Not long now

It seems like it has been an age since I was last on board Chico, enjoying our adventures out hacking and pottering about in the arena.
In fact it has only been four and a half months, but what a wait. I am off on holiday next week but when I get back it will be all systems go and I will be hoping back on board and getting back to normal.

To make it easy for those looking after him while I am away Chico is now on overnight turnout. He spends 6-7 hours during the day chilling in his stable, sleeping mostly with the occasional snack out his haybar. Then come early evening he goes out into his field to spend the nights out. It has been beneficial in the blistering heat of the last few days, keeping him away from the horrid biting flies and relentless sun.

I worried about having him out overnight as his grazing hours were greatly increased and I feared from his gut but so far he has been absolutely fine and I am relaxed now that I can go on holiday and (hopefully) he will be incident free.

I took my camera to the yard with me whilst the sun was out and Chico put on a good show for me, showing off how well he feels.

Long may his good health continue.

Long time.....but...

...all is fabulous!!

Chico has gone from strength to strength over the past month. His summer coat is fully through (although we are yet to actually has a summer to match) and his shaved patches from the operation have melted back in with his beautiful dappled chestnut and white attire.
His incision scar has disappeared under his fuzzy tummy hair but the pesky flies still know where to look so he is being smothered daily in antibiotic fly gel, much to Chicos gratitude.

Chico is now back in his normal field in his normal routine. Out he goes around 10am, with a spring in his step and about two extra hands on his height, a full day grazing and then I drag him back in at 5pm. He has adjusted well to being back out grazing and there has been no notable issues or colic re-appearance.

We are 4 months post operation now and we have one 4 more weeks until aboard I will climb to restart our adventures on horseback.

Watch this space!

No news is good news!

Firstly I apologies for the lenghty delay between this post and my last. I can only blame a very very hectic life and a memory like a sieve when it comes to remembering updates.

Not only have I had to deal with the dreaded OFSTED at work (academy passed with GOOD, thanks for asking) but this weekend the livery yard is playing host to a 3 day charity event.

Today was the showjumping day, and on a dry but cloudy day we had a nice turnout for what can only be described as an enjoyable and friendly local show. I was manning the all day clear round, which sadly wasnt very popular, but the lack of competitors for that allowed me to indulge my passion for photography. Taking over 300 photos today, that I have made available for free to all who attended, made me feel better that I wasnt able to compete with Chico this time.
Below is my favourite photo from today, I think it just sums up the relaxed atmosphere of the day.

Now for news of Chico. Well as the title says 'no news is good news'. Chico continues to increase weekly in the amount of time he is able to stay out grazing. His cheeky demeanor ensure I am always well aware of his excitement to go out each day. His strength of spirit to fight his horrendous ordeal remains steadfast and I feel optimistic that he will make a complete recovery.

An early night is needed now as tomorrow we have another full show day, in-hand, ridden and novelty classes are sure to keep me constantly busy and entertained. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that the forecast rain takes pity on our humble cause and quietly passes up by.

'There's some Arab in him...'

This week has flown by.

Chico is now having an hour a day turnout in a small paddock (not the track area in my last video as I decided that wasnt enough grass for him) and I forgot the joys of mucking out a stable without a horse in it! Not having to sweep around legs, duck and dive to avoid Chico's head and being able to leave the stable door open, flooding the stable with light, has made me appreciate the art of mucking out again.

Chico has been a sensible character and grazed quietly and without incident for 6 out of the 7 days. Sunday morning was the day he chose to finally blow the cobwebs off and have a good blast. Cue 5 minutes of full pace, fast and furious, cantering, galloping and bucking with sheer delight. I just stood watching, not in horror, not concerned, just enjoying seeing my boy, who was so close to leaving me, enjoying life and expressing his natural horse behaviour.

As a stood observing his fancy trotting, tail vertical in the air, bouncing from foot to foot a fellow livery owner appeared beside me. She had been watching him to and her comment simply consisted of...

'There's some Arab in him...'

And yes, I think there probably is.
I am in the process of tracing details about his sire and one possible outcome is that he was a part bred Arab and after the display Chico gave yesterday I wouldn't at all be surprised if that was so.

Chico's wound site is perfectly healed now and as the hair grows longer it is virtually impossible to see now. His shaved patches are blending back in with his newly grow in summer coat and he is starting to look his usual self again.

I cant wait for the good weather and my summer holidays now (very glad I only work term time only!)

And freedom comes quietly

Today was the day for freedom. 

Yesterday I set up a small area of 'the track' that the vet suggested ready for Chico to start his limited turnout this week. The official day to start is Wednesday, when he will be allowed a full hour out without the constraint of me on the end of the leadrope.

