Abscess...

I had a serious case of "I don't deserve to own him" today. I wasn't at the barn last week, due to Thanksgiving, and my instructor/his former owner treated his scratches for me. I got reports that he was doing really well, until yesterday. She suspected a hoof abscess.

I drove to the barn after dropping my brother and nephew off at BWI, and found Daniel flat out lame. It took 3 of us to BEG him to walk to the barn... I was beside myself, pleading with him to walk on that hoof.

Once we got him in the grooming stall, I cut off the duct-tape bandage Lee put on yesterday, and soaked his hoof in Epsom salts and warm water for about 20 minutes. He seems SOOOO much happier! He stood so patiently to get his hoof soaked. I contacted the barn manager and arranged to put him in a lay-up stall.

It kills me that I only get to see him once, maybe twice a week. It kills me that when he needs to be treated, I have to ask other people to handle it for me. Everyone tells me that it's OK, everyone helps each other out, but I feel like I'm not doing right by my big boy.

Hopefully when I get closer to graduation, I'll have him closer to home and will know enough to handle things for him. Until that day, I'll have to keep learning, and going to see him on Sundays.