I just wanted to say thanks for the nice ride, a
gorgeous day and the perfectly painted fall scenery.
I didn't know if Dr. Washington told you or not,
but Bhen colicked or ?? after the ride. Seeing the whole picture now, I
think he didn't really colicked. I think he was having a reaction to
'something'. I am thinking the different hay at the vet check. My
mistake...I didn't bring enough of his own hay in his vet bag, not thinking he'd
have a problem with different hay at a vet check, he never has before.
(Hellloooo, what aren't you supposed to do at a ride??...CHANGE
ANYTHING!!)
He started acting colicky about 20 minutes
after finishing the ride. Dr. Washington took care of him
but he still wasn't 100% the rest of the evening. I wasn't taking my eyes
off of him to come to the awards meeting but thanks for the blue and yellow
halter for the completion award. When Bhen feels better, I am sure he'll
be thrilled...
Not much sleep Saturday night even though Bhen was
acting more normal, munching on his hay when I went to sleep
(HA!). At the last time I checked him at 4:45am he was
great. I thought I could finally 'sleep'. At 5am Linda knocked
on the camper door. After I quieted the 'dog alarm' she told us
that Bhen was thrashing around. He was now laying down and
wouldn't get up. I couldn't really listen for gut sounds or take a
pulse, he was to AGITATED! We noticed he was totally
covered with HIVES from his nose to his tail. We didn't
want to take the chance of him 'flipping' something if he was colicky or not. We
decided to haul to Idaho Equine (sorry if we woke ride camp at 5am with my
thrashing around to frantically pack up camp and warm up the
oh-so-quite-at-5am diesel trucks).
Idaho Equine confirmed Dr. WA's recheck Sat.
night, before we headed to bed, that Bhen's guts were working.
He was now having an allergic reaction to SOMETHING. Something =
dust, a weed, something he ate, something he touched, a bug, maybe even the
Banamine, or the hay he ate...you name it! <great...>
According to his blood work, he was totally hydrated (as normal as normal
can be). After a cold hosing to sooth the hives and to drop his slightly
elevated temp, and a container of Tri-Hist we headed for home. He was
much, much more comfortable by noon. Poor kid...
Linda and I had a great time on the ride...even
though my fine WRRT water bottle top came off in my leather saddle
bags...sloshing 16 oz. of sticky gator-aid on everything, including my vet
card. Dr. Keith was a sport and scribbled completion and A's on my
totally soaked and sticky, sliver of the remains of my vet card.
I did find out that my Gaston saddle bags are
water/gator-aid/proof for at least 10 miles of trotting. Maybe next time
I'll just fill them and bring a long straw? I am laughing now but
I wasn't then! Poor Linda had to finish the last 10 miles with me
growling, grumbling, and grumping about the sloshing saddle bag that I couldn't
empty unless I tipped my saddle & bags completely upside down...they had to
wait until we fnished the ride to mess with. It wasn't pretty. (Does
"for better or for worse, until death do us part" apply to riding partners,
too?)
Thanks for putting on the ride, it was a perfect
fall day for it and a fine ending (so far).
