# So stressed....



## Capriole (Nov 22, 2021)

WARNING: Venting
So, I keep Prince (my pony) at my brother and sister in law's house. I don't usually go over there on the weekends because they run their business out of the house, and the weekend is the only time they don't have other people coming and going (I work in the office so I'm there 5 days a week).
This morning I go to feed the horses and find the feed room door wide open and Farah (20 yr old arab mare inside, chowing down....surprisingly Prince wasn't in there at the time.There's Alfalfa, Orchard and Bermuda hay, Farah's senior feed was open and I'm certain Prince ate the cat food , because the bowl (huge bowl that used to belong to their German Shepherd) was almost empty and I know he loves cat food (Purina....so, corn). I have no idea what or how much they ate. Called the vet, since they seemed ok so far, it wasn't an "emergency" so she couldn't get over there....My sister in law is keeping an eye on them tonight, but, it's going to be a stressful few days.
I am so POed at myself, too. I've been trying to pick a grazing muzzle, because even though we use the slow feeders it's still not enough to keep him from gaining weight, so I figured a grazing muzzle might slow him down further....if I had just made a decision and picked one he might have had a harder time eating the cat food and whatever else he ate.....
I'm just hoping they weren't in there too long and neither one of them ate too much of anything.


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## Willow Flats (Nov 22, 2021)

Ugh, I feel your pain!!! I had a freak out recently when a gate was left open to the green grass and one of my horses was out without her muzzle for who knows how long.

Sometimes they don't even realize they have access to something right away so maybe that's the case!
Hope you get some sleep tonight. Let us know how they are doing tomorrow.


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## Capriole (Nov 22, 2021)

Thank you!

That's so scary....I hope your horse is ok.

Yeah, I had to put signs on all the gates because the guys weren't used to HAVING to keep them closed. When Farah was alone she never went far from the barn and she wouldn't try the gates.


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## Dragon Hill (Nov 23, 2021)

How are they today? I hope they are ok.


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## HersheyMint (Nov 23, 2021)

I can feel your worry. I sure hope they are doing fine today. Let us know


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## Capriole (Nov 23, 2021)

Thank you all so much for your concern.

They are still doing good this morning. Acting completely normal, no pulse, heat in their feet. 

Put a padlock on the feed room door....not sure how much it will help since my sister in law said she was probably the one that left it unlatched....I guess the extra step of unlocking/locking might be a reminder.

(BTW, I'm not in any way implying I couldn't forget....it's so automatic to latch it I do it without thinking, and a few times I've gone back to check because I couldn't specifically remember latching it)


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## HersheyMint (Nov 23, 2021)

Yup, at times we have so much on our minds we have to go back and check 
I forgot to say I'm glad they feel fine today. That's a relief.


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## Abby P (Nov 23, 2021)

Big relief they're OK today! Rowan broke in or maybe accidentally slipped in to the center of his track a few weeks ago (he couldn't get back out, so I think it was an accident going in, the barn owner had to let him out the gate for breakfast). So I understand the sinking feeling well - judging by the number of poops he must have spent the entire night in there gorging on the grass and when I arrived at the barn the next morning he had left behind half his ration balancer to go and take a nap in the corner. Kinda like a beached whale.  He did eventually finish it and I watched him carefully for a couple of days but he was fine - set his weight loss back a bit but thankfully no colic or laminitis! I feel like if those things are going to happen from an incident like this it's usually pretty quick. So fingers crossed you're in the clear!


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## Capriole (Nov 23, 2021)

Thank you so much for the well wishes!

I'm so glad Rowan was fine...that was a stressful couple of days for sure!!


They were still ok this evening....I remember reading some time ago it can take up to 48 hours for symptoms to show.....so....so far so good. I'm sure we must be in the clear for colic....I imagine that would show up pretty quick.
My main concern is Prince eating the cat food....since I have no idea how much he could have eaten (since no one seems to remember who filled it last or how much was in the bowl last time they checked) during the week when I fill it I only put in enough for the cat for the day....that way if he does get in and eat it I know he wouldn't eat too much....but over the weekend they have a tendency to fill the bowl, it must hold at least 4 cups of food...maybe more 
Yeah, it's not going to help his waistline any!


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## Kelly (Nov 24, 2021)

Glad to hear everyone is ok so far. Every time we go to visit the in laws, about an hour away, I think oh crap did I lock the gate. Every single time  It’s a helpless feeling, not much we can do at that point. So all I think about while visiting them is, I hope someone is stuffing themselves and making themselves sick. It’s kinda like wondering if I turned my flat iron off  Nowadays I am triple checking… and my flat iron too, I must drive hubby crazy


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## Capriole (Nov 24, 2021)

Oh my God!! I know!!  I triple and sometimes quadruple check things!! I'm begining to think I should write myself notes..."11-24-21 8:35 - Checked gate" It would probably save me a lot of time.

They are still doing ok this morning....I am cautiously optimistic we dodged a bullet ...


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## Abby P (Nov 24, 2021)

Great news! I feel like 48 hours is the real danger window, like what you read. Certainly you've avoided any acute laminitis or colic issues by now, I would think.

For me it's the fence charger - I check every time I am there that it's flashing green and sometimes I can't remember if I checked that time or if it was last time, so I walk back and take another look. Sometimes even bring the fence tester for good measure just in case the charger light is lying to me!


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