When Sarah Mahoney, the founder of Adult Ammy Strong, asked me to write about the success my horse had with colic surgery, I thought it would be a simple story to write. I was thinking in technical terms and how the procedure has progressed and the rehabilitation process. In actuality, this story has taken me weeks to write because it spurred me to reflect who I was as a horseman before the surgery and where I am now.
I am the true adult amateur and I appreciate that Sarah is growing a community of likeminded individuals. I have one horse and he is definitely a large “debit” on our financial statement. But like most amateurs, my riding and stable time is very important to my happiness and my horse is therefore a huge asset to our entire family. Prior to colic surgery, I focused primarily on riding and competing. Post surgery, my priorities have changed and I am now a better equestrian because of the in depth knowledge I have of my horse’s well being.
I believe that amateurs are different because we have chosen to be in the sport for life. We come from all ages and demographics and we each have something to teach each other. The story below will be published in Adult Ammy Strong (hyperlink) and it demonstrates how as a group we support and teach each other. If you have not already followed Adult Ammy Strong, I highly encourage you to visit the site and become a part of making our sport more cohesive, stronger and sustainable.
Salut!
ADVERSARY LEADS TO IMPROVEMENT AS A HORSEMAN
DIFFICULT DECSION
Last Friday, my 8 year old “unicorn” left for the winter on a Brookledge truck from a stable just 7 minutes from my home in Boise, Idaho to a show barn over 14 hours away in Scottsdale, Arizona. This move was one of the most difficult decisions that I have had to make as an amateur rider. For the first time in years, I feel that I am experiencing exponential growth in my riding skills: I now own a nice show hunter, my personal schedule and logistics finally allow for daily riding, and I have solid local coaching that focuses on fundamentals. Why, then, would I make such a drastic decision to send my only horse, Sazerac, to a location that is essentially 2 flights away? The answer: a preventative measure against colic.
COLIC
“ The word colic is a vague term that indicates clinical signs of pain in the abdominal cavity. It is not a specific disease but rather a combination of signs that signal the presence of abdominal pain in horses. These signs can range from mild to severe and can rapidly become a life-threatening situation. (1) “ On January 15, 2016, I was away at HITS Thermal for business when I received a call at approximately 7:00 pm from our barn manager/owner that Sazerac was showing signs of colic that included not eating his dinner, pawing, and trying to lay down. He had demonstrated the similar behaviors one-week prior, but this episode was more dramatic and upon physical examination by our primary vet, it was recommended that we move him to the region’s large animal veterinary hospital for fluids and additional testing. By 9 am the next morning he was in surgery.
TO FOLLOW THE REST OF OUR JOURNEY, INCLUDING LESSONS LEARNED, READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT ADULT AMMY STRONG .
CHRONOLOGICAL PROGRESS POST OPERATIVE