Leg update

I went to the barn this AM early, as Mike had work before 9. Looks like the BO wasn't awake yet, but Holden had plenty of hay in his stall. There was a bute scoop on the ground (lol) near his stall, so it looks like he got the bute I asked for...

Before coldhosing, minimal thickness.

His leg looked great this AM. I unwrapped his stable bandages, afterwards palpitating the leg. The thickness is still there, but no heat. I think the thickness is as little as it has been, because for the first time I was able to feel what felt like two very small bumps (old splints, maybe?) in the groove that sits between the cannon and the digital flexor tendon - similar to the splints Spooky had in his RF. They didn't seem to bother him, he didn't mind me palpitating the area deeply. 

I took him out to cold-hose him, and spent about seven minutes hosing the leg while he grazed. He was good, the leg seemed set -- so I brought him back into the barn and brushed off/dried off his legs, brushing the scurf and other stuff that is still on his legs. Tomorrow I am going to scrub his legs with a medicated shampoo. 

I walked him around the indoor in both directions for about fifteen minutes. Despite being on self-prescribed  "stall rest", I wanted to see what the leg looked like after it had some time to decompress from the wraps, and I figured walking him wouldn't hurt so long as the antics were kept at bay. He was great in both directions, and I even convinced him to stop at the mounting block and let me stand/step off of it a few times. I should mention despite him not being "worked", I didn't miss the opportunity to bridle him -- with a handful of Cheerios I managed to slip his bridle on no problem.  He's definitely starting to come around, and today didn't startle or shy once from any movement on my part. There was no change to the thickness in his ankle after hand-walking.

A picture at a slight angle, to show the "swelling".

After handwalking in the indoor I took him back into the isle and ice-wrapped him. I brushed him off, inspected his feet, and took him back outside to graze some more while the ice stayed on for about fifteen minutes. I also took the time to pick his stall while he was in it, and also clean his waterbuckets. I know it is the BO's job, but it's hard for me to feel completely relinquished of all my duties -- plus, his stall was quite messy..  He was very good about this, and quite inquisitive to what I was doing around him. I rewrapped his stable bandages and will go back before work to unwrap and redress them. 

His cut on his hock looks okay, so I hosed it a little and put some more salve on it.While doing this, one of the horses in the BO's makeshift paddock got loose... so I had to walk up the road and put him away.

The BO came out while I was about to write her a message asking her why she had yet to open up Holden's new grain and feed it to him. She addressed that topic right away, which made me feel better as I was afraid she would lie about it and I hate being confrontational. I told her he needed to be switched over to it immediately, and I left her a note with his new rations for tonight and tomorrow on his grain bag. I am going to ask her if I can grain him early tonight, since I'm stopping by there anyway -- so at least I know what amount he is getting fed at the moment. I feel like I am being a possessive and controlling owner, but after seeing his grain bag unopened for the second day in a row, I feel my cattiness may be justified.