About a month ago we
noticed that Beau wasn’t moving properly, and after some checking the ladies
found out that one of his horseshoes had partly loosened. This was quickly fixed by the blacksmith who fitted new shoes. However, the problem didn’t disappear, and with help of some
of the ladies in the stable Beau was put on rest and some medication. Two weeks
later the improvement was only minor, and Mary decided to take Beau to the vet.
There he got a thorough examination to find the cause of his lameness. It turned
out Beau had an infection or irritation in one of his joints, and to cure this
an injection was given. Beau was given 4 weeks of restricted movement, limited
to two walks of 20 minutes each, and rest inside his box.
After a few days real panic hit, as the caretaker
at the stable diagnosed Beau with colic. Unfortunately Mary and the girls were
all out, and it was quickly decided to let the vet come. Beau got some medicine,
a completely empty box, and no food for 24 hours. Especially the latter is real
punishment for him! The cause of this colic (severe intestine cramps) is not
really clear, but could be related to lack of movement, or even stress as Beau had
a new neighbour in the stable he clearly didn’t like. Now his walks are split
up into 4 short 10 minute outings, which is just enough for a loop around the
stable. And his box is slowly filled with straw again (he likes to eat it).
Luckily his good nature hasn’t suffered too much, and the weather in this
everlasting winter is not really inviting for a lot of outdoor riding. Hopefully real spring and full recovery are coincident!
