Your horse is stuck WHERE?!

[Scarlette]

I had an unbelievable horse emergency yesterday! I went out to feed the horses and only 3 came up from the woods. My oldest horse Foxy wasn't coming up so I waited. She is getting arthritic and moving really slow lately. I know she will have to be put to sleep this fall because there's no way she will make it through another cold winter. The pain killers and steroids just aren't working anymore.

Anyway, I waited and waited and waited. No Foxy. I whistled for her and waited some more. No Foxy. So I started to walk to the back of the pasture to look for her, thinking maybe she mustered up enough energy to escape again. She wasn't in the back field so I knew something was wrong. I started to worry and feel sick. So, off I tromped through the swamp, in mud and muck to my knees. I looked and saw my white horse laying on the ground. I tried to calmly walk up to her so as not to spook her if she was tangled in the fence. To my dismay I discovered my horse stuck in the mud from hoof to hip on both back legs! Her front legs were curled under her and the poor thing was shaking from exhaustion. I tried to pull her out and she was too tired to try to move. The look in her eyes told me she had given up and there was no way I could do this on my own.

I raced back up to the house and made some phone calls, including one to the vet.....no answer at the vet's so I left a message to come ASAP because I had no idea what injuries were hidden in the mud.

Within an hour my cousin and 2 friends arrived. We had to dig her out BY HAND because we couldn't use a shovel for fear that we would cut her with it. Somehow Foxy had enough strength left in her to help us a bit. We pulled and pushed her out of the mud, she stood up then fell over from exhaustion. It took us another 20 minutes to get her up again. At first I thought she had a broken leg but she was so stiff from the struggle that she was having a hard time standing. We slowly walk her up to the barn and she immediately started eating hay like nothing happened.

Luckily she only had a few tiny cuts. She's soooooooo lucky! It could've been way worse than what I could even imagine. Today she is pretty sore. I'm not sure if she'll fully recover from this. I'm hoping I don't have to have her put down sooner than I planned.

[capnsweets]

Poor Foxy and Poor Scarlette! I am glad she is okay! Poor thing, how scared she must have been and how grateful her Mom came and found her. I hope she gets better from this!

[Chrisanne]

awww poor roxy! I'm so sorry you had that scare Scarlette. We'll pray for Roxy to enjoy the time she has left with you.

HUGS

[Jade]

Oh Scarlette I'd have been frantic. I'm so glad you found her and things weren't more serious! You and she will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[Millimi]

Poor Scarlette and Roxy! That must've been really scary. I'm glad Roxy is okay!
Just as a suggestion, couldn't you move Roxy to the vet's barn for the winter? I know some have indoor stables, and that way you could enjoy her for another year?

[RSbunny]

omg Scarlette how terrifying I hope she makes a good recovery for you.

[DirtySouthChins]

Scarlette,
I'm sorry you and roxy had to go through that, what a terrifying experience, poor baby must have been scared to death.....glad to hear she is doing better for the most part, fingers :xfinger: that she stays with you a little longer

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Wow! That IS scary!! I'm so glad she had you to help her and not give up on her We'll be praying for a full recovery for Foxy

[Scarlette]

Foxy is getting around a little better today but still moving VERY slowly. The vet called me back yesterday and apologized that she wasn't home that night but I told her that I understand she has a life outside of being a vet and I don't expect her to sit by the phone 24/7.

Quote: Just as a suggestion, couldn't you move Roxy to the vet's barn for the winter? I know some have indoor stables, and that way you could enjoy her for another year?

I do know a place where I could board her but it wouldn't be much help because I noticed this summer when we had some cooler, rainy days, Foxy was feeling her arthritis flare up. I just don't think it would be fair to try to keep her around another year if she's going to be in pain year round now. I'm seriously considering having her put down this week if she doesn't recover from her mud incident. I'm giving her extra bute and it doesn't seem to be working too well for her.

[Ilovesmepets]

How sad...maybe she'll recover....

[dappledoxie]

Oh poor Fozy, I really hope things go well. I would've been so scared.

[RSbunny]

Keep us updated on her recovery Scarlette.

[lixx]

I will be thinking of her. I hope she recovers.

[Millimi]

Poor Foxy. If you do have to put her down, which I'm hoping you won't have to, it's for the best. She had a great life with you, and she'd only be miserable. I really hope that she'll get better!

[Scarlette]

Foxy seems depressed and won't eat, plus the other horses know that she is weak right now and the youngest horse is really picking on her. Foxy has ALWAYS been the leader of the herd and it breaks my heart to see her going down in the pecking order. I tried feeding her separate but she won't eat much and she gets really anxious, wanting to be with the other horses. I think she's also senile, if there's such a thing that happens to horses. She had no reason to be in the swampy area Friday and today she started slowly walking to the water trough, stopped, looked confused, then walked away from it.

After 17 1/2 years of having her in my life I think I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and say good bye to Foxy while she still has some dignity left. I don't know....this is so hard!