We had another "Don't Panic" moment last week. We arrived at the barn to find our barn owner watching The Squirt. Our poor boy was having trouble eating. He would try to eat but each mouthful of his dinner dribbled from his mouth. He also was drooling a lot. Since he wasn't swallowing anything we were worried that he had a case of choke. We called the vet and put him in a stall while we waited for the vet to arrive. The Squirt didn't seem to be very distressed, but I certainly was! I did feel a little better when he let out a mighty whinny to express his displeasure at being left inside when his buddies went back outside... at least we knew that he could breathe!

Once the vet arrived, he tubed The Squirt to make sure that it wasn't a mild choke. My boyfriend stood in the corner chanting 'chug chug' (I have to admit that his 'beer bong' joke did break the tension a little). The tube went down easily, so choke didn't seem to be the problem. Hmmm, it must be a tooth issue then. Just as we were about to take a closer look at The Squirt's teeth, one of the barn owners heard a 'clink' as a piece of tooth hit the barn floor. Yep, better look at those teeth!

I felt so bad for the wee lad as he shakily stood there, sedated and with a dental speculum in his mouth. I am normally quite fascinated by veterinary procedures, but it is a scary thing when it is one's own beloved friend. The vet removed two loose premolar caps that seemed to be the source of the trouble. One of the caps had actually cracked and a piece had broken off! The vet gave the wee lad's mouth a final check, and then we put him in a comfy stall. We stayed with him until he recovered from the sedation and then we reluctantly went home to get some sleep ourselves. The next morning he was back to his regular self, he had eaten and drank and rejoined his buddies outside. *Phew!*

This experience has made me acutely aware of the importance of knowing your horse and recognising subtle cues that something is 'off'. Canadian Horses are quite robust animals and commonly have a high pain threshold. One has to watch them particularly carefully because by the time that they show obvious signs of discomfort they may actually be in a lot of pain. Looking back on the past few weeks, I think that The Squirt may have given some hints that something wasn't quite right. He was a little uncooperative when being bridled... he would lift his head rather than lowering it to be bridled. He also occasionally tossed his head during work. These subtle behavioural changes may have been youthful rebellion like we thought, but they may have been signs that he was uncomfortable. What we have learned is that we should always investigate behavioural changes, rather than just assuming that they are The Squirt asserting his independence or celebrating a change of season. We are also now more aware that physical changes can develop quite rapidly in a youngster. Tooth issues didn't immediately come to mind because his teeth were checked in January when the vet saw him to tend to a cut on his leg.

We are immensely grateful to our wonderful barn owners. They keep an eye on all of the horses at the barn, and they notice if there is a sign of something wrong. They stayed with us and reassured us through the whole process, and one of them checked on The Squirt and gave him water and food at the appropriate times as he recovered from the procedure. I think that a good barn owner is absolutely priceless. Ours patiently listen to all of our fretting and always find a way to put us at ease. I know that they are knowledgeable, have genuine affection for the horses, and so I can be confident that my boy is in good hands when I am not there. They also are quite fun people! Thanks guys, you rock! :)

... and Squirt... if you ever need the vet, can you please make it during office hours? ;)