Friday 22 April 2016

The PAIN! The AGONY!

So, yeah, its been muddy and the hippo is back on 24/7 turnout and been loving it.
We're ramping up for competition season. like everyone else in the eventing world.  For us, this means adding lots of marching up/down hills and into the nearby lake.

I love the lake. Water practice + clean legs + not getting frostbitten fingers from leg washing is fantastic.  I haven't seen clean legs on my horse in ... a while.

Just ... too close to reality

Post lake, clean legs, great time to examine legs and feet extra closely.

Me: "Come on big girl, pick up a back foot"
Horse *start to lift* "NOPE!" *stomp* *mare glare*

Repeat a half dozen times.  Huh, weird. Try other side, same thing.
Start running down the checklist.  Was she sound walk, trot and canter while riding? Check. Reluctant to move forward? Nope.

Poke around the hind end.  No sore spots.  Stifles?  Nope, just the usual ticklish. Etc.etc. down the legs until I get under the back of the ankles.  Warm.  Hmm

Me: Poke back of  pastern
Horse: *STOMP*  *offended mare glare*
Like this, only MORE offended
Mud fever flare up, gotcha, message received.  Diaper rash cream to the rescue, saving us all from the hippo's chapped ankles and chapped ass attitude!  Now for the exciting part, getting the cream on her ankles.

Having had multiple cases of the dreaded 'chub rub', I try to apply the cream with the gentlest of touches.  How does the mare react?

twitch, Yank foot away and LEAP sideways "OH MY GOD YOUR KILLING ME!!!"

My horse, aren't I lucky?

*sigh* repeat until the first layer is on each foot.   This takes a while, resulting in scattered paper coffee cups, spilled coffee, dogs fleeing to the four points of the compass and severe eye-rolling on my part.

Go back for the 2nd layer and she stands quietly, "No big deal mom, why you sound grumpy?" What a friggin' weenie, good thing I love her.

Enough diaper cream for a daycare's worth of chapped asses






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