However I decided that I wanted to introduce him slowly, so today after 20 minutes in hand I lead him to the track. 

To begin with i dont think he realised he was loose, he milled about quietly picking at weeds and grass, a little on edge but nothing more than normal spooky Chico.

We managed 20 minutes before the howling winds got him on his toes and I decided to bring him back in.

Didnt go too badly at all!

Getting hairy

SATURDAY 12TH MAY

A gloriously sunny, if not a little windy, Saturday was had today.
Chico was in fine spirits, bright in the eye and eager for his in hand grazing.

He is rapidly moulting out his winter coat and half an hours grooming session resulted in a small mountain of hair  in the wheelbarrow and a fair amount stuck on my fleece jumper.

The incision site is still healing well, the hair is growing back and soon the scar will be enveloped and no longer visible. Come this time next year I doubt there will be much evidence left of his near fatal episode.

Looking good don't you think?

6 Weeks On

THURSDAY 10th MAY

Yesterday was vet day. After a horrific day at work with OFSTED in, everyone running around like headless chickens and feeling like I needed 3 clones of myself to get things done, I made it to the yard in time for my vet to visit.

Sarah, the fantastic vet who has dealt with Chico throughout, greeted us happily and was eager to see how her 'little man' was doing. A quick examination of his incision site gave good news, the external wound has fully healed and the underlying muscles was knitted together in all but one small spot that wasnt far behind the rest.
The vet explained how the sheer weight of a horses abdominal contents is the worst factor for recovery following colic surgery, it puts so much downwards pressure that it is imperative to ensure the muscles are fully healed and capable of withholding the enormous bulk. After discussing the pros and cons of putting a horse through colic surgery and a further discussion about the status of Chico's sarcoids (that we had just finished treating before he had his emergency op) we then decided to have a scout around the yard.

What we were looking for was somewhere suitable for Chico to spend his first turnout. There were a few conditions; condition 1 was that it had to be small enough so Chico couldnt get up any speed, condition 2 was it had to be secure and finally condition 3 was that it had to have at least some grass! After considering several locations and chatting with the yard manager we eventually decided upon sectioning off a small part of what we call 'the track'.
The track is a surfaced route that leads down the side of the stables land, post and rail fencing of the paddocks to one side and grassed bank to the other, to the muck heap at the end. Chico will have approximately only the first 20 meters roped off so he has room to roll and trot but wont be able to canter.
The concern with cantering and galloping is the extra extension through the horses body in these gaits that could potentially stretch the healing muscles and tissue and cause a set back.
The section Chico will have only has a small amount of grass but a large patch of weeds and plants. Not all the plants are suitable to stay so over the next week (before he can go out at week 7) I will be getting my hands dirty sorting it all out for my boy. Tonight already saw the start of it as I pulled out some stalk like plants before accidentally grasping a bramble stem and puncturing my finger, loves required tomorrow.

Once the area is ready Chico will be on a strict routine. Week 1 of turnout will be for 1 hour only, week 2 for 2 hours and so on. After 4 weeks of this limited space turnout he will be allowed to graduate to his normally paddock, but I will cover that in more detail closer to the time. It is a relief that I now have a plan for the next few months, all of which I have typed up into a spreadsheet, so I can look forward to the next step in Chico's recovery.

5 Weeks On

WEDNESDAY 2ND MAY We are now at the 5 week post-op mark. I have to admit I am astounded as to the completely uncomplicated recovery Chico has had so far. Chico must have read the colic surgery recovery text book and is following it to the letter. I was warned that Chico would become hard to handle after a few weeks box rest and 'kite on the end of a lead rope' was mentioned more than once. I had feared the worse but Chico has been a model patient, we get excite head tossing and tip toe trotting for about 3 metres (from the stable to the grass!) but once we hit green it is quiet munching all the way.

His incision site has now almost completely healed, the swelling edema is reducing nicely and I am hopeful that his internal stitches are doing as well as the external site.

His condition is coming back but he has lost a lot of muscle in areas that I was working on building up (neck, hind quarters etc)but he has put on a good amount of weight and his shaved patches are regrowing nicely.

My Beautiful Boys

SUNDAY 29TH APRIL

Despite the water companies declaring a near country wide drought the only things it has done in Birmingham over the last 2 weeks is rain! Chico and I have stood in the field soaking up as much precipitation as possible on many occasions.
We watch other owners and their horses traipse past us from the field into their dry stables, some days I feel like a broken down car on the side of the motorway watching the passing traffic while Chico happily munches away.

Hours spent on the field I have noticed so much wildlife living around our stables. So far I has seen rabbits, green finches, green woodpecker, mallards, buzzards, skylarks, wagtails and dueling male Robins. The rain seems not to bother these little creatures and they seem not to be bothered by me as I stand quietly by Chico's side watching them go about their business.

