The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: Hardfeather on January 27, 2011, 06:30:34 pm
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I've had four horses on one of the stubble fields in front of the farm for a month or so, and I got a call yesterday afternoon from the landlord/farmer to say that the field was to be ploughed soon. He suggested that I move the horses through the next stubble field and into another, where they can stay for wee while.
Knowing that 'soon' could mean within a few hours, I nearly got into a panic as my wife is in hospital and my two sons are off school and nursery with a gastric flu-ey thing.
This morning, the tractor turned up in the field and ploughing commenced. Simultaneously, my elder son, who's eight, woke with a high temperature, hallucinating and talking about all the people in the house and his fears for the dog. :o The dog was fine, and there was only myself and his little brother there.
The next few hours were spent spongeing him with tepid water and dozing him with calpol and ibuprofen to bring his temperature down. My younger son (3) developed a hacking cough overnight, discovered at 03.30 am when he awoke and thought it was morning, and I felt like death warmed up.
Meanwhile, the tractor and five furrow plough droned on to remind me that I had to find a way to move the horses.
After lunchtime (but no lunch), a friend and near neighbour called in for news of my wife, asking if there was anything she could do to help. I gave her a cup of tea and, stupidly, let her go without asking for the help I now desperately needed, thinking I'd shift the horses later when another friend could look after the bairns. By then, though, it would be dark.
By the time I saw her away, my younger had fallen asleep on the settee and the elder was feeling and looking much better, and was playing his Wii. In desperation, I said I was nipping out to take down two short runs of electric fencing on another stubble, within site of the house, some of which fencing I'd need for the planned move of the horses, and wouldn't be long.
Off I set in my wee 4 wheel drive motor, to the far end of the field, intending to lift the far fence, then the nearer, a job which should have taken about twenty minutes...except I got the truck bellied in a wet bit. ::)
In a panic now, with over half the horses' field ploughed, and the horses milling around on the endrig at the opposite end to that which was handiest to get them shifted, I quickly dropped the first fence before setting off at a heart attack-inducing trot for the house and my boys, making a phone call to my nearest neighbour as I went. Luckily, the first call was successful and my neighbour's son said he'd come right away to pull me out.
So I found myself trotting back along the field to my rendezvous point whilst making another call to the neighbour from whom I'd declined help earlier. She very kindly said she'd go and take care of the kids for me.
Neighbour's son and huge tractor hauled my car out of the hole and set me back on firm ground and I headed home, thinking the plan to move the horses in the dark was probably going to be my best bet now. However, as I came down the road, I saw eejit girl from the village, who rides other peoples' horses hatless, hi-viz-less, and who can't be told anything about anything, riding her new horse up the field on the other side of the fence from my horses. Of course, mine were following her on their side of the fence. The tractor and plough were on their way to the same corner of the field as eejit and my horses were heading for and, with only one electrified rope between the present situation and mayhem, I had to think fast.
A quick call to my neighbour/babysitter confirmed that she had no schedule to keep and I might as well move the horses while I was out, so I fired the car in the field gate and drove quickly down the middle of the field, keeping a wide berth of eejit girl. She was almost at the top of the field; the tractor was within 40 yards of her and my lot, and my young filly was already dancing around looking for a way through the fence to meet the new horse.
Suddenly, my mare saw my car, or recognised its peculiar sounds, and switched her attention to my progress down the field. A quick toot of the horn confirmed my identity and drew the attention of the others too. Eejit girl waved. I drove down the field and the horses followed on their side. All the times I'd tooted the horn when arriving to feed them in the winters had paid off.
Once they were all down at the bottom of the field I nipped along to the next field and checked the boundaries. A quick sort here and there and it was time to move them. I nipped back along the bottom of the middle field, asked them to wait while I took down the bit of electric rope from the gap in the hedge,and let them run.
