Sunday, October 24, 2010

October 24, 2010 - A bleak day

It's getting colder, and it was threatening rain this morning when I went out to see how Rory was doing.  Apart from being a bit muddy at the bottom the wrap was as I left it yesterday.  I was very happy to see that the swelling was well down with just a bit left where horses get wind puffs.  I cleaned off the dry poultice, cold hosed and put another poultice wrap on for the day as there were still slightly warm spots.  While I was working on him a name on the radio news report popped into my awareness.  I knew that name, and I knew she was on a trip with her husband and son - how many people could fit that combination of facts who would appear in a local news broadcast after getting into an accident on the other side of the continent...  Sadly it was my friend who died on Friday when an oncoming car crossed the line and crashed into hers.  Her baby son survived by some miracle, but her death left a void in the lives of many people.  My brother called me a bit later after I got home to let my know our great-uncle had passed away (not unexpected) on Thursday.  It becomes difficult to be optimistic about injuries when so much weighs heavily on one's spirit.

I went back out to see Rory this evening and found his leg swollen again.  Not as badly as yesterday, and the mud from today's rain may have just strained the injury again (if it is simply a sprain), but it was not encouraging.  I cleaned off the poultice, cold hosed his leg again, and decided to give him some bute and leave him in overnight.  He didn't get to eat his grain while I hosed him this time and he was very good about standing still without it.  I didn't do another poultice, but wrapped with a Back on Track no-bow instead.  He mostly cooperated, only lifting his leg once when another horse was brought into the barn.  We were blocking the stall door and Rory wanted to go and say hello.  I left him happily munching his dinner, after I'd gotten him some water, hay and shavings.  Hopefully he'll be better in the morning.

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