Warm Summer Tuesday nights drive + 10 arena laps & walking outside

Better day on Friday before

Tough goes through the worst

Its hard to look at this picture and admit all that Duke went through.  How it all started.

I met with Stacie, Hannah Breane and Kathryn at the Brickhouse for a ez going lunch/breakfast. They were there early, I was going to go directly over but sometimes I give myself guilt for not being more social.  Well we had a nice bite to eat, I played Pokémon Go with the girls and let them use all my Pokeballs up to learn, so many Pokestops in Chelsmford center.  We left to go over for a 1pm lesson for Hannah.  I don't always think Im riding Im just checkin on my guy.

So I went out to the paddock.  He didn't exactly run for me or speak when I walked toward him.  As a matter of fact he was avoiding eye contact. I forgot my apple so I felt like a jerk but I had peppermint.

I opened the gate and he didn't play a game with me on sneakingout.  Instead he backed away from me and waited for the gate to be open.  That's strange . . .

So I was going to walk him right away in the arena.  He knows that what we do, warm him up.  The sweetheart Breane walked with me as we brought him around.  He wasn't himself really, no real communication.  Different from regular, well we walked all of the 5 laps and as we did it, he was trying to be good.  He even trotted when I asked him to.  Breane took a turn working him in the arena.  I was pretty proud of her with him.  I didn't realize yet he was so sick, just maybe tired or hungry. Stacie asked me if I wanted to ride, I told her that Duke wasn't up to it today.  Im staying in the barn with him.  I gave him a peppermint.  He took it but he was kinda reluctant.  I knew he wasn't ok.  I stayed in his stall and he started doing those things that I learned are terrible, leaning on one side, digging, or staying still in general or the all terrible laying down.  If a horse lays down while having a colic problem he could very well be making his  dying decision.

Soon I was going to be spending my next few hours trying to keep him alive.

Walking him a total of 3+ miles without eating in the 95 degree sun.  I was dying.

I didn't even dress for this and had no time to change into the clothes I had brought in the car, or even go to the bathroom.  Thank god Kathryn was very sensitive and gave me one of her waters.  With all this going on, I was being carefully watched by the new family that had moved in with their horses Safari.  And also Stacie had Hannah out for a buggy ride and then she and Kathryn took a ride with Cowboy and Townes too.

Breane and Hannah were so worried.

Then as you can see in the picture above, that was the moment that everyone else in the stable besides me and Breane  knew that something terrible happening.

He went to lay down and everyone at the time was in the stable, Bonnie and Krystyn saw and Krystyn ran in with me to try to make sure he didn't lay down.  They just lost their horse to colic the week before.
I took him into the ring and began the walk to keep him alive.  I tried so hard to keep him up.  He became worse and worse. slowing down. I had to pull on him and I could see in his eyes that he was in such terrible pain.  As I walked him inside I began to cry Stacie was getting the buggy ride going and then she was planning a ride with Kathryn.  I was doing the best I could to keep it together.  Bonnie saw that Duke was failing as he started to try and sit down in pain again.  She said, "want me to call Craig?  I said, YES.
He said hed be over in 45 minutes. I had been walking him the best I could.  The barn was very busy. I walked him in the arena and it was think with heat and no air for us.  I did rinse him off and walk him in the sandy area outside of the barn back and forth until Craig arrived. I was in the arena when Bonnie told me that Craig was there. I walked him over.  Dr Craig Smith or Craig knew that Duke was in trouble he asked us all if there was anything different about him lately.  I only saw him like this that day.  He had been feeling great before this.
He said he needed some warm water in a clean bucket and Bonnie ran to get it for us.  I told the kids that I was very stressed and that it would be best to stay away from me and Duke while they were working on him.  As Craig began to work on Duke he spoke with me and Bonnie and Krystyn.  I know that they had just gone through so much with the loss of the horse from colic the week before.  Bonnie was my absolute brick.  She was strong as I needed her to be.

Duke received a shot that I was very scared he was going to collapse.  He said that he wouldn't but Duke was still leaning on my as he was being worked on from the rear. I cant imagine feeling so terrible and then getting that rear examination. I could see his face, he was failing.  It really make me cry to see him in such pain.  I was glad he was given medication. 

After he was more relaxed was when Craig started to tube him.  He started the process to get the warm mineral oil with warm water directlhy into his stomach by way of his nose.  It didn't take long. Craig had to start the tubing like he was syphining gas from a car.  I realize that the stomach juice must have been able to be almost tasted by Dr Craig. 

He worked and worked on him then we had a talk.  He said wed have to watch him and keep him busy.  I had so much admiration for Bonnie during this event.