Today though was the first day I didnt manage to get Chico out into the field. The rain and wind howled so violently this morning I figured it would be best for Chico just to stay in side today. I was busy too, drove an hour down to the Malvern Showground with my dog for a Championship dog show. Despite being crammed into a leaking noisy tent me and my dog (a Large Munsterlander called Loki) managed a 1st place in our class.

On the way home we dropped in to the stables to tuck Chico into bed with supper and a full hay bar, then home to flake out on the sofa (both me and the dog). Don't know what I would find to do without my two boys to full my day with. Well done to my boy Loki, seen here at the stables, one of his favourite places.

4 Weeks On

It has now been 4 weeks since surgery and Chico makes even more progress. He is still coping brilliantly with box rest and has had no colic symptoms at all, remaining bright and alert throughout. His incision site is almost completely healed now and hair is growing nicely around the site.
The swelling is still about the same as last week but vet advised it would take a while for the excess fluid swelling to be reabsorbed. I continue to appreciate every day of his good health and look forward to getting him back out in the field with his buddies.

Healing nicely

Chico's incision site continues to heal extremely well. The small amount of swelling is starting to go down and as the hair on his tummy is growing back through the wound itself is getting less visible. We havent had any infection, seeping or bleeding from the site and I am hopeful things will stay this way.
Healing nicely.


Spring has brought unusual weather and with it horses suffering with colic, but what spring has also brought is a change of coat!
With a new shedding rake in my pocket today was the day for some serious hair removal!

Three Weeks On

WEDNESDAY 18TH APRIL

I cant believe if has been 3 weeks since it all kicked off and Chico was rushed into surgery to correct a badly adhered gut.

Chico has been home for 2 weeks now and remains relatively easy to handle grazing out in hand. We have had just one attack of spirit at the weekend when I lead him onto a different field than we have been using and attracted the attention of his field mates over the fence. A fit of bucking and farting and some very fancy dressage style trot (the kind of trot has has height but no forward motion!) ensued and he was dragged back to his stable in disgrace!

What they dont tell you about colic surgery is that surviving the surgery and the first few days isnt where the worry ends. Every little thing that happens makes you worry. Did he eat too much? Will he be warm enough and if not will he colic? He looks tired, is he just tired or is he poorly? Every stride of trot or every enthusiastic buck on the lead rope and you get images of internal organs bursting at the stitches, wounds opening up, everything is out to get you.

But at the end of the day you just have to take everything as it comes. When I turn up at the stables and am serenaded with whinnies and neighs from a happy patient I breath a sigh of relief, but i will feel exactly the same the next day.

I dont know if there will be a day when I finally stop worrying or if this is something that is always going to sit at the back of my mind, every cough, every runny poop, any sign of malaise and I will worry.

However, I am constantly reminded of how lucky I have been and how it could have so easily been a different blog I am writing.

After last weeks gassy colic scares for other horses at the yard this week saw a altogether more sobering occurrence.
The horse is neighbouring stable, a very talented grey warmblood owner by a young teenage girl, suddenly went off his food on Thursday night also displaying signs of colic. Vet attended and gave pain relief and horse settled so was left over night to recuperate. The following day, however, another episode of colic hit and the grey was rushed off to the same clinic that saved Chico's life. To cut a long story short, unable to eat without colicing the vets were forced to operate to investigate and a large mass was found in his stomach. The grey, who could easily have been any one of the horses on the yard, or any horse adored and much loved in any corner of the world, had a big problem. Vets advised the distraught owner that what they had found was so rare they were uncertain of how his future would pan out.

The sense of loss you all get when any one looses a horse isnt easy to describe to non horse owners. They really become a part of you, they wind their spirit into your heart and their courage into your mind, they make you a better person and when they die part of you dies too.

So to know Chico is still with me, fighting his affliction and never giving in gives me courage for his future, but life is fragile so I will enjoy every second Chico shares with me.

Standing in the pouring rain to graze him in hand is now a privilege and never a chore as is wrapping him up to keep him warm.

Two weeks on

WEDNESDAY 11TH APRIL

Firstly - the black mare from last night was okay, turned out to be just gas and she was back to normal this morning.

Today marks two weeks post colic emergency and what Chico and I have experienced in the last fortnight it hard to take in sometimes.
I could have so easily lost my boy that day but the recovery he has made has astonished even the vets which makes it difficult to realise how serious it all was.

Our vet Sarah came out today to remove Chico's stitches and check how he is doing. Despite all that's gone on Chico still seemed at ease with her and demanded a love once she'd finished. The stitches came out cleanly and all looked as it should.

