So once again I am behind in writing... So, for this blog, we will be taking a trip back in history, about three weeks ago to be exact.

*******************BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHT******************************

March 8,2010.

  So this has been an interesting weekend.

  It all started on Friday night at dinner when another student came up to me and asked how to catch one of the horses. She had been checking on a couple of the horses that were being kept in the barn because of injuries and while she was down there noticed that one of the horses that was turned out was limping. So Andrea, who is also a member of the team, and I went to go check things out. Sure enough, he was limping. Thankfully we were able to get in touch with our instructor to get permission to bring the horse in and check on him. We couldn't find any visible injury, but since he appeared hurt we put him in the stall for the night so the vet could come look at him in the morning. The night in seemed to do him good - he seemed better come morning, so the vet thought that he may have just pulled something because of all the mud in the paddock.

   Sunday morning Allie, our team manager, was informed that another horse had been brought in because of being lame. So, once again I headed down to the barn to see what was up. Sure enough, another horse had been brought in and when we took him out of the stall to look at him it was evident that he was in major pain. Again we could not see an obvious sign of injury, but we were in contact with Mrs. Jennifer (our instructor) who asked us to give the horse a dose of Bute and leave him up so she could check on him when she got to campus. Fortunately, just as we were finishing and getting ready to leave Dr. Halbrooks, our veterinarian, showed up. He had just been having lunch at the school and thought he would drive by to see if anyone was at the barn. When he saw that we were at the barn he stopped to see what was up. He took the opportunity to look at our newest injury and diagnosed it as an abscess. He began treatment with an antibiotic and recommended that we get a Ferrier to come look at the foot as soon as possible.

   On Monday a Ferrier did come to look at the horse. He found a spot in the hoof that was weaker and could have been a sign of an abscess higher up in the foot. Finally, he found the abscess and then drained 10 ml of gunk out of it.  It was gross.

********************** BRIGHT FLSH OF LIGHT**************************

March 25, 2010

   Well, that was an interesting weekend, and now that we are back in current time I am happy to report that all horses are well and doing great.