mop my fevered brow

it wasn't raining, i was able to ride my horse!

first time either of us have ridden since his abscess started (it now, fingers crossed, seems to be resolved)

only did 1/2 hour in the arena, didn't think wrestling with the mud on the land would be a good plan for a first day ridden for weeks and weeks - what is it, 6 weeks?

picked up wehre we left off, really, kept going, nice walk, working on half halts and moving on, and trying to ensure he was flexed to the inside (never and easy job).

one potential spook that didnt' happen - heading towards the wall at one side of the arena when a blur of feathers headed towards us at top speed, which resolved into a pheasant as it landed on top of said wall.

we were both startled, of course, as it was out of the blue and at the wrong height for pheasants (they're normally underfoot, LOL)

and not phased by the shooting over the hill (it's a shooting estate, and it was a shoot day) - the horses are well used to that by now!

no heat

in the offending foot

:-)

all hosed out.

and felt exactly the same temperature as the other one to me.

still a bit of a hole (which also got hosed out)

so i went in the arena for 5 minutes in hand, which he did nicely - even didn't protest too much about going right, which is his worst rein.

hopefully this progress continues on the foot front.

and someone found the poultice boot he'd got rid of the other day. broken - in that the strap had pulled off someone which will be why he got out of it.  but impressed it was found!  amazing what you can do in daylight that is impossible in the dark, LOL

heat reducing

but he got rid of his poultice boot in the field, was left with a necklace of duct tape round the fetlock, very fetching.  G forgot to buy another.  we are keeping it hosed out and sprayed and will see where we are when we have daylight at the weekend.  hopefully, the outdoor sensor light will be fixed at hte weekend as well.

also something is upsetting him in his stable, he keeps trashing it, and really really keen to be out in the morning.

in past winters, he's been quite settled, and whilst happy to be out, not trashingly keen to be.  so no clue what can be upsetting him.

the only difference is that i removed a cupboard that used to sit in the corner minding it's own business, with some rugs in it.  he killed it one day (rolling, I think, i reckon he'd kicked the door so hard that was why it broke), so it's not there.

the abscess saga

i guess all our horses get them once in a while, and M is no exception - this is his 4th (each foot in turn) but it's a few years since he had one.

but this one is the deepest and is therefore taking a good while to clear - hence, nothing to say!

yesterday we had a joint effort, since we needed to start again on the poulticing.

but, i'd bought a poultice boot, so life ended up a lot easier once the poultice, nappy and vet wrap were on.

also, i stood at the head end and distracted him with a tube of polos - he eventually ended up just licking my hand, which tasted very minty!

hopefully, the boot stays on.

we're going to keep poulticing again for another week, i think, and then review to see if we can then get away with plugging the hole.

in the meantime, this thursday's lesson cancelled of course

still a bit of heat

in that foot, although he seems to be sound on it.

so we'll leave him a while longer.  if it subsides, all well and good, but do keep wondering if i should get some antibiotics as well...

mmmmm

we think he's right

but we're not sure.

walking fine, standing on the foot fine but picking it up is an issue.

it takes him a  very long time to forget about pain, and he anticipates it - we still get occasional grief with the other hind from his last abcess in that one, which was about 3 years ago i think...

anyway, we'll be able to see in daylight tomorrow.....

cheap duct tape

as purchased by partner.

no good.

never mind, only one more day, but i was left rewrapping the foot by car headlight tonight, thanks to a yard colleague for assistance in distracting his front end whilst i wrestled with the back end!

what we should have done

was bath yesterday and clip today...

the clip would have been much better had he been bathed, and it was warm enough to do it....

yesterday he got a trace clip; i would have been happy to settle for that, but G decided to take it all off, and he'll be a lot more comfortable for it (given it's really warm for the time of year).  and we washed his mane and tail...

the poultice etc stayed on, G is a good foot wrapper LOL.