He continues to be on up to an hour of in hand grazing and surprisingly is still easy to handle and responsive to voice command, how long this calm will continue i dont know but am thankful for it.
He has put some weight back on and looks less gaunt but has gone into a full moult and getting him to stand while I groom it all out is a bit tricky, in his mind I am there to take him out for grass, not groom him!

Touch wood so far he is being a real survivor.

Bringing it all home to me

TUESDAY 10TH APRIL

Another two days passed with little issue. Chico's incision wound is looking good, no signs of infection or extra swelling so all looks promising.

Chico is full of beans and I get the most enthusiastic welcome when I appear on the scene, sheer delight is an understatement, and the excitement persists until I make myself scarce.
Have only had one moment of explosion during our in hand grazing, but i do feel somewhat responsible. As he grazed quietly I spotted a crusty bit behind his elbow when his sarcoids were being treated. I decided to just whip it off quick, big mistake! This crusty bit must have been attached to the skin and my swift removal turned on Chico's 'buck button'. Cue two laps of bucking and leaping around me before I had to be the stern mommy and end his fun, at least he had some exercise.

Had to laugh in the afternoon, I had been talking to a fellow livery across the yard from Chico's stable but Chico was kicking at the door to get my attention. I ducked down behind a wall so he couldnt see me and carried on chatting to my friend. After a few minutes our yard manager shouted over to my friend 'Tell Sarah that Chico knows exactly where she's hiding!' I couldnt help but laugh, naugthy pony!

Although I had a moment of reflection this afternoon. Turned up at the yard and one of the other horses, a very trustworthy black mare, was colicing. The vet came and prognosis was either simple trapped gas or possibly a twisted gut, a couple of hours would tell for sure. What made me appreciate what Chico and I have gone through was the look on the poor owners face as she explained to the vet that if it came to surgery that she couldnt afford it. Her mare wasnt insured so the instant decision I made with Chico, the decision that I didnt even give a second thought to, the vets should do WHATEVER it took, wouldnt be an easy decision for the mares owner. When I left the yard the mare seemed to be doing better so hopefully it was just trapped gas and no operation needed but it did bring it all home a bit for me. Chico was one lucky lucky horse.

No visitors allowed!

SUNDAY 8th April

Easter Sunday was for us a normal Sunday. Being a household of fairly scientific atheists Easter Sunday meant nothing more than a day without any shops open.

I was up at the yard in the morning as is usual now and a Chico was more than happy to go for his in hand grazing. I just had to stand like a spare part with a constant 'crunch munch' sound in my ear. Take a bite, chew, take a bite chew, take a bite, chew...I have no idea when Chico actually swallowed what he was eating but boy he was going at it like something possessed.

Chicos wound is healing well, no signs of infection or swelling and the stitches are still in place. It was clear by the layer of bedding on his rug that Chico had enjoyed a roll in the stable last night, I'm not sure I think it is a good idea but where else does he have to roll.

My mother accompanied me to they yard in the afternoon to see Chico, having not seen him for some time. Chico was happy enough to let her graze him in hand but we were surprised to find he wasnt too keen on having someone else in the stable. I figure he is so used to just having me, his mum, in with him that any body else with me must be a vet (that being the only time someone else is with me). The faces he was giving my mother were a picture, he was one grumpy lad. My mother ended up being cast out of the stable to sit on the wall and wait for me, once she had gone Chico became all soppy with me again wanting cuddles and loves. He is a very silly boy, evidently no visitors are allowed!

I have managed an hour and a quarter in hand grazing both days over the weekend and with unlimited hay and breakfast and tea Chico isnt quite as skinny looking as he was the day I got him home. He is on the mend and I am looking forward to the vets visit next Wednesday to see what she thinks.

Good Friday

FRIDAY 6TH APRIL

It was Good Friday, and it had been a good Friday. Chico was chirpy as ever and full of beans.

I managed an hour and a half in hand grazing split over the morning and afternoon which Chico thoroughly enjoyed.

Not a lot of other news from Friday, lets hope the rest of his recovery goes just as smoothly.

Helping, head butting and hand grazing

THURSDAY 5TH APRIL

My normal routine back to normal, I couldnt be happier.
Trundled up to the yard in the morning and was met by a fresh faced eager your horse stood in Chico's stable. Chico was well and truly back. I invited myself into his stable and immediately became the focus of his full attention. A fact that I do normally enjoy but not when trying in vain to quickly skip out as Chico plays the 'must stand in every spot that mum is trying to muck out' game. I think at one point he was threatened with being returned to the vets clinic!

