Update on the leg issue

I went out today to investigate how his leg looked, clean it again, and possibly wrap it up.

I was greeted with a very pleasant image. It has almost covered over. Don't confuse closed up for covered over. It isn't bleeding anymore, and is not looking as nasty.

The property manager has put some nitr(o/a)fur(o/a)zone on it. He thought Faran would baulk at it, but he was very calm and easy about the whole thing.

I had taken some gauze and vet-wrap out with me to try to cover it, but it has stayed very much clean, the flies aren't attracted to it, and it isn't really deep. It has just scraped the hide off it. Well, not just like it's nothing, but it isn't a gouge, it isn't a puncture. We decided to leave it open because it's doing fine.

I didn't take pictures today because there won't be much change, but he's doing ok.

I will not be able to go out tomorrow because of a prior engagement, but I have told the property manager and he will clean it and put more meds on it and I will check on it Wednesday.

We think we figured out how it happened. We think he was trying to run the other horses off the round bale of hay out there and he got his leg snagged on the ring.

I think this is due to the fact he has been malnourished so he feels threatened about whether he will have enough. He doesn't get aggressive over the grain though. I am glad he's not just being walked all over, but he shouldn't be aggressive.

Anyway, I need to go to dinner.

Until next time -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

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Life is what happens when you have other plans - especially when horses are involved.

Today I had intentions to go and work with Faran on some training with endurance. We were going to go on a 8 mile "hack". I got out there and low and behold, he had a huge gash going down the inside of his rear right leg. It was pretty fresh. The blood was still oozing. It's not gushing, so I think that is a good sign. None got on his other leg, or in his tail. I don't know how it happened. He wasn't limping, nor was he seeming to have it be painful to step / stretch it.

I did use this opportunity to train him about bathing, and learning to stand still when I am doing something that may not feel just wonderful, or that he wants me to do. I gave him a full bath, and sprayed the wound out several times to clean it. Here is how the wound looks today (warning - it is a bit gory.)


This was when I found it.

This was when I had cleaned it once. It filled with blood rather quickly, but was not gushing.

This is after several heavy spray downs.

I couldn't scrub it, but he would let me spray it with pressure on the hose. I scrubbed his tail with shampoo, and scrubbed his whole body except on the inside of that leg where the wound is with shampoo to clean him as much as possible.

He stood good for his major part of his body, but when he thought I was going to get seriously involved and aggressive with his wound. If I stood near his hind legs he got a bit antsy, but I could scrub his tail, and semi-aggressively spray out his wound until I saw it clear (no blood, dirt, debris), but before I could get the camera and get a good picture, it would have blood back in it again.

No workouts for a while - this is bleeding enough that I can't ask him to exert that much stress or energy on it. When it starts to close up, we will get back to it. Until then we can train on ground manners when doing "vet" work.

You take what you can and turn every opportunity into a training session and as good as possible.

Until next time -
Happy Tails!
Lucy Roberts

   [--;-/=_
    `-; \=_        ___
      ) ,"-... --./===--___
 ___|/       /   ]`
/;- - > >...-\  <\  `- < <,       7 /-.\,      `-        /(  ' _