We arrived at the clinic; the buildings were dark and unoccupied. We unloaded the horses. Spanky was anxious and scared. Ice was barely able to walk and sweating. I knew he was going into shock. Kayde comforted him while we covered him with blankets and jackets. Len calmed Spanky while Kayla and I tried to reach any vet in the area. Dede was on her way after her horses were safe at home. Kayla’s effort paid off, she was able to contact a small animal vet that personally knew Dr John Erfle from La Salle. Dr. Erfle was on his way. What a relief when he arrived!

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Dr Erfle arrived around 10:30pm. Ice was in obvious distress. His breathing was rapid with short shallow breaths. His gums were pale and his eyes had a glazed look so unfamiliar to someone who knew him. Dr Erfle could only hear lung sounds in his left lower chest, nowhere else. The clinic’s portable generator provided light but not enough power to take a chest x-ray. Instead, an ultrasound scan revealed blood in his chest and that both of his lungs had collapsed. For the first few hours Ice received intravenous fluids and medication for pain, shock and to control bleeding. It was now all up to Ice.

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Dr Erfle and Dede did all they could and went home to rest. Len and Kayde went home for another generator and sleeping bags. Kayla and I stayed with Ice monitoring his vital signs. At one point we became very concerned when his heart rate doubled, and he began to shake uncontrollably. We put more blankets on him and tried our best to calm him. Ice never gave up. Power was restored at 4:30 am and Ice was stable.

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Dr Erfle arrived at 6:30 am. "Chest x-rays gave good news; Ice did not have fractured ribs and his diaphragm was intact. The decision was made to inflate his chest. After clipping and prepping his chest, tubes were inserted and air trapped in his chest was aspirated. The procedure was monitored with ultrasound as his lungs were inflated and brought back up to the top of his chest. Dr Erfle was hesitant to place an indwelling chest tube due to the risk of infection and air leakage around the tube. Ice was relegated to the intensive care unit. Out of concern for his well being, his best buddy, Spanky, was allowed to stay with him in the ward. Over the next three days Ice’s lungs were inflated five times. He was discharged from the hospital six days after the accident" (The La Salle Veterinary Clinic's Newsletter, November 2007).

 

A bout of colic brought Ice back to La Salle one week later. We were afraid he had a diaphragmatic hernia, and would require surgery at a clinic in Washington. Amazingly, Ice being Ice, bounced right back and we were able to bring him home the next day!

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Examining Ice’s saddle revealed gouges in the seat and fender. The saddle had dispersed the force of the impact enough to protect the spine and ribs from fracture. That force, however, acted like an explosion inside his chest, bursting the lung tissue and causing the lungs to collapse".

 

Later, piecing together what we saw and others observed through the flying debris, we came to this conclusion. When the roof hit Ice, it drove him to his knees, he arose instantly. Apparently, when he bounced back up, the momentum of the flying roof caused it to clear us and the horse trailer. It seemed an edge caught Bounty. The horses may have changed the path of the roof, saving us. We are grateful no one else was injured, it could have been disastrous.