An Abscess in BOTH front feet…
So for about the past 2 weeks I’ve felt like Sir Woods was just Not Quite Right. And I mean BARELY. Like .000001% not right. There was never any REAL noticeable short stridedness, and certainly no head bobbing.
The main difference has been his attitude. See, Woody normally works (at home anyway), with this amazing happy little attitude. His ears are up, and while he’s green, and there are some ugly moments (*cough* downward transitions*cough*) he is willing and seems to enjoy learning.
The past couple of weeks I just haven’t felt like that was the case. It wasn’t bad enough for the vet, and my Majikal farrier was coming out to the barn yesterday so I figured “I’ll just have him take a look.”
Long story short, after chasing him around in the indoor, first we thought maybe just thin soles, then the tested his toes, JUST with his fingers, and Woody flinched on the right front.
Then he tested the left and while not as reactive, he was not completely still either. So he left him barefoot, and said “Soak that right front, and give me a call in a week, less than that if something changes.”
So I grabbed Allie’s boot that she had been soaking May in, and filled it with Epsom and Hot water and strapped its giganticness onto Woody’s right front. This terrified him, and resulted in much snorting from him, and much sympathetic laughter from me.
I then took Allie of the broken foot out to Long Lane to check on a pony, and when we came back I asked her to take a look at him with the testers. Sure enough, just from the couple hours of soaking with the boot the right front looked like it was oozing some goo.
I was all “YAY! Abscess drainage!” Then for shits and giggles Pants took the testers to the toe of the left foot. Crap. Sensitive there too.
So I Wrapped his feet with an inordinate amount of Icky-mall, and assumed the waiting position. I guess it’s better that this came about BEFORE I sent in my entry for the April 11 Marlb. Starter Horse Trials, right.
Today I headed out and Woods is sounder than he was yesterday. Like sound enough that I was all “I am a crazy person, I’m a psychologist, I need to counsel myself. What are you projecting… tell me how this makes you feeeeeeeeeel.”
But I re-wrapped his feet with the super-fantastic Epsom salt poultice. I’m heading out in the morning and will go from there. T’is the season for spring time footy badness. Muddy, frozen, muddy, frozen. Hell I’d be not quite right too.
