Abscess Wars....

Darth Invader and his evil abscess minions were systematically traumatized today by young Luke I-Can-Make-Em-Walker, the farrier. Invader was quelled by Luke when he pulled out his trusty saber tool and dug out the abscess, and actually found another small one. After pressure was relieved, Roo was walking much better. The areas were packed with medication and Roo is to be left unbandaged to drain at this point. The Dark Force has once again been placed in a hasty retreat situation.

As that wise green guru, Yo-Duh might say....."Walking good, am I."

The Camera Adds...

Remember, the camera adds 10 pounds! So Roo is not really FAT! He is just big. Although he looks somewhat rosey gray here, he is really getting very light over his top line, with darker gray dapples along his sides and down his legs.

Notice his two buckets? He likes his water. And, as you can tell hanging in the corner, still loves Himalayan Salt blocks.

This IS NOT a flattering photo, but nevertheless shows him (just after a roll in the arena too....see the arena dust on his rump?) to be longer and wider!!

ANTI-SOCIAL?

We really are not trying to be anti-social. I just can't believe how fast time has gone by since last posting to this blog. In that time Roo has really filled out more and looks less juvenile and more like an adolescent teen!

We have also celebrated another BIRTHDAY! Roo was three years old on May 25th, 2008.

He is pictured here with his buddy, and my other horse, Eagle. Eagle really seems to watch out for Roo in the turnout field. Eagle is the head of the five member herd in this particular pasture, which consists of Andy, Sin, Roo, Emmett and Eagle. This picture was taken in mid-April (last month) on a very nice day. We are finally having a real Spring season here in Pennsylvania, not leaping into 90 degree weather from the winter. So that makes for nice, even temperatured, breezy days and cool nights.

We had a wedding in the family on May 17th. Just before leaving for Miami, Florida, where the wedding was held, I saddled and sat on Roo for the first time since he arrived in Pennsylvania. My husband, Paul, walked him around on a lead rope quietly while I just sat there. Roo never blinked. He didn't even turn around to look at me to check out what I was doing. I simply wanted it to be a very quiet time of just relaxing with me on his back. So that's all we did.

I have been allowing Roo to enjoy his adolescence with very little demands. Yes, we groom every time I am at the barn, we free lunge sometimes, lunge on the line sometimes, long-line sometimes, and still practice some of our "tricks" when the mood strikes us right. It is amazing how much Roo remembers. There went an entire month where I did not do a single trick in our repertoire, and then one day I decided to ask him to "back" from about five feet away just by using my hand signal. He did it!

We found out this shot season that Roo really does hate his shots. I was not there for them this year, and he gave the vet somewhat of a hard time. However, the vet and barn owner managed to finally stand him for what needed to be done. I have a feeling things would have gone better if I were there. I happened to be away at the time of the shots this year. We do shots in two segments. I have never liked given all spring shots at one time. So the 4-way and large animal rabies are given one time, and West Nile/Potomac Horse Fever are given another time. The first round went very well for Roo's shots, with no issues, but the second time the vet visited, Roo had his number and knew immediately as he entered the stall that the man carried needles. Like I said....he doesn't forget.

We are going to work on this issue. But Roo really trusts me and I do feel that my presence will make a difference. I'm going to be sure to insist I am there the next time shots come around in the Fall.

I am looking forward to working with Roo over the summer. We are going to do some different things, including working out in the big pasture, and much more time spent in the outdoor arena this year. We only had a glimpse of the outdoor arena last year here and there, but this year we are going to work down there quite a bit over the nice summer evenings.

Roo has his very first abscess brewing at the moment. It is in his left rear hoof. We think he may have a small puncture wound right next to the frog, causing the issue. So he has had some stall rest (which he hates, and which causes Eagle to yell for him all day outside of the barn windows and Roo to yell back for Eagle) these past few days, while his hoof has been bandaged. Our routine is cold hose, soak in epsom salts and betadine wash, dry, Icthamol pack the area, apply gauze pad, diaper, vet wrap and finally that layer of duct tape. He is at the toe pointy stage right now. My farrier comes tomorrow to check the hoof and see if there is any drainage possible. He will then pack it with a medicated packing, and I will go back to the routine the next day. Roo will probably have to stay inside until the end of this week. I have been hand walking him and taking him out to a very small paddock right next to his stall area (one that is intended for just this type of use with convalescing horses that can't run around too much). Because there is good grass and clover in the paddock, he is very happy to just quietly graze there while I watch him.

I am hoping this abscess passes quickly and that he is back in fine form soon. If things do not get to a point where I am satisfied by the end of next week, I will be loading him up and taking him to my hoof and leg vet in New Jersey. I am such a pessimist when it comes to horse injuries. I'd rather get the horse to my vet and not have to worry.

I will keep you all posted.

Roo is actually a very good patient. I don't know that he has ever had his hoof soaked for any length of time, but he has been very good about trusting me to put his foot in the bucket, very good about wrapping, and even good about being unable to go outside for a bit. I hate when horses cannot go out, so I am diligent about his exercise or time out when I am at the barn.

Pharaoh, my appendix quarter horse, came to us with such very bad hoof issues, he was not allowed to be on regular turn out for a year. I remember going every day to the place where he was stabled at the time, and taking him out for hour long walks and grazing in hand. Sometimes two hours. We would also go in the arena at the end of lessons and play with the cones and poles there. Pharaoh had an abscess once that started in May and lasted 7 weeks before finally being fully over. That was not the longest haul I ever did. The longest was our TB Petey, whose leg was injured in November of 2005, and finally 2 and 1/2 years later in October of 2007, Petey finally was able be turned out without ANY support bandaging on his leg. Thank God both of these horses are doing well today in terms of their feet and legs.

I am tenacious, so I do what needs to be done. Keep reading. I'll write more each day as we progress through abscess land with Roo.