I think I have been taken for a fool by the big fella. I've been using Sedalin with great success to thoroughly clean his sheath area every other day. He stands like a rock. On Tuesday morning, after I'd finished, I thought I'd take advantage of his "chilled" status to give him a bit of a groom in the field as he gets fidgety when you take a brush to him. Started brushing him and he walked off! Now.... in my mind, if he is is alert enough to know I'm grooming him and to object by walking off, it makes me wonder whether I have actually needed the Sedalin at all to clean his sheath, bearing in mind he has stood stock still every time!
Anyhoo, it doesn't really matter now because yesterday the vet came and applied the stallion broth, which is essentially just a bacteria in a liquid that gets sprayed all over everything. Needs to be repeated tomorrow and then again on Monday and that should be that - but the vet will IV-sedate him so my ordeal is over
My, how friends and family have pointed and laughed at me when I have told them what I've been up to for the past week!! I asked the vet about the success rates and he looked at me blankly and just said "It works". So he's had a 100% success rate, which is hopeful. But we are talking about Jack here!!
I did let him out of his pen for an hour on Tuesday afternoon. His sheath is still puffy and I thought that maybe being in at night and on restricted turnout during the day may be contributing so I whopped Albi's grazing muzzle on him and let him out, supervised by yours truly, for an hour to stretch his legs. After having a paddy about the muzzle for 20 mins, when he tried to rub, shake and twist it off, him and Albi exploded into speed and ran around the paddock. Unfortunately he also slipped and fell over, but jumped straight back up and carried on running, not showing any signs of stiffness when they calmed down and the adrenalin dissipated. But worrying, nonetheless - thassa lotta horse to fall over! He is still on bute anyway to try to reduce this swelling, so if he did feel a bit stiff, he's recovered well and not shown any signs of lameness. I will get my bodyworker lady to come and give him a once-over, just to check there is nothing hiding anywhere, but he seems fine in himself. In fact, he is looking extremely well on his new management and has been very accepting of coming in overnight and going out into his small paddock daily. He has ad lib access to soaked hay as well as a bit of a concoction of a low starch/sugar feed, but he's adapted well. Farrier also came out this week and said he couldn't see any evidence of laminitis or abscesses. He has a lot of Cushings customers and thinks that Jack is doing fine. Repeat blood test in three weeks so fingers crossed. Then the saddle will be dusted off to see how he feels ridden.....
Anyhoo, it doesn't really matter now because yesterday the vet came and applied the stallion broth, which is essentially just a bacteria in a liquid that gets sprayed all over everything. Needs to be repeated tomorrow and then again on Monday and that should be that - but the vet will IV-sedate him so my ordeal is over
My, how friends and family have pointed and laughed at me when I have told them what I've been up to for the past week!! I asked the vet about the success rates and he looked at me blankly and just said "It works". So he's had a 100% success rate, which is hopeful. But we are talking about Jack here!! I did let him out of his pen for an hour on Tuesday afternoon. His sheath is still puffy and I thought that maybe being in at night and on restricted turnout during the day may be contributing so I whopped Albi's grazing muzzle on him and let him out, supervised by yours truly, for an hour to stretch his legs. After having a paddy about the muzzle for 20 mins, when he tried to rub, shake and twist it off, him and Albi exploded into speed and ran around the paddock. Unfortunately he also slipped and fell over, but jumped straight back up and carried on running, not showing any signs of stiffness when they calmed down and the adrenalin dissipated. But worrying, nonetheless - thassa lotta horse to fall over! He is still on bute anyway to try to reduce this swelling, so if he did feel a bit stiff, he's recovered well and not shown any signs of lameness. I will get my bodyworker lady to come and give him a once-over, just to check there is nothing hiding anywhere, but he seems fine in himself. In fact, he is looking extremely well on his new management and has been very accepting of coming in overnight and going out into his small paddock daily. He has ad lib access to soaked hay as well as a bit of a concoction of a low starch/sugar feed, but he's adapted well. Farrier also came out this week and said he couldn't see any evidence of laminitis or abscesses. He has a lot of Cushings customers and thinks that Jack is doing fine. Repeat blood test in three weeks so fingers crossed. Then the saddle will be dusted off to see how he feels ridden.....
