I mostly blog about my horses on my horse blogs. But I want to share this experience with non horse people as well. As I have mentioned previously, we have been bogged down with the mare because Equine Influenza has been bought into this country. It stopped racing for three months and put a stop to much breeding in the TB and other horse industries. It has seen the deaths of several horses, mostly non TB, and quite a few foals. It has been a tragedy, and something I and others have been quite angry about.
Much of my anger has been at AQIS the quarantine service, although many people on the forums were angry with TB owners in general, and I have had a tough time defending not just myself, but others as well. This has been frustrating to say the least.
And even though it is late December, we are still restricted, and I cannot move my mare and I cannot have a companion come in for her. She has been very dependent on me and my family to provide her with company - not something we can easily do although we try very hard for her.
On Friday, I rang the vet's office to find out what was going on with the vaccines, since it was five weeks since I had heard from them and given them my information. I was then informed that in the next few days, we would be visited by the vet for the vaccine. No day or time. However, I was assured the vet would contact me prior to coming. That way I could get the mare and have her ready.
Yesterday (Saturday) around 1.00pm, the vet rang to say he would arrive around 3.00pm. I had to find another halter for her, since she had just broken hers the day before. Luckily we had an old one lying around. A quick clean of the dust and we put it on her. We found her lead. Usually she is so good, we don't need a lead and it rarely gets used.
Another thing about the mare is that she loves our vet, and she would go home with him if he would take her. He can walk up to her, put a needle in her neck and she will nicker friendly at him as though he had actually give her a big hug.
So just as it is about to rain, the vet comes in a new vehicle. He has to don a "spacesuit", a disposable overall with a hood. He has on blue disposable gloves. The mare is convinced this is an alien and he is coming into her paddock! I really thought she was going to pull her lead off me and bolt. But he spoke to her, and right away she relaxed ("Oh, its you"). She offers him her neck, as usual, he puts in the needle with the microchip, she flinched a little. Then she didn't seem to notice the needle with the vaccine. It was as easy as that. She neighed after him as he walked back to his car.
The vet removed all his disposables, hands them to me, so I can dispose of them. They only have "our" germs on them. I had to sign some paperwork, put a label in her passport. Off he went.
He is a very nice man, he really knows his stuff with horses, very professional.
So the mare is fine this morning; there can be slight side effects. There was a slight warm lump where the microchip is, but I will keep an eye on that. At least she wasn't off her food.
Oh, and the sister came to visit yesterday. It was lovely to see her. I am glad racing is back on, because the old person doesn't like the sister, and I can only invite her over when he is there. The daughter and grandsons have gone to Woollongong for a couple of days.
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