NOT AT GUNNEDAH
We didn't make it to Gunnedah this time as we had a horse with a gut impaction.
Last Sunday the vet was called to the horse as it wasn't looking happy, lying down and not hungry.
It is an important lesson for all owners of horses, when your horse isn't interested in food suspect something.
The next day without an improvement we decided to take the horse to the vet clinic and we had an anxious few days waiting for some manure to pass through the system.
We were lucky with our horse and the team at Hawkesbury Equine Vets (at Clarendon)were efficient and very helpful.
The horse was on a drip for three days to help hydrate the horse and flush the intestine.
The importance keeping tabs on their water consumption cannot be stressed enough.
When you are at a competition all day make sure you keep offering your horses water and if they do not drink make up some electrolyte solution.
One day at a pony club sporting day I put lucerne in a bucket of water and carried it around with me and let Cha slurp on that all day.Normally he wouldn't touch a drink if he was working hard like that,but the lucerne tempted him nicely. Do not expect your horse to drink large amounts while working,eg; more than 20 litres at a time
There are plenty of ways to deliver electrolytes, by syringe in the mouth/ in the feed. There are many products on the market.
Sand/dirt in the gut, travelling and hard work causes stress.
What caused this one who knows but thankfully we have a horse at the end of it.
A bit of regrouping and we charge on.