Crap. I was supposed to be on my way to Reno today for a poultry show. Actually, if things had gone as planned I would already be there. Jan and I were going to leave this morning so as to get across the Sierras before it started to snow.
But when I went out to box up the birds this morning I found that my old mare Gwen had not eaten her breakfast and was flat on the ground in the corner of the corral. Crap. I got her up and walked her... 15 minutes... a half hour... an hour... and she didn't improve. She was kicking her belly every time we stopped, and just wanted to lie down. If we were going to leave we needed to hit the road, but I couldn't leave so Jan went without me and I called a vet.
It's a bad case of colic, probably an impaction. Her vitals were pretty poor, so it's really kind of "wait and see" right now. The vet was not terribly optimistic about her prognosis, but she's up and was nosing around a bit, that's good.
I am of course staying home, I need to be with her and keep and eye on how she's doing. Jan just texted and said she made it to Reno, and I'm glad to hear that. I hope everyone has fun at the poultry show, I wish I could be there! Thank goodness this didn't happen after I left though.
I will keep you posted, blog-readers. Please send good thoughts to the old horsey.
Oh, on a super sad note, but one that at least gives closure (though opens up even more mystery), while walking Gwen around the pasture I found what was left of Pablo by the far fence line... a wing. I'm even more mystified, but maybe he did escape the coop in the early morning hours and was taken by a hawk. I'll never know. :-(
*sigh* :-(
Really sorry to hear all that -- that Gwen's ill, that you didn't make the poultry show, and that you were reminded again so graphically of Pablo's loss. A reminder, as if one were needed, that living with animals means living with animals' dying, too.
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