They're pretty switched on, my horses, as they've been moved around as a herd more often than they've been led. Usually, when I shift them about, I leave a bit of feed or a slice of hay each at the new place, so that they get a wee reward on their arrival. Having seen me in the far away field, checking the boundaries, they knew that was where they were to go. When I let them out, they trotted straight through the middle field and into the one I wanted them in. All that remained was for me to close the gate and, this time, they got a fuss and a rub instead of a food reward.
Job done.
I'm now writing this, having fed and watered the wee bairn who has now taken himself off to his own bed tonight (last night he was in mine), saying he loves his daddy and he loves his mummy :'(...he's such a good wee thing; the elder is looking more normal, sprawled and watching tv ::), but hasn't eaten yet.
It's great when everything goes according to plan, isn't it?
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I'm tired just reading about everything you've had to do today ! One of those situations where it could so easily have gone the other way and all turned to s*** (been there ::) ;)) so really glad it all worked out ;D
Hope your wife gets home soon & the weans improve too. If you're worried about them not eating try to get some minidex (kids vitamin tonic) it really perks them up when they've been poorly. Just make sure you've plenty of food in, before you give them it - makes them eat like a horse ;)
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What a wonderful husband and father you are, not to speak of animal husbandry! I would LOVE to have you as a neighbour - that's why they were so willing help you, and they'd have done more if you'd asked. I'll bet you help them in their needy times too. Next time don't be so daft and ASK! So glad it all ended well, hope Mrs AO is better soon and the weans
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Why didn't you call me? ???
All's well that ends well, though, and an adrenalin rush is good for us now and then ;D
Will text Kate later for an update ;D
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glad everything worked out, i hope your kids get better soon, and all the best to your wife for a speedy recovery :wave:
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I know I could have called on you Rosemary, thanks, but I'm not very good at asking for help. It's a failing of mine.
Mrs AO is getting better, thanks. She has had back pain for years and, after two MRI scans, four years apart, it was obvious that it wasn't going to improve. She had surgery to remove a collapsed disc and bone spurs in her lower lumbar area on Wednesday morning, and we haven't seen her since. She has had plenty of visitors, though, and keeps in touch with us by text and discreet calls from her mobile phone.
The operation involved a ventral entry and a bone graft from her hip into the spine. The surgeon put a horeshoe-shaped (very apt) titanium plate into the space where the disc was, and screw-fixed it to the neighbouring vertibrae.
She tells me the nurses had her up yesterday morning, and she was able to walk to the loo with the aid of a stick. This despite having to have a blood transfusion in the early hours of yesterday morning...her haemoglobin count had dropped by over half. However, she is determined to get mobile, and this morning she is getting around without the stick. Although her abdomen and hip are sore, she has no pain in her back! She now says there is a good chance she'll get home tomorrow afternoon.
Luckily, there isn't much to be done at work for me at this time of year. Our tractor is away for repair, and the local contractor is feeding the cows and outside ponies, and my employer is taking care of the sheep herself. Once the kids go back to school and morning nursery I will be able to get to work and earn some pennies.
Anyway, time to get these bairns out for some fresh air.
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oh gosh will keep fingers crossed for her, please can i ask how long the recovery will be after the op? what type of time scale have them said before she is up and about, i.e, lifting and stuff? reason i ask i have been having probs with my back and sciatic nerve, apparently its a ruptured disc and my sciatic nerve is trapped, i keep having probelms and having to spend a few days in bed not able to walk!! my doc is sending me for a MRI scan, just got appointment through for the middle of feb, I'm hoping that they can fix it with manipulation, but my doc has warned it could mean surgery? i was hoping to start riding my mare this spring( as i have lost my bottle) but i have got a feeling its going to be a while before i can ride,
Anyhow good luck and my thoughts are with you :hshoe: :bouquet: :wave:
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faith...the surgeon said my wife would need 3-5 days in hospital, and 6-8 weeks of rest thereafter. Another doctor said she may be able to go back to a desk job after a month, but part of her job could be hanging art in galleries, or museum display work, so I think she should be off for 3 months at least, as that is the length of time required for the bone graft to begin to grow. Lifting will be prohibited for at least that period.
