July 30, 2014

Legs, You Suck

Why mare oh why?

Saturday I got off work super late. The horses were in because of insane thunderstorms. Lauren had rode Echo earlier in the day and said she wasn't a happy horse - which usually all is good in Echo world. When I was out cleaning stalls at 10 pm I noticed how grumpy she was. I brushed it off figuring it was because of being stuck inside and all the horses were a little edgy. Lauren had however said she felt a little off in her right hind leg - the leg with the hoof injury so she didn't do much with her. Attributed it to the fact they were due to have their hooves done. 

Sunday I just wanted to be done at the barn. It was my only day off in-between work weeks and I needed some R&R from last week at work. 


Monday however, Lauren was done early at the barn so I thought I figured I'd lunge Echo to see how her soundness was before the farrier coming out Tuesday (yesterday). I go to pull her out of her stall and notice she's not putting weight on the leg - #%*$. Put her in the wash stall and just start cold hosing all four legs. Start running my hands all over her just to make sure I'm not missing anything else before I bother looking at the right hind, nothing. So running hands down her leg I feel medium amount of heat, not hot but not great and slight swelling. I also feel a scab, can't see because the lighting sucks in wash stalls to see legs sometimes. I don't think too much of it because it felt pretty scabbed over and thought it was an older thing that we just missed. Liniment and bute I go take her out for the evening. I stood letting her eat some grass before putting her in her paddock and I see this... 
1) That's not small! 2) WTF mare?! 3) It's time for bubble wrap. 

Yesterday morning I gave her a tiny bit more bute (like 1/4 gram...) in her feed. Lauren lunged her before farrier, dead lame. More cold hose, less heat than Monday so I felt comfortable sweating the leg. Another gram of bute, and turned her out. I knew if I kept her in she'd do potentially just as many stupid things. 

Fingers crossed for less heat tonight and a better looking scab. It's completely superficial with no puncture wound so I'm fairly certain she put her leg through the fence and then pulled it through scrapping it like she did. Why it's so swollen, I have no idea, it's Echo.

8 comments:

  1. Horses... Sounds like a huey move. Houston would kill me if I sweat his leg when there was a cut... Out of curiosity what did you sweat with :)

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    1. I always always sweat with Fura Free. I use it on myself with sunburns (the best thing ever) and put it all over when I hurt. It's made to be used on abrasions and scrapes as well so its definitely multi use. Can you tell how much I love the stuff?

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  2. The first person to figure out horse friendly bubble wrap is going to be a billionaire! Sorry your girl isn't feeling so hot. Hopefully it heals up quickly!

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    1. I wish I could be the one to figure it out... but whoever does I want to be their friend for pure geniusness.

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  3. Ramone is covered in scraps right now >:[

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  4. For such sensitive animals you'd think they'd have a better sense of self preservation ingrained...guess their brain is too far from their feet!
    I hope she feels better asap *hugs*

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    1. She definitely has less self preservation than others too. It's apparently in her pedigree with the way her sire died!

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