September 28, 2021

Hot

Last night around 8pm, I got a text from one of my fellow co-op members. "Hey, thought you'd want to know Connor is breathing unusually hard as he eats his hay tonight. I've also heard him cough and sneeze a couple times too. He looks normal otherwise."

I went straight out there of course, and found a totally normal horse that was breathing slightly fast, and had his nostrils flared ever so slightly more than normal. But he nickered at me when he saw me (which he always does, except that time he colicked) and the issue was generally so subtle, I was impressed that barnmate noticed it at all (this is why this co-op works!)

Camo Hank, in his natural environment

I watched him drink and pee. I pulled him out of his stall and checked for dehydration (no), temperature (normal), lameness (no), and a digital pulse (no). Next I threw him on the lunge line, where he was, again, absolutely normal in terms of movement and reaction to stimuli. I got his heart rate up, and still, he never coughed or sneezed.

That was about the time I was like well, I need to bring his respiration rate down regardless, so I'm going to give him a long, cold bath. And within a few minutes, his nostrils and respiration rate both went back to normal and stayed there.


So...he was just hot? 3 hours after coming in for the night? It IS unusually warm here right now, with highs in the mid 80s. I'd normally have clipped him by now, but our Welsh show is being held quite late this year, in mid-October, and I can't clip him til after that. The coughing and sneezing my barnmate heard could have been related, or it also could have been a coincidence precipitated by the farm next to us beginning their fall corn harvest yesterday. 

I don't get to see many morning sunrises out here since I'm the night crew, but this one was spectacular!

I went out this morning to take his temp, just to make sure this isn't a respiratory illness he picked up at the show, and he was normal and so was his temp. So I'm going to go out in the middle of the day to bring him in before it gets too hot every day until the weather breaks. The perks of living close with a flexible job.

He better stay healthy, both because I love him and because...my saddle arrives on Wednesday!

16 comments:

  1. I hope he's feeling better today. OMG....so excited for you to have your new saddle!

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  2. So glad it just seems to be a case of overheating with the weather/coat changes! CANNOT WAIT to see your saddle!!!

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  3. My horses are minding the warm weather- mostly because their winter coats are coming in- he may have more hair so if minding it more.

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    1. Oh he has a ton of hair, by this point in the fall he has more than most Thoroughbreds I've known grow all winter. I feel bad for him! I don't think we're ever going to have this Welsh show so late in the season again.

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  4. Aww I'm glad there was nothing actually wrong with him

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  5. Now THAT is an invaluable barn mate! I'd have been worried he picked up something at the show, too; glad he didn't. Can't wait to hear all about that new saddle in use!

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    1. She really is. She's so conscientious, nothing gets by her. She wasn't even the one feeding last night, just checked in on everyone while she was there.

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  6. Hopefully it's just the pony coat I can guess he's already started growing (Shiny has anyway). Fingers crossed he was just hot. And yay for the saddle coming!

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  7. Poor dude, if he hasn't been clipped yet I bet he's just hot!

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  8. Glad nothing serious is happening with Connor. Your barn mate is the best!
    You must be so excited about your new saddle. This is better than Christmas!! :-)

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  9. You are so lucky to have caring co-op members! And new saddles are so exciting! Can’t wait to see pictures and hear how Connor goes in it.

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  10. Goose panics me every year, he does this too. He'll just be huffing in the field, happy as a clam but sweaty. Breaking out the clippers this weekend!

    Hope Connor stays normal and just a little roasty if that's the case!

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  11. Henry looked like that yesterday too (granted he looks like that most days from May through September). He's ready for winter.

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