This is one of the few pictures I took this summer. It was the summer from hell.
It started dry as a bone, feed was and is scarce, and water more so.
On one of these early mornings, my cowboy husband got bucked off his horse and broke his pelvis, quite badly. It was quite the ordeal and very scary. He got to the hospital, via two ambulances, and then a helicopter ride.
After almost dying in the helicopter from internal bleeding, he made it to the hospital and they stabilized him and surgery was a success. So to say it was the summer from Hell, may be a little over exaggeration. He is ALIVE and will recover to be nearly as good as new. For that I am extremely grateful.
It started dry as a bone, feed was and is scarce, and water more so.
On one of these early mornings, my cowboy husband got bucked off his horse and broke his pelvis, quite badly. It was quite the ordeal and very scary. He got to the hospital, via two ambulances, and then a helicopter ride.
After almost dying in the helicopter from internal bleeding, he made it to the hospital and they stabilized him and surgery was a success. So to say it was the summer from Hell, may be a little over exaggeration. He is ALIVE and will recover to be nearly as good as new. For that I am extremely grateful.
But wait, that's not all! I lost my very best horse. My partner and my friend. I am heartbroken and I can't seem to get over the sadness. But what is worse, he was the second horse I lost in a 5 day period. I had a sweet horse, Sorely, who I bought this past spring. He was a good old guy and I was just getting to know him.
When Sorely went down. I was convinced he was old and probably had gotten hurt. But then 5 days later my best boy was down in the same way. We called a vet. The nearest being an hour away. He tried to help, but Goucho couldn't get up without help. We did manage to finally get him in a trailer and haul him 3 hours to a veterinary equine hospital. He unfortunately didn't make it through the night and had to be euthanized. Of course we are extremely worried about what this could be? How many other horses will be affected?. They sent his body off for a necropsy and we are still waiting for test results. The symptoms are very similar to that of botulism and the vet is pretty convinced that is what they both had. They may have gotten it from something dead in the hay. It is rare, but can occur with the right conditions. Botulism can also live in that dead animal indefinitely.
When Sorely went down. I was convinced he was old and probably had gotten hurt. But then 5 days later my best boy was down in the same way. We called a vet. The nearest being an hour away. He tried to help, but Goucho couldn't get up without help. We did manage to finally get him in a trailer and haul him 3 hours to a veterinary equine hospital. He unfortunately didn't make it through the night and had to be euthanized. Of course we are extremely worried about what this could be? How many other horses will be affected?. They sent his body off for a necropsy and we are still waiting for test results. The symptoms are very similar to that of botulism and the vet is pretty convinced that is what they both had. They may have gotten it from something dead in the hay. It is rare, but can occur with the right conditions. Botulism can also live in that dead animal indefinitely.
I don't think I will completely recover from this loss. I have lost several horses, great partners and friends, but this one is the hardest of them all.
So where does this leave me in my, cowgirl, "blogger" world? I'm not sure. I am only left with my pony, Izzy, and my navicular mare, Bug. So my riding is limited.
I am contemplating giving it all up. But that thought breaks my heart even more.
So where does this leave me in my, cowgirl, "blogger" world? I'm not sure. I am only left with my pony, Izzy, and my navicular mare, Bug. So my riding is limited.
I am contemplating giving it all up. But that thought breaks my heart even more.
I have always loved the days on the range, trailing behind cows, taking pictures and telling our story.
I just don't know if my heart is in it anymore.
I just don't know if my heart is in it anymore.
I don't know for sure if this is the last you'll hear from me. I guess time will tell.
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