23rd January, 2016 A Remarkable Thing - Or Two

For anyone with doubts about the use of clicker, it's such a useful technique in emergencies. Yesterday Victor was really intent on kicking Amy when she needed to attend to his wound with cold water and Hibiscrub. One click and I had his attention and I continued to click while she worked. Even though he couldn't actually have a treat because he was under light sedation, the click reassured him, held his attention and hope, and distracted him from pain and discomfort. Amy said she could feel him relax under her hand on his back whenever I clicked. It reminded me of when Jack had a rectal examination using the same technique when he had mild colic and wasn't even in the mood for accepting food. The click takes on a meaning of its own and is associated with good things and happy times.

The other remarkable things is Tracey! How many people do you know who would turn their day upside down in order to help you? Instead of ending her day by picking up the children from school, she started her evening's work by picking the children up from school, leaving them with our good friend Barbara, and came straight over to give me a hand, well two hands. She saw to all of our horses while I attended to the vet, and then she came with me to two night loaders at Beaulieu. I literally couldn't have done it without her what with handling two horses, leading them miles in the dark, and setting everything up.  We didn't get back to the fields until after 9 p.m. (we know a lot about car fuses now!) and she still came over with me to feed Victor his antibiotic. After a very short night's sleep, she's coming over here again for 8.15 a.m. so that we can head off for our Warmblood Foal Course for the day.