TOABH: Costly $$

I really thought we were in the clear and headed for better weather ( I cant stop focusing on the weather I'M SORRY) but the weather guru's assured me the frigid arctic temperatures are here to stay at least for another week. I literally think I'm about to go insane and I may or may not have walked around in a zombie-like depressive state yesterday.

To entertain myself, since I have yet to muster the energy to write the follow-up post, I figured I would hop in on the hop.

I forgot to copy/paste the actual question in my sleep deprived 6am chugging coffeestate, but she asks, whats the most costly injury to date, time counts as money too. 

Now if we were talking about human injuries, I woudl be a prime candidate. I've been in and out of the hospital many many times, I get sick often thanks to a genetic blood disorder and I have a tendency to injure myself on many occasions.

Luckily, I've been blessed with very sound, safe, healthy horses *KNOCKS ON WOOD CROSSES FINGERS AND TOES* and Yankee is really my only candidate for injuries based simply off the span of time I've owned him. Besides two bouts of colic and thrush every spring, he's remained generally injury free. 

Once, my mini mysteriously shaved off half her foot exposing the laminae, but that honestly did not cost much in vet bills. Just a shit load of time wrapping her foot for over 6 months.

Surprisingly, Yankee's injury wasn't even really an injury, but a cancerous tumor on his tailbone. I wish I could figure out how to go back in the archive and find the post without it taking a thousand years to find, because the incident and the vet bills were traumatizing for both of us (yes I'm sure Yankee was concerned about my bank account because he's considerate like that). 

Essentially, he had a tumor growing on his tailbone at the tip, & I didnt notice it for weeks apparently because I'm a terrible horse mom. Pants has a huge thick tail and I keep his tail up in a sock for most of the year, periodically taking it down. One day it starts oozing blood, I dig around, freak out, call the vet and he's like "Oh this is probably cancer" while  looking at me disapprovingly.  Cue meltdown.

We ended up CUTTING OFF HIS TAIL from the last vertebrae and it was horrifying and terrible and I never wish that on anyone. I literally cried the entire time. Yankee was a trooper because he was sedated, and now has one less vertebrae. Neat. The vet had to come out 3 times after that  to "burn" off the end of the tail with carbon whatever. All I know is that is was a LOT of money.

Almost $2000. And for a broke bitch, it took me almost a year to pay that off. 

Speaking of injuries, I've been dealing with this in subzero (-10) temperatures and its not fucking fun for anyone, especially Lilly. 

jesus christ wtf

Poor girl. Imagine my panic when I see her limping up to me in the field. I remain calm, try not to have a heart palpitation and hurridly search the field for the cause/blood/hair. I literally found zero disturbances in the fencing, snow, surrounding areas or gates. LIterally none. Like what the actual fuck and how did this horse do this to herself.

Do not like blood. Blood scary.

I discovered trying to clean, sanitize and wrap a seriously injured leg in -10* with a horse who does NOT want you near her injury, is damn near impossible and I am legitimately sore from trying. Like, my legs and shoulders hurt from the weird crouching position I was in for over an  hour.

The worst of it.

To double the fun, both her hocks look pretty torn up and bandaging hocks is pretty impossible. Awesome. 

Her LH got the worst of it, whatever "it" is, which remains a mystery for now. 

Luckily (?) the vet said she will eventually be OK, gave me bute and antibiotics and told me to keep her inside with wraps. (Unfortunately thanks to the placement, stitches wouldn't hold so that's brilliant.)

Um, yeah, not easy when she doesn't want you touching her. This AM it was HUGE and hot and all I wanted to do was cold hose the damn thing but no, its too fucking cold for that. So I resorted to *trying* to sponge off the injury with freezing cold water, pretty much unsucessfully, got kicked twice and managed to get a cold compress on the leg for the day after 15 min of coaxing and kind of hobbling her so I coudl wrap it.

Essentially, might be the worst combination if mishaps and unfortunate coincidences to occur (subzero temps, placement, mystery, not being able to stitch, no hose, less than cooperative horse, barn door frozen shut, lights not working in barn, etc etc) & dealing with it has been brutal and quite miserable for both parties. 

Overall she seems comfortable and happy with her stall and hay for once, and I'm just relieved she didnt rip her leg off.

But seriously, wtf horse.