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Post by fin on Dec 30, 2005 22:48:36 GMT 1
Terry Pratchett's Foul Ole Ron: buggrit, millennium hand and shrimp!!!!! The ned now has an abscess. He's been a bit sore on his right fore off and on for ages, but this morning he was so determined we weren't going to pick it up he started rearing. I don't think he was actually trying to do us any harm, but he finds us very exasperating, we never take clear hints like wincing, snatching, barging, nipping so he has to resort to extreme measures to make his point (he's clever, we're thick as far as he's concerned). At any rate my trimmer (who's an absolute star) came out to have a look...... Ned wasn't exactly keen on the hoof testers and it seems entirely likely he has a abscess brewing up in his heel.... We managed to get a poultice and a hoof boot on him. but we're due to move tomorrow to our friend's place half a mile away. Jay definately doesn't do change at the best of times so by the time he's hobbled up the lane I'm going to have to change a poultice on a rearing, manic, stressed out palomino drama queen who is totally convinced he should be lying on a couch with somebody mopping his fevered brow while he dramatically expires (he has the pain threshold of a cricket too). Pray the blasted abscess has burst by tomorrow morning or I am going to be sooooo dead!  Poor ned. What a rotten way to start the New Year  |
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Post by jill on Dec 30, 2005 22:54:40 GMT 1
You sound as though you need some ACP tablets for him or a v. large vodka for you - good luck. Actually if he'll stand for it, tubbing the foot (warm salty water) often soothes it enough for them to be manageable, and if your trimmer has managed to get some drainage it will be loads less painful by tomorrow.
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Post by fin on Dec 30, 2005 23:03:25 GMT 1
Vodka definately sounds good to me jill!  He's been soaked in epsom salts but I'm not holding out much hope of getting the soaking boot on him tomorrow in new surroundings! Hopefully the walk will encourage the infection to make its way up to the coronet band....yuk. If it's not out in two days we've agreed that the vet'll have to try to dig it out. And that'll definately be a sedation job. For me as well I think |
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Post by jill on Dec 30, 2005 23:11:22 GMT 1
Good luck tomorrow then.
My young mare has decided she can manage her abcesses on her own!! She was a tiny bit lame for a couple of days three weeks or so ago, and was very sensitive around her heels, so I reckoned she had bruised them in the field. Aafter a days poulticing her heel she was absolutely fine, but my farrier came today and said "when did she have this abcess?"!!! (he would usually come and dig around for me)
So Gracey, carry on dear, you can obviously do it at least as well as vetrap animalintex and duck tape can!!! Actually Finn, if he's going to be that difficult and it's nowhere near the bones in his feet, maybe a bit of pain relief and he'll sort it for himself - better than risking injury to either or both of you??
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Post by fin on Dec 30, 2005 23:23:31 GMT 1
Lol, he's just found out he can have an opinion.....quite a lot of opinions actually! He's funny really....he'll throw a huge tantrum then as soon as you take the hint he stops the strop to reward you. You can't teach him anything about pressure and release (although I think he's taught me!) I'm with your mare on this one, definately--I'd much rather the foot find its own way to heal. It's just dragged on for so long....a few sore days here and there, then ok again, then the frozen ground the other night has really brought it to a head again. It's entirely possible this blasted abscess has been simmering away for a very long while, long before I got him, so I suppose we really need to try to finish it off. Hopefully, like you say, he'll sort it out himself first. I feel so sorry for him though. He's cheerful enough but he's hopping about like an old man |
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Nicola
Grand Prix Poster
Olympia tickets for ?10 for NSPCC see charity section
Posts: 2,473
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Post by Nicola on Dec 30, 2005 23:45:53 GMT 1
well movement is excellent for bringing an absess to bursting point so by the end of your walk tomorrow you might be all sorted and he will be a lot more comfortable - sole mates in his boots are really good for helping him be comfortable .....
good luck with your move!
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Post by annahindley on Dec 31, 2005 0:39:07 GMT 1
Abcesses seem to emerge after I've been out. Now, I don't think I am causing them....It is like the adjustment brings on a healing crisis. It is so common I warn my top competition owners about it before I treat. Maybe, as Nicola suggests it is the increased movement? Or maybe the boost to the immune system that happens with chiropractic? Or better blood flow? Who knows - can make me unpopular if it happens more than once with the same ned - people don't seem to get that its not really my fault! Better out than in!
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Post by fin on Dec 31, 2005 21:14:25 GMT 1
Whoo hooo! It's exploded!!! Came back to a pleased bunny and shredded poultice and hoofboot all over the paddock this morning..... little sod, he's sooooo destructive. But we managed to get the boot back on--with a solemate pad inside, Nicola! (after we'd found it in the mud anyway)--for the trek up the hill. He was very squealy and a bit reary--after he's run into the dually a few times he settled down a bit. We did some clicker training with him and the only really bad rear he did was pure excitement because he thought he was going to get a whole apple as a reward (lol! he takes this very seriously). Anyway, the plod up the hill was ok--very pottery at first, but soon he was striding out like a champion.... despite the propane lorry and the overhead fighter jets which put the fear of God into me. Once we arrived he spent a few hours in Tim's little paddock (mainly gazing at the sea) then politely let us poultice his foot without any rearing, stropping or huffing. Amazing.... So we left him in the overnight pen with his boots on. He sauntered in. had a good roll, and tucked into supper, but was looking a bit prowly and nervous as we left.....wonder if he'll be a psycho bunny tommorow? Poor thing, he probably thinks we've sold him Anna, is it possible that putting a horse back into alignment would alter the pressure points on the hoof, which might bring out a latent abscess? Jay's sore feet got appreciably worse after he'd been trimmed (much to my trimmer's mortification!) but that might have been because the balance of his feet was better  Anyhow, Happy New Year guys! I'm off to polish off some champagne now |
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