After the not so quick skip out it was time for a mouthful of breakfast for the boy. I popped half a scoop of feed into his bucket before adding 1 sachet of painkiller, 1 sachet of antibiotics and 2 little scoops of pro-biotic pellets. His bucket looked like it contained more medicine than it did feed, but after mixing in a bit of water I offered it to Chico who saw no problem with scoffing it as if he'd never eaten before.

While he munched I had a quick check on his wound site. Looking good i'd say.


With breakfast (and meds) licked clean from the bowl I figured then was a good time for some in hand grazing. Now being the big softie I am I had purchased a new headcollar for Chico, complete with fluffy nose band and head piece, after all I dont want my boy getting a sore face with all the in hand grazing we will be doing.

Upon opening the stable door Chico went like a racehorse out of the start gate, but made it all of a meter before reaching his first grass victim. I am sure Chico thinks that there is to be a grass shortage as I have never seen a horse cram so much grass in its mouth continually for 15 minutes. Not wanting to overload his gut it was time to get back in the stable, a fact that Chico wasnt so keen on. A small tantrum later and he finally went back in.

This repeated itself again in the afternoon but this time the lucky monkey had 30 minutes grazing but this resulted in an even bigger tantrum about going back in. However 'mum' always gets her way so it wasnt long before Chico was enjoying his final dinner in the stable before bed.

Just before leaving him for the night I stood in his stable enjoying having him home. Chico however sees my presence as an excuse to do something or go somewhere so my simply standing quietly just doesnt wash with him and he must interact with me at all costs. As I gazed over the stable door across the yard my back suddenly met with a blunt force that is Chico's big empty noggin. A comic moment as I splatted against the stable door was followed by an afternoon of not being able to do this.....*ouch*......

Chico's first full day at home, under my care, had gone perfectly (other than the not so helpful mucking out, the head butting, and I didnt even go into the bit where he trod on my shoe and nearly pushed me over!). It's so nice to have him home.

Home at last

WEDNESDAY 4TH APRIL

The morning broke with howling wind, driving rain and even a spatter of snow! Long gone were the beaming sunny days but the weather couldnt damper my spirit as I lay under the covers, cat in situ upon my chest, because this day Chico was coming home.

I would have to wait until my dad finished work before we could set off to retrieve my boy. After a few hours sorting paperwork, getting irate at pestering cats and freezing without central heating I finally set off to the yard.

At the vets Chico again put up some resistance to loading onto the trailer, a fact which myself and the two girls helping me didnt appreciate in the freezing weather. Finally on board, with goody bag in hand (containing all manner of lotions and potions), we set off home.

Chico's face upon unloading at HIS yard was a picture. He practically dragged me down the yard towards his stable. You would have thought he hadnt eaten in a week such was the voracity he went at his haynet! Our yard manager came to welcome him home and got a nudge in the ear for trouble, Chico's cheeky ways were as sharp as ever.

The vet had removed his tummy bandage, telling me that as he was so active the bandage kept rolling up and as he was doing so well they just took it off. I had to keep a close eye on the wound, which looked tiny compared to the horrendous image i had in my mind, to ensure it was clean and infection free.

Removing his cotton sheet gave me a giggle. Chico was now sporting a very fetching bald patch on his side. A not so neatly shaved patch (where they had scanned him before surgery) was no pride of place, no in hand showing for us this year!!

6 weeks of strict box rest are to follow. Grazing out in hand each day but other than that Chico was in for a very boring 6 weeks. I felt sorry for him, being such an exuberant boy with a love in playing with his horsey friends such a term of 'solitary' was going to be hard for him. I promised him I would walk him around the yard everyday to say hello to his friends in their stables.


I had to keep a watch for signs of discomfort and of course colic symptoms but Chico was in such good spirit I was optimistic of a trouble free recovery, but only time will tell....

Here he is, back safe in his stable, he had clearly lost some weight but with all the stress of the last week he wasnt to only one to lose a few pounds. He was so boisterous in the stable, clear photos were not easy!

He's coming home!

TUESDAY 3RD APRIL

News just in.....Chico can come home on Wednesday.

After a busy morning walking the dogs, shopping for dog food and re-organising my aviary I had sat down with my laptop to enjoy an episode of one of my shows on line.

Few minutes from the end my phone went and the vet was on the other end. Chico could come home! The vet couldnt say enough about how amazingly Chico had done from day one. She told me enthusiastically how of all the colic surgeries she had even been involved with that Chico had shown the smallest amount of edema around the wound than she had ever seen. It seems that Chico is some sort of super-pony, as he astounded the vets last year with his superb reaction to having his sarcoids treated with aggressive chemo cream, so looks like he is continuing this healing ways.

