How do we manage to get into these situations? Collected another "Slightly Damaged Stray"...

[mississippifarmboy]

Wisher; the vet said with the surgery Gus had that he had to stay pretty still so he wouldn't tear out his stitches. Today he said we could start walking him a little, but I think his main worry is although Gus looks all calm and gentle in the pictures - he's been a full male so long he's pretty spirited and still very wild. He only had three or four days of halter training, so "leading" him at this point is more "going where Gus wants to go".

Today I was trying to pick up his feet, just trying to get him used to his feet being touched and the cussed thing tried to take a bite outta my shoulder. He'll make a good horse, but he's still wild right now and he's one of those you have to really watch.

I read up on the surgery a bunch on the 'net before he went to the vet and most people were saying the same thing you did... lots of light exercise to keep the drainage open. I guess this vet does it different or maybe the surgery was a bit different. All I know is he came very highly recommended and you can tell also he loves horses, so we are just trying to do what he asks us to.

BTW; love your sig.... another Buffett fan?

He went to paris, looking for answers to questions... that bothered him so....

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Now, "that cussed thing" had just had a very delicate area sprayed with a hose! You're going to blame him for trying to bite? He was mad! This morning he let me pick up his feet just fine, with no fuss at all. You just weren't doing it right.


*walks away grumbling* call MY Gus a "cussed thing"...show him a cussed thing alright...

 

[mississippifarmboy]

the whole thing was very sad.

Yes, I agree Em, it is sad. But the really sad part is that Gus is just one horse. There are thousands in this country that are in just as bad shape or worse. We can't save them all.


But we are darn sure trying to save one.


I guess in a way I see some of myself in Gus. If someone hadn't seen something in me, taken a chance and helped me once upon a time - I'd be dead by now I'm sure. But because of the kindness of a stranger I got a second chance. I just want Gus to have a second chance too.

 

[sourland]

Sour, now you know it's for Gus's own good. Come on down George...we'll take very good care of you here.

No need for the 'very good care' - figuratively, 48 years with the Princess has 'modified' me.

 

[onedoodle3]

Well, Gus is mad at us.

He has some swelling...uh, underneath...where he had his surgery, and the vet advised us to "Spray it with a hose"...

So...we did. Gus WAS NOT happy with us. He proceeded to go into a pout, and decided not to cooperate with anything else we wanted to do. He spit out his probiotics, so I had to sneak it in his food...wouldn't lift his foot...just being a very stubborn boy.Gus does NOT like being made to do things he doesn't want to do...he's very much like MFB...stubborn and set in his ways.

Some pics of Gus before the mad spell...and after. I'll let you all decide which pictures are which.

Poor Baby. He looks like he's going to cry in this pic.

The one with him leaning over the gate that shows his ribs needs to be on the donation site. They are very well defined in that pic!! I'd still love to shoot the dude that used to own him. No, wait....lock him in a pen and don't feed him. Let him see other people being fed and wish he had food. Sorry idiot!

 

[Wisher1000]

Wisher; ... tried to take a bite outta my shoulder. ......he's one of those you have to really watch.

BTW; love your sig.... another Buffett fan?

He went to paris, looking for answers to questions... that bothered him so....

Keep working with him. He may have an aversion to men due to his prior treatment and if you combine that with Em's love, he might get seriously biased to women. Em may think that would be okay, but it is a pain to deal with.

Yes, I am a serious Parrot-Head from way back.......

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Gus is just a bit...uh...well...he's sorta like me.

If you make me mad, I don't play well with others for a little while either...this morning the swelling is worse, and you can tell he seriously doesn't feel good. He was in a very foul mood this morning. Couple that with having to spray him down again...(vet called this morning and said twice a day...) and it equals one very grumpy Gus.



Kaye, I made a video and it's on the site. I'll likely add some more pictures to it in a day or two.

 

[onedoodle3]

saw the video. Poor thing!! I'm not a "horse person" but I cannot stand for ANY animal to be mistreated. The previous owner is a moron.

 

[Bunnylady]

When I saw this post, I had to smile in spite of the horse's condition. A white horse for a white knight - how perfect is that? OK, so he's not white yet, but being a genetic gray, in about 5 years, he will be.

I'm kind of surprised that the Vet didn't prescribe the twice-daily hosings from the get-go. I've always heard that mature stallions are much more likely than younger animals to have swelling and pain issues. When you hose him, are you spraying him, or basically flooding the area with running water? Even a light spray can sting, and this guy is very sore. I've found that if you can run water on them without any sensation of pressure from the water spray, the horse tolerates it better.

Sadly, as Terry said, there are thousands of horses like this. I have handled two in the last two years. In the Spring of 2011, somebody brought in an appendix-registered QH with a Body Score of 2.5. This Spring, it was an OTTB that was one of about 35 horses seized from someone in Virginia. This guy came to us with a Body Score of 1.5. He was said to be the worst of them, and I should hope so, as I couldn't imagine that an animal any skinnier would be able to stand (I heard that there were 8 dead horses in the pasture with the live ones).

And I don't know which is worse, you guys or me. Last year, I accepted a 14.2, 6-year-old palomino QH mare in lieu of my final paycheck from the operation that had been leasing the barn. She had been a lesson pony, but had been sidelined by EPM. After treatment, she had a vague hind-end lameness that kept her from going back to work, so she had been on pasture for the last year. I took her on condition that another horse came with her as a pasture buddy. The other horse is a 14 hand, 13-year-old red sabino roan QH type. She had foundered at least once, we think twice, and was noticeably off in the front end. The owner had realized that the horse was unusable, and was going to send her to a charity auction, which most likely would have resulted in her taking a truck ride to Mexico. Most of the people at the barn were distressed about that, and were hugely relieved when they knew that I was taking her. There is little doubt that that mare wouldn't be alive now if not for me. She isn't "off" any more, but whether either of these girls are really riding sound at this point is a question I can't answer. I don't have any tack, so I can't ride them . . .

They are both the epitome of easy keepers, and I'm actually afraid they are getting too much to eat just on pasture! So here I am, working to pay the board for 2 fat horses that I really don't need and don't even know if I can use.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Well, Gus is in a lot of pain. Today he hasn't been himself AT ALL. I came in the stall this morning, and my normally sweet loving Gus had his back to me and kept it that way. Wouldn't let me pick up his feet, didn't want to be petted, and wasn't nearly as interested in his food as he has been. I called the vet three times today. The first two times he said "Everything is fine, the swelling is normal, etc"...the third time I called and said "He IS HURTING. Gus has been in a foul mood ALL DAY. This isn't like him." Vet was leaving for the day, but Gus gets pain medication in the morning. No idea how much that'll be, but since we're rapidly approaching the 1000.00 mark, I don't guess it really matters either.

We sprayed him twice today, very soft spray, and he actually seems to be getting used to it. He doesn't like it by any means, but he's coping, and he's handling it. He knows we're trying to help...but he sure doesn't feel like showing any appreciation. (not that I blame him.) We let him out into the barn lot today for a few minutes...he got into the hot-wire and ran around a bit, but nothing major. Gave him the exercise the vet recommended too. I sure am ready for my boy to start feeling better...it worries me to death, and it sure looks painful under there.


As always, pictures. Some of these are a bit...uh...well, it's of the swelling if that gives you any warning.









See the swollen area under his belly?