Shakespeare

"To be, or not to be, that is is question."

Not to be.

My endurance ride hopes in three weeks were dashed when I arrived at the stable to find Major with a swollen hock.

I'm not usually a freak-out horse owner, having had enough bumps and bruises. So I figured to just cold hose this and see what's going on. He was flinching away from the hose, and not letting me near his leg to poke or prod what looked like a tiny scrape. My normally stoic horse was hurting.

Sigh. Normally I might wait and see a bit on the vet. But a painful  injury over a joint? And me leaving for the weekend? Major was loaded into the trailer (which was packed with all my tack for a long training ride the next day, sigh..)

With heavy sedation (no lightweight this boy!) vet was able to poke and prod. And not find a deep wound or any joint involvement (probably, always a caveat). Just an infection and pus and swelling, the wound needed to be enlarged a bit to flush it all out. Glad it was "just" that, but damn!

(There are no pictures. I just held Major's lead rope. I do not do well with wounds. Or needles. As the vet who picked me up off the floor after they stuck a needle in my old cats eye will attest.)

Wound cleaned and bandaged, Major stood groggily at the trailer. Back home he got a mash with 14 antibiotic pills, which at least he gobbled all up. Twice a day for two weeks. He doesn't care, I mixed it in with a bit of senior feed and he's super happy about that!

Later he said he was sorry. Me too buddy, me too. But there are other rides, and days to train, and only one Major.

To be, or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them.
   —William Shakespeare, Hamlet