Farrier came at 9:30, which was good because three needed trimming (Jinx, Jazzy, and Shyanna), but when I went to feed first thing, Angel was NOT right. She was off, limping on the front end. So farrier got there and checked her with a hoof tester - no reaction. AT ALL! There was heat and I thought perhaps there was an abscess, but nothing. So he thought and suggested that perhaps the alfalfa (21% protein) was too hot and she was trying to founder. BUT - her neck wasn't cresty, didn't have a temperature, and none of the other horses exhibited similar signs.
I pulled Angel out, switch her with Jinx (son Angel didn't have to walk so far), stood her a bucket of ice water, then slathered her down with Sore No More Poultice (I put it in the fridge after the first time)
Then we treated it like founder and ran off to get some grass hay. We got two ton - Mike, Mindy Shandi (Mindy's daughter) and I. We were going to get more, but it was hot and we ran out of steam after 2 ton. On the way back, we had the windows down because it was still cool enough (about 75 degrees) that the down window felt good. I heard something hit the window jam next to my head, then felt it on my shoulders. I took off my seat belt and scooted forward to look in the seat...nothing. Of COURSE there was nothing in the seat! It had fallen down the gap in the back of my pants!
It was a honey bee and it stung me! By this time, I was turned around and had JUST refastened my seat belt. So off came the seat belt! I undid my pant and leaning against the back of the seat, lifted my rear end and slid my jeans and panties down to my knees, all the while screaming and clawing frantically at the inside back of my jeans. I was yelling "Where is it?" over and over, and couldn't hear Mindy saying "It's in the seat!" So I plopped down on the seat, and the bee. Luckily for me, it was a one-shot johnie - and was mostly crushed already or I'd have gotten it again in more delicate parts. However, what Mindy said registered almost as soon as my bare butt hit the seat, so I whipped up out of the seat (still going about 35 mph - Mike was driving...and laughing) and I turned so I was standing facing the passenger seat with one hand on the back rest. Sounds fine, right? Well, guess where my big white, bare butt was... Resting on the dashboard giving oncoming cars full view.
Some poor older guy got a big ol' full moon just north of Pasco! I whined and bitched the whole way home. Mike told me to "Cowgirl up". I won't repeat what I told him to do.
OUCHIE!!!
We got home and off-loaded the hay, took a shower, and by 7:30 I had a full blown migraine, so I went to bed.
Saturday
I still had a migraine, so Mike brought me one of my migraine pills to take. I apparently get really stupid when I get migraines because it never occurred to me to take it. I went back to sleep, while Mike, Josh (my son), Mindy, and Aurora went to go get more hay. By 10:00 am, I was feeling better (who'da thunk it) and went out to check on Angel. She was worse. So I made up some Strategy (grain), B-L Solution, and Silver Lining Herbs "Laminae Support" double strength. When she was done, I iced her legs and feet again.
The location of the heat was mostly in front and center. If you took two eggs and put the large ends together, one front the hairline up and the other below it, that's where most of the heat was. As Saturday progressed, the heat got worse and spread. At first it was one front, then the other, then both back feet. I started icing every hour, and feeding the SLH powder every two hours. Double dose.
The hay gang returned and we decided to let the hay sit on the trailer. Everyone was hot and tired. So we ate lunch and farted around, with me leaving every hour to soak, hose, and slather my horse's legs. By Saturday evening, she was 100% better, but still not walking and turning normally. Another thing is that she wasn't pointing either.
Sunday
At 4:40 am, someone shot me in the eye. I swear they did! I came out of a dead sleep with the most excruciating in my head. I held my eye as I headed for the bathroom. I actually remember taking a migraine pill. I laid back down for 10 minutes, feeling hot, nauseous, and as though my brain was going to explode. I finally woke Mike and told him to take me to the hospital. He got up and off we rushed. 4 miles from home, I told him to pull over. The meds were working. I was feeling better. Take me back home. We went back to bed and I made Mike cuddle because I was now freezing to death. I remember him mumbling something about how he should have just kept going to the hospital, and perhaps he should have, but I felt 100% when I woke up.
Mike had fed the animals and when I asked him about Angel, he said she looked as though she walked normally. I gave her the B-L Solution and the SLH powder anyway, then check her feet. NO HEAT! AT ALL!! NONE! I will continue to feed her this for the next two weeks.
We off loaded the hay, ran over to get more B-L Solution, then came home to wash vehicles, and remove the rest of the rock from in front of the window. We decided that we were hot and were just getting around to quitting and taking showers when my folks showed up to pick up their dog. They'd gone down to Oregon to my cousin's wedding. We'd planned to go but I an so happy I didn't...I'd have returned to a crippled horse!
Dad said it was 92 degrees outside. No wonder we were hot!
