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Traumatic entry into a new home

8K views 47 replies 21 participants last post by  drafts4ever 
#1 ·
I bought a Friesian stud colt from lines I've been seriously researching for a while now but I've drooled over his dad and grandsire since I was about 13. He just turned 9 months old so I arranged yesterday to finally bring him home.
Last night was a disaster so the whole point of this is I'm just asking for well wishes and hoping that maybe if it happens to anybody else this will help.

I picked up Lestat at 7pm last night. He had never been loaded before because right before the Kurrings (sp?) his owner broke her back and was unable to go as she had planned. I'll post his pedigree later. He's from lines I've been drooling over since forever. Anyway, he loaded like a champ. Snorted a couple times and then stepped in. She advised hauling him lose since he was a baby and had never been hauled. My trainer and I secured the divider to the wall and I drove off very very slowly. The trailer occasionally moved around but nothing major. I took every corner very slow and made sure I was braking with plenty of time to gently coast to an easy stop.

We got home and as soon as we get out of the truck the whole trailer violently shakes and we hear a bang/thud. I run to open the doors and of course my trainer stops me because we don't want him flying out. We gently crack the doors and see his head on the ground. Opening wider we see he's cast against the wall, his head falls into my lap and his right front leg is wedged in the sliding gap that hooks the divider to the wall which of course has his shoulder hyper extended. His left front is bend against the wall and I'm holding up his neck and head with everything I have.
My trainer called her father who runs down with a hammer to take the divider off. I call emergency services to send my vet out or any vet for that matter. Then I call my boyfriend who drops everything and hauls a$$ over to the barn. During all of this I have Lestats head in my lap telling him everything will be fine and we have help on the way. My boyfriend is on his knees petting his neck and talking to him. My hippy side kicked in and I started trying to do some light energy relaxation and healing work on him.

My vet calls and says he's 10 minutes away. Right at that moment my trainer and her father losen the divider and Lestat pulls his leg in and out. Of course I broke and started crying out of relief and everything else on top of that. We bute and banamine him and let him rest on hay bales we stuck under his head and neck. The vet gets there and gives him a quick sedation that's fast acting but not long lasting. 5 of my horse saavy riding buddies and friends pull up and we pull him back into the trailer and then slowly guide the butt of it into the arena where we can unload him in a lighted area and out of the pouring rain onto soft ground.

We gave him a few minutes to calm down while the vet palpated him to the best of his ability from that angle. Now my main worry is colic. He's been down for over an hour at this point, thrashed a couple times, I'm scared. I get down at his level again and talk to him telling him everything is going to be ok. I palm rub his cowlick on his forehead and give him kisses on his nose. Then the best thing ever. He grunts, ****** his ears and blasts a fart. It sounded like someone jumping on a whoopy cushion. Somehow that got his attention enough to lift his head and neck and give a quick look around. Then he put his head gentle back in my lap and nuzzled my hand. It made me cry. He's such a sweet brave boy.

After about 5 minutes the quick sedative wears off and the next time he lifts his head we tuck his front legs under him and with a grunt he stumbles out of the trailer and takes a dump. I cry and he puts his head into my arms. I give the leadrope to my trainer and two of my friends grab me and hug me tight and tell me how brave he is and how they're proud of me for doing the best I could in a very stressful and traumatic event. The vet palpates his shoulder and says he's only pulled muscles in the front of his chest and in his armpit. He taped him at 640lbs and gave us directions for bute and banamine and started ulcer guard.

I slept in the horse trailer and check on him every two hours. He was always happy to see me when I walked in and gimped over to me for scratches and attention. The vet called and told me he credited my account because I decided against breeding Caleigh so the money I had already put towards that would be put towards the vet bill. He's going to come back out on Friday or Monday to use a laser on him to help the healing process and then he'll tell me if I can hand walk him a little to get him out. Until then I'm going to buy him a few lick it stall hangers and something to keep his mind busy while he's on stall rest. The vet said at the moment since baby's bounce back much easier than adults the estimated healing time is 4-6 weeks of stall rest. I'll be doing rehab massage on him to help since I'm an apprentice for that and my final leg of my certification ironically is rehab.

Anyway my outcome with my boy was positive but I would never wish anything like that on anybody ever. That was terrifying and when it's you're own horse every brilliant idea you'd normally have to help the situation runs right out of your head. I couldn't even form sentences so I spit out words closest to what I needed. I had a lot of great people helping me and he's expected to make a full recovery.

Anyway, please send healing vibes his direction. He will have many follow up appointments and so far I have a whole team working on making his recovery as comfortable and easy as possible for him. I will post pictures later today since of course I wasn't taking any last night. My tears now are tears of happiness that's he made it out from a situation that could have had a much worse outcome. He's a very brave boy. I'm proud of him.

