Queen Coliced

Queen scared me last night. I'd spent most of the day inside relaxing after all the hubub of the day before (Handi-Rider/Horse Power Horse Show and Cowboy Way Drill Team performance). When I went to do chores last night, Queen was curled up by the hay feeder snoozing. I didn't really think much of it. She tends to be curled up snoozing a bit more after spending a month with Flower earlier this year.

When I walked past her pen again, Queen was up. Didn't really think much of it other than to note it in my head that she had been down. I brought Queen her grain and fed the two blind horses and continued on my way to do other chores. I also pulled her canvas sheet. The only time I can put a blanket on or pull a blanket off is when she's side tracked with grain. She did give me the evil eye as I was pulling the sheet off though.

When I walked passed the pen again, Queen was down. Warning sirens went off. She never lays down after eating her grain. Because the other two eat right along side her, I had no idea if she'd eaten any of her grain or if Thor had stolen all of it.

I finished up all my other chores (luckily I was pretty much done) and ran to the house for banamine. After giving her a dose of banamine, I pulled her out of the pen and started walking. Let me tell you, Queen is an old girl who's been around the block. She doesn't like to walk much as it is with her arthritis and if she says she's not walking, there is no amount of coaxing, pulling, pushing, or yelling that will get her to move. We walked from the pen, past the house, down the drive way and turned around. When we got just past the barn, Queen decided she'd had enough walking. I knew she needed to keep moving but there was nothing I could do to get her to budge.

She looked at the grass but decided that didn't even look good to her. So we stood there, both not feeling well. Me trying to figure out what to do for Queen, and Queen trying to figure out what to do to make herself feel better. She's felt ishy before and I think she knows how to take care of herself. We didn't really move much for about five to ten minutes and then Mike appeared.

He tried to get her to move too and I guess by that time she was willing to take a few steps. But after only a few feet, she decided enough was enough and laid down. I went in search of a blanket while Mike stayed with her. She didn't roll, but simply curled up. I debated on whether it was possibly ulcers instead of colic but she'd not shown any signs of ulcers in the past and this was the same routine she'd done the last time she coliced on us. I threw the blanket over her to keep the chill of, although laying on wet ground didn't really help keep the chill off (but that's just my thinking). After a little coaxing, Queen heaved herself up, I secured the blanket, and Mike started walking her. After the first pass, I could already tell that Queen was feeling better. Mike and I both figure the banamine must have kicked in. He walked her down the driveway and back, and you could tell that she felt much better. By the time they reached me, she was fighting the lead rope trying to get to the grass.

When we were standing there evaluating Queen earlier in the grass, she wouldn't have anything to do with it. Seeing that she wanted grass (and knowing better than to give her any), we at least knew she felt better. I'm sure Queen has coliced before and worked through it. I think it's gas colic but I could simply be spouting out uneducated info here. She had gut sounds so I didn't think calling the vet would do any good. The last time she coliced, 30 minutes after administering banamine, she was up walking around and feeling much better. So we both figured we'd give her banamine, walk her, and then decide if we'd call the vet.

Luckily Queen is doing much better. Mike checked her last night before I went to bed and she was standing around snoozing. This morning when I went out to do chores, she was snoozing until she saw me and then walked over to see if I had anything. She's such a love. Let me give her a kiss on the nose and chat with her for alittle bit to brighten my day. I watched her to see if there were any signs of discomfort, which there weren't any. I got the impression that she wanted out on grass. I gave her a blade of grass, a kiss on the nose, and headed on with other chores. But she's a hawk when it comes to watching me. Any time I come around that pen she keeps her eyes and ears on me. I know she wants out of that pen and onto grass. But we'll have to work our way slowly back to grass after this last colic. She's the only one who's been on grass so far this year. The last few days have been so crazy that I haven't had a chance to pull her and let her enjoy the grass.

Who knows why Queen coliced. Nothing had changed in her environment in over a week. Luckily it was a mild colic and there were no lasting effects. I worry so much when someone doesnt' feel 100%. I can muddle through not feeling well, but I hate it when one of the "kids" doesn't feel good. At least the stress level is a little bit lower this morning. I'm going to keep a close eye on her throughout the day just in case there's any relapse, but I doubt there will be any.