The healing continues

In spite of that first bump in the road, Suki settled in quite nicely at Kelly's. Being able to go outside again and get some exercise was having a tremendous impact on her recovery. She couldn't get into too much trouble but was still able to move around comfortably.

Construction workers who were building a shed on the other side of the paddocks even commented about the show she would give them....a little piaffe, a little passage, and a pirouette or two. They said they had never seen a horse move so elegantly. Suki was definitely showing off for them! She always knows when she has an admiring audience!

Since Kelly had moved Magic to the stall next to Suki, things quieted down a bit. Oh, Suki still made faces and lunged at the bars, but Magic would just stand there casually eating his hay. "Is that all you've got?" he seemed to say.

Suki's skin improved steadily, but there was still a small patch of burned skin on her back that needed to slough off. Kelly gently, but diligently worked on this as the dead skin fell away. Sometimes I was unsure of my role in Suki's treatment. She was at Kelly's so that she would be able to continue her treatments, even though I was highly capable of doing it, but just didn't have the flexibility in my schedule for the necessary consistency. Sometimes I felt like one of those hands off owners, even though I know that was not the case. My constant presence was important for Suki and I enjoyed our time together, but I couldn't help but feel that I had failed her somehow. Of course when I was with Suki and she was snuffling my hair, digging in my pockets and banging her feet for treats I knew that she still loved me unconditionally!

Suki's left side had not been as badly burned as her right side, and she was beginning to regain her coppery coat and healthy dapples. She was flourishing under the constant care, and in many ways began to look like herself again. Of course her personality never wavered. Most people, including her doctors were astonished by her attitude. Anyone who met her said that Suki's determination to survive was inspirational, and I began to see my beautiful, brave girl as a hero. Unencumbered by self consciousness Suki was able to be true to herself and heal in a way that humans find difficult.

Kelly taught a few lessons at her barn so Suki was also receiving treats and visits from several little girls. She certainly enjoyed the extra attention and watched as they moved about the barn. I wondered if she missed having a job to do, but with the extra activity and her daily outings, boredom did not seem to be a problem.

December 1, 2011
Well, I spoke to soon about knowing Suki's antics, and was presented with a mouthful of water! My own fault I'm sure, as I probably got in the way of her dunking ritual! Everyday her big pile of hay is put in the corner of the stall near her feed tub. And every day she proceeds to move the entire pile across the stall and in front of her water buckets so that she can dunk every mouthful of hay (and make mean faces at Thumper in the stall next to her!