EI (Equine Influenza) has affected thousands of horses and their owners since it stuck in late August last year. Little did we know just how close it would come to claiming the life of one of our horses – Thoura.

One morning in late September, half way through the 'lock down' period during which we were closed, we noticed she was displaying the classic signs of colic- rolling, pawing at the ground and looking at her belly. Our vet Michael was called immediately. He suspected this was no typical colic case and that Thoura had a twisted intestine. He turned out to be correct and after one very long and distressing day it was apparent that she needed surgery. Seeing a horse in so much pain is the most awful experience, and the analgesics she was given seemed to have little effect. Organising transport from the stables to Randwick Equine Centre proved very difficult with the transport restrictions in place at the time. Eventually she made it to the vet and they operated on her at 1:00am Sunday the 23rd of September. A large intestine displacement was confirmed during surgery - the right colon had flipped over and wrapped around the base of the caecum.

The next day when we visited her she had a big bandage wrapped around her stomach and was looking very sorry for herself - who could blame her! Her recovery from surgery was 'uneventful', thankfully! For one month she was on strict orders to rest in her box, only leaving the stable once a day for a little pick of grass. The other horses in the centre looked on enviously as she greedily munched away. In late October she was allowed to start walking in the lunge yard with a little bit of trot. The first day of this saw much bucking and carrying on - she hadn’t lost any of her spirit, though she was still a little sore. Throughout December she was lunged lightly everyday to build her muscles up in preparation for the first ride.

In early Janurary, over three months after her surgery, she started work under saddle and ever since has been progressing very well. Now she has more muscle definition and strength than ever and is always a pleasure to ride and work with. A big thank you to the team at Randwick Equine Centre for saving Thoura and to everyone who has helped along the way.