Sakima’s First Visit from the Vet

It seemed I had been fired by the bare foot trimmer and he disappeared from the radar refusing to answer my frantic text messages when I came back from a trip to find Sakima with a damaged coronet line. I was on my own in unchartered waters worried that Sakima had an abscess and what to do about it.

I was the only person he let near him, so each day I drove 3hours back and forth from work to treat the stubborn wound that refused to heal. Little point in calling the vet as Sakima would not let him near him, let alone. After a week and no change I decided that if there was no change I would call the vet.

I started to prepare Sakima to accept a needle. By using a paper clip as a substitute needle he learnt that the grasp of the skin and prick of the paper clip earned a reward.

I rang the vet not knowing which vet would answer the phone. All I knew is the vet who would come, had to be prepared to take time to get to know Sakima to avoid the bare trimmers unfortunate episode.

My probing question to Peter got a laconic answer when I asked his experience with brumbies. ‘Lots’ was the one word offered. Oh yeah I thought but I knew I had no choice, I wanted the wound seen to.

Peter arrived and said let me just see what you do with him before I come into the yard. This was a good start I thought. Then he said stand with me as I get to know him. Gentle and in no hurry with slow and deliberate energy Peter gave Sakima the time he needed. What a contrast to bare foot trimmer who had tried to make Sakima play by his rules with unfortunate results.

Within 15 minutes, Peter was kneeling by his foot and announcing it was not an abscess but a clipping wound. He needed just continual application of a cream and he needed tetanus shot.

Of course not this is a wild horse. So we better do one.  How is he with injections? I choked on my apprehensive laugh and then demoed to Peter what I had taught Sakima. I have practiced using a paper clip and grabbing is skin and using the point to substitute for a needle.

Within seconds Peter had given Sakima his first injection and there had been no flight response. My worse fears had passed.

Then we stood chatting. Did I feel a fool with my private doubts at to Peter’s experience with brumbies? He had worked with several hundred over many months in the Northern Territory. As you do, the conversation moved to training methods and I mentioned this to Paul and that I had been advised to look at ‘clicker training’. Now it was Peter’s turn to be surprised. Paul was one of his lecturers and just the day before he had watched Peter work with his horse and clicker.

The universe works in mysterious ways and I had found a vet who shared a common view on horse training.

Peter would become my vet of choice for all my horses – not just Sakima.