Pony Tales
by Sandra Murphy
THE GRANDAUGHTER CHRONICLES:PART VII
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minutes and then paw and spin and twice to check on the problem and
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The realities of life can be
try to lie down, writhing in pain. As by the time three am rolled around,
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difficult for a little rider, so small that
we waited for the vet, the situation it was looking better. At dawn Scamp
all they understand is the love of the
quickly deteriorated to a point where decided his morning feed was very
ponies and nothing else. When a child
the children could not get close to interesting and it looked like we
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loves an animal, the concept of life
Scamp for fear he would accidently missed ‘the bullet’ so to say.
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threatening problems is just simply
hurt them. The vet arrived again and, after
not in their vocabulary, and they don’t
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“Gramma, please help Scamp,” she inspecting Scamp, the look of relief
want to put it there.
said, looking up at me as though I was on her face said it all. She, as all vets,
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My granddaughter had her first
the God of all wonders and could fix are not only animal lovers, they really
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tearful reality check when one of the
anything. “He just has a belly ache and don’t like the ‘explanation’ part of the
lesson ponies at the barn came down
you can fix it, you always do when I job when children are involved. The
with a bout of colic. A call late in
am sick. FIX IT PLEASE!” Well, that excitement of the children was only
the evening, from one of her riding
would put even the best of adults surpassed by the adult’s relief of not
friends, sent us scurrying to the barn
into a tail spin, but I just put my arms having to ‘go there’.
to stand in support of the owner that
around her and told her the vet would Moral of the story is simple; get
arrived just as we did. The look on
have to work on that. What a helpless medical and mortality insurance for
the face of the groom holding the
feeling for a Grandmother. horses/ponies, especially if there are
lead rope, attached to “Scamp”, told
The arrival of the vet brought children involved. It will not change
me more than I wanted to know.
renewed hope as the girls leaned on the initial diagnosis BUT it will make
This would be a long night with
her every word. Watching a rectal the process much less emotional.
the possibility of ending up not too
take place was a bit of an education Nothing is worse than standing there
good.
to them and they listened intently as with a child and having to explain
The problem was also complicated
the vet explained that since horses/ there is not the $10,000 needed for
further, as there was no medical
ponies don’t throw up, the problem surgery. It is far better to be able
insurance policy to take care of things
has to go all the way through and on to simply say “Load him up and
like this. This family had been a bit
occasion it can’t happen. When she ship him to the hospital” when the
‘busy’ to get it and now simply did
explained that, in this case, there may situation calls for that. Spending the
not have the funds to ship the pony
have to be ‘a decision’ made in the night caring for a sick animal without
to the closest vet hospital and pay for
best interest of the pony, the girls just the financial worry is far better than
very costly surgery, should that be the
sat wide eyed staring. Even handling having that to worry about.
only alternative.
THAT conversation very carefully is Especially when a child looks up
The girls, at that point, were petting
extremely difficult. at you with those pleading eyes like
and stroking the pony that was a dirty,
As the night went on the girls YOU are the one who can fix the
sweaty ball of fur from all the rolling
wrapped themselves up in a show world.
and pain connected with a stopped
cooler and sat in the corner of the stall
up belly. He would stand for a few
watching the pony. The vet returned
Somewhere...Somewhere in time’s Own Space
There must be some sweet pastured place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some Paradise where horses go,
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again.
- Stanley Harrison -
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