Crazy summer times!

It has been quite awhile since my last post and a lot has happened. As someone who likes to read and write it's rather funny to me that blogging isn't something I stick with a bit better. Anyways, it has been a rather weird summer for D and I. He started off June 2015 with a bang (and of course I was still in school) teaching me that horses can, in fact, get bladder infections- I did not know that!! We went the "cheaper" route which was not cheap, by the way, but long story short- his pee cleared and he did start urinating which was the goal.

In May D and Juli participated in a show at the stables and he was a trooper. He handled the day completely opposite of how I expected (typical) and his two classes like a pro. Juli stuck with walk/ trot just because we weren't certain what he would do and he probably would've been fine with canter. 

A few weeks after dealing with the bladder infection D had another abscess flare up. In January he had a really bad abscess in his back left foot (first picture below). Ever since then he can't seem to completely heal/dry up his frogs. I try to make sure his feet are picked out at least every other day and it seems he flares after I've been out of town. I put koppertox on his feet a minimum of once a week to attempt to dry them up. Not really sure why his feet are struggling since it hasn't been that much wetter than normal. The guess is that since he is blind he isn't kicking debris out of his feet as a "normal" horse would. It's anybody's guess at this point. The abscess this time was back right foot and since he's been touchy with his right front he felt extremely off quite quickly. I have learned a lot about poultice and ichthamol and have gotten pretty good with vet wrap and making a wrap with gorilla tape so he was taped up pretty quickly and it came out in about 3 days. Our farrier (Shearer) is fantastic as well coming out to check on him and answers all of my crazy questions. 

This is when most of the abscess was out (left foot)

He is so patient!! :)

It has been a VERY HOT summer so not being able to ride has been frustrating but not as big of a deal as it could be. Riding D continues to be a challenge since his balance is terrible but his confidence is high. It feels like I am sitting on explosives most of the time I attempt to ride and just like explosives his listening isn't always so great. 

As always ,I continue to monitor and adjust and do my best to care for D. The amount of issues of late are a concern and so we shall see how he does as fall comes. (Thank goodness!)

D and his best buddy 

This photo was taken last fall by Ellen- we have found a beautiful place for D!!