The Universe Knows When You're Impatient

Beautiful BB

The universe also knows how to slap you upside the head when you're being dumb.

So I've been complaining about Bailey a lot lately; its been hot, she's out of shape, and she's not super into doing work or doing it well. Work ethic has never been her strong suit.

Unfortunately, on Monday night, the universe decided to remind me to be thankful. And I am, because while I farted around spraying pastures, the mares ate their dinners. And Bailey started to choke. She didn't seem alarmed, and did a lot of horrible coughing and mucus-ing while vigorously power walking away from me because I didn't realize until she cruised past me to go outside, and when I got her caught, she seemed overly relaxed (no whinnying for her sisters, no stall walking) and would occasionally cough and mucus, but again... didn't seem very upset.

I called the vet, and we decided to watch and wait. I walked, I massaged the left side of her throat, and I annoyed the crap out of my friends freaking out about if I needed to spend the money on the vet. The vet came, because of course when I was starting to convince myself she was clearing the blockage, she spooked at the husband letting the dogs out and set off a new barrage of mucus and coughing. We sedated her, got the tube up her nose and a couple of pumps of water cleared the blockage successfully. She didn't even bleed out of her nose. I confined her to a stall, removed all the hay I could and tucked her in for the night after watching her come out of her sedation. The next morning she ate her heavily watered breakfast grain a bit unenthusiastically, but clearly, once turned out, was hungry. She did seem to have a sore throat (understandable, that tube is NOT small) but came in happily for dinner last night and seemed weirded out while I watched her eat her soupy dinner like a hawk.

So she seems fine. I am going to throw her on the lunge line for some light exercise tomorrow, probably, to make sure her lungs sound ok, but she's fine. I'm fortunate, because it could have been so much worse. The bill wasn't that bad, but since I just went through my tack and boots and blankets, I do have a few items for sale if anyone is looking for something (lots of reins - rubberized web, web with rolled leather to the bit, really nice courbette laced, all black and SMB boots, fly boots (Kensington brand) and Woof Club boots, cob sized black dressage bridle).

Yes, I did test the saddle with a regular girth
before unwrapping my newly ordered dressage girth :D 

In Arya's corner of the world, I continue to be enamored. We tried out the dressage saddle the last two rides, and I love how much more control I have over her body with the extra length in my leg. I also threw Foxie's old polo breast collar on her last night (because yay, tack! I like how polo collars look, so shoot me) and she was just the cutest little dressage pony I've ever seen. She's learning to move laterally, and has been doing really well under saddle. I'm really pleased with her progress, and am trying to figure out how to keep this good pony streak going.

Other than making sure her ulcers don't flair up/come back/whathaveyou, I'm considering adding Alfalfa pellets to her life as a pre-ride snack instead of doing a scoop of Gastric Care. I'm swapping back to Ultium Competition from the Gastric care because according to my math, it actually has more calcium in it, and the gastric care doesn't seem to head off any ulcery issues that she's had; I like my tractguard supplement for when she's outside, and am still looking for something to use for maintenance that I actually believe in for inside. With how cold it gets here, I find that the electrolytes or something in the tractguard make her pee like no tomorrow which makes ice on my mats which is... unnecessary. She drinks well regardless, so I'd like to find something without electrolytes for when the horses are stalled.  The only thing besides a winter supplement I can't really decide on is if it's worth it to feed alfalfa pellets when soaking them is going to be a pain in the butt, especially come winter. I know that it's dramatic, but I'm already like UGH at the thought of alf pellets freezing into feed pans or corner feeders (and I can't clean those easily).

I know my blog has been super boring lately, but any of the readers who are left... do you have a gastric supplement you like? Anyone feeding a pre-ride meal to their ulcery animal and have any tips and tricks?

Bailey will be headed back to work this coming weekend, with our sites on a schooling show in October again, so hopefully things will be more exciting!