Jul
The fourth of July came early this year. I don’t know about you, but I was completely unprepared for this holiday. Time is speeding up and six months of the year has whizzed by. I thought we were still days away from our Independence Day celebration of fireworks hot dogs and parades. I wonder if it is the same for everyone?
Last night, I arrived home after completing the Oneness University course at the Lowes Beach Hotel in Santa Monica. Two days of processing emotions will kick anyone’s butt even when you have done thirty years of inner work. I stopped at a friend’s home briefly and then turned around after driving only a mile down the road. I decided to accept her offer of a swim in her pool. Water is the best remedy after emotional release both drinking it as well as being immersed in it. Taking the time to take care of me with a swim and visit longer with my friend meant I would get home later than I planned. I had a menagerie of animals to care for upon my arrival.
The cool water was just what my body needed. It felt soothing and relaxing after an intense weekend at the conference. In just over thirty minutes after swimming some circuits and having a cool drink, I was on my way.
As soon as I returned home I changed my clothes, fed my dogs and cats and stepped out the door to take care of the large animals. I agreed to take care of my neighbor’s five horses and three goats while she is vacationing with her family. I began to move the horses out into the paddock as the sun was beginning to set and the temperatures cooled down. I noticed Alix a beautiful white speckled mare was not in her stall but had disappeared outside. Normally horses know it’s feeding time and are literally chomping at the bit waiting to be fed at their gate. The fact that I couldn’t see her right away didn’t feel right.
My Fourth Of July Excitement Isn’t Fireworks This Year
I walked her to the outside paddock, unhooked her halter and fastened the gate. She immediately lay down in the sand. I heard colic in my head and called my neighbor, Shannon. I am not an expert on horses, so the fact that she poo-pooed the idea that Alix had colic isn’t surprising. The horse wasn’t rolling around nor was she moving. Her belly looked indented in one place and I told Shannon so. I knew it was colic. This was the first full day that Shannon was away and here we were in quite an apparent pickle. Horses often die from colic. It is a very serious matter. Not on my watch I thought! I would do whatever I needed to keep Alix alive and thriving.
What Is Colic?
Colic in horses is a blockage in the intestines. It often happens when the weather is hot and the hay is very dry, which it was. Horses need to drink copious amounts of fresh clean water to ensure they can get large amounts of dry grass swallowed and moving along the digestive track. Sometimes a large amount of grassy material gets wadded up and totally blocks the movement and digestive
process. If you have ever had a colicky baby you know how painful it can be. Horses often die from colic. It is a very serious matter.
I called Robert over, a horse boarder and friend of Shannon’s. He confirmed what I already knew. It was very serious. On the phone with Shannon, she suggested I offer her a treat like a cut up apple. While I ran to retrieve an apple from Shannon’s kitchen Robert put Alix on the lunge line in the arena to get her to move. I returned with an apple in hand and offered it to Alix. She didn’t even attempt to mouth it. She was in too much pain. Eating wasn’t in the cards for her. It was getting late and the chance of getting a vet quickly on a holiday weekend was slim. I suggested that Shannon give her a call.
Energy Work For Horses And Dogs Too
Robert fastened Alix to the ties between two posts to keep her still. I prayed for the pattern and program of colic to be cleared while I moved energy through Alix’s abdomen. I began moving energy in slow sweeping motions from her shoulder down to the bottom of her abdomen then upward out to her hind end. Energy is the same in animals as it is in humans. I hadn’t worked on a horse before, but I had on my dog, Karma. I knew she felt better when I did energy work on her. We all want to survive. I knew the horses liked my energy when I was near them. Alix calmed down a bit while I was working on her. Every once in a while she picked up her front hoof and pawed at the mat beneath her feet. She was in pain. My intention was to release the blockage, so she wouldn’t die it was what I prayed for.
While I was working on Alix’s abdomen, the vet arrived. Fortunately, we didn’t have long to wait for her. While the vet gathered her things off the back of her truck she there was nothing I could have done to prevent it as horses colic in the heat and she had seen plenty this weekend. While the vet readied the tube, water, and oil to hopefully move the blockage along, I continued working on her. I left the two pros to it when they seemed to have things covered, Alix defecated just after I walked away, even before the tube was inserted into her stomach through her nose. It was a good sign. The fact that the vet couldn’t hear any sounds of digestion in her stomach meant she still needed to be evacuated with water. They worked on her for about twenty minutes without me but weren’t able to get the tube down Alix’s throat. I stood close beside her and stroked her throat towards her stomach. After just another minute Alix relaxed and swallowed the tube so the vet could perform her treatment.
The Fourth Of July Parade Will Be Different This Year
Sometimes we get our wish but a little differently than what we envisioned. The fact that I was able to assist and keep Alix alive wasn’t lost on me. I had to get up through the night to check on and get Alix moving every few hours didn’t bother me. When my alarm went off at 3:33 AM, at first I didn’t remember what I set the alarm for. My Fourth of July fireworks has already happened. I’ve never been so glad to see a big pile of poop as I was last night!
This year, the parade will mean something very different to me. Not only is it our country’s Independence Day celebration, it is also a celebration of freedom and life. Alix living through her ordeal has given me more gratitude for being alive and healthy every day. Stay healthy fit and moving and be safe out there! Have a very happy Fourth of July celebration in your town.