If this didn't take we were going to bring him to Grafton.  What we were looking for was movement in his abdomen.  I walked Duke after a while (20min) I started to walk him again.  Soon I was

Craig explained to me that he was going to "tube duke".  he took the clear plastic tube and started to run it up Duke's nose.

Later after more medicatioin to put Duke into some comfortable feeling, I don't remember the name of the medicine but Bonnie said that they have it for if Craig is on his way but cant make it.

I held Duke until he felt better and then walked him.  We needed to see if he would poop and if he did it needed to be molded road apples and not mushy because if it was mushy it meant that the food had to go around an obstruction and that he was still stopped up. 

I began the walking.

This went on for a long time.  In the ring and out in the front of the barn.

Well later that night he did poop and it was road apples and oily but still it was several days before he would be eating again.  He could only eat watery oats or mush. 
He later when I returned to stay with him into the night time, he had some movement in his stomach.  Krystyn had the stethoscope and we listened to his upper and lower stomach.  Breane was checking on Duke while I was gone.  Also I was so glad that Kathryn has medical training, she was very helpful and made me feel more at ease with her nice mannerisms in a crisis. 






Breane and Hannah were amazing!  Excellent children.  Breane was especially great.  That night she checked on him every few minutes to see if he was ok in his stall.

All day at GW w my hungry Hot tough guy

Cool evening visit with Duke

Went to meetUp unplanned too early, Hot, buggy, but Duke and I did it all

• Was going to have an easy going visit on Sunday because I had Christina and Kelly over on Saturday.
• But . . . STacie texted me at 730am.  She said to sneak out and have a "quick hack".  I saw it a little bit later and said I Needed coffee and stuff.  I never wanted to go that early or w/o a shower coffee etc.
• Because of the big rush, at the barn I became anxious, Hoping not to make Duke anxious too.  I usually waarm up Duke for about 10min before going out. The rush feeling I was getting to get out and tack up was pressured that I didnt warm up Duke and then like jerk,  I forgot to fly spray him.  And if that wasnt enough I didnt have a fly mask.  This made things complicated. He did that thing with his head shaking and shaking up and down after we got into the field.  About half way down the first field, Stacie stopped to mess with her camera for a while.  As we stopped waiting Duke took this as a distraction and really acted up with his head and became like he had been attacked by horseflies. His head was waving up and down quickly and it was difficulut.  I wasnt very happy with this idea and then I was thinking I didnt want my first trip out with Duke to be like this was going. All the times I took him out and then this. I thought I better go back and spray him.  I was also worried about his meds.
• Duke and I went back. I decided that I really didnt like how the ride was going and I had better ride Duke alone for the first ride. We contiued to ride but instead it was back to the barn.
• We rode around the farm in the back I wanted him to walk up to his paddock, Duke was getting to the point where I was getting mad at him because of his attitude.  I had not seen him like this.  I know that very soon, I will need to give him a Guide Ride, where I get all over him and make him do what hes told.   But with an audience and all of the comments, including ;putting video on FB, I know its not that right environment for working with Duke. Over the past frew weeks, Duke had done such a nice job in the arena.  I dont like how things were going while I am not alone, "Note to self, Duke and I train alone".  Dont need any comments that wont help, just not a positive method.
• I took him around the farm and then in the arena for quite a while.  He hit his 2+miles.  
• Then I jumped off him, untacked him quick and went and showered him off.  
• It was fun, As I sprayed off his hoofs and body, I realized.  Hes changed so much, he put his head in the stream of water and then while I was hosing his neck he opened his mouth with cute teech to grab some water.  Hes amazing with water now.
• After last week playing the game in the arena, "Cone" back and forth running, I felt like he actually enjoyed playing around with me.  I see him running behind me as I run along.
• Then this week, we walked up to the paddock and played together he ran around behind me as I was goofing around with him in his paddock.  Then all of a sudden, he threw himself down and then rolled and rolled and rolled.  He was so cute and filthy.  I was delighted.

Just a quick visit with April and Mel

Although it was a Friday and I had to do so much extra stuff, I also brought home 2 pizzas.  Ate up, swam and the girls were going to leave to drive back to NH.  I aske dthem if they wanted to take a real quick ride to Greenwood.  Its funny but April was like the first one to say "yes".  The whole way we went to get pokestops and caught lots of pokemons.  We had a great fast ride to GW.  We Brought lots of snacks and was able to go visit Duke with the girls.  We brought carrots and Hoofsnax.  The girls met all of the horses and I took the gates open for Duke and for Townes.  The girls loved Duke they think hes so big.  Tina told me when they got back home they let her know how much they loved the barn.We went back after about 25min and the girls left back home before dark.