I don't know what proceddure you may have, and prognosis depends on that, obviously. A friend of mine has symptoms similar to yours and has a feeling of his leg being cold and wet at times. He also feels his back is being pulled forward toward his belly button all the time. He's just been for an MRI scan, so I'll be able to give you some information from him when I see him, perhaps next week.
His partner has sciatic symptoms too, and has problems with mobility. She has pins and needles and numbness in one leg.
It's amazing the amount of people who suffer back and limb related pain and just put up with it. I have upper limb and joint pain every day in life. Sometimes it's worse than others, and it occasionally gets me down. My doctor says it's 'wear and tear', but I take it rather more seriously. I plan to ask to be referred to an upper limb specialist next time I see him. If I knew the cause, I could manage it better, I'm sure.
I wish you luck with your MRi scan. It really is the only way to discover the cause of back pain. My wife is younger than I am, by a wee bit, and she knew that, eventually, her spine would fuse at the source of the trouble, but that may have taken twenty years. Having two young children to look after, and a love of horse-riding, not to mention her state of mind whilst having to endure daily grinding pain and limited movement, she decided to take the offer of surgery (which is not given lightly) and have the surgery. I think she made the right decision.
I hope you do too, when you have the information you need.
:hshoe:
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AengusOg Thank you so much, I'm just getting over my last episode i had 4 days in bed not able to move, now i can lift or bend, and i have pins in needles in my foot all the time, i cant sit down, getting to the hospital will be a challenge in itself!! but i know i cant go on like this I'm an outdoor person, love keeping busy playing with my horses, gardening, walking the dogs, we have just bought our small holding and there is so much i want to do this summer, if surgery is the way to go to be pain free and able to live how i used to then i will without doubt have it done, fingers crossed it doesn't come to that though, problem i have is my partner starts a new job working away at the beginning of march, so surgery and the recovery time would be very difficult on my own.
I will let you know how i get on in February, once again thank you and good luck for you and your family :hshoe: :bouquet: :wave:
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Thank you
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Mrs AO is home ;D...and my life has suddenly got busier. ::)
It was good to see the reunion between her and the boys, though. :)
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That's good to hear (not the bit about you being busier than ever, but it will keep you out of trouble ;) ;D)
Thinking of you all :-*
Karen
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The bairns are not quite well yet. The younger has a really persistent cough, but is eating bits and pieces, but the elder is very lethargic, not eating, and is just wiped out. I got them a lovely bit of fresh fish, usually a favourite, but neither ate it.
Meanwhile, I've had flu-like symptoms...cold, shivery nights, aching joints, streaming nose, tight head, and fatigue. I think it's man flu ::) ;D
HH...I googled the 'minidex'. I'd mentioned it to my nursey friend. She said "Oh, that's a steriod". She's right. The stuff for kids is called 'Minedex'. ;D I'll get some today and let you know how it goes, thanks.
Faith...You and my wife lead similar lifestyles. She does all the dog walking, rides horses, and does lots outside with the bairns. She got to the point where it definately wasn't fun anymore, and everything involved pain.
That's five days since she had her operation, and she says the difference is unbelievable. She has no back pain. Her two incisions (one like a caesarian cut, and one little one near her hip) are giving her pain, but she has morphine to help with that. Her abdomen is a bit distended, but she is getting about for short spells. She's not sleeping as much today as she did yesterday. :)
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HH...I googled the 'minidex'. I'd mentioned it to my nursey friend. She said "Oh, that's a steriod". She's right. The stuff for kids is called 'Minedex'. ;D I'll get some today and let you know how it goes, thanks.
Ooops sorry ! Spelling's never been my strong point.
