Don’t Make Eye Contact😜

Lollykay

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Feb 11, 2017
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Southeast United States
No really - it helps if you don’t make eye contact with a new-to-you-horse who just (probably seconds before I walked in the barn) tried to slice his eye out while feverishly itching his head on the edge of the metal 10 foot sliding door😱

Yesssss, that would be Sir Duncan. Duncan is yet another horse who should have come with a lifetime supply of bubble wrap. He missed his eye but he is a bit puffy at the lower inside edge this morning.

The slice on his face is a doozie (and he had a fly mask on) but not bad enough to need stitches. If a new, inexperienced horse owner would post pics of something similar, I would say “call the vet” simply because the person doesn’t have experience in dealing with a laid open cut and also the horse who says “nupe, you are NOT touching that - especially with that stuff you have in your hand”😂

First thing DH did last night was grab Duncan by the halter to hold him for me. I said “let him go. He’s had enough of people ganging up on him and drugging him to work on him. He has to learn to trust me and to do this by ourselves —— WITHOUT being tied up; now bring me the cookie jar😜

I got Duncan doctored good enough last night because that horse is a food mongor, lol. He knows what “you’ll get cookies” means and cookie bribes were high on my list to get the job done, lollol.

This morning, I showed Duncan the cookie jar and the medicines he had to have plastered on his face. He had to smell every single tube , plus the paper towel soaked in Vetericyn,. Thankfully I have earned some measure of trust with him but for some reason what really helps to work around the eyes and inside the ears on a horse not used to it, is to NOT make eye contact.

I learned the “no eye contact” trick years ago, when I had a concussion that left me with vertigo that would cause me to black out if I looked up, even for a few seconds. I learned how to clean ears and eyes while looking down at the barn floor.

Anyway, “don’t make eye contact” and whispering “you’ll get cookies” after each phase of the medicating process worked like a charm😍😍. Sir Duncan almost got an A+ for great behavior - close but no cigar as the saying goes, but he stood almost as perfect as I could ask for🥰🥰

Duncan is such a good hearted, loving, and intelligent horse - if he would just lose his accident prone ways because this isn’t his first incident, it’s just his worst🤢🤢

The main moral of the story is try not making eye contact, if working with the ears or eyes is difficult, look at the floor. It has worked for me on three horses🤠🤠
 
Oh Duncan, what are you like?

I agree with you about it often working better if you don't try to force them, and thinking about it I probably avoid eye contact for anything like that too simply because it feels too confrontational when I'm trying to defuse a situation. It's easier with ears though, eyes I want to look at because I'm scared I'll do more damage - I'm not good with eyes.
 
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Thankfully @Jane&Ziggy the eye was completely missed. I hate when I have to use eye drops. I’ve had a few horses who were terrific about tolerating the action, while others it was not fun🤯🤯

The swelling near Duncan’s eye has gone down about half, so that’s good.

I am learning Duncan is a very slow healer. He has remnants of a wound from bumping his head in transport, going back to when he came here March 31st. Now that his appetite is back and I’m feeding him 3X/day, he is accepting Supplements. I’ve added extra 2,000 IU of Vitsmin E to his diet. I can add more if need be and I could also dose him once with Vitamin A if he doesn’t respond good enough to the E.

Here’s a pic of Duncan’s face tonight, after taking his mask off, before I cleaned him up and reapplied the meds. Hard to believe he gouged hImself that good while wearing a mask.

He got cookies after every task, so he stood pretty good — I’d say a B+ tonight, not as good as this morning. He does better with being handled in the mornings. He did give me smoochies on the cheek though🥰🥰

The White is the top layer of diaper rash paste that is 40% zinc oxide. The paste sort of holds the other meds on the face and does bring some relief for pain. It also stays on really well. At Duncan’s current rate of healing, I will still be seeing that boo-boo in three minths🤕

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Wow, that is horrid. What did you say he did it on?

When Mattie cut his leg so badly on electric wire it developed proud flesh. I don't know whether that is a risk with a facial injury, but with your experience I expect you are prepared!
 
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Ramsey once pulled a triangular hole in his neck on barbed wire. It was about a half inch deep, I kid you not. Once it healed it was as if it was never there. I was so sure he'd have a scar.
 
@Jane&Ziggy , I THINK he did it on the edge of the ten foot barn door.

Rusty has been rubbing his neck on that edge for 19 years. I duct taped it once where Rusty literally wore the metal corner down and split it. I knew I needed to tape it up again but just never got to it —- wellllll -I got to it yesterday, so I did.

If I do say so, I did a beautiful duct taping job with Gorilla duct tape, lollol. Mercy that stuff is hard to pull. By the time I would get a big strip pulled, the heat from my fingers wanted to stick the stuff permanently to me, lollol

@Huggy I have a clear visual of Ramsey’s incident with the fence:(. They sure can get themselves in some predicaments can’t they?

