Couple days ago the stable owner phoned at 6:30 a.m. and said our horse was sick.  Belly ache.  That’s bad news in a horse.  Colic is deadly.  Our horse was in shock and had a high fever went we arrived.  The vet pulled up right after us.  I took emergency leave from the day job and my daughter stayed home from community college so that we could look after our sick Kayak.  His blood-work came back “infection.”  A horsey ultrasound revealed clear lungs–but he had no “gut sounds” which alarmed the vet.  After a rectal exam (up to the vet’s shoulder, I might add), a gastro-nasal tube to fill the poor beasty with fluids, some horsey morphine for the obvious pain and a shot of antibiotics, Kayak started coming around.  My husband and daughter spent the night at the stable to keep an eye on him.  I was exhausted after 13 hours at the barn and the next morning my poor kid looked like death warmed over after 24 hours of checking on her horse every two hours around the clock.

Horsey responded to antibiotics, but his gums and eyes are yellow.  Jaundice.  When he was all shocky his gums and eyes were gray.  Then he started feeling better and they turned pink again (the eyelid–not the eye!) and now they’re yellow.

My daughter is responsible for all horsey costs.  She works to pay for the stable fees and hay.  She’s 16–so how is she going to pay for a 1100.00 vet bill?  We certainly don’t have an extra grand!

My daughter was raised Buddhist (SGI-USA) but has always scoffed at practicing consistently.  For awhile now she’s been having a self-directed practice (which pleases me immensely!).  She chanted about her horse’s health and the vet bill.  She didn’t ask anyone for any money.  She knew she had to pay the bill and probably put in extra hours to earn the funds.  While we were eating dinner, her grandmother phoned and said that since she knows the kid has to pay for her own horse, and that she didn’t want her granddaughter saddled (no pun intended) with a huge bill, that she was going to cash one of the savings bonds she has for my daughter’s higher education so that we can pay the vet off.

The bill is paid.

The horse is not yet out of the woods, but any more visits by the vet should be manageable.

We’re all chanting for Kayak’s good health and chanting appreciation for the protective functions in our environment (like grandparents and mobile veteranarians).

Darr

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