A week or so later he got even more irritable, and shortly after I found out why. An abscess had been brewing in his hoof. He got more and more lame, so we had the vet out. The vet said for me to soak his hoof in Epsom salts every morning, and wrap his hoof. So I did that, and the abscess burst. But it burst up near his coronary band, and some of the infection went up into the leg. He got a fever, and cellulitis. His whole leg up to the knee was hot and swollen. So, poor Ollie went on antibiotics, a standing leg wrap, as well as continuing the soaks and hoof wraps. The vet came out a second time, and Ollie hadn't improved much. His limping was better, but he was still really limping. The next day, another abscess burst in his heel bulb, and then two days after, a third one came. After the third abscess burst, Ollie was left with a deep three inch horizontal line across his heel bulb where the abscesses had burst. Still slightly off, I had the vet come out again for a third time. Luckily, the vet said he is just in the healing process, and it would take longer to heal because the heal bulb moves from the pressure of the hoof and with Ollie always walking, but that the worst was over.
Now, Ollie is much better, but is still healing, so I haven't ridden him in about 4 weeks. Because Ollie is off on "vacation", I have temporarily adopted Sherman as my horse for me to ride until Ollie is healed and content.
I am finding Sherman to be quite the horse! He is extremely fast at the lope or gallop, but also surprisingly level headed and clam. If you ask him to slow down he will, and he doesn't get crazy eyed over some of the things I was expecting him to. I took him on a trail ride with my mom and Mrs. June on Wednesday and he didn't blink an eye at the noises, traffic, water, bridges, or even the mountain bike hills. He and I went up a few of them, and instead of gaining speed to go up the hill, he would just dig his toes in the dirt and walk/shuffle on up. He had the "I got this" air to himself, and he performed like a champ.
Now, I think I have you all caught up in the happenings of my horsey life. I hope to post more but with my day being so impromptu I cannot guarantee anything. To those that still read this blog, thank you for hanging in there with me!
~Alyssa
