the barn.  I hand-walked him for a little while until I was sure that he was sound and the excitement of having something collapse beneath you had passed.
• I dismounted again when it came time to cross the major street and proceeded to hand walk him until we had passed all the muddy areas and were back on flat, solid land.
• When I was untacking him and checking him over, I noticed the blood.  It was probably a dime-size-ish and a scrape, not a puncture.  Archie got completely cleaned up and given a little bute for the ordeal.  He also got the next day off.

First notice, while untacking.

After cleaning up a bit.

And prettier, happier photos:

Remember when I said that work sucked, but it was going to get better?  Well, there was a period of about two weeks in which it was sorta-better, but then it got bad again.  This second round, I refused to step up like I had the prior, so while I'm affected, I'm not as fucked as I had been.  Radio silence.

Farrier came by yesterday and tacked the shoe back on.  Pleasantly, I wasn't charged for the process!  (He's never charged me before, but has different standards when I'm not boarding with an elected official?)

I ran by my house to pick up my SmartPak, chock full of goodies, only to then leave it sitting on the freezer when I headed to the barn.

But, we rode!  I actually consider this the first real ride since his colic episode.  Walk, trot and canter.  And a little meander in another pasture, which necessitated going through a gross puddle twice.

Dirty pony.

Here's to tomorrow being Friday and that much closer to the effing weekend.

After going through the HOLY SHIT MY HORSE IS DYING episode last week, I was hoping that this weekend would be a return to normalcy.  Or something.  Spoiler:  it wasn't.

I went out to the barn on Friday after work.  In theory, I could have started riding Archie.  Exercise is good for gut function (as any person trying to jog with a dog will attest to).  Except we were in the midst of a monsoon.

So... normally there isn't a creek running next to those trees.

As always, I was ill-prepared for the weather and was just wearing jeans and my tennis shoes with a somewhat water-repellent jacket.  I went down to the pasture to get Archie and he immediately trotted up to me with a get-me-the-fuck-out-of-here expression.  Poor dude was shivering, even though the temps were actually upper fifties/lower sixties.  I brought him into the aisle and threw a cooler on him, then went back and grabbed TE's pony so he could warm up and dry off some, too.

Cold, unhappy pony.

The misfortune to this is that I waded through mid-calf water.  In my tennis shoes.  And jeans.

After the ponies were warmed up, I turned TE's horse back out with a sheet on and kept Archie in to feed.  Then he too went back out into the monsoon with clothes on.

So, Saturday, right?  Maybe?  Nope, nope, nope.  I stopped by the barn long enough to shove carrots into his face and toss his sheet back on for the night.  It was still gross out.  I did get to spent $85 at Tractor Supply on exciting things like SandClear and Cocosoya Oil and rubber boots (hey, OR, I'm gonna be copying you!).

Sorta like this.  But navy.  And the horses are running, I think.

You know, after having spent $120 on SmartPak stuff.  Like the actual packs, some electrolyte paste, some ShowSmart paste, and fly spray.

Sunday.  Yes.  Please.

Donning my brand-new rubber boots, I waded through the remnants of a puddle to grab my pony.  Even if he weren't relatively easy to catch, he's got to be conditioned by now to want to see me, since lately I've just been doting on him and shoving food in his face.

And I noticed almost immediately that the bastard threw a shoe.

I still tacked him up because the ground was all sorts of water-logged mushiness, so I figured it be pretty comfortable to ride on for him.  BM offered to text the farrier for me, which I accepted because she's got a better relationship with him.  Mounted (to screaming butt muscles - new max on the squat rack!  225!) and meandered on to the arena.  It was a quick 25 minute ride with a shit ton of walking and just a little bit of trotting.  And no canter.

After untacking and cooling him, I took a moment to wash his legs in antibacterial/antifungal shampoo.  I just figure that it's good preventative for all the mud and water lately.  Then all his fly gear went back on, he got his first serving of beet pulp in almost a week, and back out into the pasture he went.  I devoted some time to walking the pasture in an S pattern before I found the perfect little shoe.  Here's hoping the farrier will actually come by and reattach it before he's due for his next shoeing in two weeks.

I'm fortunate in that I don't remember a lot of the time when Archie was anhydrotic.  (Score one for head injuries!)  I go back to this a lot, but every other ailment the Kid has had is minor in comparison.

So I've forgotten how emotionally draining going through something like this is.

