Gluttony

A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out. Proverbs 25:28 (The Message)

Trucker colicked today. There was no reason for it that I could determine. His horsy friends were both home so he wasn’t lonely. The weather is cool, but mild. There are no storms on the horizon. I didn’t change his food and he has been drinking enough water. Still, Trucker was listless and refused to eat some bran mash laced with mineral oil. He was breathing hard and pulling at his flank with his teeth (the equine version of a child with an earache pulling on their ear). As I evaluated him to see what treatment to follow, I put him up in the front pasture to see if he would eat grass. Instead, he headed straight for a cluster of oak trees and started eating acorns. Ah, ha. The culprit. A few acorns are not bad for a horse, but unfortunately, a horse doesn’t have any self control when it comes to them. I don’t know what’s in acorns, but horses LOVE them and eat them like popcorn or candy. So, I caught him, put him in his stall and prepared to him a shot of Banamine, horsy pain medicine. I called Andrea and my husband to help. It took the three of us to hold him still and even then, at the first prick, he tossed his head causing Banamine to spray in my face. Within minutes of receiving the medicine, the pain eased and he calmed down. The sure sign colic is not too serious is when a horse poops and it was not long before there was a big pile in his stall. Crisis averted. Until the next batch of acorns falls in the pasture. The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree or in this case, the horse from his rider, because I too have a problem with self control. I buy trail mix thinking it would be a healthier snack than cookies, but eat the entire bag, six servings at 130 calories per serving. I spend money like a lottery winner raking up credit card bills for glass supplies, horse feed, books and gifts. Husband and I have something we have both agreed to save for, but that little piece of plastic and a lack of self control has kept me from doing my end of the bargain. So, husband asked the credit card company to notify him when any purchases are made with the card. Guess who suddenly quit spending money when she had a real person, one whose opinion she cares about, to hold her accountable. I am more than half a century old, and you would think I could do it on my own, but when I get going, whether it is eating or shopping, I have a hard time stopping. That’s why God gives us friends and fellow believers to share our lives and to encourage us to do what’s healthy and right. Now, I just have to convince the other horses to remind Trucker when he’s eaten enough acorns!