Page 6 - Autumn 23

Ted’s story
by John Saxton, UK
Ted’s story started 4-5 years ago. He is a 23-year-old 12.2 hh chestnut pony with 4 white socks and a white blaze. He has always been a kind pony, bought at a sale about 15 years ago and used for children’s riding lessons. The sort of pony that will daunder round with a beginner on his back but up his game and be fast and nimble at mounted games, never very keen on jumping but loves to race the other horses on a hack when he even needs a stronger bit to stop him! He doesn’t like the beach or paddling in the sea. He is always bottom of the pecking order but accepted by the other horses. Not particularly sensitive to temperature, will stand in the sun to sunbathe but doesn’t need many rugs to be comfortable in the winter. Will stand in the rain. No particular reaction to fly bites. Quite tidy in his stable and a good eater.
In the autumn 4-5 years ago he ate lots of acorns after a storm and became very unwell. He was treated by the conventional vets with fluids and pain relief as he had severe constipation and colic. He did not respond so was referred to the local equine hospital, where he had i/v fluids and pain relief, but after 3-4 days when he still was passing nothing, they said to take him home on pain relief basically until the owner was ready to put him to sleep.
I became involved at that point at a riding lesson with a throw away comment: ‘ would you like to try some nux vom?’ He had 2 doses of Nux vom 200 that night and the next morning there were 6 decent sized heaps of dung in his stable! They carried on with the Nux vom 200 for 2 more days and he made an uneventful recovery.
4