I'm A Bit Tardy

Today, but I have a good excuse. Let me set the stage just a bit. This is about Jordan, the horse. Now, Jordan is a pretty laid back horse, easy-going, generally a very calm gelding. He has his favorites at the stable, all of the small ones, actually - the mini horses, and the pony. As a reminder, here's my handsome boy a couple of weeks ago:



There is one small mare who had been there for months, left for a while, and came back about a month ago. Since then, he has become obsessed with her. I am not kidding, and I am not anthropomorphizing here. He really is obsessed with her. She has a bit of a problem sweating, which is a BIG problem down here in the LowCountry, so she doesn't go out until later in the evening. Well, Jordan, once he finishes his hay and grain - he DOES have his priorities, after all, starts pacing the fence line, calling to her, and getting all worked up. It got so bad that the woman who cares for him was giving him his hay in front of the little mare's stall door to try and get him to chill out.

And then she went and did it. She said, "I hope he doesn't colic because he is getting so worked up. The other day, he completely white lathered..." So, guess what happened Sunday afternoon? You got it. Sigh. Now, some of you may remember that he did this back in February. Only this time, he got really dehydrated, and had to go to the Equine Clinic. Double sigh. So, he went on fluids last night, and is coming off of them tonight(the fluid bags for horses are 5 liters - they are HUGE). Oh, and this is all complicated by the fact that he has ulcers, too, so the usual regimen for horses who have colic don't work for him. Whee!! So he also gets some liquid gold. Well, not really, it just COSTS as much as gold. It's ulcer medication that he has to drink. And he has to be able to graze for just a little bit every few hours so he has something in his stomach, as opposed to regular colics who start off with a hay "tea" then work up to getting some mash, then hay soaked in water, and on and on. I'm sure you get the idea.

And get this - when Jordan gets to the Clinic, they put him in a stall next to a little mare that looks JUST like the one back at the stables. ARGH!!!! He was calling, and calling for the longest time. She didn't help any when she called back, but eventually, all of that settled down. She left today, thank heavens, so THAT problem is solved. But still - what are the chances??? Apparently, 1-for-1.

The good news is that Jordan should be able to go back home on Wednesday. His gums have finally pinked up and are no longer tacky (he was really dehydrated), and his bloodwork looks good. The little mare is going to be moving on to her next home, hopefully before Jordan gets home so he can get over his teenage crush (even though he's in his mid-20's).

The other good news is that since I have been so focused on Jordan, I have barely noticed Obama pushing his unpopular health plan, so in that regard, it's a plus! Ahem.

Oh, and Happy Fortieth Anniversary to Neil Armstrong for his walk on the moon!