So…John fed for me last night and no one was up, which was pretty unusual, but ok. I fed this morning and no Delia. I thought she might come up while I was dumping grain and when she didn’t I went down and drove the pasture-nothing. I drove across the pond dam and as I was turning my head to back up I spotted her in the pond.

She was about 10 feet off the edge and it was frozen all around her except for a big circle that was still open. She had massive icicles growing under her chin and looked really miserable. She could have been in the pond as early as 8PM last night and was probably there overnight. Not a hoofprint one on the ice, not a crack. So I flew back to the house, calling the vet while I got out of my dress clothes and into my coveralls. He had a dog on it’s way in that had been hit by a car and would be there ASAP. Then I called the wrecker driver and got him headed my way, beat on the neighbor’s door and asked him to help. John was well on his way to Ft. Scott by then; he is working today.

I gathered up the halter and all my long ropes and waited for the neighbor to show up so someone could fish me out of the drink if necessary. When he got there I bellied across the ice and got a halter on her. It probably took us an hour or better to get the ice broken around her and winch her out of the pond-gumbo on the bottom. In the middle of all this neighbor Fred left to get a ladder, I called the vet to make sure he knew I wanted him to come by when he was done and we wrestled a strap around her. After we got her on the bank she just lay there and grunted. Her gums were gray and she’d bitten her lip and tongue shivering so hard. We spent another 30-45 minutes getting her up the bank a little and it just wasn’t working. Fred left and got a friend who lives about a half mile away to bring his front end loader. We got some straps behind her front legs and in front of her back legs and he lifted her up and laid her on the hill in a flat spot.

By that time Charles (vet) had come out with some dexamethosone and some kind of antibiotic, although I was gathering up towels and blankets so I don’t know what kind. We rubbed her and rubbed her and she made a couple of feeble efforts to stand but her back legs were sticking straight out and stiff. We finally got her up on her chest, although she kept wanting to lay down on us. Danny (wrecker driver) kept her propped up and he and I took turns pushing her shoulder and neck and letting her brace against us. Charles had to leave to pull a pup but came back with LRS and dextrose, got her hooked up and left to do an emergency C section on a dog. Well, after about 20 minutes she started struggling to her feet and I was just calling in reinforcements because both Danny and Fred had dr. appointments, when she got to her feet. Danny kept telling me, “I’m not going to leave you until she gets up”. So we got her standing, he left for his appointment, we toweled her off some more and blanketed her. Fred went back to his house to take his ladder home and get my cell phone, which I had left in my coveralls when I came back to get the towels.

He came in and brought my phone back to him; Hallie bit him. By the time he made it back to the pasture she had taken several steps. Finally got her in a stall about 11:45. She is cold, but quit grunting and pretty much has quit shivering. She is eating hay although she is still very weak. She did get her color back but the inside of her mouth and between her legs is not as warm as I would like. The sun was coming around so I took the blanket off for a bit because I don’t think wet blanket on wet horse is the ideal situation. Toweled her off some more and will put a blanket on her A) when the sun is not warming up the stall, B) she and the blanket are dry enough or C) John gets home. He is stopping by Tammy’s on his way home to pick up a blanket and hood for her tonight. Can you imagine dainty little Delia in an 82?

Whew-there’s the details. Time to go back and check.

So how was your morning????

Oh boy, I hope she pulls through! I don't live too far from ya. It has been cold this winter even without much snow! Horses just don't seem to get that they can't walk on water (ice)!

Your vet sounds like a very busy person. You all need more vets down in your area. I've got 3 different horse vets around me, so that helps when one or two are out on call. My favorite one comes right away when I call him about my old horse. Nice to have vets that truely care about your animals. Keep us posted on your gal.

BTW - how old is she?

Great job and excellent fast thinking! 

They are Family!

Hope all is well!

Here's something weird that was passed onto me yesterday. A woman in OKC named Toni had her horse go in the drink the same day. She was assisted in getting him out by her neighbor, Fred. Thank God for all the neighbors named Fred!

Terri, if the unfortunate need arises that your horse will require overnight vet care with the leg sloughing or phemonia/respiratory issue, I have found that going to K-State is a lot more reasonable then having the vet show up frequently or taking the horse to a local vet facility for overnight care.

My old gelding went off his feed for several weeks with an undiagnosed cause by my local vet. The gammet ran from a bad tooth to ulcers. And while we never did pinpoint an exact cause for his issue, I spent way less money at K-state for a full body exam which included x-rays. sonograms, and MRIs. I spent less on all these tests than guessing in the dark with my local vet. K-State bill was only $500 dollars compared to the $2200 I had already spent locally. So from now on for serious issues, I just haul to K-State. The facility is top notch and I like the round the clock care. Several of my horse freinds have had good sucess with them too. I have heard that MU in Columbia, MO is a very good vet school too, I just have not personally been there.

I really hope your mare pulls through without much pain and sickness. Today sure feels nice out even if it is windy.

I would say ten days or so.  If her immune system was weakened enough to allow a virus or some other bug to get a hold, ten to fourteen days should be plenty of time to manifest itself.

Marla

Terri S,

How is Miss Delia doing?

Terri S,glad to hear your buddy is on the mend!

3 of ours got out sometime early Sat.Am,and the other 2 that couldn't escape alerted us by their calls.We jumped in the vehicle with a bucket of grain and drove all up and down these back roads dodging downed tree limbs from that ice storm,then all along the highway.Came back and they were right across the road hiding behind the church in the cemetary,"visiting" the 2 neighbor horses.

Nothing nearly as frightening as your horse's escapade.Can't horses do some strange things?

Hope that your pard continues to get better and better every day!

I'm just grateful that it didn't happen on the night of the ice storm.Because as bad as that got,there's no way we could search for horses with tree limbs falling every few minutes!And it was a warm night,good thing,I had on my PJ top! But it was still dark,and,that's what was scary,they were not easy to find until they stood out in the road!

It wasn't spring fever.I can tell this because I didn't do it: my husband left the gate unchained.