I am writing with news of Mr Vango, and with a large ‘thank you’ for all the nice messages of support that I have had from genuine racing fans.
Our Preparation For The Grand National
Mr Vango has had an in and out season with the weather and its frustrating effect on the racing (or lack of it), which affected the smooth progress of his training and halted, temporarily, his fantastic upwards progress seen last year. Before the cancellations and desperate lack of suitable opportunities for a true staying chaser, he had excited us with a first fantastic run in the Becher in December, where he jumped beautifully around the National fences and ran his usual brave race, to be just denied by the shortest of short heads.
Confident that he was back in that form and fitter and stronger, we set off to Aintree for the Grand National with great excitement. Our giant friend was gleaming with health and although it was not his favourite heavy ground, I was confident that it was ground that he would like and hopeful that the extreme trip would make up for the lack of stamina-sapping ground that he needs over a shorter trip.
I had walked the course three times and, despite the best efforts of the weather, which has been our enemy so often this year, the watering had created safe ground. We were still praying the forecast rain would appear. My idea to walk the course under dark clouds and without my coat to make it rain, paid off and we were delighted to hear the pelting hail on Mr Vango’s stable roof a couple of hours before the race.
The Race
As he approached Becher’s I was delighted to see that, not only could Mr Vango lay up easily but that he was making up ground, after a slow start.
Then it all went horribly, horribly wrong.
He tried to follow the leaders who were starting to turn after the fence, and went left going to Becher’s just as the horse in front of him went right. The result was that he had no room to land, drew himself back and landed on the very small lip of the ditch, which caused him to fall awkwardly on his head. Lily and I saw him get up but be wobbly, and we were frantically and desperately trying to get to our friend to make sure that he was OK. Those minutes were some of the most agonisingly long minutes of my life and I am very hopeful that our terrible and terrifying experience of not being able to get to him, will affect how Aintree facilitates that in the future.
By the time we were allowed down the course, he was already in the horse ambulance and so we jumped in, anxious to be with him. Our progress in the ambulance was frustratingly slow, but we made it back to the racecourse stables where Mr Vango disembarked the horse ambulance with a concerning lack of coordination. The racecourse vets did what they could, and nothing was revealed on X-ray at the course, so it was decided that we should go straight to Leahurst Equine Hospital for further investigation and treatment.
The Fantastic Care from Leahurst Equine Hospital
I cannot thank Sandy Shanklin and the staff at Leahurst enough because they were thorough, obviously extremely knowledgeable, and very compassionate with both Dan (Mr Vango’s stable name), Summer (his midget Shetland companion) and, far more of a challenge, an emotional me!
The CT scan the next day revealed several fractures of his C1 vertebra and a significant tear to his guttural pouch. (This is a pair of air-filled sacs in a horse’s throat which cool the blood traveling to the brain.) Amazingly, he remained cheerful throughout and had regained his balance and coordination.
The Journey Home, and Mr Vango’s Journey to Recovery
We brought him home the next day, by horse ambulance, followed closely by me in the car. He was pleased to be home and tucked into his supper immediately, even though it was midnight as we travelled through the night to avoid the traffic.
He is now at home and doing well, enjoying being waited on hand and hoof morning noon and night. Dandelions and carrots are his treat of choice, and he has various foods to pick at all around his stable at head height because we are trying to keep his neck as still as possible without causing him any angst.
I hate not being able to take him out for his usual picks of grass, but he is quite happy to stand just outside his stable with the sun on his back eating carefully picked grass from a bucket held at head height.
Horses with these sort of terrifying injuries can be saved while being kept in the 5* comfort that they are used to, so I will keep the blog going, reporting on his progress so you’ll be able to read further updates here over the next few months.
Whatever happens next, I will know that he has been kept happy and comfortable and living his best life at all times while we try to save him. Nobody loves the horse more than we do and his best interests will always be paramount. If he does totally recover and tell us that he wants to race again, then that is exactly what he will do. If he wants to be my pet and come and live with Coneygree (might not be a good pair as they both have enormous egos!!) then that is fine, too. Nothing is ever black and white with horses, but I will continue to strive to make their lives as happy and fulfilled as possible.
