Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Unhappiness is a lame horse

Coriander is still lame. Even worse he's been lame at the walk. There's heat at the coronet band of his right fore. I tried to check his digital pulse but I'm not sure I got the right spot, I found a vein behind his fetlock and didn't feel any "banging" on either leg. So that might be a good sign or that might just show that I didn't really know what I was doing.

I soaked his right fore in Epsom salt for almost 10 minutes last night. I managed to get him to stand in a tub using clicks and treats and a flake of hay. Everything was good until he noticed the neighbor's horses grazing in the distance, then the phone rang in the barn while a car was pulling out of the driveway. All those forces converged into creating the biggest spook I have ever seen from that horse. When it was over I was covered in salt water, he was covered in salt water, and my tub was irreparably broken. So almost 10 minutes was all we could manage. He did seem a little better this morning though.

Hopefully my ex-farrier stepdad will have time to come look at him tonight for me, then I'll have a cause for Coriander's soreness before the end of the day. Otherwise the vets are going to make some more money off of me.

4 comments:

  1. Could well be an abscess that's going to come out at the coronet band - if you're lucky it'll be all better soon - keeping fingers crossed!

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  2. Thanks Kate, that's what I'm hoping for. I'm keeping everything crossed right now. Poor boy is hurting!

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  3. I know nothing about lameness, but I think soaking his foot in epsom salts was a good idea. If it's an infection, it will draw it out. Geez, I hope it is something easily taken care of. I hate it when one of my babies is hurting, so I can feel your pain, too! Fingers and toes are crossed!!!!

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  4. Lameness is one of those things I never really had to deal with when I was growing up, the adults always took care of it. I remember soaking my arabian's leg once but that's about it. There's a time to learn about everything I guess.

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