Week 22 - Germany

Week 22 – Germany

Monday morning we were up bright and early to get to the stables so we could see the vet. Man!! it was cold -14 degrees, we froze our butts off. Well the vet was very nice, and she gave Bailie and Peri some medication. By lunch time Bailie was feeling better already. In the afternoon we rode back to our boys to give them their meds. Bailie’s temperature was down, and he was eating his grass and carrots, but still not his food, but he is on the mend, which is a good thing. Peri just got some anti-biotic to stop him from coughing and to clear up his nose. The vet will be coming back to treat Bailie for the next couple of days. At 5pm we rode home, and the moon was in the sky, a real pretty sight. By the time we got home, the sun was setting, it was really beautiful – it makes you realise how blessed you are, and what a miracle life is, and it gives you hope, that everything will be alright.

Tuesday was really cold -15 degrees. The cold is not the problem, the problem is the wind, it blows so hard, that it makes our cycle to and from the stables a lot harder. Our boys were happy to see us, and we were happy to see them, as both Kayla and I are getting a little despondent with being away from our family now, it has been such a long time since we saw them last. Both our boys are feeling much better, and are definitely on the mend. The vet came to give Bailie his medicine (Intravenously) in the afternoon, and is happy with his progress. We really looking forward to our boys getting better, so we can carry on with our trip to Canada. Unfortunately there are always ups and downs in one’s life, and today our up was that Miley had a healthy little filly, in SA (Peri is a daddy again), and our boys are on the mend, and our down is that we are both feeling down, and missing our family, and frustrated with having to cycle in the wind (seems very trivial, but I guess it was the straw that broke the camel’s back) I guess we have to remain positive and believe that the Lord has a plan for us.

Wednesday morning, it was a lot warmer, only -5. The ride to our boys was really good, the wind was from behind yippee! Our boys were happy to see us. They are still not over their coughs, but are on the mend. After mucking their stables and grooming our boys, we went to have a look at the mini donkeys that are in quarantine, they were so cute. In the afternoon the vet came to give Bailie his last injections, now they can both go onto a powder anti-biotics, and she was happy with our boys lungs. Our boys were allowed to go out for a few minutes, for a walk in the paddock, to get their lungs working again, and they loved it. After a good walk they were happy to go back into their stables. After wrapping them up for the night, it was time to head home, against the wind – the wind turbines are one of the signs of the strength of the wind – the faster they turn the harder the wind is blowing, and today they were spinning. Once we got home, we played with the ice in the bird bath, it was frozen solid, and we had a walk around the garden, after all it was quite warm compared to the last couple of days.

Thursday morning was quite warm at only -3, what a relief. Unfortunately the wind turbines were still spinning really fast. Our boys were happy to go out for a while in the paddock and socialize, and get their lungs working again. Both of our boys are doing much better – the only problem we still have is trying to get Bailie to eat his food. I even grated carrots to add to his food, I have tried adding apple juice, but nothing, he just won’t eat it. At least he is eating his grass, and carrots. Our boys are still getting medication twice a day, so we still have to go to and from the stables twice a day, and in this wind it gets pretty hectic – Hey!! But at least we are getting fit.

Friday morning was another beautiful morning, sun shinning, and only -3. When we got to the stables, Bailie gave us a surprise, he ate all his breakfast. I mixed his meds in some food, and he also ate that – thank the Lord Bailie is doing better. Both our boys noses are clear, their temperatures are normal, and they are looking happier. We let our boys out in the paddock, and they both enjoyed the sun, even though we still have them wrapped up really well. Bailie ate his food in the afternoon again, with his meds - I am so glad, now I don’t have to mix his meds and give them to him in a syringe - that gets so messy. We then tucked them in for the evening before we headed home.

Saturday morning was really miserable and the wind was blowing – surprise. Our boys had eaten all their breakfast, their noses were fine, and both their temps were fine. Both their automatic water feeders had defrosted, so they could both drink from them, but we still put in water buckets, and they both still prefer to drink from the buckets. While we mucked their stables we let them go out in the paddock, and Bailie started squealing and chasing Peri again, which is a good sign. By lunch time the sun stuck it’s head out for a while, but the wind still blew. Every time I tell Kayla to do something, she says I am just like a wind turbine – telling her things she does not want to do, or know. The afternoon cycle was hard again – you would think we were used to it by now, but somehow we just can’t get used to it. Our boys were both fine, and both ate their meds without any problems. We gave our boys grass, then tucked them in for the night, and cycled home again.

Sunday morning it was -3, not bad. Just as we started cycling to our boys it started snowing – it was so cool cycling in the snow. We gave our boys the last of their meds, filled up their water – Bailie’s automatic feeder was frozen again, and then it was time to let them out so we could muck stables. By this time it had stopped snowing, and our boys went out in a white paddock. They ran around like hooligans, and Bailie pretended to kick Peri while Peri chased him, so I would say our boys are going to be just fine. After mucking their stables, they were glad to come in, and eat grass. Kayla and I cycled home – the wind was blowing the other way, so the cycle to the stables was harder than the cycle home – in fact the cycle home was very pleasant. In the afternoon when it was time to go and check on our boys – fill water and grass, it started snowing again, so we cycled in the snow again. After filling up hay nets, and water buckets our boys were tucked in for the night with some carrots. The cycle home was very pleasant again, everything pretty and white. By the time we got home it had stopped snowing again.

Kayla and I are quite heartbroken, we should have been leaving tomorrow, but are now delayed because our boys got sick, and my work permit for Canada is not ready yet. We can only pray very hard that our boys are totally recovered soon (they have to fly naked – no blankets, so they have to be 100%), and that my work permit is ready soon – so I guess we have another couple of weeks in Germany. This has been a very long trip for all concerned, humans and horses.