I went out to the barn to work Toby and soak Ollie's hoof. Ollie is doing SO WELL! That's a funny thing about abscesses. One day they are so lame they can hardly walk and the next day it's almost as if nothing happened.
Toby and I worked on bending exercises. We've had troubles bending to the right. Toby's been a bit easier since the chiropractor was out. He popped a couple of ribs back into place and now Toby is traveling much more evenly. So I worked on lots of circles and in some of them I made Toby swing out wide, we did serpentines (after we really warmed up) and then lots of transitions to get him to use his hind end better. It was a really nice ride and he tried his heart out with good results. He seemed so pleased with himself afterwards. All the while, Ollie was calling out to Toby. I think Toby enjoyed that he was main guy in training.
After Toby, I decided that my busy body horse Ollie needed to mentally feel like he worked. So I decided that we could work on standing at the mounting block. I tacked him up, walked him around the new (for him) arena and then got him next to the mounting block. I got him to stand still, put my foot in the stirrup and he took one step backwards. I gave out our "no" noise - kind of like a grunt and he stopped. I got on, walked him around the arena, got off and we did it all over again a few times. After that first time he stood at the block like a good boy.
While he was walking I asked him to be round, which he did. He was quite good and relaxed! I thought the movement would help increase blood circulation and push things out of the abscess and I certainly didn't work him hard. In the end, Ollie was nice and quiet for standing in a bucket of epsom salt water. Both boys were relaxed and feeling good about doing their "jobs" well.
That is one thing about thoroughbreds, they like to have jobs.
Even if their job is to be the comic relief
I've had years with horses but only ONE session with colic and with an abscess (who says Thoroughbreds aren't good teachers ;o), and my vet told me to bute my horse and ride because, just as you said, the movement increases circulation and helps the abscess drain more quickly. His abscess drained from the bottom--my vet also said that shoers are more likely to discover those abscesses as they work on the feet. At any rate, soaking and tincture of time, the perfect Rx for the hoof abscess. And best wishes to Betsy!
ReplyDeleteHah what a funny photo! Yes, could NOT agree more..the TB LOVE to work and have a task to think about it. Too much brain pinging to go as a pasture horse. :) So happy Ollie is feeling better. Abscesses can be brutal or in my case, we've had ones so bad that Laz broke out in a sweat and ones so mild that they blew and no signs of any pain. Motion is lotion for the feet..keep him moving to aid in the healing.
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