The final thought which has been agreed on by vet, trainer and everybody else is when we do haul him again we're taking all the dividers out. Not just locking them to the wall but that won't be for quite a while. For now he gets to relax, heal and of course get pampered. He's very bonded with me now and everyone that took turns helping him last night. I think he knew we were doing everything in our power. I'm just glad to finally have him home and from what could be worse, he's healthy and safe.
 
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#2 ·
Oops. The layout didn't come out the way I had expected but this is Lestat. He's registered already through the breeder but that'll only be used for rated shows. Everywhere else he's Lestat. I love Anne Rice and had planned to name my Friesian Lestat. A few people at my barn can't pronounce it so they call him Studly.

Leroy S.D.P
Sire: Nanning 374
Dam: Hinke D.

Registration #: 201101089
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: April 2, 2011
Registry: Foal Book
Inbreeding Coeff: 3.12%
Stamline: 025

Nanning 374 (sire)
Registration #: 199617561
Chip #: 985100006363345
Date of Birth: May 2, 1996
Sire: Teunis 332 (199002891)
Dam: Sierda (198902980)
Registry: Studbook
Stallion Datasheet:
Download PDF
Stallion Test Results: Walk 6.5, Trot 7, Canter 7, Riding 7, Driving 7, Pulling 7, Show 7, Training 7.5, Stable Manners 8, Character 7.5

Breeding Information

Breeding Services: Cooled
Inbreeding Coeff: 2.73%

Hearke 254 Gerlof 294 197302541 • Sport, Pref 198402941 Hendrina Teunis 332 197366480 • Ster 199002891 • Sport Lammert 260
Gertruda 197502601 • Pref
198478790 • Ster, Pref Waltrude 198069570 • Ster Jochem 259 Feitse 293 197402591 • Pref 198302931 • Pref Lysebet Sierda 197561990 • Ster, Pref 198902980 • Ster, Pref Oege 267 Eeltertje 197702671 • Pref 198375980 • Ster, Model, Pref Olgaa 197764460





Sape 381 (dam's sire) Registration #: 199732061
Chip #: 985100006091931
Date of Birth: July 6, 1997
Sire: Fabe 348 (199311601)
Dam: Olcha (198896700)
Registry: Studbook
Stallion Datasheet:
Download PDF
Stallion Test Results: Walk 6.9, Trot 8.1, Canter 7.6, Riding 8, Driving 7.6, Pulling 6.5, Show 7.8, Training 7.5

Breeding Information

Breeding Services:
Inbreeding Coeff: .78%

Frans 289 Melle 311 198302891 198703111 • Sport Woltje Fabe 348 198069810 • Pref 199311601 Romke 234
Kee 196602341 Sape 381 198685700 • Ster Hilja 197359880 • Ster Jochem 259 Feitse 293 197402591 • Pref 198302931 • Pref Lysebet Olcha 197561990 • Ster, Pref 198896700 • Model, Pref Naen 264 Daphne 197602641 • Pref 198277570 • Ster, Pref, Pres Namke 196452610 • Ster, Model, Pref
 
#9 ·
I have no doubt that he will but I'm hoping after being so drugged he'll just remember sleeping in one. He's a baby and his next hauling would be to something very small, close distance and simple. When he's able to after stall rest we'll work on standing nice in the trailer. If everything goes perfect in his trailer for that I'll be taking him to the Kurrings in September if he's not going through a gangly baby stage like he is right now. He's still beautiful though. That's a 1.5 hour haul though and I have no problems waiting until he ties nice in the trailer after he grows up a bit.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I'll try to describe the way he was cast if I can if not I'll take a picture of my dog because he sleeps like that against a wall.
So begin with looking into a two horse slant trailer. with the dividers open so it's all just one space.
to your left looking in the divider latches to the wall.
When we opened the doors his head and neck fell out. So he was lying down the center of the trailer. his back feet are bent at the hocks as if he were just normal napping but they are pressed from the hoof to the hock against the left wall of the trailer. Then he pushed out so his hooves were almost flat against the wall on his back legs.
Now look at his front legs. Picture a horse in a sitting position and then roll him on his side.
on his body the side facing up his shoulder was pulled forward and slightly up. If we were upright this would have been how he raised himself from sitting or lying down only make a wider angle on his shoulder.
His front leg on the ground was bent against the trailer wall as if he were tucking it to lying down.
now add the two hay bails tipped on their side to the end of the horse trailer on the ground. One in front of the first door and one in front of the second door. Basically adding another 1.5-2feet of room. He rested comfortable on that after getting his leg unstuck until the vet and more help arrived.

For those of you that need a picture like I would, since I was no way going to take a picture of the happening here's one of my dog. His shoulder isn't hyper extended but pick it up a little and that's how poor Lestat was. If he had pushed away with his bottom front leg he would have torn his shoulder and most likely broken it. I labeled the pictures.
The crease up the "divider" is the end of the divider where it latches to the wall and the 4 inch gap between that and that wall. His hoof was wedged at the cornet band.
 

