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Congratulations! It’s an abscess!

November 12, 2020 by Katie 1 Comment

– Poor baby with her weak thoroughbred hooves –

Welcome back to horse ownership Katie, where abscesses come in the spring and your plans don’t matter. 

So the farrier was out on Friday and confirmed my unofficial diagnosis of an abscess that probably originated from the seedy toe. She couldn’t dig it out since it’s in a funny place so she recommended poulticing it until the abscess burst and to try keep the hoof clean and dry… which is not the easiest thing to do in spring conditions in Taranaki, New Zealand. 

http://www.equinelife.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20201106_163100_2_1.mp4

 

So once the farrier left and I finally managed to catch her (see video above), the grazing owner and I gathered together the many supplies that a hoof poultice requires. And then tried to put on her. And tried. And tried. And tried. And failed. Birdie has been getting more and more fed up with me messing with her hoof every day for epsom salt soaks and after the farrier used her hoof testers this afternoon, Birdie was determined we were not going to put that poultice on. She started kicking out and it was getting a bit dangerous so we called it, a poultice was not worth her getting any more worked up or one of us getting injured. 

She wasn’t very good with having her hooves picked out when she first arrived so we’ve been working on that and she was getting pretty good and lifting them up and putting them down on command before but now she’s taken a couple of steps back with this abscess malarky so I’ll spend the next couple of days working on that again and not actually doing anything to her sore hoof to get her used to it again. 

I’ve got the vet coming out on Monday to do her teeth which will mean a sedation so if we need something else done to her hoof, that will be the time. 

– The only photo I have with the mystery swelling –

Speaking of the vet, I’m going to need him to check out Birdie’s face while he’s here. She’s suddenly developed swelling along her upper jaw in the last couple of days, it started on one side and I thought it was because she leaned on her halter (enough to rub a patch in her face bare) to get away from the dreaded epsom salt soaks. But the day after her faced puffed up in exactly the same place on the other side so I’m not exactly sure what is going on. Could be spring grass thing, a tooth thing or something else completely so hopefully the vet can shed some light on that on Monday. I think the swelling has lessened today so hopefully it’s not a big deal. 

Oh horse ownership, my bank account has not missed you. 

Filed Under: Horse Care

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  1. Hoof angst | Equine Life says:
    November 24, 2020 at 7:23 pm

    […] to let me do anything with her hooves, especially her back ones. I mentioned in this post here about trying to poultice her hoof after the farrier visited and having to give up due to her […]

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equinelifenz

Must be some tasty looking grass over that way 👀
Look at this model posing ❤ Life is slowly gett Look at this model posing ❤

Life is slowly getting back to normal after the move and Birdie is settling in to her new home and herd. 

Blog update soon, promise!
Birdie getting the side eye from her new herd whil Birdie getting the side eye from her new herd while all she cares about is the grass 😄 Welcome to Hamilton Bird.
Things have been a bit quiet here and on the blog Things have been a bit quiet here and on the blog lately because things are changing for Birdie and I (and Birdie's feline sister Scout). 

At the end of this month, we are moving up to Hamilton to start a new life ❤ wanting to be closer to my family, I decided it was time for me and my menagerie to up roots and start a new adventure. These past few weeks have been a flurry of resigning from my job, ending the lease on my house, packing up and selling much of my worldly possessions since I'll be moving into a flat again. As well as Christmas and New Years too of course. Im heading up to Hamilton this weekend to check out some great looking grazing for Birdie so here's hoping that works out! 

In the meantime, Birdie has been living the easy life while recovering from her 3rd abscess and is enjoying being a coverless, dusty horse. We have been working on her farrier manners and im pleased to say she's doing a million times better. My sensitive girl has obviously had some rough treatment in the past and the memories stick hard. 

Can't wait to start our new lives and get back to riding once we are settled.
We're back on board after a bit of time off over C We're back on board after a bit of time off over Christmas and New Years. Birdie spent the time off eating, galloping around on her sore hoof and rolling in as much dust as she could find. 

Unfortunately her other front hoof has come up lame which I suspect is a third abscess. The second abscess has healed and she's sound on that foot again so that's a positive. Her hooves were in such bad shape when she arrived and with the sun/rain cycle of spring, this doesn't suprise me too much. Hopefully we don't have to go 4 for 4 before shes back on board. Ive put her on biotin and she gets lashings of Stockholm tar and neatsfoot oil daily so hopefully her hooves start playing ball sometime soon 💛 poor wee poppet
Finally catching up on some posts on the blog! The Finally catching up on some posts on the blog! The vet came to visit a few weeks ago and it was quite a visit. Link in my bio ❤
What a treasure she is ❤ What a treasure she is ❤
Got to do a wee bit of shopping at Equifest this p Got to do a wee bit of shopping at Equifest this past weekend. No big items but some cool small ones that I'm stoked with. Check out my new blog post for more info.
Headed to the first Equifest this weekend to see s Headed to the first Equifest this weekend to see some comps, watch some amazing clinics and demonstrations, shopped up a storm and basked in the goodness of the horse world. Even got to be part of the official cheer squad of Kaipaki Horsemanship (matching t-shirts for the win). I'll do a full write up on the blog in the next few days.
It was our first ride back since the never ending It was our first ride back since the never ending abscess today. Birdie was so excited she even threw in 2 bucks (the first I've ever gotten from her). Can't wait to get back into it.
It's been a bit quiet around here lately with Bird It's been a bit quiet around here lately with Birdie still off work with her abscess. I think she's on the mend though so hopefully we'll back to normal soon ❤
Its been just over a month since Birdie arrived in Its been just over a month since Birdie arrived in my life (and wiggled her way into my heart). I've poured a bunch of feed into her and given her some TLC in that time and she's looking like a brand new horse ❤

I've written all about it in my blog and put up a couple more photos. Link in my bio 😊
While Birdie is still brewing an abscess (and hang While Birdie is still brewing an abscess (and hanging with her little fans), I've put together a list Insta gif/sticker creators for all of you horse obsessed instagrammers to make your stories pop. Check it on my blog! Link in bio.
Birdie still is a bit lame on one of her back hoov Birdie still is a bit lame on one of her back hooves so the farrier is coming out this week to see if an abcess is the culprit. 

It puts our plans on hold but I was always planning on taking things slowly so no biggie 😊 hopefully we can get her feeling okay soon.
Birdie's biggest (little) fans 😄 Birdie's biggest (little) fans 😄
Bird is having a couple of days off after having s Bird is having a couple of days off after having some seedy toe cut out from all four of her hooves. Winter really did a number on her. 

But look at this cute pic from the first day she came home 💛
After we went over the rigmarole of getting on aga After we went over the rigmarole of getting on again, Birdie put out some good work last night. 

She's still got lots of condition and muscle to build but she's getting better and better at using her body properly.
This little minx is still learning manners and gav This little minx is still learning manners and gave me a good whack to the head on Tuesday evening after my ride. Not impressed. Not impressed at all.
Whisk me away from the office so I can hang with t Whisk me away from the office so I can hang with this baby ☀️
Sometimes your rides don't go to plan (because you Sometimes your rides don't go to plan (because you know, animals have a mind of their own) but I'm still grateful for this sassy as mare ❤
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