I'm livid.
Let me ask you something, Blogworld: if you were trying to sell your car, would you then go ahead and let your 12 year old drive it around for fun? No, right? So tell me why, in a similar fashion, Wiley's current owner allowed him to gallop around in a DOWNWARD SLOPING and MUDDY paddock until he made himself lame? That's not all. Once she sees he's lame, she cold hoses his leg, puts wraps on, and LETS HIM BACK OUT?! Why. Why Blogworld. Now, today was the first time I've been able to visit since a week and a half ago because it's the end of the semester and I have to take my finals. I missed him terribly but being as her property isn't really great for training (see: one outdoor ring with only 3 sides) its not like I can do much until I take him home anyway. With work and school it's been tough to sneak away but today I decided that I couldn't wait any longer and went to spend some bonding time with him.
It was raining today. Actually, it's been raining for the past two weeks. I pull into the driveway and see that Senior Wiley is outside. In the enormous, muddy paddock. Okay, fine. She told me he looked a little lame last Friday, I thought hey, maybe he's worked out of it. I take him out and he looks okay. I hang out with him for a while and try to get some of the mud off of his legs. My friend and I feel his leg for heat and it was certainly warm. As was his hoof. Now I'm getting angry. Being as he isn't actually mine yet, I put him back in the paddock where I found him (his owner wasn't home). In hindsight I think I definitely should have left him in his stall, even if it does seem a little rude. Anyway, I put him back out in the paddock with his mother who, by the way, is a terrible influence. He immediately goes bucking around and running full speed with her.
Then I saw him fall. He literally fell. On his ass.
Now, I don't know if it was the huge downward slope of the land, the mud, or the fact that he's lame that caused the fall but I'd be willing to bet that it was a combination of the three.
In the past month I have gone barn shopping to find the best prices and the most space for Wiley, I have found him a lovely temporary home for the summer, I have found an even better home for him for when I'm back in Albany for school, I have arranged for a smaller, cheaper living situation for myself to ensure that Wiley would have the very best of care, I've taken conformation pictures and gotten opinions, I have arranged my class schedule for next year to be sure I would have enough time to spend with him, I have written up and pitched the proposal of a new horse to my parents (not that they would be the ones buying him), I have joined the Chronicle of the Horse discussion board and spent hours upon hours learning valuable training techniques and gleaning any extra info I can, I have sat in book stores reading all of their books on training, I have scoured Youtube for training videos, I have researched insurance, vet, farrier, and trainer costs, I have researched the best feed, I have researched whether or not giving joint supplements as a preventative measure is worth the cost, I've read the rules for registering a horse, I've bargained with friends to lend me some of their old equipment that might fit him as all of my old horse's stuff is too big, I've lost a boyfriend who didn't want to compete with an animal for my attention (jerk), I've considered selling my motorcycle to be extra sure that Wiley would be well taken care of, I've arranged for him to be trailered to my hometown, I've developed a new appreciation for the dollar store and Walmart because I'd rather spend all of my money on something I love instead of laundry detergent, I've written a contract for his owner and I just in case something happens over the summer while he's on trial.......................and she can't ever consider putting him on stall rest so that he doesn't hurt himself?
That, is why I'm mad.
So, who knows, maybe this Wiley blog will be shorter than I thought. The vet may say he's injured himself too badly and I won't be able to buy him. Thank you, current owner, for your wonderful contribution to this process. I will be angry and disappointed until further notice.
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