Beau is out of action

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!