Trailer Disaster

Oh, man. This was not supposed to happen.

My husband and I headed up the canyon this afternoon--he would hike and I would ride Flyboy for an hour or so. He wanted exercise, and I wanted to try the new saddle again. But it was not to be. Two miles up the highway the trailer suddenly started rocking and jerking and I knew Flyboy was in trouble. He was thrashing about like crazy. I pulled off onto a side road to check on him, but looking through the window, I could see blood running down his face and in his eye. We turned around and headed back immediately. I was afraid of what I would see when I unloaded him. I knew his face was bleeding, but what else? The way he scrambled, I knew it could be serious. I said a prayer and pulled up to the barn.

We unloaded Fly and I held my breath as I checked him out. He had a deep cut above his eye that was bleeding badly. He had scuffed hair on both hips, but no broken skin. A few strands of forelock hung loose on his face. I tried to check his poll, but he was too upset to let me look. He was breathing hard and every couple of minutes he would swing his head at an angle to the side and sort of stagger sideways. My husband tried to help me wash the cut above Fly's eye, but it obviously hurt him too much to let us touch it.

I decided the vet was needed; although the cut was not more than an inch wide, it was very deep. I called to let them know I was on the way. The slant partition was badly damaged in the scramble so I had to tie it open all the way. It will have to be replaced. Fly would have to travel loose anyway, since I didn't dare to tie him or close him in tight. He was obviously stunned and traveling loose would be safer. A good friend met me at the freeway exit and rode with me.

The vet was waiting. Fly was very brave about going inside with all the lights and people. I led him into the stocks and the vet administered a tranquilizer. He was then able to get a close look at the damage. I held my breath. After palpating the facial bones and adding dye to the eyes to check the corneas, he determined Fly had no facial fractures and no damage to the actual eye. Both eyes were good. OK. Breathe again. The cut was deep and would have to be stitched. He also had a nasty trauma laceration on his poll and another cut near his other eye that was deep, too. All would have to be stitched, but should heal up fine. No other serious damage could be found. Legs were good, shoulders, back, barrel, all good. Whew.

Antibiotics, Bute, and Neosporin for five days. Bute for the massive headache and certain body aches Flyboy must have. Antibiotics and Neosporin to ward off infection. My poor boy. I am grateful it wasn't worse.

Flyboy had been doing so well with the trailer; it has been a non-issue for several weeks! I don't know what happened today, but I think he must have tried to turn around and then got into trouble and panicked. There are pictures below if you are brave enough to look.

He's gonna look like a prize fighter tomorrow.