Scary Moments

I have heard it said that 'a horse is an accident waiting to happen', and it would seem to be very true. Last Saturday, November 3, 2007 started out like any other Saturday. Lee watched the Nascar race and then we both watched the PBR or the bull riding event. About 10 PM I went out to do the late evening feed for the horses as I do every evening. I had taken about 3 steps out the front door when I heard horses screaming, squealing, and raising a heck of a commotion in a very dark corner of the pens. I had the gate open between the two turn out pens so that our 4 horses could have more room to roam around in and socialize as horses like to do. Of course that is the time that my 2 mares, Star and Nita decided to have another disagreement. Why these two mares can't get along with each other better I will never understand.

All the noise of horses fussing, and then the banging of the gate in that corner was very scary. I opened the door again and yelled at Lee that I could use some help grabbed a flashlight and headed out. Of course the flashlight decided that night that the battery wanted to die. Lee came out and we got Sonny, our paint gelding out of that pen and over to the other pen. We were able to see the other gelding, BlackJack and my mare, Star but couldn't see the other mare, Nita. I was trying to keep Star and Jack from going back into the far corner where Lee was trying to get Nita out of when he started yelling for a rope and the wire cutters.

Horrible thought lept through my heart and head. Wire Cutters????? Wire cutters meant she was tangled in the fence, which probably meant wire cuts, and possibly broken legs. I ran, and at my age with my medical problems I don't run good to the hay shed for the wirecutters we use to open hay bales with and a halter. By the time I was half way back I had to slow to a walk and was having trouble breathing. Lots of trouble breathing. I finally made it to the dark corner where Nita and Lee were and by the light of his small flashlight could make out the mares head and slipped the end of the lead rope around her neck. I could barely see Lee supporting her left hind leg stretched out at an odd angle behind her. All those horror thoughts came racing back as I handed him the wire cutters. While I held her head and spoke soft words that I hoped would help sooth her I heard him clipping wires. Then I felt her put her leg on the ground. Lee played his little light over her leg reveling a long gash in her lower leg. My heart was in my throat as I glanced at it while working the halter onto Nita's head. I was already making plans for calling the vet.

As she was able to walk we made our way slowly up to the hay shed where there was a decent light and into a small pen. The additional light showed the gash wasn't as bad we had at first thought. And we decided to wrap it with gaze, cottonwrap and vet wrap for the night. Thankfully all the fuss hadn't affected her appetite and with her feed I added some Bute I had left over from the last time she and Star had had one of their kicking matches.

With all the horses fed, and Nita's leg bandaged Lee and I were able to start calming down and went to take a look at the fence. Apparently the mares and wondered into the corner and began fussing with each other and in the process of kicking at each other Nita had stuck her foot through the fence and the wire had wrapped around her leg. In pulling to get loose she had broke one of the wooden 4X4's that we had used as a fence post. We were glad it had broke. We thought that if it hadn't broke, Nita might have broke her leg.

On Sunday morning we unwrapped her leg to see that the gash was maybe more of a scrap and decided the vet could wait till Monday instead of paying weekend rates. We ran cold water over it, dried it and re-wrapped. On Monday the vet said we were doing the right thing, but advised us to give her antibiotics as well as the Bute. By Tuesday she seemed much better.

All of this makes me wonder how horses ever survive in the wild, where there is on one to get them out of the messes they can get into and give them the care they need when they do get into problems.