The Day Spook Got Sick!

It was a dark and stormy day here in Paulden, Arizona on October 4th, 2007. I had to do my grocery shopping (I also shop for my handicapped mom who lives next door to us). I knew Spook was horribly upset by the blasting rain, thunder, lightening and hail that was pelting down on her. I tried to persuade her to come stand under the metal shelter but she was just too frightened. I felt awful as I drove down the road heading for town to the grocery store, knowing how upset she was. I tried to complete my trip into town as quickly as I could.

Imagine my shock when I returned home and discovered Spook rolling around in the mud. I immediately called Brenda and shouted that Spook was down and rolling. (Having just gone through the death of her horse Half Moon due to colic only a few weeks earlier, we knew the signs and symptoms of the nightmare of colic!)

A call to the vet confirmed our worst suspicions. By now it was night time but we felt we had to get her to the new equine hospital in Prescott quickly! Thank goodness Spook got right into Brenda's trailer, even though the thunder and lightening was all around us. Brenda made the 25 mile trip in record time.

By now Spook was looking pretty poorly and the normal medical procedures for colic didn't seem to make a difference in her suffering. I was wracked with guilt that I had left my beautiful horse alone during a stressful storm. But as the doctor tried to reassure me, I could sense that he was concerned for Spook's outcome. I dreaded the thought of surgery.

After a few hours, Spook's doctor suggested that we go home and he'd call us if there were any changes. The next 2 days were nervous ones for me, as I prayed that Spook would recover and not require surgery. And thankfully she did recover. Looking a little thinner and pretty worn out than when she arrived at the hospital, I do believe that she was happy to see the trailer coming to take her back home.

This experience taught me just how emotionally attached we had become to each other in a relatively short time. This horse that didn't trust the farrier, calmed down enough to stand still while I talked words of encouragement to her as he trimmed her hooves. This same horse had also responded to me during her medical emergency. She was coming home with me now and I vowed never to let anything bad happen to this horse ever again!