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#10 ·
Thank you for the well wishes! I will get some pictures of him today. I checked on him every two hours last night and he was happy to see me each time. He hobbled over and put his head in my hands and I'd rub his ears and kiss his nose. Tomorrow is going to be day two which for pain will be his worst. After he gets over the 3 day hump we should start to see slow improvement. The vet said he'll be acting funky from fluid build up pressing on nerves and he might get a "dead leg" tingly feeling or complete numbness for a short period depending on where the fluid pools. I'm going to try to keep his mind occupied with simple easy stall games.
 
#12 ·
hehe, Orions a good model. Especially when he sleeps like that. I have a couple cellphone ones from this morning but I'm heading out there in just a little while to brush him up since he was all muddy from the ordeal and I'll get some then and post tonight.
I'm going to use his thread to update on his progress instead of posting new ones over and over again. Hopefully if anyone has to go through something like that or similar the healing process information will help?
 
#13 ·
for sure.....
my calf did something kinda like that...we borrowed our friends 2 horse straight load (the ones that have that platform in front for hay) to get him trailered to another friends so we could get him branded
he ended up juming onto the hay portion in the front and got stuck so we had to open up the front door(where you put the hay in) and push him out and off.
 
#14 ·
How scary!!! Glad he is doing well

When my big clydesdale girl arrived (with her daughter and an arab) in a 3horse slant trailer, poor Babe had gone down in the trailer, and had gotten wedged under her daughter!!! So we unloaded Tess (Arab) and Belle, then put the dividers back, and poor Babe got up, sidestepped off the trailer and then think her legs went numb and she went down in the middle of a highway! And we couldn't get her up/off for 2 hrs, no traction on the road, until my husband arrived with truck bed liner , which she could get traction on. Then she got up, and her left hind foot, was just dangling :(

The vet ( who we had called and the cops too) pronounced her foot broken, but said to take and xray, maybe it could be healed (on a 10yr old clyde). SO the vet leaves, and Babe starts putting weight on her foot no issues, other then stiff. We loaded them all again and got them to my house (we were 20mins from home) unloaded and let them settle.

Babe is fine! She has no problems, and I ride her lightly. Can't be ridden heavily, she has heaves.

So I am sure your boy will be fine!
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#15 ·
Roper chick. My trainer had that same thing happen with a horse! She was telling the story last night after he was tucked away for the night.
InStyle. I'm glad your girl came out of it fine! That's scary especially on a highway!

I was terrified when it happened. All I could think of was his shoulder breaking and that being the end of it. My main goal was to keep him calm and get the divider loose enough to allow enough space for him to pull free.

I do not follow any specific type of religion but I was praying to everything and anything I could think of. There's a rather gruesome scene a movie where there's a serial killer and he tells the man he's going to kill to pray to everything that everything will be ok. I have the entire prayer thing memorized and said it over and over. I don't know any others except that one. I couldn't think of anything else to do! Looking back though my trainer has ace/rompin for a horse that hates hauling. Maybe a shot of that would have calmed him enough at the beginning for us to relax into more of a strategy mode instead of banging hammers around the divider and yelling at each other. No hard feelings towards anybody of course since it was a bad situation and all of us were trying not to outwardly panic.
 
#18 ·
I'm at the barn right now and I've been fussing with him. He is very cuddly and happy but sore and a little dead legged from fluid build up. I walked him back and forth between his stall and legacies stall 5 times like I was told to and he gimped a little bit but not bad at all. I'll get a little video of him after dinner. I took some pictures and I'll upload them when I get home. On Friday or Monday he will be getting the first of 3 laser treatments to help tighten and heal the stained muscles.
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#19 ·
Here's a couple pictures. Not good but just something. He's dirty and scruffy but once he's all cleaned up he'll look awesome. We dropped his stall door down so he could see out without straining. Now it's at chin rest height.
 

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#21 ·
He's not over at the knees or big kneed or anything like that. He's still pretty swollen and his chest is puffy through where he hyper extended.
 
#23 ·
Once his leg was free we banamine and buted him and let him rests that's when I broke down and just talked to him and cried forehead to forehead with him. He didn't like that I was upset and nuzzled me and wiggled his ears. My friend Mindi mentioned to me after he was out of the trailer that I was beginning to get the color back in my face and I didn't think anything of it until I took a look in the mirror. Sickly white, blood shot eyes, tear streaks. I looked very similar to the color I had coming out of surgery kind of this whitish greenish sickly. When my trainer had taken of his handling Mindi and Steph held onto me and cracked a joke that Lestat had better capillary refill than I did and being that he's named after one of Anne Rice's vampires that was just silly. It made me do the laugh cry choke noise. My trainer kept walking him towards the end of the arena and he would hobble and then pull his head around to look at me. He has a strong drive and he's a brave boy!
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