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Jack Baumgartner
Nov 9, 06 - 7:35 PM |
How did he know? Or did he?
This took place in the mid-80's and involved a Quarter Horse gelding, Brazoria Sand(AKA Sandy). We got him in '77 as a three-year-old, fresh out of Texas. He was well-broke, had been started on cattle and had a lot of sense. Sandy would tolerate weanlings or yearlings eating out of his grain feeder. Our ten-year-old daughter could go into his stall and lie down in the straw, and Sandy would lie down next to her. I was a horsetrader, but Sandy came to stay. I'd picked up a three-year-old AQHA gelding and would turn him out to pasture with the other horses each day. His call name was Bokey. He was odd man out, and stayed by himself toward the back of the pasture. One day I noticed him standing in the line of trees at the back of the pasture. I figured he was using the branches of the pine trees to keep the flies off, and thought no more of it. Bokey had been here a little over a week when, on a Sunday afternoon, the kids came running in the house. "Dad, come outside quick! Sandy has Bokey down and won't let him up!" Bokey lay stretched out on the ground and Sandy stood over him, with a front foot resting on his shoulder. I pulled Sandy away and handed him off to one of the kids. Bokey raised his head and bit himself on the side. Then he kicked at his belly. COLIC! As I forced Bokey to his feet I told the kids to bring a lead rope and a stockyard whip from the barn. We had to keep him on his feet and moving. Just then some friends pulled in, so I put them to work tending to Bokey while I called the vet. She was here in short order and gave him a shot of Banamine and used the stethoscope. I guess everything sounded okay, but she tubed him with mineral oil anyway. She stayed until he seemed out of his distress and had a couple of bowel movements. I couldn't figure what caused him to colic. We had good pasture, clean hay and fresh water. I walked the pasture, looking for whatever might have caused the problem. Back in the line of trees, I found a couple of wild cherry saplings with the bark chewed off. I cut them off at the ground. Wild cherry is poison to horses. That evening I sat in the kitchen having a coffee, and thinking about the events of the day. How the heck did Sandy know that Bokey mustn't roll or he might twist a gut? That had to be why he had his foot on Bokey's shoulder. That's the mystery to me. How did he know? Or did he? I guess the moral of the story, if there is one, is to make sure there aren't any wild cherry trees growing in your pasture. |
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