My Icy Canine Challenge

"If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much room."

That's what my head of year said before presenting me with the first contribution from my Sixth Form towards my expedition.

As I've been harping on about for a while now, I had a pretty bad riding accident last year.
Summary:
Mounting in a car park.
Horse bolts, trips and lands on top of me.
12 broken ribs (each one snapped more than once).
Punctured right lung.
Collapsed left lung.
Broken collar bone.
Crushed sciatic nerve, affecting movement of left foot.

In a nutshell, I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating from the inside and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance saved my life. They operated on site, by inserting chest drains to rid the blood from the left lung and release the air that was filling my chest cavity and crushing the right lung. They also put me to sleep there and kept me in an induced coma until I woke up in hospital 10 days later.

It's been a long journey since then. I had to defer my place at Glasgow Vet School, and take the exams I missed a year late. But with the extra year, I started helping the charity that saved my life. Yes, charity. The Air Ambulance Service consists of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire service, the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland service, and now the Children's Air Ambulance. They receive no help from the NHS or any government funding, so rely on charitable donations from the public to continue to provide a life-saving service.

Over the last year, I started helping in one of their charity shops and volunteering at events before becoming something of a media case study. Me and Pepsi (not the horse I fell off, but my pony, who has helped me ride again) have appeared in local newspapers, on local radio, in the national British Riding Clubs magazine and on two local TV news broadcasts. I also spoke at the Houses of Commons (understandably without Pepsi) in February.

Now, I'm aiming for something bigger. I'm planning to mush my own sled of huskies across 200km of north Sweden, braving temperatures down to -15 C to raise money for the charity. But I can't do it without your help. Please sponsor me so the Air Ambulance can continue to save lives. You never know when you might need it yourself.

www.justgiving.com/jsnowdogs or text DOGS92 £(amount) to 70070

People think I'm mental, maybe I am.

Tone With Riding or Cheat With Surgery: Not Just a Cure For Vanity?

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at an article I read a few days ago. I think it was from the magazine in the Mail on Sunday from a couple of weeks ago but I can't be sure - it was lying in the office at the farm so god only knows!

The article was supposed to be summarising health benefits of cosmetic surgery. I thought the name 'cosmetic' was a giveaway to its purpose...

On liposuction, I quote: "It was originally invented to remove fat cells in key areas around the belly button, outer thighs and upper arms that were resistant to diet and exercise, not as a weight loss solution."

The stomach, thighs and upper arms are all areas that become toned as a result of riding, which does not just involve 'sitting and looking pretty'. This is a huge misconception of outsiders. Riders will all agree that any type of riding requires physical exertion, particularly applied to these supposed 'exercise resistant areas'. It should be considered that the wrong exercise is being done if said areas are unaffected.

If whoever wrote the article has anything whatsoever to do with the medical profession, they want sacking. Pronto.

J.

Taking Responsibility: Fatalities at Cheltenham

In light of the fatalities at Cheltenham racecourse this week, I'm intrigued by the image this casts on the industry. 

In one of my vet-school interviews, I was grilled on whether I considered racing a welfare-friendly industry or not. The interviewer evidently thought not, and even if I had argued until I was blue in the face, she wasn't going to budge. But I answered honestly and expressed that I strongly believe that it is welfare friendly. Admittedly, and somewhat sadly, sometimes that may only be a consequence of money - the horses are so valuable that they have to be looked after to allow them to perform. But the fact remains - the majority of racehorses are treated well.

I think, as horse lovers, we want to believe that racing is a welfare-friendly industry. I wouldn't say we're turning a blind eye, but we cast off accusations of cruelty, adamant that everyone cares as much about their four-legged friends as we do. But, in accepting the sport for what it is, are we jeopardising the image of the entire equine world? Racing is the most publicised and best supported discipline. Having that frowned upon reflects on the rest of us even if it's not truly representative. For example, aside from the deaths, misuse of the whip has been a hot topic this week as several jockeys have been disciplined over the duration of the festival. Outsiders see any use of the whip as cruel, whereas riders see it as a back-up to aids when used appropriately. Showjumping in particular is struggling because of lack of public interest - we cannot afford to lose any more support than we already have, and so the image of the horse world is paramount. 

