My first week riding in Guatemala really put into perspective just how many people have migrated to the US for work. All day long I was stopped by men who tried to speak to me in the little English they knew. After explaining to them that I spoke Spanish, they would tell me about how they had lived in Chicago, California, or Nebraska.
My second night on the road I rested with a wonderful family. The father bought the ranch with money he earned in the US, just like my first host.
“I spent 7 years working up there and would send all of my money back to my family,” Hessler Reyes Dones told me.
A lover of horses, he was super excited to hear about my trip. He even saddled up his Peruvian Passofino stallions for me to ride.
“I love how smooth these horses are,” he told me as I rode around his property.
His 11-year-old son, Edwin, is following in his father’s footsteps, riding and roping all day. He even pulled out his goat while I was there so I could try the milk. It tasted delicious!
The next morning I said goodbye to the family and got on the road. I very quickly realized that Bruiser wasn’t feeling well. He kept wanting to lay down every time we stopped and hadn’t gone to the bathroom.
One of my biggest fears since leaving Calgary is having one of my horses colic. It is the leading cause of death in domesticated horses. It is very scary.
I kept Bruiser walking and made sure he did not lay down. This can make things a lot worst as food can become even more compacted in the animal’s stomach. As I made my way into a small town I went to a Veterinary pharmacy to see if I could find a vet. Unfortunately veterinarians are very hard to come by down here in Guatemala. I bought some Benamine (Muscle relaxant), and something to help Bruiser go to the bathroom. I also started giving him cooking oil, which can help get his stomach moving again.
After an hour we arrived at a ranch Hessler had set up for us to rest for the night. I untacked the boys and nervously continued to care for Bruiser. I was tense all day as I feared the worst. I took the horses out to the pasture and kept Bruiser’s halter and lead rope on in case he tried to lay down. He started grazing and in a few minutes finally went to the bathroom.
I almost yelled I was so relieved. We still weren’t in the clear but this was an amazing sign. I called my good friend Jason Thomson in Canada for some advice and continued to watch Bruiser all night. Eventually he went to the bathroom again and showed no signs of stomach pain.
It was a very stressful day but I’m just thankful Bruiser is okay! Scary experience.