And how can you be physically strong when you're emotionally empty?  I said I took a nap Wednesday and naps aren't uncommon for me.  I love to sleep.  However, I'm super freaking particular about the conditions in which I fall asleep.  Wednesday?  Threw all that shit out the window and slept like the dead in conditions I would have never tolerated otherwise.  (Blankets, temperature, clothing, dogs, light and sound all have to be just right.)

While watching Archie eat Wednesday, I made plans for dinner with the hubs.  It's fortunate that we settled everything in advance because my iPhone shut off at 29% battery life.  Ate, got home at about nine, in bed by about 10:30.  Up at 5:30 and headed towards the barn at 6.

It was still dark when I got there, so I pulled my little car up to Archie's stall.  Grabbed his food from the feed room to the chorus of barking dogs, added hot water and started writing checks for the stall usage and banamine from the snafu while it absorbed and cooled.

I checked the stall floor for piles and found two new ones.  I was a bit more disappointed when I checked his water buckets, as they didn't appear to have been touched.

Orange Gatorade mixed with Lemon-Lime Gatorade and watered down appears to be the winner.

He dove into his food at about the time that BM came to feed everyone else.  I stood in his stall and watched him eat.  Then the other horses started getting turned out.  And Archie stopped eating.  I texted the vet because he never finished his breakfast and the whole lack-of-drinking concerned me.  The vet advised turning him out, in hopes that he would be more likely to drink from his regular water trough.


So.. I did.  I walked him to the water trough and he did take a little sip.  And then started munching grass, saying hello to his buddies, munching more grass, rolling and trotting off to say hello to the ladies.

Meanwhile, Mom has a complete brainfart at work and gets to wear her bright blue Pumas with her dress slacks all day.

Back to the barn after work!

I made a few stops on my way and feel like this is a good place to offer some clarification.  I didn't take anything personally, of course, but I don't want anyone to ever think that I don't do as much preventative care as I possibly can.  Bubble wrapping in Georgia just isn't feasible.

Not once during his visit did my vet mention electrolytes, probiotics or salt.

And I think my vet is the shit.

Archie is pasture boarded in the deep south.  Spring has sprung.  Grass is growing.  This is something I didn't know, but when discussing the inner workings of my horse's fecal matter, the vet educated me.  New grass should have sufficient water content to carry it through the system.  I shouldn't need to do anything additional.

But will I?

Of course.  Because I'm fucking human and it makes me feel better.

So on my way to the barn last night, I picked up another half gallon of Gatorade and some coarse sea salt.  He'll get a tablespoon twice a day until his electrolytes come in.  I normally start his electrolytes at the same time in the year when I increase his OneAC and start giving him beer - when the weather regularly hits above 90º.  And Dude has been on probiotics for years.  He gets the nervous poops.

Nom nom nom.

I encountered the BM on my way to the pasture.  She didn't have a lot of happy news, saying that he hadn't appeared to have done much other than graze.  Here, we think again about new grass.

So I went over all the vitals again, checking his gut sounds on both sides, his respiration, CRT and pulse - all WNL.  Pony's whole disposition appeared to have brightened considerably from the day prior.

I added the tablespoon of salt and a splash of Gatorade and soaked his dinner again.  And he ate it all.  :)

Then I turned him back out, watched him take a long drink from the water trough (that's my boy!), and long pee.  So far, no news from the BM, which is good news.  I'll go visit him again tonight.

In humans, it's cancer.

In horses, it's colic.

I got that dreaded text at 7:30 this morning.  I was in the midst of dressing for work.  And after a week or two of beautiful Georgia weather, the night had plummeted to the 40s.  Archie had gone out in a sheet for the night, but the weather had been gross the day before.

I texted my boss that I was going to be a couple hours late.  Headed towards the barn.  Completely ill-prepared for the 46 degree weather.

BM offered to pull Archie from the pasture since there was a giant puddle blocking the route.  And, as I said, so completely ill-prepared.  I could tell just as she walked him up that he wasn't feeling well.  The other two geldings were grazing, walking around, and my boy just stood there, stock still and head not quite up and not quite down.

Walking him to the cross ties, I did the initial checks.  Gum color, capillary refill time, abdominal guarding, skin turgor test.  On all things, he looked okay.  I went to get a temperature on him and found that my thermometer was completely dead.  Derp.  BM loaned me hers and I found that Archie had the slightest temperature at 101.5.  BM showed me his feed bucket and when I held it up to him, he ignored it.