There have been accusations that one of the races that caused 2 deaths on the first day of the festival should have not been run due to the ground conditions. This is debatable - officials claim it was 'good to firm' going but a representative from the RSPCA claims otherwise. Cheltenham Festival itself is taking the brunt of the blame for these unfortunate deaths but I'm not sure that is entirely fair. Are they entirely responsible? If you took your horse eventing and found the ground unsatisfactory upon walking the course, would you still run the risk of injury simply because the event is still going ahead? Or would you pull out, not happy, in your opinion, with the going? 

People are quick to condemn the organisers of these events, but the question is, who really is responsible for the welfare of the individual horses? The British Racing Association as a whole? The owners? The jockeys? The vets on site? Welfare campaigners such as the RSPCA? Or are we, as everyday horse owners, responsible for letting things happen in front of us?

Are we responsible for the deteriorating image of the equine world? 

J.

"It's Only Been a Year, But it Feels Like a Lifetime Here..."

Appropriate lyrics I think.

On the 12th (2 days ago), it was exactly a year ago to the day that I had my accident. Coming up to the anniversary, I haven't been feeling great but on the actual day I felt normal.

I'm not sure if the time has passed quickly or not.

10 days asleep.
2 weeks in ICU.
4 weeks in hospital total.
18 x-rays.
1 CT scan.
12 broken ribs.
1 broken clavicle.
1 site of nerve damage. (Sciatic nerve)
1 nerve-conduction test. (Incredibly painful)
3 different splints to walk with.
4 months of being weak and feeling crap.
3 different hospitals.
More physio appointments than I can count.
5 different specialist departments.
3 operations.
3 new starts to riding.
1 fabulous pony.
6 significant scars.
7 types of medication (now down to 1).
3 part time jobs (also now down to 1).
3 visits to friends at university.
1 month in Australia.
6 weeks back at Sixth Form.
And some fantastic friends and family.

So I guess I've fitted a lot into that year, even if half of it was spent feeling crap.
I'm pretty much back to normal. Just still on tablets for the nerve damage - foot is still slightly dodgey.
I've lost count of the number of times I've been told that nerves take the longest to heal.

J.

Time is More Valuable Than Money

Earlier I overheard a few girls dicussing their lessons at a riding school when the topic of cost came up. The conversation revolved around the fact that riding is an expensive hobby and you must be rich to own your own horse.
 
It struck me then how ignorant some people are. Riding doesn't have to be expensive, and neither does being an owner. I know that livery can be expensive and things begin to add up when you think about feed, hay, shoes, alternative therapies, lessons and entry fees if you compete. But owning a horse doesn't have to cost the earth. And in my experience, it is more successful to spend time with your horse and put the hours of training in, rather than throw money at a problem.
 
I think we all know people who will buy a horse, perhaps cheaply, realise it is 'uncontrollable' or 'ill mannered' and will get rid of it sharpish before dolling out more cash on a more appropriate replacement. Instead, it would have been more rewarding and certainly less expensive to put the effort in to train. I think that, in this way, talented horses are often wasted because their owners simply can't be bothered to put in the hours.

When I first had Pepsi, she was a typical stubborn mare - she did what she wanted, when she felt like it. I was told she'd never jump. But I was determined to prove everyone wrong - she would jump simple home-made poles at home but was eliminated at the first fence at every show we went to. The first time we made it over that first fence (we were eliminated at the second) I came out of the ring grinning - we were making progress. Everyone thought I was mental - we'd still been eliminated. But bit by bit, we finally managed to get around a whole course. Then she decided she didn't like fillers, so we worked on that. After I'd had her for 4 years, the pony who would never jump won a BRC National Championship showjumping competition. Pulling away in our battered old single Rice trailer, I felt a sense of achievement that couldn't come from anything other than years of hard work and training, whatever the weather, against all odds.

If you want to get anywhere with your horse, you should be prepared to put the time in to build a bond and learn to trust each other.
Money can't buy that kind of bond.

