PONY!

[SandyG]

The horse seems fine - only no evidence of urine.

He is eating and the water is down a bit. If he bumped the tub, that would explain it but I would think he wouldn't be eating hay with such a dry mouth.

I'm waiting to speak with a few people at 8am before I move him. The ride in this weather would be stressful and there's no need to upset him by moving him if it would be one of those unneccessary rides.

Kind of like walking a plank over the river, isn't it?

[SandyG]

I just talked with Dr. Alex and I'm going to let PONY! out and watch him. If he extends and does not produce urine, I'm going to "pop him in the box and bring him in" as she says. If he does urinate, I'm going to attempt to get a sample to see if there is a UTI or anything else we can see from his urine.

And if he continues to strain, we will double check for a bean. He was thoroughly cleaned when he colic'd in August, but it has been so hot and dusty that it wouldn't surprise me to see another bean in the boy.

Say a prayer for PONY!. I'll post as soon as we "land".

[SandyG]

I'm calling him good - tentatively. PONY! is outside in the sunshine and standing - no rolling, no laying, and no pawing. He seems calm and content and is not straining or standing awkwardly.

At least for now, I believe he is okay. If it is a stone, it will reappear. If it is a UTI, it will reappear. Regardless, he will be monitored and when he does urinate for me, I will get a sample. But until then, go be a horse, PONY!!!

[SandyG]

The wind is actually stronger than it was today at noon! Man O'Pete! It is really windy out there!!

Just felt in my gut that I needed to walk to those barns. The big kids are out picking grass. The small ones are in the corral building. The front pasture Ladies are munching on hay. And the big crew is scattered about, but all are steady and good in this night.

PONY! is behind the barn next to Faith and Alexius, out of the wind. Liz-Beth is in the barn with Clyde-Mare standing guard at the door. How interesting.

I'm in love with these horses. Totally and completely in love with them!! PONY!, my dear, I am sleeping tonight. I trust you have corrected whatever had you gripped last night. See you in the morning, brave one.

G'nite.

[SandyG]

The old man gave me a bit of a scare this morning -

Everyone was on the east side of the barn or in the barn - everyone! Except PONY! Even Faith and Alexius were inside the barn out of that sharp wind. That was odd to have them there without him. Uh-oh.

I went outside and didn't see that pudgy little body so I started to walk east. And there, on the east side of the manure pile, stood PONY!. Backed up into the pile to get out of the wind as much as possible. I went up to him to check on temps, heartrate, breathing, etc....asked him how he was this morning?

His response? He pooped into the manure pile.

Good answer, PONY!!!

[SandyG]

Bridget got the first-blanket-of-the-season-hug-and-kiss-from-PONY! tonight!

The wind is so raw out there that we put a light blanket on PONY! and a very light (and too small!) shell on Hollie. Both of them seemed to be struggling in the wind. And sure enough, when PONY! felt that blanket go over his withers, he reached around and hugged Bridget and started licking her jacket. Love that horse almost as much as he loves his blankets!!!

Shortey and Gracie are in their stall tonight - out of the wind. Everyone has new round bales and are eating like they've never seen hay before. This cold snap is testing all of us!!!

[SandyG]

People tell me that I am exaggerating when I say that a horse talks to me. Let me tell you folks, PONY! has a good strong voice!!!

I went out, since the wind has calmed, to remove his blanket. I had one hind strap unbuckled and went around to the other side to get the left hind strap. PONY! whipped his butt away from me and put his face in my chest.

Chuckling, I went to walk back to his hip and he bit me! Not a nibble and not a nudge - a bite! It was loud and as plain as day: You leave my blanket alone, Human!!!

They talk, folks. I've got the quote marks on my back to prove it!

[cc459]

I can visualize all of your interactions with Pony just as if I were there. Love, love that guy too! I so happy he is back in the groove.

[SandyG]

There is something amiss in the gut of this horse. He shows signs of discomfort and colic so frequently and out of the blue. And the issue is always on the lower left side.

