So, I got a text message from the barn last Friday morning
saying that Fiona was off her food and they were keeping an eye on her. I
thought about just going straight to work but instead I stopped to check on
her. Just a few hours after I received the text, I was standing at her stall
looking at a very swollen left hind leg.
We called the vet and he said she had cellulitis. Cellulitis
is a bacterial infection under the skin and I do not recommend trying it at
home. Fiona was in a lot of pain and not putting weight on the limb. The
treatment is 8 days of anti-biotics (Nexcel), bute 2 times a day and “cold-hose
therapy”. I love when vets and medical doctors use jargon. “Cold-hose therapy”
means spray he leg with cold water 3 times a day until the swelling subsides.
Yes, seriously.
Where do they come up with this stuff?
Anyhow, less than a week later she is nearly back to normal.
The leg is still swollen but it appears that 20-30 mins of walking actually
helps reduce the swelling. She is walking normally and she is pretty much back
to her sassy self today. I didn’t give her bute tonight so we will see how
sassy she is in the morning.
She is a trooper though. That little mare is tough as nails.
She has been pinning her ears at all the horses around her for 2 days and
trying to bite Koa, her stall neighbor, when the other boarders are handing her
treats. The first day, after the vet was out, I had to walk her to the washrack
to get her first 20 mins of “cold-hose therapy”, and I could tell she was
hurting. She was limping real bad and walking so slowly, but she did it. She
just followed me right over there.
She has learned to stand in the washracks/tack areas really
well. I usually tack up in her stall because it is right near the tack room and
then I don’t have to tie her. This turned into a good training opportunity for
her. She stood in a really small wash rack for the full 20 mins one time. Of
course it helps that the last thing she wants is to have to walk, but even
today when was great standing there.
I have to say it is pretty frustrating to have another setback.
It is like just when we make good progress we hit another one. She got her
first lesson in cantor/gallop just last week. The trainer did 30 mins of
canter/gallop transitions which would have tuckered out just about any horse…not
Fiona. She was just getting started. God help me.
We are still working through some saddle fit issues. The
endurance saddle I got is a great fit for me, but it is too wide in the withers
for her. I got a memory foam pad and that helps but the saddle still tends to
ride forward. The guy I got it from recommended a crupper (Google it) or to
just cinch the front part of the saddle instead of doing a centerfire rigging (again.
Google it). I am going to try the front cinching when we start riding again. I
don’t think we will go so far as a crupper. I might have to get another saddle.
L
This is not a hobby for the thrifty.
Anyway, hopefully we will be back to riding next week or the
following week.
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