Laminitis: Is Hay the Culprit?

As we approach the spring, those of us with little native ponies that have too much of an appetite than is good for them will be well aware of the risks of laminitis. But do we know all of the symptoms and are we tackling the problem correctly?

 

4 years ago, we were given a 12.2hh pony, Gracie, to bring on after she was on death's door with laminitis. Her previous owner had kept her in a stable, away from the accused fresh spring grass but she was still crippled with pain. She hobbled onto the trailer, stomach bulging, when we went to collect her and her feet were red hot. Evidently overweight, her crest was around 5 inches thick and clearly wobbled as she moved. At the time we thought nothing of the thickened crest, but now it's a warning sign for us to start the defence for laminitis. I say that because now the way we approach the problem is very much preventative, so the dreaded laminitis doesn't get given the chance to manifest in the first place. 

As soon as we suspect anything untoward, Gracie and the also laminitis-prone Shetland are put out in the field at night with muzzles on. (They always live out at night anyway) This means that the grass isn't growing while they're strolling around nibbling away. They have to work harder for food but still get sufficient nutrition without putting their own health at risk through greed. They're also burning more energy walking around in the field than they would do cooped up in a stable all night. And it's very easy for them to drink from the big troughs in the field.

However, all through the winter, Gracie's crest has wavered between being normal and worryingly thick. And yet, she's turned out at night in a field with no grass and is given only a handful of hard feed. So that leaves one culprit: the hay she eats during the day and that we put in the field at night. On further investigation, the hay we'd been getting recently had been very 'leafy' and extremely good quality. While a good thing through the winter for the other horses, Gracie could really do with the lowest possible energy value hay. How many horse owners are aware that it might be the hay and not the spring grass causing their ponies to have sore feet?

I know that other people might find the way we approach the problem of laminitis controversial, but if they had seen the state of Gracie that first day, they'd soon change their mind on what is considered 'cruel'.

 

Veterinary Journalism?

So. What a week. I had the Air Ambulance dinner at Westminster (above - me on the right of our local MP) on Wednesday: had to do a speech about my accident, throwing in a few hints that everyone should support the air ambulance. I don't mind talking in front of people but when it came to the night before and I still didn't know what to say, I was in hyper-stress mode. It was mainly because I couldn't quite work out the real 'point' of the evening (still not quite sure even though it's over and done with). But I calmed down after the WNAA PR girl sorted me out and helped me write the speech. It went well, I didn't mess up, and I think being used as a tactical empathy story had an influence on the people there.

The dinner was in a beautiful room in the Houses of Commons and there were a load of medical 'big wigs' there such as the Minister of State for Heath, Simon Burns, the chief executive of the Royal College of Surgeons, a few top bods from UCL Medical school and load of other MP's. I even managed to bag some EMS (work exp while at vet school) for next year with a Baroness we were sitting near. Though paralysed from the waist down when she fell in a point-to-point race 40 years ago, she still runs a yard full of 40+ Highland Ponies and has lots of rare breed sheep to keep her occupied. And she was absolutely lovely.

It was actually the topic of Schmallenberg that got us talking, which is what brings me round to the misrepresentation posed by the media, that has slightly irritated me. A few people have tweeted me following my jokes about the midges - what bloody midges survive British February? - I wouldn't say putting me down but certainly making me feel less intelligent than I am. Although seemingly obvious to someone who knows about it, the media have portrayed the whole condition poorly. All that needed to be said was that the animals in question (has anyone twigged it's only ruminants affected so far?) would have been infected (by the accused midges) at the time of conception and it is only now, when they're giving birth, that the effects on the young are evident. The impression that I got to begin with was that the animals are being infected NOW. Hence the whole 'midges at this time of year?!' It's not surprising that there are rumours about the virus coming from imported animals/meat when such a simple statement isn't made clear. The fact is that we don't know enough about the virus to construct any clear cut, solid facts. The profession should just admit that rather than trying to float in a middle ground of vague statements.

Guy thinks I should be a Veterinary Journalist, not just a Surgeon when I qualify. If I ever take heed of his advice, I will make certain that I don't make mistakes such as these.