Today is a day of celebration!
I’ve learned to celebrate every step forward since the steps back are hard to take – anyone who has been through founder convalescence knows what I mean…
For the last three days, Tess has been brewing an abscess in her foot. It has been miserable for the both of us. I had to keep telling myself that we’ve been through this before.
Last night, when I went to visit her at 10pm, she was laying down, flat out. I prayed to HorseGods and also got a little angry and tearful. I laid my hands on her hooves and asked that Mother Nature work through me.
I felt silly… but it was all I could think of to do.
When I got to the house, I thought I heard myself tell myself that the abscess had burst and that she would be better in the morning…
That was weird, I said to myself.
I went to bed with a heavy heart.
THIS MORNING
This morning, I walked down to the barn with trepidation. When I got to where I could see in, there was Gwen – peering over her stall.
But, I didn’t see Tess’ head.
“Crap. She was down, still…’ , I moaned to myself.
As I got closer, my eyes were telling my brain that there was a horse standing on the Theraplate, but I could not register that outlandish possibility.
How could there possibly be a horse on the Theraplate?
And then I saw her.
It was MT.
She was standing on the Theraplate, scrounging for hay, waiting for a full bucket and nickering at me.
I could not believe my eyes!
There she was. Standing on the Theraplate, nickering at me – asking for her breakfast. I took this image this morning!
I ran to her and praised her, “Ohhhhh Mama, you look sooooo goooood this morning!”
Tess: Nicker Nicker… where is my food?
Me: Let me look at your feet! Where did it pop?
Tess: WHERE IS MY FOOD?!
Me: Lemme seeeeeee!!!
Tess: GIMME MY FOOD OR I’LL GET OFF OF THIS THING!
So, I mixed up her bucket and joyfully put it on her stepladder.
She ate it and stood on the Theraplate for 20 minutes.
Wow.
Tess is not healed and she is not 100% by any means. She is still in pain and has a long way to go. But, today was a victory and I’m rejuvenated.
So is she, it seems!
HERE SHE IS, up and protesting that Gwen is out and eating HER food!
This is what is upsetting her… Gwen is out and eating Tess’ discards. The nerve!
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wow i feel like MT and my horse are living in parallel universes with their laminitis/founder…..ugh.
Kealy (after not having one abscess) now has a “wopper” abcess at the tip of her coffin bone…..her sole had a major crack and the vet at first thought her coffin bone had rotated so far that she was a goner!!!! THANK GOD the xray showed different…she has a lot of sole and toe just a big bubble of pus and crap at the tip of her c bone. We are soaking her twice a day in warm water, epsom salts and vinegar and twice a day with SMZs to pull out the infection. The vet and farrier coming out again tomorrow to rexray and do her trim and see what our next course of action is….but boy Thursday and Friday were very harrowing and i thought my beautiful girl was almost a goner….I was crying so hard Thursday afternoon.evening i could barely breathe.
The abscess thing is something we will have to deal with as a horrible side effect of their laminitis….but with Kealy it is the cushings that will be the bigger problem since there is no cure for that…..onwards and upwards in this continuing battle with our “girls”.
So funny that she was standing there!!!!! I will keep praying for her!
p.s. follow your own heart
I so can relate to the emotional up’s and downs. i can relate to looking for a head’s up instead of down. people w/o sick horses can not relate. some horse people think put them down so they will be out of pain. others think put them down b/c they are worthless if not rideable. i am one of those that goes with the horses will to live. if my horse wants out of this life, i believe he will let me know in one way or another. until that time arrives, i have plenty of other horses to “ride”
This is great news, Dawn. My old horse has had four Healing Touch for Animals treatments (local practitioner is fabulous) and they have each really helped him. She basically does the same as what you did. Yay for Mama Tess, she is definitely not ready to give up.
Hi, just drop in to say what a brave and courageous horse MT is. Love your stories and day to day events, keep up the good work.
So Happy MT Is Up And Doing Better. Please Give Her A Hugggggggggg And Kiss From Me. I Know She Has A Long Way To Go But I Have Faith She Will Recover. Hugs And Prayers For All.
So happy to see her doing well!! Sometimes sheer will is the best medicine!