Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Its a cold cold rain

We've had what seems like days and days of gray skies and rain, rain, rain. I got to the barn today and Cici and Casey are standing out in the rain. Mary said she, Cici, insisted on eating outside. I put her halter on and walked her out of the paddock and she seemed to be moving slow and didn't stop to eat the grass outside the gate. I'm getting worried. When I get her into the barn I see she is shivering uncontrollably.

I try to dry her off and Mary gets a quarter sheet rug - one of those quilted kinds, which on Cici is a 3/4 blanket. I walk her up to the indoor and she has her head down, is not moving well and is shaking all over.

Linda was teaching a lesson. She takes on look and gets Vago's medium weight winter blanket and throws it on Cici and tells me to walk. Took her temp and it was 100.4. She's walking slow. She really doesn't even want to be moving but I insist. And she wasn't even interested in a treat. Walks with head down not interested in anything.

After about 20 -30 minutes she is starting to look around and notice that there are horses in the stalls in the indoor. And she is walking with me, not behind. Matt had brought in a wheel barrel with hay and she notices that. I grab a handful and offer it to her and she eats. Finally an interest in eating. So we keep walking and every time by the hay I grab another handful.

After 40 minutes she is no longer shivering at all. Linda helps me unwrap her so we can do a fashion show and see what of Jeeps' I have in my storage bin that will fit. I pull out a cotton Irish sheet thinking that will help absorb some of the wet and it fits her very nicely. It shrunk so it was small on Jeeps. And pull out the Amigo waterproof turnout. Its a bit long in length and below her knees, but can shorten the surcingle to make it fit her body.

Back down to the barn where we rub her down with towels to try and dry her off a bit more. Then the Irish and turnout. She's all wrapped up like a Christmas present.

I walk Cici back to the paddock and lead her into the shed where there is a large pile of hay. Then I take off her halter. She dives in. And she kicks Casey out. Guess she is back to her old self.

Scary! Really scary!

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