Scratches.......

Unreal sometimes how the world works! An experienced horseman told me just three days ago of how a lot of horses are getting scratches suddenly this month, I nodded and poof! two days later my white mare (hard hard black feet) has them on her near hind on the fetlock. I slathered on Vicks last night (old country remedy I've used often, something in the camphor is the active ingredient plus the gel - I am guessing something like Vaseline? - keeps the area soft). This morning the infection's backing up her leg, so will be poulticing the swollen affected area from hock to fetlock in a couple of minutes with hand-hot kaolin (trade name is UPTITE, huge plastic tub of the stuff costs under $20) plastered on thick, then a sheet of Seranwrap to keep the heat in. The deal works on the theory of osmosis if you remember your science lessons - ?! - and then a good wrap of what are now old-fashioned tail bandages. Which can be re-cycled and re-washed. Vetrap's fine but getting equal pressure (try doing an example model on your wrist say and you'll be surprised at the torque) can be the devil, and it's a one-use only product. Fine in some circs, yes, I agree. She's also getting a shot of Bute as she's definitely not sound and will stop Miss Cranky biting everyone's ass in the field.

I'll be giving that until late this afternoon, pull the lot off (normally for UPTITE poulticing I aim at 12-18 hours tops and see what miracles have happened), scrub down with antibiotic soap and hot water and see what's improving. The Best pulled this stunt too once in 2004 where her leg came up in 24 hours, and she needed major antibiotics for 12 days in total - plus a heart-starter emergency shot when she reacted big-time to the vet's first intra-muscular penicillin injection aimed at getting antibiotics into her bloodstream and into gear. My heart too just about seized at how quick that reaction set in that day...... but in 20 minutes she stabilized and was amazingly nonchalent about the whole life-death deal.

Horses, just totally in the moment! After that she had antibiotic powder (not penicillin!) mixed with water in a mouth syringe and became amazingly canny at anticipating when I had just oats in my pocket or that dratted gunk! ...but for her, yep, it took a good two weeks before the scratches cleared out and she was sound and really right again.

Some horses, I can remember one that stayed a summer for mountain work, had eye-watering cases of scratches and not her I-am-dying-and-my-legs-are-swelling-and-infected reaction at all. Interesting that, as The Best has one of the highest pain tolerances I've ever known in a horse.

Another experienced trainer and breeder has just emailed in recommending a product called T-Zone (which includes tea tree oil as one of its ingredients - always useful for the first aid kit that oil!), and which is stocked apparently at The Horsestore in Kensington, Calgary.

Any other remedies, thoughts, yep, please post a comment!