Changing Weather

Here in Northeast Georgia we escaped the tornadoes that ravaged my home town in North Carolina this weekend, but we did see our fair share of tree toppling winds, hail, and strong lighting activity. At some point in the evening of storms, Whisper got hurt.

It's not really known how it happened or why, but it appears that she kicked the board fence. The board fence around the pasture we use is also lined with taunt barbwire. I know, horse people everywhere just cringed. Please remember this is free pasture land that has been offered us, until now without incident.

The wire and the boards on the fence each showing pieces of Whisper. Her left hind had the most injuries with a small, but very deep puncture near the base of her hock joint, a large and long abrasion on her cannon, as well as 5 other small gashes and abrasions where hair is missing and only her black skin shows. This leg also suffered soft tissue damage seen as swelling. She favors it the most.

Her right hind leg has less injury, but the worst cut. A deep gash that goes very near her splint bone and a long abrasion on the inside.

Treatment has included a lot of cold water hosing to help with pain, alleviate swelling and inflammation, as well as flushing the wound sites. The first two days I also added in a chlorihexidine wash to the wounds and flushed the punctures. After cleaning the wounds are being dressed (the punctures packed) with nitrofurazone.  We are watching closely for infection signs and carefully keeping the punctures open to allow healing to occur from the inside out. No complications yet and the swelling seems improved, the soft tissue damage causing her lameness has me the most worried so Banimine powder once daily is helping with the inflammation.

Promise and Pirate were fine through the storms. Promise has the added advantage of years of natural horse sense that Whisper did not get being kept stalled on horse tracks for years.

Looking ahead, Whisper would be much better off in a stall situation and safe pasture fencing. While we were lucky to be offered free pasture boarding that allowed us to take Promise and Whisper in the first place, I'm not doing the best thing for Whisper keeping them like this. I spent an afternoon writing to every barn within a 30 mile radius looking for options.

It would be sad to leave David's horse, Beauty, and her bright little Star behind if we can find the means to move. Star is holding her own for now, still having hind leg issues that have not strengthened up enough for her to be out of the enclosure with Beauty yet.