Wednesday 26th November 2014
Bijou had his first training pulling a cart and us in it last Friday but before his training he was tied for one hour to the barn wall while Bichette was being trained, and he didn't like it a bit. He kept stamping his front leg furiously on the ground for ever. I don't know if the stamping damaged his leg or if he twisted his front right leg while being trained but the next day he was limping badly. We gave him Ibuprofen for a few days and this morning we didn't, thinking he might be better but tonight he was limping badly again. I looked at his hoof for a stone but no stone there. I cleaned the hoof but I could not see an abscess there either. I think he might have damaged a tendon or something but there doesn't seem to be any swelling there....
I called anyone with equine connections or experience for advice before calling on the vet. The last time I called the vet, I was charged just under €100 and the vet didn’t even know how to rid Bijou of its parasites!!!
Thursday 27th November 2014
Emilie from the “Gallops du Boisset” equestrian centre, called back first thing in the morning and was here at 9.30am with her tools for a hoof inspection: It is an abscess after all, and she gave me her blacksmith’s name and number. He is very busy for the whole week ahead but will be here at 8.30am before his day’s work tomorrow.
Another neighbour, Micou, who owns a few horses around here, popped in here after Emilie to offer his help with Bijou. He was walking on crutches having put his foot in a hole(!!!) His father was a blacksmith and he had loads of common senses suggestions on equine’s health that he held from his dad.
This is what I have learned from these people:
1- Never give anti-inflammatory pills to an an animal as it will then behave as if it had no pain and could damage itself even more in the process.
2- Always call a blacksmith before you call a vet.
3- If you suspect the equine to have damaged a tendon, make a paste with “argile vert” (from the chemist) and warm water, put it on the animal leg and wrap it with cling film. Repeat every other day.
4- For parasites, get some sulphur ( stuff used by wine makers) and make a paste mixing it with cooking oil. Put the mixture where you see hair missing, or where the animal bites itself. For a general preventative measure, starting in the spring, use sulphur once/week as a powder on their coat.
5- An unnoticed abscess will eventually burst but it could take up to a month.
6- To get rid of a tic on a pet, never use a chemical, even advised by the chemist, as the tic with re-inject the animal with its own blood before dying, which may cause serious problems for the animal as a result. Get a little tool, especially designed for tics and sold at the chemist and pull the tic out with it, then spreading a bit of anti sceptic on the bite.
7- Always reach out to people around you. They are a precious pool of knowledge and so ready to help. I am so touched by all those people that responded to my call for Bijou. I am also so indebted to old Mr Delrieux and his wife who came from 45kms away with their own donkey cart to train Bijou and Bichette all afternoon last Friday and were not going to take any money from us…
I hope this could be useful to some of you out there!
If I don't have something new to share with you before Christmas, have a good one everybody!
Martine
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