To paraphrase our favorite Everyman working-class hero Rocky: “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up!”
I am feeling ready to just hug that mat/take a dive/throw in the towel, however - please for the love of God will it just STOP already?!?
We had such a nice campout at Cooper Lake a couple of weeks ago** - Christina’s 10-year old daughter got along famously with Bo, so I let him go home with them. He would get so much more personalized attention, and I blamed his mild lazy streak for not showing much promise as an endurance prospect - however, there was obviously something else going on.
Last Wednesday morning Bo colicked; I’m very thankful Catie’s dad Marty was keeping such a close eye on things. All too often, horses with intermittent symptoms can get in serious trouble before action is taken.
Long story shortened, Bo wound up in Weatherford at the Equine Sports Medicine Center where he had colic surgery Wednesday night. Turned out he had a strangulating lipoma: a benign but nonetheless potentially deadly baseball-sized tumor - he lost a few feet of his small intestines.
Today he remains hospitalized on IV fluids - not out of the woods yet but we are hopeful. Hopeful that he transitions into being a very valuable “free” horse and not just a huge futile investment. These hard decisions are made innumerable times every day of the week.
** these memories help sustain me as I get up to another bitterly cold spell with sleeting rain - winter storm warnings and the whole lot, of course we Texans don’t manage this well!
As all this drama was going on, I got a text message from my niece informing me that my 71-year-old half-sister Linda in Virginia unexpectedly passed away?!? I know nothing at this point since she had been out of town visiting her in-laws but she promised to update me. I doubt I can break away on short notice for any kind of funeral or memorial service but we shall see… Dr M has offered to fill in if she is able - Linda’s other two adult sons & their families are in Guatemala so I don’t imagine anything is going to happen quickly… More reasons to be morose, we had barely met, so much water under the bridge! But I devoted most of my weekend into helping my “bonus child” (Zach’s stepbrother) settle in as he has rebounded to DFW after eviction from their Nashville apartment. A long complicated story (isn't it always??), but I am **TEMPORARILY** letting Alex stay in the Mesquite house - had to haul in a mattress for him, yesterday we cleaned out the fridge (yuck!) and I took him grocery shopping which was like the proverbial kid-in-a-candy-store scenario (he & his GF have been struggling with their finances for months, neither of them do well with Adulting Skills like budgeting).
Go figure on changes in text and fonts? but I’ll try to fix it later. Better start getting ready for my workday which will involve lots of layering in this miserable cold…
Geeze, Louise!
ReplyDeleteThat's a decent sized tumor and I'm glad he got good care. Does that make him more of a pet now than a mount?
Well Bo is certainly a "pet" for the next 8 - 10 weeks or so! But many horses make a full recovery after colic surgery to go back to their normal "jobs"... I've had a few of my riding buddies who made similar investments, managed to get their partners back.
DeletePoor sweet Bo! Glad it was spotted and surgery took care of it. I had a co-worker who acquired a prime dressage horse for a much-discounted price. That beauty ended up with colic, too. This was years ago, but fortunately also caught in time, and taken to the vet school at Cornell for surgery. I've forgotten the horse's name, the gent who rode him was Greg. He transferred a while later and I lost track of what happened to him and his adventures with Ramon (his other horse) and this one. Bottom line, you know your craft, clearly.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the bonus son and dropping some wisdom along with the material aid you are providing "temporarily".
Sorry about your half-sister's passing. I do hope these "body blows" stop landing on your doorstep, Val! Soon!
Oh no!! Poor Bo! Thank God they caught this. I hope Bo has a complete speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteWe are getting the same crappy weather.
I hope you had Alex sign a time limited agreement as a lot of these people become permanent freeloaders. You might consider personally putting Alex and his GF to work. I find it the best way to get rid of freeloaders.
I am sorry to hear about your sister. Sending a prayer.
Bo is so cute!
“Luckily”, at this point I only have Alex - when they were evicted, Hayley’s parents would let HER move back in, but forbid Alex (their house/their rules I suppose)! Who knows how this drama is going to play out, but I guess I should be relieved throughout this saga that Hayley has never wanted to come seek her fortune in Texas?
Delete(And why am I having to be anonymous on my very own blog?? it’s just one of those days!)
I totally agree with you. One mouth to feed is better than two. I am officially old now as I am talking like my parents used to about my friends - Alex needs to settle down, get a job, and keep it.
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