When it rains, it pours

It seems that my big grey pony has run into a string of bad luck.  Before you start feeling bad for him, let me first say that most if it is self-inflicted in some way or another. 

First, his back is still hurting.  Michele came out to give him a massage, but that didn't seem to help one bit.  I lunged him the next day, and he seemed okay, but when I rode the following day he was not okay at all.  Probably gave me one of his biggest bucks ever (and I stayed on).  His trot work was so-so and his canter work was backwards:  taking the right lead to the left and visa versa.  The biggest thing I noticed was him grinding his teeth, which is usually an indicator that he is not comfortable, nervous, or in pain.  I finally decided that something was very wrong with him somewhere and that more action needed to be taken.  Now, the problem is that there are a few chiropractors around the area but some of them are impossible to get an appointment with.  My friend at the barn, Rachel, suggested someone that she uses out of Louisville, so I decided to try him out. 

While waiting to hear back from the therapist/chiropractor, Smokey decided to up the ante a bit.  I turned him out this past Wednesday and not 10 minutes later he is bleeding from a wound on his left shoulder!  He was playing with a horse in the field, and I guess he ran into a wire somewhere on the fence.  There was a lot of blood but once we rinsed it off to find the source of the injury, it really wasn't that big of a wound.  It was, however, a puncture wound and those are pretty difficult to deal with considering that part of the wire or whatever might still be in the wound.  So, to be on the safe side, I called Dr. Cook from Woodford Equine just to make sure everything was okay.  It turned out to be pretty deep but he gave me a regimen to follow for the next few days that included flushing with betadine/saline, hot toweling to increase circulation to the area, bute, and a couple days of stall rest.

Today, the puncture hole is healing up.

The wound is healing nicely, the most important thing is to make sure it doesn't get infected.  So far, so good.  However, the swelling is slowly moving down his leg. 

Can you tell which side is swollen?

He's pretty sore and walking gingerly right now.  Considering the fact that he was driving me crazy being in the stall all day and night, I decided that he could go out now.  It's probably good for him to walk around on it and move that leg.  He was pretty pathetic today, and I know he's in a lot of pain. 

It HURTSSSSSSS!!!

I do feel sorry for the Smokey, but honestly, it was his own fault!  We had a long talk this week about money....and how I am not made of money....and how money doesn't grow on trees....and how I had to put off the chiropractor appointment until this was healed....and how I wish he would just be a little more careful....and how I wasn't having any fun right now!! 

Anyways...that is the update from Smokey and me.  Once we get every part of him worked out, I will let you know.  Right now, I'm planning for our first horse trials to be in 2020.  Seriously.