We lost Buckshot the other night. It’s been hard for me to think clearly. I just keep seeing the poor guy laying out in the field, in the rain, cold, and unable to help himself.

I got a call from our neighbor Monday afternoon around 4 PM. He had just returned home from school and was heading out to take care of Buckshot for the day, and feed the rest of the herd. The panic in his voice told me it was not good when he said there was another emergency at his place with the horse. I yelled at Valorie to come on, Buckshot was down and Allen could not get him up.

We through on our shoes, I stopped at the barn to grab a couple of things from the first aid shelf, and we headed next door. We got there, and went straight to the barn, as Allen did say that Buckshot was pinned there.

I still don’t really know what happened, but the more I think about it, the more I believe his back end just gave out because he was so weak, and the infection that he was already fighting did not help him regain his strenght.

Buckshots head was up under the stall gate, so we opened the gate up so he could lift his head. Allen and I pulled Buckshots hind feet out from under the side of the
barn. He had some good cuts and scrapes on him, but nothing
life-threatening that we could tell.

We really wanted to keep in the dry stall, but there was just no way to do that. In order to get him on more level ground to help him regain his feet, we had to flip him over, and that put him right square in the mud.

I felt so bad for this guy, we offered him some water, wanted nothing to do with that. Offered him some feed, and he ate like a pig. The vet was called, we were advised to let him rest for an hour or so and let him eat.

Val was sent back to our place to feed our herd, as she had classes and had to get changed and cleaned up. Shelley, Allen’s wife came home and came out to help with Buckshot.

Buckshot made several attemts to get up, but every attempt just spun him in the mud. We needed more help, but everyone was working. I did call Nathan to ask him to come up as soon as he got home.

With each attempt to get up, it also pushed him closer to the fence. Where I finally placed myself between him and it. And each time he attempted to get up, I would push him away from the fence. His face was full of mud, but he took care of that himself when he took a head dive into a water bucket.

As it started to get dark, it stated misting and we knew we were in for rain Monday night. I didn’t want to leave Buckshot out in the weather, but was not about to put him back in the stall that had hurt him so badly. So, we kept feeding him, and kept him covered to help him hold his body heat.

But you could tell he was getting tired, and ready to give up. EVERY attempt that he made to get up, his back legs just would not work. He could not get them up under him and stand on them.

Nathan made it home, and came up to help us. We were finally able to  get Buckshot pulled out of the mud. Now, we needed to get him to a dry area, where he could be out of the rain and stay somewhat dry. We also needed to get the blanket on him that I had brought up from the house.

We had no tractor, no way to move him. Shelley thought to call a friend of theirs, but they were in town. And when we still had not heard back from them within a couple of hours, Nathan suggested they call Animal Rescue.

Nathan had read that they had just gone through emergancy large animal rescue, and thought they would be able to help move Buckshot to the shed where he would be kept dry, and warm. The call was never made.

Nathan and Allen had gone to the house to get a couple of bales of hay. One of them was placed back between the fence and Buckshot. Yes, he had slid down the hill towards the fence with each attempt to get up, once we had him out of the mud.

It’s now 9 PM, 5 hours later, and Buckshot still was not able to stand. His eyes were getting cloudy, and you could tell he just wanted to lay down go to sleep and cross the Rainbow Bridge and feel good agian.

Nathan and I knew it was up to the owners now to pull him through the night if he was to make it. We said our goodbyes, including our silent goodbyes to Buckshot, and came home. I prayed that night that Buckshot would go in peace, and feel young again, and stop feeling the pain.

We got a call around 11 PM, Allen had just been out to check on him, and he was just laying there, but was still eating and had moved himself around again.

Buckshot passed sometime between 11 and 1 AM Tuesday morning. And was laid to rest later on Tuesday in his field with his girls to watch over him. May you enjoy your freedom from pain once again and forever be young Buckshot. We will miss you!

The last two days around here have been, if nothing else, a learning experience. Our neighbors have a very pretty Paint gelding, and he’s been sick for a little over a month. They came to us about a week ago for the first time for some help. Being first time horse owners, I am sure that they thought they were doing everything
they could for this horse. But, their lack of knowledge only worsened the situation. Or maybe they were just trying to save on bills and hoping they could pull the horse through on their own. Either way, I wish they had come to us sooner.

Their horse, Buckshot, had gone off feed for a while, and lost a LOT of weight. How long he was off feed, I really don’t know, but long enough to drop down to nothing but bones. When they came to us last week, I gave them some Fastrack® Equine Gel. At this point, all we knew was that the horse had been off feed for a while. I advised them to get some weight builder, which they had already done, and some Fastrack® Microbials. I was even willing to give him some of ours.

We had not heard from them for a few days, when we get a phone call from them. “We aren’t sure what is going on, but we this know isn’t right, can you come up and take a look”? Nathan said he would be right there, and I knew from the tone of his voice that something was wrong. So, I quickly get changed into some barn clothes and went with him.

I had never seen what I saw that day, and hope I never see it again! Buckshot’s penis was hanging down, swollen, black, and busting open in areas. He was at his hay pile, eating away, which was great! Awesome, he’s eating, but he was nothing but bones, I didn’t like the way he looked at all.