I mean the stuff for kids, orange flavoured vitamin syrup stuff obviously ;) (unless you want mini-muscle men to help round the farm ;D)
Just make sure the cupboard are full, because once they start getting it they eat like horses for a couple of days ! My 4 almost ate me out of house and home :o ;D
Hope you feel better too - lots of garlic & vitamin C will help ward off the worst of it, there does seem to be a LOT of it going around this year. This sounds strange, but bear with me, apply Vick to your feet and put on a thick pair of socks before going to bed - helps unblock your nose better than when it's applied to the chest & back. Man flu is a terrible affliction (just ask my OH) I'm lucky I've no chance of getting it lol! Hope all's back to normal soon,
Karen x
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Hi AengusOg So glad your wife is at home and on the mend send her my regards, also hope you and the boys pick up soon, i bet you will all come on leaps and bounds now that the family is back together, take care of your self's and thanks :wave:
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It's actually called Minadex - with an A - http://www.seven-seas.com/products/minadex (http://www.seven-seas.com/products/minadex)
I use give it to and recommend it for dogs that are coprophaegic (eat their own poo). It's doesn't always work, but sometimes it is a deficiency causing it that this stuff can correct.
Glad to hear Mrs AO is home, bet teh boys were overjoyed. You all need a lot of TLC right now, don't forget to ask for help if you need it.
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It's actually called Minadex - with an A - http://www.seven-seas.com/products/minadex (http://www.seven-seas.com/products/minadex)
Glad to hear Mrs AO is home, bet teh boys were overjoyed. You all need a lot of TLC right now, don't forget to ask for help if you need it.
Thanks.
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Just to prove it's not just you!
I was down to my last bag of layer pellets. I've had a rotten sore throat all week and didn't fancy "shopping". Tuesday, Dan and I set off to Couper Angus to East of Scotland Farmers for a load of feed - with the trailer. Got to the roundabout at Dobbies - Dan says "I hope that smoke is coming out of the lorry in front" - but no, it was our car. We turned off on to a side road and opened the bonnet to - flames!!! :o Fortunately, Dan carries a water container so the flames were doused and the RAC called. The lady said the ETA was 3 hours :(. So we went to Dobbies for a coffee and a read of the books ;D until the nice RAC man arrived after about 2 hours.
Nice RAC man came, saw and towed car to local garage. John came and got the trailer.
Garage phoned today - the intercooler has split. Bill - £1200 :o I was desperately hoping it was a wee hose that had split. Won't get the car back until middle of next week.
Dan went for feed yesterday with John's car; was given the wrong stuff. Fortunately, the lassie who works there lives in Arbroath, so she's going to drop off the right stuff tonight and next week (can't get it all in her car in one go). Now that's customer service :)
Plan, what plan?
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It never rains .................................. ::)
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Well, we're not out of the woods yet.
My 8yr old son went back to school last Wed afternoon and again on Thursday and Friday. On Friday afternoon I got a call from the school to say he seemed unwell, but his teacher thought he was 'faking'. My son likes school and doesn't fake illness, so I went to bring him home.
It turns out he was very unwell again, with soaring temperature, shivery, and crying. Another teacher found him in the cloakroom trying to keep warm under someone else's coat because he didn't want to go outside at lunchtime. And his own teacher had accused him of faking!
What kind of experience is that for a primary school pupil?
That was Friday. He was sick several times on Fri/Sat and so I took him to our local infirmary, where a doctor saw him. She said I should keep a close eye and perhaps take him to Ninewells Hospital if I were concerned.
By late Saturday evening he was unable to keep anything down, not even Calpol and, as his temperature was high and my only recourse was to keep spongeing him down with tepid water, I was powerless to nurse him any more. He was very pale, and quite unresponsive by then, so I prevailed upon the doctor at Ninewells to take a look at him.
We arrived at the hospital at midnight Saturday, and my son was sent for x-ray. They also took bloods and gave him anti-sickness treatment. I stayed with him until 05.00. I had to go home owing to the situation there. He was in a deep sleep when I left.
