My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Freedom has expressed his solidarity with me by coming up three legged lame, favoring his left hind. According to my barn mate, who fed this morning, there’s nothing overtly wrong — no bleeding, no swelling, no heat, no stone in his hoof. Most likely, it’s an abscess. However, to make sure it’s nothing too serious, […]
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To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I rode Freedom. He’s 23 or 24 now and I didn’t put shoes on him this spring. Mostly he’s happy hanging out in his field, watching his mares, and putting on a good show of galloping when the spirit moves him. But Zelda came back from […]
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When your horse hobbles up the hill for breakfast absolutely dead lame, the first thought that goes through your mind is, I hope it’s only an abscess. I can still remember the first time I had a horse with an abscess. I arrived to find him standing on three legs, refusing to put weight on […]
Read MoreLast summer and into the fall, Freedom had an abscess that lasted and lasted. He was slightly off for some time and then terribly lame. Eventually the vet drained it at his toe, and then it also traveled up through the hoof and out through his coronary band. The remains of that abscess are still […]
Read MoreFreedom’s mysterious hind end lameness took an accelerated curve to the left when I arrived to find him literally standing on three legs. He will put weight on that hoof/leg when asked to walk, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s painful. It’s pretty horrific to find your horse standing like that. He wasn’t favoring it […]
Read MoreThis fall I feel like we’ve had more than our share of setbacks. I’m hoping that we’ve turned the corner (fingers crossed). Fall is my favorite season to ride and the time when hunting is at its finest. There’s little better than hunting through the fall foliage in New England. It all started with the […]
Read MoreAlthough he’s still favoring his left hind, Freedom looks better. He’s walking better and, a lot of the time, he’s standing with weight on it. It’s hard to say if it was an abscess. I haven’t seen any discharge but, since I’ve been packing the foot with Magic Cushion after soaking it, that’s understandable. Magic […]
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