He likes me! He really likes me!

On most days, it's a herd. Ok, Bit is attached to Eclipse by the hip, but otherwise, everyone hangs out, with Shaun maintaining the proper distance to keep himself with, but not too close to the herd. When Shaun got choke, the herd was with him. Did not leave him, and Gunner refused to let more than five feet separate them. He stayed with Shaun throughout the entire ordeal. After, you'd find them both grazing nose to nose. Sometimes a crises will bond two souls, when they might not have connected, before. Shaun's near death experience has made us all a bit closer.

Breakfast went well, and not hearing his swallow reflex anymore. Once or twice yesterday, but the vet said he'd have a sore throat. Between antibiotics and a little time, he seems to be doing well.

I know a lot of folks go out and get a horse without a clue how to take care of them, what they might need to thrive, or what to look for if they get sick. I'd heard of colic but never had experienced it with a horse I knew. Once you do, you live in fear of it happening to your horse. You not only have to know how to recognize it right away, but also what to do. Do you? Choke. How many horse owners would even know what it looks like? How many just throw that grain and walk back into the house, or their horses are boarded and someone else throws the grain and walks away? Did you know that feeding your horses only twice a day can create severe digestive problems? That you need to have your hay analyzed because it probably lacks certain nutrients and you need to add supplements? Did you know that if your water contains iron, you need to add copper and zinc to the diet or the feet and coat will not be healthy? And you can't offer those red mineral blocks? Did you know you have to float your horses teeth? HAVE TO? Do you know what to do if your horse gets an abscess on his hoof?

There is a lot to know before you own a horse. Most folks figure, feed em some hay (many feed alfalfa which is not horse food. It's ok in small amounts but horses need to be on grass hay. They are not cows.) Did you know that alfalfa in some parts of the country contain blister beetles which will kill your horses? Just feeding them hay is more complicated than you can imagine. Lets not even get into supplements, hoof care, to shoe or not to shoe, and sunburn in the summer.

This is with a "normal" healthy horse. Shaun is not a normal healthy horse. He needs chiro tx's, his food practically liqified, and very good supplements. I don't know what will happen in the winter with the cold. He has a heavy duty blanket on the way. Cold makes any old injury hurt. It can be very hard on older horses. Lots of folks rescue horses and then face the many challenges these horse may face. Ignorance is no excuse! I can't say this enough, educate yourself. Ask questions and when your gut says that vet is wrong, get a second opinion! Use an equine vet, not a vet that does equines. Know your horse well enough so that NOT NORMAL is a red flag. Just like your car. You know the minute something isn't right. You owe your horse that much of a relationship.