Every once in a while I do a mental rundown of one of the many lists that I have in my head. This list, however, is not a To Do list, but a bit more macabre. This list is my Medical/Surgical list, and it refers to what happens when one of my horses colics. If there is one piece of advice I would give any horse owner it would be to make this decision now rather than 3am at the equine hospital.
My situation is a bit different from many other horse owners just because of the sheer number of horses I own and the types of horses I own. I own around 30 horses, and all but one are working animals (the clock in/clock out type that make revenue, not the in-work type that only spend money). I am not a billionaire, or a millionaire, which means if several of my horses colicked at the same time I would likely have to choose who gets the costly surgery and who doesn’t. When colic surgery is around a minimum of $8k only so many get that option before the money runs out. Most of my horses do not have insurance to cover colic (unfortunately horse insurance is typically reserved for horses with higher appraised values than the quarter horse trail horse pulled out of someone’s backyard), so I have to remember that if I choose to do surgery on the horse colicking today that might mean I can’t afford to have surgery for the horse colicking tomorrow. My veterinary budget is only so high, and I overspend every year anyways, so I have to be vigilant. The choice on whether a horse is a surgical candidate is, for most of us, unfortunately not based solely on medical needs, but also our financial abilities as well. But when those dollar signs are fighting our desire to do everything we can to save our beloved horse, well, that fight can get ugly. And sometimes those dollar signs in their fancy suits beat down our battered hearts and win. So, to make that battle easier or bypass altogether, I created my List.
My list has two columns: MEDICAL and SURGICAL. Each horse goes under one column only, although that is not etched in stone. Many factors go into my choosing which category each horse falls including age, prior medical issues, and likelihood of tolerating the recovery process. All of these factors can be either negated or overridden according to what is happening during the colic episode of course. I revisit this list at least yearly. That being said, 95% of my horses are on the surgical side. From a business standpoint each horse makes in a year more than the cost of surgery, which is a good enough financial justification for me. And personally, I am very lucky that thus far (knock on wood) my business has been successful enough that finances have not been a deciding factor, which lets me stick to a personal desire to offer every chance at health for my horses.
Last week one of my oldest horses Quincy had an impaction colic. I have received so many supportive messages from people who have known him wishing for a good outcome and remarking how I must be in a total panic about him. I appreciate those well-wishes and nope, no panic. Worry, sure, but this is why I have the list. Quincy has long been on the no-surgery list. He is incredibly important to me and ferociously loved, but he is 25 and has been losing molar teeth over the last half a decade, which makes impactions much more likely. I would not put a horse that old through the surgical and recovery process, especially with a health issues that makes it likely for the problem to recur. I do not find it a kindness to do that to him. I hope to provide a peaceful and pain-free life for him as long as I can.
I was asked while still at the farm whether he was a surgical candidate, and had my answer ready immediately. Having made that decision several years ahead of time allowed me to clearly focus on the next question: would I send him to the hospital for more intense medical care? Absolutely. I made it clear to the hospital office that we could go nuts with medical treatment, but no surgery. Getting that financial burden off my chest allowed me to open up medical treatment money and having pre-made the decision allowed me to to focus on what I could do for him rather than what he would be limited to after surgery. If I had to make that decision, while my emotions are all over the place, I’m not as sure I would make the right one.
So my advice is decide early, and be open to revisiting depending on the particulars of a colic episode, but at least have some initial understanding of what you want to do. Don’t wait until it is 3am, your child is crying that her pony is dying, and you are making decisions more for yourself/kiddo rather than your horse. Have a plan in place.
Btw, Quincy is good. Rehydrated, tubed, palpated, etc. Blockage has passed, he’s hungry, and back into the fold we go.