Fingers Crossed (again)

 (Pia, locked behind bars.. ready for her closeup...)

We got Pia delivered all safe and sound for her second myelogram yesterday afternoon.  Having grown up with trailer-traumatized horses, I am thankful every single time I load Miss P and she acts like a doll.  What a star.

Yesterday was particularly impressive for me, since the barn is currently overrun by a "pony camp."  I think I mentioned that Pia was not particularly fond of the camp and the little humans skittering all around (oh right, the fence destruction..) but it was funny seeing them around her...

I pulled her out of her stall to give her one last grooming and get her all wrapped.  Kids were freaking everywhere.  literally darting around in and out of doorways, fighting over ponies, losing their helmets, eating carrots, you name it.  More than one of them came up and asked "WHAT HORSE IS THIS" in a loud unmodulated kid voice... 

(remember, I was NEVER the neighborhood babysitter.  I horse sat, I house sat, but I never baby sat.  I like kids, but I have a hard knowing how smart they are, and what the get/don't get..)

So I say all sweet "this is Pia!"

"OH SHE"S MEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAN" say the (bratty) kids. 

I laughed, and reassured them that she's not in fact mean, and encouraged them to pat her and give her a treat (Princess P was of course all pricked ears and licky tongue which made me doubt their claims that she's "mean").

I failed to explain to the kids that its quite possible that their small size and loud voices mean that its significantly more likely that Pia thinks they are some sort of small goat who really just want to steal her grain, or try to share her treatball (neither of which she is interested in)....    Oh well, at least Pia gets to escape to the vet while they continue to paint horses and sprinkle glitter on everything within reach....

At our barn we load horses in the arena, since its the flattest surface around, and if a horse freaks out... they're still... in the arena, so it's not as scary.  But, as expected, pony camp was running over time, and there were still kids meandering around the ring finishing their "courses" for the day.  I was totally comfortable loading P away from the confines of the ring, but the BM was apprehensive about the fence-destroying, child-eating mare even walking through the ring to get to her trailer(/salvation).  I shot her a look of "really, are you really making me wait for 15 eight year olds to finish walking over poles and making bad circles to walk my wrapped, broken mare to her trailer so that she can go get her spinal fluid removed (again) and put under full anesthesia!?".  

Needless to say she let us walk through the ring, and I'm proud to say that P didn't bat an eye at the loud goat-children or at the trailer and walked right in, stood nicely and waited for us to deliver her back to the vet clinic.

The ride was uneventful, P seemed to recognize the place when we unloaded (not a good sign when your horse actually knows the vet clinic that well) and she got quickly settled into her hospital stall.  It only took her about 10 minutes to remember that she hates  new stalls and to start pacing and whinnying like an idiot.  I felt a little guilty leaving (as I always do), but I figure eventually she'll calm down and notice the adorable mini across the aisle (Elvis) and make a new friend.  

Currently I'm waiting for the "all good" call from the vet to let me know that she's up and alert... fingers are crossed that it goes as smoothly as last time.  (how ridiculous is it that I'm even saying "as smoothly as last time"...) Oh well.  She's pretty, she's sweet, and I love her.

 (the nose out window, panicked whinny is a little heartbreaking...)

Fingers are also crossed for Miss Denali!  Here's to hoping that her vets find an easy answer to what's been bugging her...