I had no idea what was going on with him, so I advised we call our vet and get him out. They agree, and the call is made. It’s really hard to be patient for a vet to call you back on Sunday’s when you can obviously see that the horse was not doing well. Alex was having a busy day, and he did get out within a couple of hours.

As we are waiting for the vet, more information comes to light. Chelle had told Allen a week before that Buckshot was not retracting his penis like he should. I don’t know if Allen just did not want to pay attention, or if he thought it might be normal. We also learned that Buckshot started eating again when he was given the Fastrack® Equine Gel. Although he was still losing weight. I also noticed that his
hind hocks where swollen, the leg looked to straight. We figured this to be from his “other problem”.

Alex arrives and has a look, Nathan is talking to him, trying, like me, to understand what happened to the horse and how he got in this shape. Alex explains to Allen that he is going to put the penis back in it’s home, and put what calls a “purse string stitch” in to hod the penis up, but still allowing
Buckshot to relieve himself.

Alex goes on to explain that the swelling, blackness and blister - like sores are caused by the penis not retracting all the way. This can happen when the horse urinates, or has one of his “manly” moments (even though he is gelded). The longer the penis hangs, the more swollen it gets (it’s a gravity thing). And the more it hangs, the more it dries out, which causes the skin to break. It can also occur if there has been tissue damage done to the area by a kicking mare, or when playing.

Alex takes some blood work, gives a shot of B vitamins, and tells Allen to keep an eye on the horse to make sure he keeps eating. He should have the blood results back by Tuesday and will let him know what needs to be done then.

Last Sunday, we had someone jump off the road and plow down the corner post to one of our pastures. I get a phone call around 7:30 in the morning, about the time I am starting to get dressed and start feeding. It’s my neighbor, she has three horses in a yard across the street from her. 

“Ok, Thanks, I’ll be down there in a few minutes”, I told her. I look out the window, and my truck is still gone, my daughter had borrowed it the night before to go out with some friends. Oh great! Okay, guess I’ll just have to use the lawn mower then, I think to myself. 

I called Nathan at work, just to let him know what is going on. I try to tell him to wait there until I can get a better accessment of the situation, and whether or not I will need him to come home to help me. 

There is a light mist on this morning, so I bundle up, put my cap on, and head up to the barn. Threw some halter and lead lines in the trailer for the lawn  mower, grab a couple of feed buckets with some grain, and down the road I head.

As I’m getting to the yard where our horses were happily grazing away, here comes Nathan. I turn the mower around, and start heading back to the house. I give a shout out to the horses, their feed call, they all lift their heads and, just as pretty as you please, start heading home. Now, mind you, the road is still a little busy with morning traffic, so I had Nathan get in his truck and block off the far side of the driveway so that no cars come down while we are heading the horses home. 

Down the road in a nice little running walk, three horses with their heads bobbing, and the 4-beat on the road in the early morning mist was just totally awesome! I could not help but smile at myself as I head the girls home.  As we get to the driveway, two turn in, and head for the barn. Oh great! I didn’t block off the barn aisle, our hay is down and they are going to make a mess! Well, no time to worry about them now, gotta get this third one in! 

Clutch completely bypassed the driveway, and went up the fence line in our neighbors yard. Since Nathan is home, and he is the one that can catch any horse at any time (or so it seems), I let him handle her, after I hand him a bucket of feed. After just a few minutes of coxing, loving and offering feed, Clutch comes to him and he is able to get the lead line on her. 

We get her tied up, while Nathan gets the tools and some wire to fix the fence, and I round up the other two. Lady is an easy catch, she loves attention, and will come to you at any given time. And since both her and Molly are just standing at the corner of the fence that connects the other two pastures where all the horses are, I get Clutch and lead her in first. Then I catch up Lady, and walk her back into her field. Now comes the next fun one,, Molly. 

Molly can be a real pain. She is very insecure, and does not want any human contact if she can get away with it. Even with a bucket of grain, she is not an easy catch. I set her bucket down, and step back a couple of steps, waiting for her to relax. As she relaxes, I move a little closer. Nathan is still fixing the fence when this process starts. He’s done before I have her caught. 

He slowly walks up to her, I back off, as she looks like she is ready to bolt in fear. Within minutes, he’s got her on line, and just smiles. I give him a kiss for thanks, and walk Molly into the field. She is a good girl once on line, but still very unsure. 

All were brought back without any real drama outside the property, which is always our biggest fear! What really ticks me off about the whole thing, is that whoever took the corner out, did not even bother to leave us some kind of note, or anything. And appereantly, they weren’t hurt, nobody else around to see it happen, so they are getting off scot-free! If one of the horses had been hit, or if someone had  hit one of them, we would have been liable. We would not have had a way to defend ourselves just because some jerk (and I’m sure he was drunk) doesn’t know when to stay off the road!

P.S. ~ My daughter came home late that morning, both her and the truck were fine, but she knew I was ticked and hid in her room the rest of the day (of course, the hang over she had probably was a big part of that). But, she knew she had pushed one of Mom’s buttons, and at 23, she is learning to stay away until I calm down lol