Very sore today...

Poor Huey...

He's one very sore and sorry boy right now - it breaks my heart. When I pulled up at the paddock, he very stiffly came over to see me (hoping for food no-less) ... I gave him a bit of hay while I took Red to go work out ...

I've decided I don't want to leave a honey/copper sulphate poultice on him for the full time he needs to be bandaged - given it's pretty caustic stuff... So I am going to alternate between two different poultices.... That one, which will only stay on for 1 day at the most; and the other will be a copper sulphate/cider vinegar solution irrigation, followed by packing the cavity with iodine soaked gauze and then re-wrapping the hoof. That one can stay on for 2 days... (This is also the one I did today). He was quite fidgety and didn't really want to hold still, and you know, I really don't blame him. I let him eat his hard-feed while I did it, so that it would hopefully keep his mind occupied...

I gave him his daily 5mls of bute, and I have also increased his supplementation intake. He's getting 3 scoops of biotin supplement daily, and 2 scoops of Equilibrium Blue vitamin/mineral mix daily ... I've also added rice bran to his diet - 1/4 scoop to kick him off, and I'll increase from there, and I also plan to add flaxseed (just need to go pick some up) ....

Poor boy. How anyone could know about his hoof and let him go untreated is simply beyond me, considering hooves are such a critical part of horse health. Makes me want to go and wrench the toenails off the person/people/whoever let this happen, and make them walk around with constricting shoes on all day, everyday - I imagine it's pretty much the same kind of pain. I am sure that the inner most circles of hell are reserved for people who let animals endure and continue to work untreated for months on end...

However, he is now on the long and arduous road to recovery - and I am glad that he's in my care! I only hope that when he looks at me with those big, soft, gorgeous puppydog eyes, that he understands I am trying to help him. I'd like to think he understands he's in a better place and will have everything he needs.

For help him I shall - and he will be good as new in time... No... He'll be even better :o)