Sometimes when the phone rings, you just know something is wrong. It's either an odd time or someone you don't expect, etc...The other day I was sitting in class and my phone vibrated--I checked it as I was leaving--three missed calls and a voicemail. As I listened to the voicemail, I learned that my best friend, my horse, was sick and dying. Of course, I have other best friends, humans, but horse friends are special in different ways.
I made a beeline from my class to my car and straight to Nana Jarrard's house as fast as possible. I was scared. She had Wolfgang out, standing, but he looked sick. I took the lead rope, biting back tears. After a few minutes, he lie down. We tried to keep him up, tried to keep him from rolling. Why had the vet not arrived? Nana and I decided we thought he had colic. If that was the case, we could not let him roll. His stomach could twist into knots. We tried walking and jogging him to keep him up. He kept falling down. If he just stayed still, we let him lay there and rest. If he tried to roll, we did everything we could to get him up. Where was the vet? At this point, I'm panicking, trying not to let it show. FINALLY, the vet arrives (around 4PM). He listens, trying to hear gut sounds through the stethoscope. Nothing. Bad sign. It is getting harder and harder to keep Wolfgang up. We get him sedated and into the barn. An ultrasound shows that his spleen is enlarged- part of the intestines likely wrapped around it. Good sign. Relatively easy cure. We take him back outside, the vet begins putting a tube up his nose to his stomach, to pump mineral oil through. Most sedated horses would just stand there. Wolfgang was in so much pain he kept falling down and rolling.
All of this is taking place out in the grassy area in front of the barn. He falls down again, this time next to the vet's truck. He rolls under, gets stuck. We aren't strong enough to fight him to prevent this. Thankfully, Wolfgang doesn't panic or fight, just freezes helplessly under the truck. Blood makes everything seem worse. The vet is able to free his legs and pull him to where he can stand up, which he quickly does. We move to an area clear of everything. The vet begins again the fight to get the tube down. After a long battle, he begins pouring mineral oil down. Doesn't seem to help. We try to keep him up, running him. One of us leading, another chasing behind to keep him moving. We are all tired. Wolfgang, now on the ground just lie still. Constant pain killers and sedatives have him still, but they had not lasted long in previous hours.
An IV is put into his neck. He's dehydrated and needs fluids. The vet calls other doctors to get advice. Why can't we get the pain under control? What normally would help has no effect. Why has nothing worked? No one knows.
My strong, beautiful Arab friend is helplessly lying flat on the ground hooked to fluids. He lets out an occasional groan. I'm about to lose it. What can we do to make him better? The vet returns as he silently helps us get the horse up, to no avail. No one seems hopeful, but I just wait for the vet to speak.
"I don't know what else to say or do. All we can do is take him to UGA." (They have a great vet hospital.)
Here come the tears. UGA is not an option. There is only a 10% chance their surgery will be effective, there is no way I can afford the thousands of dollars it would cost to try. Decision time. Of course I will do anything I can to make him well. I think of all the great times I have had with this dear friend.
In middle school, he kept my busy and focused so I didn't have to even think about boys with all the other girls. In high school, he was a source of peace and quiet after a crazy school day, or a car wreck. We have experienced countless hours on trails, or galloping through a field. He has even played "tag" with me. He gives hugs and kisses. He listens to me, he's been there through the joys and tears of my life. I can't give up trying. I can't lose my dear friend.
We decide to sedate him through the night, and hope for the best.
My parents at Mary come at 6:45, just as the vet leaves to go get more sedatives/pain killers. We stand and cry and pray. After a little while, he rolls and pulls out the IV. Blood is pouring out. We don't know what to do, so we cut the stitches and take the needle out. More blood. Thankfully, he got still so we plugged his neck with pressure from fingers and gauze. Finally, he stood up and the blood stopped. When he stood, we started walking/jogging him again. We all took turns, me, my mom, dad, Nana, Caleb. After about 45 minutes, he still had not layed down. This restored some hope. The vet came back, and he lie down again. With a new IV, he seemed to feel better, and stayed standing for the next hour. Daddy and Nana cleaned out a stall for him to stay the night. We weren't sure whether to leave him in a paddock to graze, or if eating would hurt him. Conflicting advice from various people/vet left making a potential life or death decision really hard. We went with the stall, figuring we could move him during the night if necessary. 10 PM-still standing. Everyone went home, Nana and I went in the house to get cleaned up and rest a bit before the next shot at midnight. At 12, he was down again, not looking good at all. It was then that I prayed and asked God to either heal him or end the suffering quickly, either way I would trust and praise Him. At 4AM, I was scared to even look in the stall. Things seemed to be going downhill earlier. He was standing, and had gone to the bathroom for the first time! An amazing improvement. He was cheerful at 8AM, I walked him for an hour, then took him to the stall to rest. He layed down, but only to rest, no pain evident to me.
I went to eat breakfast, when I returned, he jumped up to greet me. I made a little mash, which he gobbled up. The first time really eating or drinking much. However, things got worse for the next hour and a half. We brought other horses into the barn. That got him standing and moving. By 12:30, he seemed totally well. We let him graze 15 minutes every hour. By mid-afternoon, he totally cleaned out his system and seemed completely well. And, he is still healthy and doing great! The next day he grazed out in the sunshine, trotting to the gate when I called for him, like nothing had ever happened!

Other than old age, colic is probably the leading cause of death in horses. None of us thought he would live through this severe case. I can't imagine not having him, or even owning a different horse. God was merciful and good to us. He showed His power and granted a gift no one expected! Praise him for being so kind!