When I fed Silk on Monday morning, she was holding up her back left leg and wouldn’t put any weight on it. Abscess season has begun, I thought, as I filled the medicine boot with warm water and Epsom salts while she ate her breakfast. She soaked the foot and happily ate her hay. Then, I switched the rubber boot for the boot that JME gave me with an Animalintex poultice in it. All day, Silk limped around wearing the boot without any complaint. What a great horse!
At dinner, we did the whole drill again, and Silk was, of course, the perfect patient. Siete, are you watching? I noticed a big, yucky glob of something came out in the boot. It was a good sign to me that the abscess had drained. For three days, we’ve soaked and poulticed twice a day. By Tuesday night, she was standing firmly on all four feet. No more limping today. I am so pleased to report that tonight she seems sound again. I’ll keep the hoof really clean, but I think we dodged the bullet.
I decided that I’m going to put shoes on Silk’s front feet next week. Siete is doing so much better this summer since she has that extra support. We’re into this difficult weather pattern of lots of rain and then drying up and then more deluge. It reeks havoc on horses’ feet, not to mention the rocks that spring up overnight in the pasture, the stalls, the corral. My husband swears that the rock is the state flower here.
So, it’s pouring again today and no end in sight for tomorrow. The girls were glad to be together in Siete’s stall all day. Every couple of hours, I took a sponge with cold water and dribbled it on their necks and chest. They stand in front of the fan and it cools them.
I’m picking their feet twice a day. Yesterday, I was cleaning Silk’s back hoof and as I bent over, I heard a scary cracking sound from my back. I froze, realizing that I couldn’t really stand up straight. Leaning on my good sweet horse, I concentrated on breathing until my back relaxed enough that I was able to loosen the spasm. I hobbled back to the house and got one of my flexible blue 3M ice packs out of the freezer. I can’t live without them. After lying on the cold pack for ten minutes, I was able to move around a bit better. Let’s just say that my 95 year old mother walks normally, and I look like I’m the old lady.
This too shall pass, but I need to get back to my yoga exercises. Who knew that picking hooves could be so dangerous?
6 comments:
Glad to hear that a hoof abscess was cleared up quickly. I love Animalintex I think it is sort of a miracle cure,that's good for everything.
Take care of that back, I know how much that can hurt. Yoga would be a good idea, I've really got to start doing that again one of these days.
p.s. this weather is the pits right?
Glad the abscess is better - nice that she's cooperative about the treatments! Hope your back feels better soon - I often have back soreness so you have my deepest sympathies.
Victoria...I sure hope your back is improving. Sounds like the horses are doing pretty well in spite of the weather. We have had a lot of rain too, and the bugs are bad.
That's good news about the hoof abscess clearing up. Sorry to hear about your back! Hope you recover soon...
Keep up the good work on your blog!
Goodness! Get one thing cleared up and other flared up! It never ends, does it? Glad to hear the abscess is gone - sorry to hear about your back!! I hope you are feelign better..............
I usually prefer rain over drought but I think even I have had enough. Yoga for your back is a great idea; think I will try it. Backs sure take forever to heal....
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