That is not my horse.


I called the vet a minute after they opened and requested that my vet come out.  In the eight years that I've owned Archie, he has never missed a meal.  The office called me back an hour and a half later and said that the vet was in a procedure another hour and a half away.  They said that he would get to me, but not sure when.  They advised giving banamine.  I called work again and told them that I probably wouldn't be coming in.  And then Archie laid down again, on the lead line.  Cue minor breakdown.

I texted BM about the banamine and she met me and gave me some.  I used to have it, but it expired and, since I never used it, I figured I never would.  There's my adage, biting me in the butt:  if you have it, you won't need it.  If you need it, you won't have it.  A quick IV injection (still have skills!) and more walking.

Vet got there at about 12:30.  By this time, Archie was interested in grazing and finally had loud gut sounds, but he still hadn't had a bowel movement.  Vet listened to about eight different places around his gut, took his temperature and checked his gums.  He said Archie didn't appear that dehydrated and seemed like he was in good condition.  I stressed that my horse had never missed a meal.  Also, he's a pooper.

He gloved up and did a rectal exam.  Archie had a lot of manure piled up, but it was dry.  The vet asked if there was hay in the pasture, but it'd been pulled when the grass popped up.  The reason he asked was because he said that the manure looked like winter manure.  He said that he felt that the dry poop wasn't moving through the system like it should.  So, he cleaned out all the poop and then sedated Archie.  A quick nasal tube and two gallons of water later, I had a "fixed" horse.

I asked what caused it, at what point I needed to worry, and when we investigate further.  I mean, worry more than I already was.  The dramatic 40-degree shift in weather probably led him to not drink as much yesterday and last night.  The manure dried out, stopped flowing well, started hurting, and eating became a second priority to alleviating the pain in his abdomen.  He said every horse gets a painful gut at some point.  We only start to look for more causes when it happens again.  I almost asked about doing bloodwork, but I figure this little visit is already going to hurt my checkbook.

You're leaving me?

He hung out in a stall for the rest of the day with just water.  I went home at about 2:00 pm, ate lunch, started this post and took a quick power nap.  Then I was back out at the barn at about 5:00 pm.

In the three hours that I was gone, he pooped and took a nap.

Per the vet, he got a portion of his regular dinner, soaked.  I'd also called the vet because Archie was super duper gassy.  He would scream and his butt would trumpet.  He would look at me and he'd be tooting.  He was also super affectionate, but that's nothing new.  The vet said he'd prefer to have Archie stay up with just water for the night, to make sure things were still moving.

He did not mind at all.

Promise.

I left again for about fifteen minutes after he ate.  I went to the nearest grocery store and bought a gallon of Gatorade.  I don't know if he'll even touch it, but if he does, the electrolytes should help.

Since y'all aren't local and most people outside of the Southeast don't specifically venture into Savannah, Georgia, let me share a little bit of local horse news with you.

We have carriage horses.

And, yesterday, one ran off.  You can read an article here.

I have mixed feelings about the carriage horses.


Pros:

• If these horses weren't pulling carriages, where would they be?  Food and some measure of healthcare is guaranteed so long as they are providing a service in the public eye.
• Some of the drivers that I've met really seem to care.  I know of one who also owns a popular lesson barn (granted, I would never board there), maintains her own carriage, and was the only driver for her horse.  I've toured that particular company's facilities and found the stalls spacious and immaculate, but there was virtually no turn out.
• Attractions = tourism = money for the city.
• I actually saw a driver taking a temperature during one of our warmer days in the last week or so.*

It's been a while since I've done a weekend recap.  So let's do that.

Friday
I don't remember.

In the voice of Bane: Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

I can't remember what we worked on, but I think there was a bunch of cantering.  And then we went on a little trail ride, where I rediscovered a couple of microhills which the Archer got to walk up and down a couple times.  They aren't really big enough for anything else. Also, no photographic evidence.

Then I went home and had pizza with my husband.  Holy shit, Man of Steel.  Movie, plot, action, blah blah blah.  That dude without a shirt on?



Saturday
Oh, let's talk the mind fuck that is the weekend days.

Got up, made cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  Orange creme.  From a tube.  Super duper delicious.  Then it was going to the gym (squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, tricep pull-downs, wide fly).  I complained of being too hot and my handsome husband stole a fan to put next to me.  I grinned like an idiot.  After the gym, we had Mexican (surprise!), then went to Sam's Club and bought various household stuff.  Like rubber mulch.  And hydrangeas.  And bananas.

