I almost killed my horse, literally.
Every wednesday I feed the horses at the barn and the waterers have to be cleaned. It usually take about an hour and its entails taking each waterer apart and cleaning it and putting it back together. Cheryl is pretty meticulous and I get in trouble a lot even though they are clean and whatnot.
But...
I royally messed up Wednesday with my own horses' waterer. I put it together wrong and even though water came out when I tested it, that was the backup in the tube....so I called it good and moved on.
I didn't go to the barn yesterday, so I had no idea.
I showed up today to school XC with Emily and Yankee looked like shit. Like completely awful, sunken in haunches, ribs showing, dull coat.....it looked like he lost 50LBs or more. I asked Emily if he looked weird and she said "Yeah, I was wondering that myself today"....
Well I still tacked up and rode and he was a dream! He jumped perfectly, no refusals, no bucking....I was happy :) I had no idea he hadnt had a drin kin two days....He kept trying to drink the water complex water (which is nasty and he's never done that before) and he was licking the floor of the wash rack and I was still like, "wtf is he doing, silly pony"....
Then I put him back in his stall and he tried the waterer and didn't drink. Odd. So I walked over to it...bone dry.
I fiddled with it and found the problem. F me! I did this...my poor baby is sooooo thirsty he licks the floor of the wash rack....he drank for about ten minutes straight....
I feel like an asshole.... :(
Omg! :( You didn't mean to, obviously, but that's scary. At least he's okay. Why didn't anyone else at the barn check on it though?
ReplyDeleteYikes!
ReplyDeleteUgh, this is like my biggest fear with those auto waterers. I think they are GREAT in extreme heat and cold, but yeah, they have to work. Good news is I bet you won't make that mistake again:) It would also be great if someone could check them everyday to make sure everything is working. Don't beat yourself up to much.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness!!! That is so scary! I can't believe no one else checked the waterer. I'd be more upset about that than the fact that you put it together wrong. People make mistakes, but you can't be expected to be there every single day since you don't run the place so why didn't the barn owner check the waterers? Not trying to be ugly, just shocked. Poor Yankee. Please don't beat yourself up though. It was an innocent mistake and it turned out okay, so just call it a lesson learned and be more careful next time. :)
ReplyDeleteI DEF will never make that mistake again! and yeah, the barn manager was pissed that none of the four shifts that were worked in my abscence had anyone check his waterer! He literally COULD have died!
ReplyDeleteAccidents happen but I agree with achieve1dream, how could no one else notice? If I feed horses I make sure they also have water!! He was fed what twice in the day you weren't there and no one checked???? :(
ReplyDeleteI KNOW! there were FOUR feedings form the time I f'ed up and from the time I came back wednesday....Cheryl/Emily was pissed, as was I even though I WAS the one who made the mistake...
ReplyDeleteOops!!
ReplyDelete