When I collect him i will be given a care guide for him and he is likely to need to be on box rest for at least 3 months. In hand grazing everyday if what I have to look forward to this year, lets just hope we dont have months of rain, I dont fancy getting drowned!

It will be up to the yard in the morning to get his stable ready for him, put down some extra bedding, fill his water and make sure he has plenty of yummy hay.
Then once my dad and the towbar finish work it'll be off up to Lichfield to collect my boy.
Lets just hope he wants to get back on the trailer.......

Bandage change

MONDAY 2ND APRIL

It was 10:30am and I surfaced from dreaming about horses to another sunny morning. I had planned to visit Chico again so got myself ready and popped into the garden to feed the chickens. Unfortunately for me during the short 10 minutes I was outside the vet had decided to phone me, and of course my phone was in the house! Vet had left a voicemail, she explained that Chico was still coping fantastically and that he had had his tummy bandage changed that morning.' I contemplated phoning her back but decided I had no real concerns so would just wait until she phoned again.

Heading over to Lichfield was going well until someone pulled up besides me at the lights and pointed out my rear tyre was almost completely flat *sigh*. One interesting fact I found out today that there is only one petrol station on the journey between Sutton Coldfield and Lichfied and that the solitary petrol station that was on route had an air pump that didnt work! Needless to say I limped slowly to the vet clinic and figured I could fill up the tyre on the way home (which I did)

Chico was pleased to see me again but he seemed a bit quieter than the last few visits. I guessed that the vets had probably given him some sedative to change the dressing so I wasnt concerned.
He looked well and his coat on his neck and chest was shining like a piece of silk. His back end still looked a bit bedraggled and he had managed to rub his tail into a lovely big pom-pom shape, he was definitely going to be coming home minus a lot of tail!
He was keen to use me as a rubbing post again and soon put me to work as his personal hay holder, it was my job to pull the hay from the haynet and hold it for him to munch, lazy monkey.
Whilst I was there another horse arrived and the head vet was putting it through its paces. Chico, and another little pony in a stable opposite, found the antics of this new arrival fascinating and every time it was led across the yard both let out whinnies and neighs of fascination. I guess it can get boring being in the stable 24/7 so they relish any little bit of excitement they can get.



I had noticed a lot of concern about the horse in the stable at the end of the row. There was a cone with hazard tape cordoning off the stable door with several pairs of wellies and cover-alls on the floor. A big sign read 'STAFF ONLY' and I witnessed bowls and buckets being washed out with boiling water. All I could see in the stable was a drip line hanging from the ceiling spiraling its way down to below the door line. I didnt know what was going on but I felt sorry for whatever poor soul was in that stable.

I left Chico munching on his haynet and made my way back home. It is still very strange not having him just up the road at his 'home'.

The sun shines again

SUNDAY 1ST APRIL

April fools day was here again as was the glorious sunshine.
After a lovely evening at a friends wedding reception I found myself enjoying the unusual lie in that came with not having a horse to turn out in the morning.
I lay snuggled in my duvet, quiet and relaxed when I heard the distinctive ping of my mobile phone.
Slithering my arm out of the warmth I reached for my phone. Two texts sat waiting for me.
The first, from a 'horsey' friend, said she had had to go up to the vet clinic and while there had stopped to say hello to Chico. It was nice to know he had seen a familiar face.
The second message was from my vet, it simply read 'Chico continues to make excellent progress, very bright this am. Full update tomorrow.'
With a broad smile I sent a short reply and tucked myself back into my duvet.

I wouldnt be visiting Chico that day. Seeing how excited he got on my previous two visits I felt it best to only visit every other day so as not to get him too over exuberant everyday, he was supposed to be resting after all.

I was glad to know he was doing well and I too felt happier. The numbness of the past few days had gone but I knew i wasnt totally at ease yet, the constant niggling pains in my abdomen reminded me that my body was still in a state of alertness. I was hopeful my system would calm down once Chico was home, but for that I would have to wait and see.

Without a visit to my boy the highlight of my day was a brilliant April Fools gag from Ikea. No doubt plenty of people around the country will be heading of to their local Ikea to swap in their faulty allen key!

Second visit

SATURDAY 31ST MARCH

Up bright and early to visit Chico.
I managed the route this time, finding the correct turn off everytime, what a difference a level head makes!

It was 9:30am and the beautiful sun of the week was gone, replaced with a grey cloudy drizzle. The clinic yard was quiet, that was until I turned the corner to Chico's stable. Yet again I received an enthusiastic greeting.

The yard staff had given him a hose down the day before and he was alot cleaner but still quite crispy. I had taken my grooming kit so got to work. He still look a little disheveled but in a much cleaner way! He was still sporting his very fetching tummy bandage but today seemed much less uncomfortable.