After about 3 hours sleep, I took my younger son to his aunty's, left Mrs AO at home alone, and headed for the hospital. The doctors had diagnosed a lung infection and an infection in my son's blood. He was now on an IV drip for rehydration and admin of antibiotics.
He slept a lot on Sunday, but recovered very well, and we got him home at tea time on Monday. He has just wakened from a mammoth sleep from tea time last evening and is getting into a good breakfast. He's on antib's twice daily for a week.
I'm still too angry to speak to the school about his teacher.
On a lighter note...we got a call from nursery yesterday at 09.30 to say that my younger son had been sick and could I come and get him. Mrs Ao nearly ran away then. I thought 'Oh no, here we go again'.
I went to collect him and my wee son said, "I was sick, daddy, and I blowed and blowed the bubbles...". Further investigation revealed that his nursery teacher had given the kids a container of soap and a straw to blow bubbles. He had sooked instead of blawin' and it had made him throw up his milky breakfast all over the nursery floor.
We now have a perfectly healthy nursery child at home because he can't go back to nursery for 48 hours because he was sick...regardless of the reason, it seems.
Bloody schools, eh?...........
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oh bless your little mights, hope your primary school son makes a speedy recovery, his school wants a dam good talking too, bless him keeping warm under some elses coat, and thats called fake!!!!!!!!!! no wonder kids end up not liking going to school.
How is your wife doing? i hope things are progressing well,
I am just getting over another sciatic attack, im losing more and more feeling in my left foot, everytime. mri is on wed next week, but we have a complication, had to phone doctor this morning as im getting weaker and weaker, turns out i have got FLU, never had full blown flu in my life!!!!!!!!!, im in my early forties, so even more tablets and hoping i pick up and can travel next week.
on a nice note it looks a fantastic day out today, blue sky, i can hear the ducks and hens in the back garden having a great time,
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Oh no! not the flu. Take your full quota of paracetamol, either in tablet form or by lemsip type things. It does make a difference.
Good luck with your MRI when you get it.
It is a lovely day today. We had a visit from Rosemary and her friend, and we had a nice visit to our horses. Afterwards, Mrs AO and the kids and I went for as gentle stroll along a nice bit of beach near us. The kids took their new pup for a paddle in the waves, then collected shells and bits of agate. It was flat calm and the sun was very pleasant, We are all worn out now, but it has lifted us.
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thanks were keeping everything crossed.
really glad you have all had a good day, quality family time and sunshine work wonders, all the very best to you all :wave:
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MRI was done yesterday it all went ok, it was a long drive, nearly 2 hrs to get to the hospital, which was a wee bit uncomfortable, as i still cant sit down!! but its done, and im ok today i was a little worried that yesterday might trigger off another scaitic attack but yahoo, im doing ok, so hopefully we will know the results some time next week,
How is every one in the AengusOg fsmily doing??
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Good luck with that, then. It'll be very interesting to hear the results of the scan, if you wish to share them. It's another step in your diagnosis. Then you can make up your mind about any treatment you may be offered.
We are all much better here, thanks. Mrs AO is smiling more and, although she still has back pain, the surgeon says she will feel a big difference by six weeks post-op. I hope so.
The bairns are well again. Eating well, and fighting with each other (although they play lots together too) so they must be feeling ok. It's a shame the weather isn't better too.
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AengusOg,
MRI results are back, i have a bulging disc that is pressing on my sciatic nerve, the part of my scaitic nerve that it is pressing on is the part that controls my foot, the doc has said there is nothing i can do to help myself with this, i.e, exercises or anything. he is referring me to the hosp to see a consultant to discuss surgery, not really what i wanted to hear, but least we know.
if anyone has any advice or anything that can help me please feel free to post your views
im gutted at the min, but will get my head round it, and fight, :'(
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I think we should move this to a new topic in 'Coffee lounge'...see you there.