Headed home, trimmed bushes, found a bird's next in one, cleared more old leaves and laid the new mulch.  Planted the hydrangeas.  Battled gnats.  Sat down inside for approximately three minutes.

Went to the barn and set up two crossrails.  One on regular standards, one on blue barrels.  Warmed up at the walk and trot, did very little canter, and proceeded to jump everything at the trot and canter both ways.  I feel like my canter work has regressed.  All of this was followed by another little trail ride, in which I tried to photograph flowering vines from hell and startled a bald eagle.


Mad dash home to not change but have the husband jump in my car.  He's so used to being out with an equestrian that the boots, dirty breeches, and looks don't phase him anymore.  Dinner was Shane's followed by some fro-yo and watching kids battle it out.  The not-parent in me wanted to connect little GPS dots to them and record their strategic playing for war games.  Grocery shopping on the way home and finally some sit-down time for yours truly.

Sunday
D made my breakfast while I fed the dogs.  Took a few minutes to sit on the couch and watch an old episode of Law and Order SVU.  Then, back off to the gym.  We go to a different on one Sundays because it opens sooner.  D teases me about my girlfriend who likes to watch me squat.  I'm very competitive.

Bicep curls, Arnold shoulder presses, rows, bench press and about fifteen minutes of cardio on the arc trainer.  Less leg and back because I was hurting from the day before.  Left to giggles after an impromptu rendezvous with my girlfriend in the bathroom.

Lunch was Subway, followed by photographing about seven meowsers at the Humane Society.  They've had so much freaking turn over in the last year.  Also had an outbreak of upper respiratory in the cat room, but didn't provide sufficient blankets to hold the cats until I requested it.  And, you know, if I'm taking photos for you, could you at least use them?

Swung by Publix to get more groceries - we're pretty selective.  Home for him to mow the back yard and me to wash our cars.  Sat down for about half an hour before heading back out to the barn.

Warmed up the goober at the walk and trot.  Tried to do that little exercise where you circle one direction and then add a second, smaller circle to the opposite direction while still bending in the first direction.  It was hard.  I had to dismount, grab a crop, and fix a few problems.  1) Speed.  2) Bend.  Pony also has developed the opposite problem that we addressed with T3.  Instead of bulging right, we're now bulging left and blowing through the left shoulder.  Flexed to the inside left with a long rein back to the girth, a strong outside right leg behind the girth, and tiny little taps of the crop at the inside left girth.  Hel-lo.  Archie was a fucking champ once he started using his body correctly.

Warmed up briefly over the jumps that I'd left out from the day prior.  Then finally dropped the poles off the barrels, turned them on their sides and smooshed them together.  Jumped it a few times and called it a day.  After cantering down the lane and another mini session with the microhills.


Picked the husband up, had dinner and lounged very briefly on the couch before heading to bed.

I can't believe that I haven't written about the Big Guy's birthday.

So, about a week ago, Archie turned seventeen.  I was very fortunate to have found his birthday on one of his racing sites, as I've never tried to reach out to his previous owner/trainer.  Maybe I should.  I hear she wasn't a big-time trainer, so maybe that increases the odds of there being baby Archie photos.

A squealing little bay colt.  Swoon.


I took him on a little ride for about half an hour.  It was walk, trot and canter on the buckle.  I never asked for any contact and just let him truck around however he wanted.  No one should really have to work on their birthdays.  And then we walked around in the woods for few minutes.

As is our somewhat-tradition, I try to take photos on his birthday.  I think I dropped the ball on this last year, but we had also just bought the house and were moving.  I doubt I had much brain going on then.  So I made sure I did it this year.

There were some issues almost immediately.  Like, I remembered my tripod, but forgot the connector that screws into the bottom of the battery pack.  So I had to balance the camera on whatever I could find.  And then we had some bloopers, because Archie and I can rarely both be photogenic, especially when on a two-second remote delay.

Also, cuddling with mom takes a far second to edible grass.

By far, the best.

I can't decide which one I like better.

After I forced him to hang out with me, I gave him his special birthday treat.  While we rode, I had it brewing in the fridge.  I put about a cup of oatmeal with about four sliced carrots and some flaxseed and soaked it in a bottle of Shiner Hefeweizen.  I confirmed that the husband was probably never going to drink it, but wasn't given permission to use the uber-special Pumpking. Finally, I topped it with some local honey.