Groundhog Day

Oh look, it's Poco and Ja... wait a minute!
Unless Jaz has morphed into a
seal bay, grown a hand and a half,
and regrown his manhood,
that is not Jaz.

Who is that
and what's he doing here?

I'm glad you asked.

I just brought the Boyz home
from Heather's yesterday,
where they have been
since Jaz colicked
on October 28th.

I got up this morning,
had a few chores to do
before Mr. Fry got home,
then it was going to be spa day
for the filthy ponies.

I was making waffles
when Mr. Fry arrived.
I asked if he had seen Jaz,
when he drove in,
because I hadn't seen him
since early this morning.

He said Jaz was laying out
by the run-in shed.

Nooooooo!

I looked out the dining room window
and there he was again, lying
in that position.

I felt like I was in a movie.

I uttered a rhyming vulgar interjection
that has to do with
sex and waterfowl.

I waited until the cooking waffle
could be removed from the iron,
shut it off, left everything,
and ran outside.

Jaz wasn't shivering this time, but he
was obviously in distress.
I got him up,
tried to get him to drink
some warm Gatorade,
to no avail.
Little toot isn't drinking enough again.

Zero gut sounds.

We walked until he was
finally able to squeeze out
a couple hard turds.

Gave him a light dose of Banamine,
then took him out to the round pen
and made him trot to get the drug in

his system faster.
He stopped twice more to push out a
few hard turds.

All this time,
I was on the phone, trying to
get hold of my vet...
then any vet.
The emergency vet on my regular vet's
answering machine is freakin' 30 miles away,
and was already on a call
another 20 miles farther.

I got hold of the other
guy I normally call,
and his brother was in a
horrific car accident, so
he was on his way to Oklahoma.
Poor man apologized
that he wasn't able to help.
I said I'd say a prayer for his brother.

Between all these calls,
I was on the phone with Heather,
who had been directing
me the whole time.

Since he seemed to be able to
stand still without
dropping and rolling,
she said to put him in the
round pen with water and see
how he did.
He was okay for a few minutes,
then he started backing his way around,
seemingly undecided as to
whether he wanted to roll some more.

Faint gut sounds,
but only on one side.

Mike had already hitched up
the trailer for me hours before.

I loaded Jaz up and headed
to Whitesboro.
I decided not to take Poco,
who was, of course, fretting.

Heather listened with a stethescope
and heard nada.
She gave him a stout shot
of Banamine.
I walked him until the
meds kicked in.

Better gut sounds.
He was one stoned pony,
and was quite comfy when I left.
It was a 50/50 chance
that he'd be fine or ...

I couldn't come back
empty-trailered, or
Poco would worry himself to death.

Scorch is a two-year old stallion
I've blogged about here and here.

I was present at his birth.

He and Poco have played
bite-the-face
over the fence, so
we decided to give it a shot.

He's already more than 16hh
and just as sweet as they come.

Appy characteristics from his sire.

Soaked with sweat from
playing with the new kid.

Nita called awhile ago
to say that as the
Banamine wore off,
Jaz's condition regressed.
Fortunately, they were
able to get a local vet out.
Thanks be to God, he says
it's just gas colic.
He didn't tube him again.

My vet had recommended adding
bran to Jaz's diet
when he colicked this last time.
I bought it but never even had
a chance to give it to him.

The vet tonight also recommended bran
and a supplement that is like
the grass minerals they already get,
but includes a medicine for horses
that do this regularly.
He says keep him on it from
October thru Spring
and it should prevent it.
I can live with that.

I am so grateful to have
such good friends.
I know they treat my horses
like their own,
which, in fact, Jaz used to be.
There is nothing I could have done
that they would not do.

All is well.
I need to go back to work
just to get some rest.

Oh yeah.
I finished making waffles
at 6:30 pm.