Gatsby's Grand Adventure

Ahhhh. I now know the meaning of the expression "Home Sweet Home".  Old sports, my week has been just crazy!  It started on Sunday.  Spode didn't come until after dinner, and she brought her mum with her. They took me outside in a thunder storm to clean me off and shampoo my legs. Seriously? I was enjoying my dinner!! What gives? Yes, I have mud splattered up to my knees and hocks, but who cares? (Apparently Spode does...).

Spode spent a long time grooming me even though I tried to tell her that I was bound to get covered in poop over night (I kept that promise, too). She left around 8, which was a good thing because I was super tired by that point.

The next morning, Spode showed up at the crack of dawn and woke me up. I was lying down and everything. She totally ruined my snooze time! She cleaned me up (except the poop stains stuck!) and wrapped me up in a helmet, bell boots, and shipping boots. So embarrassing.

Why do we have to wake up so early?

And now you're just standing around waiting! Let's get this show on the road!

After waiting for what seemed like ages (I was about ready to lie down again. I just couldn't stop yawning!) the trailer showed up. I got some sweet wheels! Maybe not quite as nice as Fitzgerald's Gatsby's Rolls Royce, but pretty darn close.

From out of nowhere, Spode brought out a bucket of grain and unlatched my stall. I followed her like a puppy dog and hardly noticed that I'd just gotten on a ramp. After I ate the grain I was a little nervous, but the trailer was moving then and I settled in for the drive. I had a little routine in there. I loved looking out the window, so I would stare out of the side window and then back up three steps so that I could turn my head and see out the back window. There's a whole world outside of Fox Hollow! And cars drive really fast! I wish I had a radio...

Um, just what did I walk myself into??

On the way to pick up a buddy for the ride down to Caledon, I stopped at the infamous McDonalds. Yeah. Me. See? I have proof:

These shoes look about my size, so I just had to donate!

I didn't partake in any greasy food though. I was enjoying my hay and looking out the window at all the people walking by.

Hello, old Sports! Come and join my party, won't you?

After that stop, we arrived at another farm to pick up a friend. He was a pretty grey, and we had a nose to nose chat over the partition before we started moving. Our conversation down to Toronto? It started out like this:

"Look here, old sport. What's your opinion of me anyhow?"
-silence-
"I’ll tell you God’s truth. I am the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West — all dead now. I was brought up in America but educated at Oxford, because all my ancestors have been educated there for many years. It is a family tradition."
-snorting, he looked at me sideways-
"After that I lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe — Paris, Venice, Rome — collecting jewels, chiefly rubies, hunting big game, painting a little, things for myself only, and trying to forget something very sad that had happened to me long ago."
"Then came the war, old sport. I was promoted to be a major, and every Allied government gave me a decoration — even Montenegro, little Montenegro down on the Adriatic Sea!"

But alas, unlike Fitzgerald's Gatsby I was not carrying my medal from little Montenegro, so I was unable to produce it at whim for my new friend. That was pretty much the end of our conversation and we travelled the rest of the way to Toronto in silence. How I longed for a friend like Nick Carraway...

It was a very long trip, I'll tell you that. But Toronto seems like an interesting place from my vantage point on the 401. My Spode is coming here in the fall, so I was glad to see what it's like. I'll leave her to it. 

Wow! Here we are about to enter the big city! Can I see the CN tower from here? What about UofT? I gotta check out where my mama is going!!

Once we arrived at the hospital, I got off the trailer like a gentleman (with nary a word to my "friend") and entered the doors of the hospital, or horspital as the sign read.

Oh hey, that's me!

The hospital smelled really clean. I walked into a huge stall that was all sparkling white walls with fluffy white shavings.  A very nice horsey hotel. I got a bucket of water asap and then a rest while I waited for my turn to see the doctor. Spode had to leave me behind, but I was okay adjusting to my surroundings by myself. 

After a while, Spode returned and led me into a green room to see the special vet. I liked the vet a lot. He was very kind to me and kind to my Spode. Of course I wasn't able to keep on top of their conversation for very long because a second vet sedated me and then Spode had to hold my head up. 

Nice to meet ya, Dr. Brooks!

The vet shone some lights in my eyes and looked at me with special glasses. He called me a perfect candidate for surgery, which pleased my Spode but also made us both nervous.  She led me back to my stall and said good bye and good luck. And then it was just me...

I woke up on Tuesday morning and was immediately led into a padded room. They sedated me, and that's all I remember.  I woke up in the same padded room, but with very sore eyes. Ow. Ow. Once I was steady on my feet again, they led me back to my stall and gave me more painkillers.  Something like this happened, I know, because my pasterns were sore and there was a cut on one of my legs! And they shaved off my gorgeous eye lashes!! Oh no!

(photo from Caledon Equine Hospital)

(Yeah, it's gross. Try being a horse, why don't you?) Photo from google, so at least it's not my eye!

Later in the day, Spode came to visit me. I was so happy to see her. She told me it was snowing outside and all the grass was covered, so I might as well be happy to be in. Hmm, I wasn't convinced. My eyes hurt and I felt really tired. I lay down a lot to sleep.

Don't worry, Spode. I'm okay. 

I only got one flake of hay every 4 hours, so boy was I happy for this hay!

Can I go home now, mum? 

Spode didn't get to stay very long because the vets were busy with other patients, but I got my quick brush and hugs and then they left me to recover. 

The next day, Spode came in the morning to say hello. I was feeling a lot better by then and was starting to get back my usual character. Spode was allowed to give me a single treat, and it was delicious! If only I had savoured it...

Spode didn't get to spend much time with me, but the hospital staff loved me. They groomed me and cleaned out my stall all the time. It was like being in a 5 star hotel! Spode said they were all gushing over me and were very impressed that I didn't act like a typical 2 year old. I'm far too mature for that! 

I was supposed to get on the trailer early this morning. The trailer arrived, but I didn't get on. Suddenly the hospital staff were rushing outside to the trailer and I heard a commotion. The trailer was carrying another horse to keep me company on my journey home, but it had an accident and was very frightened. Spode said that it was upside down, over the chest bar, and over the divider before the vet could sedate it and get it home safely. They weren't about to put me on a trailer with a crazy horse, even if it was sedated, because they didn't want to risk me getting hurt when the sedation wore off. I was okay waiting my turn. It gave me more time for the hospital staff to fawn over me. A few more hours at the horse hotel! 

I didn't get home until around 6 pm. Boy was I glad to see Fox Hollow out the window.

I don't know which one of us was more excited to be back!

Here I come!

HOME!!!

Alas, I was not allowed out with my buddies.  It was straight into a stall for me. Oh well, there was food in there and my buddy Charlie was beside me.

Sure, the walls aren't white and the bed isn't all fluffy, but coming home to your own bed is AWESOME!

All in all, it was quite an adventure for this young horse. Wow. I didn't expect to be going to Toronto in my life time. 

Now I have a lot of medication to get through over the next couple of weeks, but then I hope that will be it for me. It'll be a big disappointment if it doesn't work. We'll know more in a month! 

Until later, old sports.  It's good to be back!

Jay.