I didn't even think about proud flesh on a face wound; I’m glad you mentioned it👍😃👍😃

If I see it headed that way, I’ll get something from the vet. “In The Old Days” (at least where I’m from) getting rid of proud flesh meant sprinkling a healthy amount of “Shake n Bake” chicken seasoning on the proud flesh and wrapping the area in BROWN paper - I’m not kidding and it seemed to work.

Thats one area of horse keeping where we’ve come a long way and the old method is better left in the museum; besides it would be pretty difficult to wrap a face in Shake n Bake and cover it with brown paper😜
 
Ramsey once pulled a triangular hole in his neck on barbed wire. It was about a half inch deep, I kid you not. Once it healed it was as if it was never there. I was so sure he'd have a scar.
That reminds me, when we first moved here, there was a lot of barbed wire and poor Chloe tore her face open badly. I had to get the emergency vet out to stitch it and you'd never know now. The wound was horrible (I am a bit squeamish and cried). It's amazing when they heal isn't it.
 
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@Jane&Ziggy , I THINK he did it on the edge of the ten foot barn door.

Rusty has been rubbing his neck on that edge for 19 years. I duct taped it once where Rusty literally wore the metal corner down and split it. I knew I needed to tape it up again but just never got to it —- wellllll -I got to it yesterday, so I did.

If I do say so, I did a beautiful duct taping job with Gorilla duct tape, lollol. Mercy that stuff is hard to pull. By the time I would get a big strip pulled, the heat from my fingers wanted to stick the stuff permanently to me, lollol

@Huggy I have a clear visual of Ramsey’s incident with the fence:(. They sure can get themselves in some predicaments can’t they?

I didn't even think about proud flesh on a face wound; I’m glad you mentioned it👍😃👍😃

If I see it headed that way, I’ll get something from the vet. “In The Old Days” (at least where I’m from) getting rid of proud flesh meant sprinkling a healthy amount of “Shake n Bake” chicken seasoning on the proud flesh and wrapping the area in BROWN paper - I’m not kidding and it seemed to work.

Thats one area of horse keeping where we’ve come a long way and the old method is better left in the museum; besides it would be pretty difficult to wrap a face in Shake n Bake and cover it with brown paper😜
Gosh, never heard that one before!
 
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Gosh, never heard that one before!
Lollol. Doesn’t that give you the warm fuzzies to use Shake n Bake on something you eat 😱🤢😱🤢

I don’t get the chemistry of it all and I know that it was brown paper that had to be used. Someone a lot smarter than me will have to theorize and post their theory😎😎

Sir Duncan looks much better this morning👍👍. He was on his best behavior soon as he saw the cookie jar - 😂😂
 
Oh bless him he has skills!
You don’t get proud flesh on upper body wounds, only limbs. I’d guess probably not one the head, I’ve had many with face wound and never had it.
 
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How interesting. I wonder if that's something to do with the pressure in the blood vessels in the limbs?

@Lollykay I am glad Duncan is being good and recovering well :)

1. I’ve seen some pretty good head gashes and, now that I think back, there never was any proud flesh associated with them. I have seen some horses scar more than others but no proud flesh. Maybe because the skull is the least “meaty” part of the body?

2. @Jane&Ziggy thankyou! Duncan got an A+ this morning while I cleaned and re-medicated his boo-boo. While I don’t really believe in graft, I’m not against it in certain circumstances either - Mr. Smarty Pants Duncan sure is quick to recognize the cookie jar😂😂
 
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It’s only been four days but Duncan is making great progress on all fronts! I stopped using the halter, I can now just toss a bi der twine over Duncan’s neck and he stands still — 20 gold stars for the Sweet Fella —- and cookies — lots of cookies, which breaks my own rule😂😂.

Here‘s Duncan’s face this morning (Saturday). I can’t believe this is only four days. Even after it heals completely shut, I am going to keep some kind of ointment on for a long time so he doesn’t itch it open.

Duncan has a cute habit of nudging with his chin when he is happy with what‘s been done. It’s his way of saying “ok”. Kind of like when a friend nudges you’re shoulder with their shoulder 🥰🥰 Bless the woman I got him from for recognizing this very special senior horse did not need to get on the wrong van and end up in the wrong place ——-

That is a soft eye looking at the camera:)
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That really has healed up fast!

Yes it has - I am tickled pink👍😎👍😎.

It helped that Duncan kept his fly mask on. I am also a firm believer in top layering wounds with diaper rash paste that is 40% zinc oxide. The diaper rash paste helps keep the other meds on, bugs off, plus the 40% zinc oxide is a great healing property.

I buy WalMart’s brand as it’s the cheapest and the thickest. I didn’t put any on Duncan this AM as I’m hoping it’s healed enough he doesn’t need anymore on his face — it is a yukky mess once it warms up, lol,lol
 
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