Whilst I was with him he had a couple of wees and did two poos. For anyone who has ever been through a colic op with their horse knows that pooing is a wonderful sign. never before has a poo been so happily received. This meant his gut was working correctly, there was no blockage and things were moving along.
A small pile of hay sat in the corner and I was able to get him to take a munch. The vet had told me that the day before they had managed to get him to eat some soaked hard food, another good achievement.
Vet had seen to him that morning and were happy to stop the colic checks and just leave him to recuperate without interference.

As on Thursday Chico wanted me to take him out and again I fell sorry that I couldnt. I spent a nice hour with him before setting off home. Before I went I popped back to the stable for one last goodbye and boy he was making it difficult leave him!

We made the 48 hour period

FRIDAY 30TH MARCH

Today was a teacher training day at work and for me that meant a day or corporate team building drivel, assessing my emotional intelligence and how that made me a better employee. I couldnt have cared less. I felt awful. After two days of hell my body had given up, I was emotionally and physically drained. I sat in a semi-vegetative state for most of the day, my skeptical input was most certainly not missed.

I had planned to visit Chico again that evening but the thought of driving over to the clinic was too much so I decided to have an early night and go the next day.

The vet had phoned and all was still going well with Chico. He had passed the 48 hour period and everyone was hopeful his improvement would continue.

The next day - 24 hours on.

THURSDAY 29TH MARCH

I slid out of bed at 7am, somehow I got dressed and drove into work. I was there in body, but not in mind.
Gripped with anxiety, stress and shock I was not doing well at all. All I could manage was to sit and stare at my phone. The vet had promised to phone me that morning to let me know how Chico had done through the night. To her it was a quick call before morning rounds, but to me it was everything. I couldnt eat, I couldnt chat, I couldnt do anything until I knew if Chico had survived the night. After a couple of soul destroying hours I finally phoned the vets myself.
'The vet is with him right now, she will call you back in ten minutes.'

After half an hour my vet got in touch.
'Chico is doing really well. We have been giving him a full colic check every 4 hours and so far he is doing well. He even has some quiet gut sounds this morning, which we wouldnt have expected to hear so that is very promising, and I have grazed him in hand for 10 minutes,' the vets tone lightened 'we had some trouble getting him back in. I think he was enjoying his grass!.'

This phone call just lifted the world off my shoulders. Chico was being his cheeky self, playing them up so soon after his surgery surely must be a good sign. I had decided I would visit him that evening and after informing all who would listen that Chico was still with us I managed to get my head into gear and finish my days work.


4pm came and I was free from work. I still felt very anxious and my digestive system was not happy! Jumping into my car I set of, written directions in hand, to Lichfield (about half an hour away) to see my boy.
I was making good progress until in my anxious state caused me to leave a junction early. I immediately rejoined the dual carriageway in the opposite direction but missing two more junctions to turn around and I was running out of 'visiting hours'. I finally got the right junction but then missed the very sudden turn into the clinic. Cue another 10 minutes to go around the route again!
With only 25 minutes of visiting time left I finally managed to park up at the clinic.

As I turned the corner onto the yard I was met with an enthusiastic whinny. There was my Chico, all pleased to see his mum.
As I went into his stable my heart sank for him. He had a big bandage all around his middle and his fur was covered in crusty dry sweat and blood. He had black tape around his hooves and his shoes had been removed. All in all he looked a mess. But when I looked at his eyes I could see he was still his normal self.

He immediately decided that now his mum was here that I would be the perfect scratching post. He rubbed every inch of his head on me, and I loved it. I asked the yard staff for a brush and groomed his head and neck. I didnt want to groom his back end just incase it was still sore.
Since I was there Chico figured it was high time we went and did something. He pushed at the door, scrapped his foot with impatience and was generally being a pain. I felt helpless that I couldnt make him understand that he had to stay in his stable, he had to rest and recover.
All the excitement must have pulled a bit at his stitches (he now fashioned a wound stretching the length of his 'tummy') and the discomfort started to show. My 30 minutes were up anyway so I gave him my love and left him to have a quiet night.

Chico had made it through the first 24 hours with out a hitch...

The longest 4 hours

I went back to work for a few hours, but I felt like a zombie, I was numb and emotionless, struggling to take in what had just happened.

The vet had told me that the surgery would take around 3-4 hours, and waiting for her call was torture.
As every hours passed and no call came I became more and more convinced that it would be bad news.
After work I went straight home, something I havent done for months. I always go straight from work to the stables but today was different, today Chico wasnt there waiting for me.
At home i still hadnt had the call and my anxiety was close to going nuclear.

The phone rang.

