November - where has it gone??

Just a quick update as I haven't blogged for ages and that's because I haven't DONE anything really. Have had a fluey thing for just over a month - just started feeling better last week - most unlike me not to want to do anything.
The dentist went ok - both Merlot and Shiraz had a couple of baby caps removed (thanks Shirley (Calder), Rafiki had some sharp points and Cam was pretty good - has a good mouth apparently. I did get the vet to sedate as it was Merlot and Shiraz's first treatment.
THEN Friday Shiraz wasn't well - she got colic (too much very short but fructans rich grass I think) and was terribly lame - on 3 legs at the walk. I had the vet out obviously for colic, and to have a look at the leg/foot. They agreed with me it was a stone bruise/abcess. We spent the evening of Friday 6th walking (to help the colic and get the gas moving) around the arena - yes, all 4 plus me. Shiraz didn't really want to walk with her poor foot so I thought if we did it as a herd it might help, and it did! So, there were fireworks going off as we did point to point, then I asked Rafiki onto the pedestal and Merlot over the log, with Shiraz and Cam doing stick to me. They don't worry too much with fireworks anyway but this really kept the focus off the noise and on me, and helped Shiraz. First time I have played with 3 horses at liberty and one on line, and in the dark, and with fireworks!! We walked for about an hour and Shiraz seemed more comfortable, so I went to bed for a few hours then got up to check her at 2am. Fortunately she was fine, but still very lame. (reminded me of the foal days - up out of my bed in the barn every hour or two to check them....)
Then Monday she was even more lame so out came a different vet, who agreed it was still the abcess. Then I had to give her bute by syringe (she won't eat it in feed). So, we did the old trick of a little bit of molasses water in the syringe, then oh dear that molasses (aka bute) must have come from a bad batch, so lets give you 2 more syringes but I KNOW this batch is good....By day 3 she was hanging over the fence for the bute, and we stopped it on day 4. She still wasn't right a week later, so called the vet again - the abcess had burst but just wanted to check there was nothing else going on, having heard about a friends mare who had to be put down after an abcess didn't clear up properly - it ate away at the pedal bone.

So BEWARE anyone that thinks 'oh just an abcess/stone bruise' - things can go horribly wrong...

The vet was sure she was on the mend, which she was and proved it by having a massive hoon wednesday just gone, jumping everything in sight in the arena!!

The only thing I have done apart from look after Shiraz and feed/feet etc is have a play float loading on Tuesday with Rafiki and the twins (all individually - not together at once yet!!) . I had to stop them going on at liberty as the twins haven't been on since March - must have left them in a good place. They were so keen to play 'put your nose on it/in it/under it' - this programme really works!!! Looking forward to doing more now I feel better and I have most of next week off - yay!!