When Doc was 2 months old I received a distressing phone call from Kim. Early that morning someone had alerted Kim to the fact that there was something seriously wrong with one of the foals. She headed out to the paddocks with Greg in hot pursuit with his rifle. Things did not look good for Doc, a large flap of skin & muscle was hanging from his shoulder with a hole large enough to fit your hand in without touching the sides! The decision to put him down was very nearly made but Kim decided to give him a chance. And I am so grateful that she did!!!
I truly believe that if it hadn't been for Kim's love and determination, Doc would not have survived. An attempt was made to stitch the wound up, but it did not take long for infection to set in and the muscle began to rot and the stitches broke away. Doc developed a horror infection and raging fever, but all his loving aides fought on to get him through. The vet commented that most grown horses would have succumbed by now and headed for the grassy paddocks in the sky, but not this little colt, he wanted to live!
The wound was cleaned out and the dead muscle removed. With the wound being so open there was the problem of keeping flies and dirt out so Kim made a special fabric bib to fit around his chest. Once the infection was under control he had to regain his mobility. Every couple of hours Kim and her helpers would lift Doc to his feet so he could drink from his mother, in the mornings he would be carried out to a nice green paddock and laid on the grass in the sunshine.
Once he could support his own weight again, he had to be manually walked around to get the muscles working. Very slowly, each leg was lifted and placed forward. It was not known if he would ever recover completely but I was still determined to own this magnificent horse.
Less than 5 months after the accident Doc came to live with me and I started his preparation for the coming show season. Soon after we competed in the State Championships and swept all before us. The scar is hardly noticable. Doc is now a 2 year old and has just been started under saddle. He has full movement and is extremely comfortable to ride. I thank everyday that Kim, Greg and their helpers had such faith in Doc that they got him through this ordeal.
Thanks guys, from the bottom of my heart!!! |