'Chico is awake and up on his feet and the surgery was successful,' the vets voice was chirpy 'we found something unusual. Chico's small colon was looped in a horseshoe shape, it had what we think was testicular tissue wrapped around it. It seems to have been like that for years, probably since he was castrated. His small intestine had also stuck to it and that is what caused the massive colic today. We have separated it all up and luckily nothing was damaged.'

As the vet spoke I was frantically typing one handed on my laptop, I knew in my emotional state I wouldnt remember anything she was saying if i didnt note it down.

'What is the prognosis?' that was all I could think about.

'Well, we are worried that because his small colon has been like that for years that it may revert back to its pre-operation state. If it does it may cause him to colic again. I will be honest with you, if he colics again there will be no point us operating again as we will know what we will find and there will be nothing we could do. If he does colic again it might be the time to think about the hard decision. The next 48 hours is critical.'

As I hung up I didnt know what to feel. I was grateful that he has survived but didnt feel any sense of relief, I knew he could colic again any second of any hour and if he did it would be the end.

COLIC!!

WEDNESDAY 28TH MARCH

It was a normal day at work on one of the sunniest days of 2012 and I was happily beavering away in our prep room.
Just after 10am I heard my phone ring in the pocket of my coat that was hanging on the door. I scooted over but missed the call. Looking at the display it read 'Sarah stables' and my heart stopped. Our stable yard manager Sarah only ever sends texts so the fact she was phoning me meant something must be wrong.
In slight panic I phoned her back. When she answered she sounded concerned.
"Chico is covered in sweat, is shivering and keeps trying to go down' she told me, 'You have to phone the vets now!'

Chico is my horse. A very special horse who I have had for just under two years. A beautiful pure white with patches of dappled chestnut and a stunning face. He is everything to me and gives me a reason to get out of bed even on my worst days. He is cheeky, boisterous and an adorable character, in short, he is perfect for me.



I fumbled with my phone to find the vets number and called them immediately.
'The vet will be with you in 10 minutes' the receptionist told me.

I phoned Sarah back to let her know then just had to wait. I wasnt sure what to expect, what would the vet say, would Chico be okay. I couldnt just leave work so had to rely on Sarah to be there for my boy.

After about 20 agonising minutes my phone rang again.
'This is the vet here, I am very concerned about Chico, he has colic, I think he is in serious trouble. You need to get him to the clinic as soon as possible.'
At that moment every emotion left me, knowing I had to phone my dad so he could drive the car and trailer I broke down into tears. As my dad answered my call I thrust the phone at my mum (who I luckily work with) unable to speak over the tears.

With my dad on the way to the stables I just abandoned work, leaving my mum to let the management know, I didnt care if i was allowed to go or not, I just HAD to get to my horse, at that moment nothing else mattered.


As I pulled up at the yard I could see my dad hooking up the trailer and the vets car on the carpark.
The vet met me at the car and took me straight to Chico in his stable.
My poor boy. Every inch of him we was dripping with sweat, he was full of sedative and looked completely lost. He didnt even acknowledge I had arrived, he was definitely in a bad way.

'We need to get him on the trailer and to the clinic asap' the vet told me.
I took hold of Chico's lead rope and led him up the yard. My dad had readied the trailer and came to help me load.
Now Chico hates loading, it normally takes us between 20-50 minutes to get him on the trailer and even though he was drugged up Chico had no intention of changing his ways. However Chico didnt realise that today wasnt a normal day and getting on the trailer today could be the difference between life and death. The vet mustered a small army of liveries with lunge lines and brooms and we had to desperately prod and pull to get him on. Luckily it only took a couple of minutes before we were all secured and on our way.

On the way my dad did his best to keep me calm and relaxed and I was so glad he was there, i couldnt have done that journey on my own.

Arriving at the clinic Chico was unloaded and went straight into a stable.
'We are going to take him in for tests,' the vet explained in the reception, 'it will take about half an hour then we will know if he needs surgery or not.'

My dad and I sat in the small reception, all I remember thinking was that I hoped he didnt need surgery. I had seen tv footage of horse surgery and knew it was a major thing for a horse to endure. I also knew that there was a high chance i could lose Chico on the operating table.
After what felt like a year the vet appeared in the reception, she looked rushed and I remember a strong smell of 'hospital'.

'We have done a scan and a rectal exam, there is something going on, we can see it isnt right. We want to operate on him now.'

'Do whatever needs to be done.' I felt sick.....

It was only 12:30 and as we drove away, leaving Chico in the hands of the surgeons, I was terrified. I was convinced Chico was going to die. I was in shock. In just two and a half hours my world had been turned upside down. I was due to have a lesson with Chico that evening but now he was fighting for his life.