Tonight again, he came in and just stood in front of his feeder. Then he went down. I got him up, administered the Bantimine paste, and walked him. We got a bit of air and so I released him to see what he would do. He went in to touch his women (Faith and Alexius) and then he rested on the floor of the barn.

We walked some more and he passed a bit of manure. Some tummy rubby and rear left leg stomping but then he headed outside and stood with the other horses. Just now I checked on him and he is resting in the hay. He seems okay but not right.

My intuition tells me a tumor in his gut someplace although the ultrasound last summer showed nothing. Something is not right and I'll speak with Dr. Brian about putting him on something to relax his intestines to try to avoid these episodes. This is not healthy for him and very risky each time we go through this.

I'll keep checking on him and hopefully, by morning, I'm tired and he's eating . . . just like all the other times before.

[SandyG]

So it is 11:30pm and I'm walking to the big barn. It really is a nice evening . . . . the stars are bright in the sky and the air is crisp . . . . and, gratefully, there is no wind!!! Wonderful!

So, heading out into the pasture I see the white of PONY!'s legs under his blankets. He is in the middle round bale. Standing. Where is his head? HAH!!! It's buried in the bale! He is eating!

With happiness in my heart and a huge smile on my face, I go up to him and hug him. His response? His head comes up and he pins his ears back. THAT"s my PONY!!!!!!! ;D

[cc459]

Yeah, PONY! I love that ear pinned back attitude of his.

[SandyG]

You are so right, Colleen! In most horses, they get a "HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOIN'?" out of me. But not that horse! I giggle and hug him, even though he hates it.

This morning, I called to him and he turned his head to say, "Not now, I'm sleeping. Go away and leave me alone!"

Gladly, PONY!. Gladly!

[SandyG]

So, PONY! came into the barn this evening, ate his supper, turned after I unhooked him and tooted all the way out of the barn. I stood and watched and smiled. Then I told his wife, Faith, that her man was a cutie, wasn't he???

The weather forecast has me taking some action and it may include PONY!. I've made arrangements to bring Liz-Beth into the U of M on Sunday in a pro-active move to protect her from the -20 below temps that are coming. And I'm contemplating bringing PONY! with her.

His guts seem so sensitive and we don't seem to know what triggers an episode. For him to have an episode in that cold could be a crisis for him. And with our Dr. Brian in Florida for ten days, I'm feeling very vulnerable here.

We've got a couple of days to decide, but I'm leaning toward taking him with Liz-Beth. There is no way I want to be sitting here wondering why I didn't go with my gut.

[SandyG]

Many things to do for them yet tonight, but a quick note -

PONY! and Liz-Beth are safely and securely at the U of M Equine Center is the barely heated stalls of the non-medical hospital. Perfect. PONY! can be without a blanket and Liz-Beth will not shed. They were calmly eating hay when we left.

The herds here at home were so grateful to come in out of the winds that they about stampeded us at the doors! All are now in, blanketed, and eating supper. The big barn doors are closed against that brutal wind.

I will move some around and make room for all tonight. Spirit and Unit will stay in the box stalls of the old barn and there will be hay in the run-in for the big ones. They are tough but this wind is a little tougher, I think.

I'll write more later - right now, I've got work to do to get them all settled.

Oh, and the "we" and "us" in this posting? That's because Nick and Cory hung around after we returned from the U of M and helped drop the trailer, hook, feed, and blanket. I am beyond grateful to those two young me. What a gift they are to me!!!!

[SandyG]

I have good reports from PONY! and Liz-Beth at the U of M and so, in hindsight, this was a good expenditure of our resources. I cannot imagine how we would have kept those two limber and warm in that wind and frigid air. PONY! just would have shivered the last four days away and Liz-Beth would have just locked up. I'm convinced of it!

Nick and I will venture into The Cities this afternoon to retrieve our couple and get them back in the barn. We have one cold night ahead of us, but they can both sustain that. And then - mid-30's next week!!!!
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!