Monday, February 16, 2009

When it Rains it Pours

Tough week for Krissy and me. First off we have been getting some weather down in sunny San Diego. Last week's rains made put all of the arenas under water, so the best we could do for the horses was hand walk them through the muck when we had a few moments of reprieve. Then the rains stopped and things started to look up. By Thursday I was able to use the back arena and make a track that didn't land me in the mud. Then, my trainer noticed a small cut that was fairly deep on Krissy's fetlock. Looks like she clipped herself in the stall. The vet comes out and gives her a few stitches, a pressure wrap and antibiotics. Good deal.

Friday I take her out for a hand walk and no problem. Saturday I visit her and she seems depressed, lethargic and just not herself. At this point I'm simply thinking it's because she hasn't been out much. She loves to work so it would stand to reason to me that she could be feeling mopey due to the lack of exercise. That evening as I am heading out to The Southern California Writers Conference where I was teaching some workshops over the weekend, and I get the call from one of the trainers that Krissy isn't eating, and she didn't want to get up. Change of plans! I head out to the ranch. My trainer has had her up and walking and grazing. She'd been given a shot of Banamine and pooped! Yeah!

Not so fast. Yesterday while in a workshop, I get a text that she has 105 temp. I finish the workshop and head out. Lucky for me, everyone at the barn is on top of it and the vet had already been out and buted her up, oiled her and what not. The vet determines it's a virus. This morning 5:30 I can't sleep and so I head out to check on her. Thankfully, the fever is down, she has perked up and she wanted breakfast. All good signs. Fingers crossed she stays the course and continues to get better because at this point I think my vet could start a nice little vacation account and then some.

It's always something, isn't it? For the love of horses, I tell you. A friend was joking with me about all the money we spend on the animals and how we could probably have weekly massages and wear Monolos and take fantastic vacations. I laughed and know she's right, but I wouldn't trade the love I feel and the pleasure I get from my horse for any amount of designer shoes, and she gets the chiropractor far more often than I do! May sound crazy to some, but I know everyone here can relate.

Have a great week.

Michele
http://www.michelescott.com

P.S. If you want to see a slideshow of Krissy, visit my other blog at http://adveventuresnwriting.blogspot.com I would post it here, but I didn't post it on that blog (a friend did) and I'm not sure how to do it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its been a tough week for a lot of us California horse folks. Michele, I hope Krissy continues to feel better. And we can cry together about our vet bills. I'll post on Weds on my latest equine ordeal--its been, as my grandmother would say, "a doozy".

mugwump said...

I'm knocking on wood here. Or is that my knees?

mugwump said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
A.K. Alexander said...

Thank You! It's Tuesday morning and I am waiting to hear from one of the trainers. I was out with her last night. Her temp was 103, but she wa eating, drinking and somewhat perky. I guess it has to run its course. She will definitely be on "bed rest" for a week or two the vet said. Poor girl. I'll keep you updated.

Laura--sorry to hear you're having a tough time too. I'm thinking of you!

A.K. Alexander said...

Update on Krissy: Still running a fever. We're waiting on some blood results, and she cast herself in her stall the other night. It looked like she'd blown a tendon but thankfully did not, however, her right knee is swollen and she beat herself up pretty bad. All four legs had to be poulticed and wrapped. She is not exactly stoic. I went into her stall and asked her what she'd done to herself. She put her face in my chest and stood there. I think if she could talk, she would've been saying, "It hurts, mom."

I'm on my way out now to meet the vet again for a recheck. I now have my vet's cell # and we're on a first name basis.

Jami Davenport said...

Boy, Michele, I hope things are getting better now for her. This has been a tough week for you and Laura. Keep us informed.