Managed to injure herself................Knowing that soon, a winter storm would be headed our way, Sunday morning when I returned home from work, I put on the girls' blankets and halters on them. Stephen had already fed them, and although there was little snow left on the ground, it was chilly and the ground had frozen, I still decided to let them out in the pasture area. They did not go crazy, just a little trot down to the end as I stood there watching poised to scream "Whoa!" if they got goofy and then went off to sleep. When I woke and went out to feed at 4pm and the setting sun, I found Miss Misty standing in the shed and thought nothing of it has I dropped the pellets into their bowls until she did not move. I tried to move her and there it was.........A three legged horse, SHIT! I called for Stephen and quickly separated them. It was her front left leg. She was unable to bare any weight on it and to move was doing the hind leg backward hop. I felt up and down that leg from shoulder to hoof, picked out that hoof and could not feel anything abnormal. I flexed it forward and her leg from knee down would swing........very concerning! I called the Vet and told her my findings. We decided that since she was attempting to eat still, that I would give her some Banamine and watch until morning. When I went back out after coming in to retrieve the Banamine and Poultice, she was clearly in pain, breathing heavily. I gave her the dose and after a call to Jeremiah for more advice, applied poultice from her shoulder down to her hoof. She was able to move herself from the shed to the end of the paddock, I'm sure doing the backwards hop. Vet & I decided that if she was not 80% better by morning that they would come out and take X-rays. Stephen did a late night check for me and did notice her with both front legs straight on the ground. At least I was able to sleep. By the morning, thankfully, she was at least 80% better, now baring weight and moving forward without a limp. Obviously tender, but so much better. Now able to more closely see, I notice that it is concentrated to her knee. It's swollen............So since Sunday we have been treating with Poultice in the morning and Banamine over night. The swelling has come down, but it still is swollen. The good news is she continues to move forward and bare weight. I imagine that this is just a matter of time healing. I must admit that this was very scary, thought at first it was a break. Unfortunately, I've had to put the big girl in with her now as the temps are dropping and the storm is well on it's way today and I have only one heated water source for them. And they do not like to be separated.........The plan is to keep them in the paddock with the shed for the time being and give her a night time half dose of Banamine for at least a couple of days. If it's not a blizzard by morning, I'll try and brush off the rest of the Poultice and give her skin a rest. Hopefully they'll stay quiet and Miss Kola won't spook her tonight. Part of the problem I have is we had mud that has now frozen into pot holes and they need to step carefully. They've been in together all day and have been relatively quiet, hoping it stays that way.
