Poor Mag

My good vet came to Wuppertal to do dental work on Mag, and check his sheath.

For the first time in the 8 years I've had this vet, he said, "This is a really beautiful horse." I was stunned and said, "Hey, you never notice appearances!" I know his father raised Arabians, so that felt really nice.

Mag isn't great about the speculum and even though my vet is a big guy, eventually Mag whacked him in the head with the thing and knocked his headlight off. I wondered why he'd put the headlight on before securing the speculum. The vet quickly changed tactics, "I'm drugging him before taking a look."

Such a tiny sedation and Mag was out; I thought he'd fall on me.

Even asleep, as soon as that thing went on his head Mag shook his head a very long time, trying to fling it off. I cringed, that was banging on his incisors pretty hard as he shook and shook.

The vet checked his sheath for "stones" (as they're called here) and found none. Hm, I admit, I was hoping for a reason for all that relaxation. Or the kicking out.

He said an ulcer check would have to be done at the clinic (difficult when you don't have a trailer) but the meds are cheaper if I get the human variety from the pharmacy (with prescription from my doctor ---um, does that work?!)

He said I should try Magnesium. I said I have not seen any effect but I may have been using the wrong type. He told me to get the aspartat or succinat, so I'll try again. (I'd tried with Mara.)

He started working on the teeth, found a wolf tooth, pulled it out, and then continued, blood dripping everywhere. Both of his hands looked as if he'd dunked them in red paint. The sides of Mag's face were bloody from his hands, and there was a puddle in front of Mag.

The vet grabbed a white towel and left it untidy. More like gruesome.

Mag would shake his head a few more times, unwilling to submit to that thing on his head. Then he snorted on us, and the vet laughed, "He's doing everything in his power to make this difficult for us."


I had to hold Mag's head on that head-stand and was very, very careful to keep an arm on the side of his face to protect my own face from the speculum if he twitched. I hate that tooth dust that flies around, but most of all I hate the incisor cutter. I can handle blood and guts and needles but cutting into front teeth with a cement trimmer makes me want to be sick.

The vet laughed at me. I told him in America you can sleep through dental work, even cleanings. Here, it doesn't happen.

Finally he was done, and Mag was snoring, nose on the ground, tongue hanging out, kind of like a dead horse. After the vet left, I heated up water and poured it into a water bottle I found in the kitchen, and lifted Mag's head up with all my strength, sticking the bottle in his mouth and squeezing. It worked, tooth dust, blood and water rushed out and then something really nasty came out too, what I imagine placenta looks like. I left it at the scene of the crime. There was also something...ok nevermind.

3 times I went to Mag, woke him up a little and shoved the warm water bottle into his mouth, trying to help him rinse. He didn't mind, but he wasn't really awake.

I had a  cooler on him and realized suddenly he was sweating like crazy. The cooler had condensation along his sides, and he was hot and wet behind his ears.

I got my clippers and for the first time, did a nice trim on his ears. Something that I think might be illegal in Germany. No worries, I only took out the outer and upper hair, I don't dig down to get all the hair out.

In the time it took for me to take his cooler off and put his Winter blanket on, he began trembling, the wind had hit him in that moment. The girl who leases Moritz came over, saw the blood, saw the shivering drunk horse and said, "POOR THING" and helped me get the blanket on fast. I asked her to keep an eye on him cuz I had to leave, and I was going to take him outside because in 30 minutes he'd be fully awake and I felt OK about that. She looked at me with huge eyes when I said I was taking Mag out to his paddock. Apparently she felt he needed to be stalled. But it was only 2 PM, and locking him alone in the barn would be cruel after the torture he endured.

I felt OK about leaving, but of course I'd prefer he were here in my backyard when he's sedated! So I also told another girl to keep an eye on him. And Willy knew what had happened too and was also concerned. Mag got a lot of "poor things" from everyone.

Mag stood in his Winter paddock, experiencing the munchies like druggies do, happily eating his haylage, eyes half shut. Chew carefully! He was still trembling a little and I regretted taking any hair at all from his ears today. I put my hands under his blanket and it was warm and dry, so I knew it would be fine.

I had my cell phone next to me all the way home, and still do, in case I need to rush back out there. When we got home the sun was shining and I hoped it did in Wuppertal too.

Just now it started hailing again. Very funny.

Poor Mag cannot have anything to eat besides hay and haylage for the next week. I think that is a little extreme, but I'll comply. I think a mash might be OK after a few days though. I took away his pre-bagged vitamins and pellets and locked them in my locker. In their place I left a note, "Only hay/haylage, no treats, bread, pellets, per vet." I left the mash I'd just made in front of Ducky's stall with a note describing what's in it (1.5 kg dry beet pulp, tsp salt, 1/2 cup canola). Hopefully Bettina is OK with that and will give it to Ducky who has a mostly wet diet at 30.

I turned Mag's bucket upside down in his stall as another sign not to give him anything.

Oh......and he can't wear a bit for a week either.

Now I'm not going to stress about this, I don't think. The bit has always been there for my peace of mind, not something I've needed to stop him or turn him with. I just realized almost everyone at this barn has some sort of bitless bridle. I wonder who will lend me a side-pull, or riding cavesson!?

Cuz I'm going out there tomorrow to ride my poor bloody-faced horse, no matter what weather, no matter if no one else is there. Willy is always there.


***

Yes, I would prefer my horse sedated at home. Here are pics from last July when Mag suffered choke and had to be tubed. I spent 2 hours with him as he slowly woke up.

Recovering, head resting on door.





The donkey wanted to be right with him the entire ordeal, even braying as they tubed him. When she was finally allowed near, she got up as close as possible, and he seemed to be grateful.

Donkeys and horses, you know, are not suitable companions.

I can't wait to see how she greets him in 3 weeks. It will be loud.