I won’t lie to you but I am worried about Klængur.  His hooves are just not healing.  There has been no sign of an abscess and nothing has come to a head. Klængur has been lame for a while now, alternating from painful to hopping.  Not good.

Today Daisy and I drove over to Sandness where Klængur is living in a stable.  Jo wanted to try a new treatment – alternating standing his hoof in hot water and then cold to try and draw out the abscess.  His right hoof was very hot yesterday and he could barely walk.

First we gave him a feed with Danilon in it so that there was something in his system to help while we did this alternate bucket thing.  He was very happy to eat his painkillers.

While Klængur was eating his grub, we had put the Burco boiler in the next door shed to heat up the water.

Jo flitted between the sheds in her oilskins (national dress for Gale Force 8 and sheet rain) collecting and refilling buckets.

Klængur was a perfect gentleman and a stoic.  He stood completely still while we alternated the buckets of water.   We made sure that the water was always above the coronet band too so that if the abscess is going to burst through there, the hot water could work on that area too.

Klængur never mentioned if it was difficult or painful, just stood there and made polite conversation, gently nuzzling us and accepting any snuggles.  He really is the most gentle horse I have ever met.

Then a poultice was put on his foot and it was bandaged in vetwrap.  We will now wait and see. If it is dry tonight, then the foot will have Icthammol ointment to see if that draws anything out.

I hate this waiting game and even more seeing my beloved boy in pain.