Down, and down and down like water...

That's kinda how things are feeling right now. Let's start with my sore throat, headache, fever and general malaise. Yup, I'm sick too.

Down further? Well, there's Moon's hind legs. Heat in the right hind fetlock, a squishy lump with heat in the left hind hock. And twice daily poulticing and cold hosing. Which hasn't yet done anything.

This evening, since I don't want to wrack up T's electrical bill, I gave ice pads a try...unfortunately, by the time I fed the horses at the place I'm looking after and got to Moon, they were just cool. So he had cool icepacks for 15 minutes this evening.

I did do 15 minutes of cold water in the morning on both his fetlock and hock. I do think his fetlock was cooler this evening, if that counts for anything.

Then of course, I'm standing there next to him with the icepacks, and he suddenly loses his mind. Pulls back like the devil on the leadrope like he was being attacked by something. Of course, I shout at him, and thankfully when he hit the end of the line, he stopped.

...um, remember that thing about never tying a horse tight because they can break their neck? Thankfully didn't happen here. And I DID have my leadrope knotted b/c Moon is an escape artist (he can remove his bridle too). I had to switch him to another lead rope so I could pull out a hoof pick and attempt to unknot the thing from the rail! Oye.

The benefit of these twice daily visits is that he gets his vitamins...

Don't know if he's lame or not. Seems fine at a walk, though once or twice he looks sore. I can't tell. Who the heck actually knows anymore. I'll let him relax till Friday and then trot him out to try and judge.

Honestly, the whole thing is exhausting, I'm exhausted and am so not wanting to caught in this chronic battle of heat and swelling. A terrible part of me just wants to ignore it all for a week and believe that will make it all better. Always seems like the more you care, the worse it is.

The only thing this has really done for me, is reminded me how desperately I want to live in the country with my horse in my backyard. DESPERATELY. Or worst case, at W's place where if I need, I can put him in a stall for the night, or I can cold hose him without concern, or heck, I could just pay them $10, save my time, my gas and my sore throat, and have them soak him. And could trot him out in a sand arena to check for lameness. Have the expert opinion of a couple more people. Even to have someone who'll check up on him a couple times a day, who can rewrap him is needed and to know that's he's getting all the nutrients he needs to perform his job.

I just don't know. I just want him better. And I just want to feel better.