Have a great week! (and quit laughing! It's not funny)
11 comments:
Maybe in about six years, you will laugh about the bee incident. The potential founder, not so much. I am phobic about alfalfa hay...not in my barn. Period. The only one who could use it is the QH and that is usually in the Spring. It could kill the Fjords and the gaited mutt does not need it either. I would rather have to supplement with grain(Omelene) for the QH than have alfalfa. To me, that is dairy cow hay.
Sorry about the bee sting! I got stung a few years ago by a black jacket wasp just about where you were stung... it HURTS!
For alfalfa hay... I am 110% in support of Phaedra96's statement. I do not want it in my barn. We have minimal alfalfa in our hay and it is enough to keep the horses all winter (in Canada) without needing to grain everyday. The rest is very fine grass hay. The cows eat the alfalfa, not the horses.
My friend feed 90% alfalfa to her horses (one square bale per day, per horse!!!). They are all very overweight (dangerously) and she is starting to have much problems with founder too. ONe of her horses constantly founders and she knows why, but wont change it. She had them on a diet for a while and things were working good, but she quit the diet and now her horses are fatter than ever. It is now to a point where the horses have fat patches everywhere, huge cresty necks and no saddle fits them properly. They are not draft horses... they are Canadien horses!
I am very opposed to feeding more than 30% alfalfa to horses, if you need to feed alfalfa, portions should be individual and monitored (fed seperately). A normal portion of alfalfa for a normal horse is a quarter of a small square bale per day... giving more would be endangering your horse. You can read up on horse nutrition by researching the Internet!
I am happy that there wasn't more to your story, founder can be a deadly thing! You did exactly the right thing! :o)
Sorry about the bee. Hubby got am aerial yellow jacket in the mouth Sunday unloading hay. Ouch...
Alfalfa...I admit, I feed it. All my horses are on dry lots and I have less problem with alfalfa then with Strategy (24% sugar) and Omelene (over 40% sugar). I get a 30/70% alfalfa/timothy mix, and feed rinsed/soaked beet pulp and soaked timothy pellets. Here in NC, my Vet has seen over 30 cases of grass founder with the spring rains and heat and people not pulling their horses off the fields. What I avoid at all costs is fescue (dominant grass around here). I guess it all depends where you live.
I've read your blog for a long time but have never commented, but today I was really interested in the comments left about alfalfa. I am all into natural horsemanship. The more natural the horse lives, the better. While some horses need alfalfa (racehorses and horses in higher level competitions), the majority of horses don't and it causes more harm than good. I am not opposed to it really, as long as the person who feeds it knows how much to give and knows how to deal with an episode of founder, which you obviously do.
And just an interesting fact to consider: horses are not designed to eat alfalfa. Alfalfa is a legume, and a horse's digestive system works to handle grasses, not legumes.
Here is a good article I found discussing the negative side effects: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/338798/downside_to_feeding_alfalfa_hay_to.html
Lol, your bee story made me go back to your other story where you end up with pain in the backside: http://helpingjoy.blogspot.com/2010/01/comedy-relief.html I wound up reading them both out loud to my friends. ;) They agree that first off, you're lucky you weren't driving when that happened, and secondly, your husband has a dangerous lack of sense when it comes to you being in pain.
OMG! I forgot about that. I guess I need to re-read some of my posts. I'd forgotten about that...must have been a slow week.
As for the alfalfa, this is the first time I've had it in bulk and fed it to everyone in a very long time. I normally prefer orchard grass hay or Teff grass hay as a back up.
I thought I was watching everyone really close and no one else is showing any signs of having problems. This is my appy mare, who is part donkey and part billy-goat, and has never taken a lame step. She wasn't fat or cresty, so that's why I didn't think that there was a problem.
But yeah...I won't be feeding alfalfa anymore. I learned my lesson.
On a humorous note - hubby just said "You're not the brightest bulb in the liquor store..."
The Bee was just trying to get to the flower... you tricked him! lol
Sorry you got hurt but I think I feel more sorry for the guy you moon'd that must have either been 1. horrifying or 2. kinky... either way he will never forget your butt!
Glad to hear that Angel is feeling better as well hope she stays healthy!
my colt (yearling) is doing the same thing right now - he's out on pasture (has been since he was born) isn't cresty or fat, and is only getting grass hay - do you think it's the same thing? he started with a little gimp, and heat in the front right - no reaction to pressure tests, now I think I can feel heat in the back two....he's not pointing or stretching....???
Annon - your colt sound just like my mare. I'd pull him off pasture and drylot him. Grass hay only. Ice his feet. If he won't stand in a bucket, hose with cold water. You can also get some bud or clay and put it in the fridge and slather that on him. Get some SLH Laminae Support. You can get it online. Tell them it's an urgent need and pay extra for over-night shipping. I get it from Selinda Journey seliinda79@msn.com
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