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Flexor Stresser.

I had this post all written and scheduled to go up this past weekend.  And then I received information that made part of the post.. um.. not tasteful.  I know.  Practicing tact!  So here's the bulk of what I was going to say, with all the other removed.

On Wednesday, I pulled my Ponykins from the pasture and set about grooming him. I do his top half first so I can put the Contender II on and give it warm up time.

He stood placidly by while I removed his fly boots.

And found his outside left fore cannon swollen and slightly warm. With a dime-sized cut.  Yargh.
The first night, I didn't have my plastic wrap or anything.  I just cleaned it really well and used the standing wraps that were still in my car from the show.  Laziness does have its perks!  I did have bute, though, so the pony got some pain meds. I went back Thursday morning before work (ended up an hour late) to cold hose again and wrap with a poultice.  I don't know what that would do to a cut, burn?, but I made sure to give the open skin ample room and space to breathe away from the plastic wrap.

I went back by after work on Thursday.  More cold hosing, poulticing, wrapping, bute and some betadine for the cut.  Thoughts of proud flesh and gnarly wounds were running through my head, because the surface on this thing had gotten gross.  I had told myself that if it weren't showing signs of improvement by Thursday night, I would call the vet out on Friday.  But, luckily, the swelling had gone down a bit and the scab on the cut fell off as soon as I touched it with the betadine wipe, revealing a smooth surface area.  Also, for the record, Dude was completely sound and reacted in no way to pressure on the bone, the swelling, or even the ouchie. I went back out Friday morning to check it before work.  I timed it better though and was only my normal amount of late.  Archie was in the midst of eating breakfast, so I grabbed his food bucket and brought it back up to the wash rack.  He happily munched while I did all my work.

And I was pleasantly surprised to see that the definition was back in his cannon and the heat was completely gone.  I still cold hosed him for about five minutes.  I opted to not put any wraps on him, so the wound could have even more space to breathe and it wouldn't get too hot today (76º?), and instead clothed him in all his fly gear and gave him kisses and a good bye.
I didn't check him on Friday night, because I felt pretty good about the leg now.  Historically, he gets these things and they last two days and then are all better.  I haven't ever let it go untreated, so I don't know if the work I do makes it better or if it just makes me feel better.

On Saturday, I opted to give him a light ride.  We just did a half mile walk, a half mile trot, and a half mile cool down.  I wanted to make sure that the leg could handle all of this okay.  Checking it afterwards, there was still no heat and the cut appeared fine.  The position of the cut was what led to me being a wee bit more cautious, what with being all on that superficial digital flexor tendon.

And Sunday, we did a little more.  I asked for some canter and I had a rocket in my hands.  We had to repeat the request a couple times because instead of working into the stride, he leapt into it.  And if the halt-canter transitions were any indication, Dude felt good.






