Mustang Saga

Tonka is doing well. His abscess ruptured the night after I last wrote, and it's now an open sore the size of a quarter with the big hard mass underneath it. He's eating like a horse, normal energy level, not droopy, no snot, slight eye boogers but nothing alarming. My vet isn't too worried at all. But we're going to get the nasties cultured anyway. Unfortunately the lab is kind of messed up because of the holidays so I guess we'll be lucky if we get a preliminary result by Friday.

Until then, we observe quarantine. (Insert creepy music of doom here.) I hate it.

Here's the drill: Go feed other horses. Go back into house, change out of work coat, put all hair under stocking cap, put on nitrile gloves, mix epsom salts and hot water and put several paper towels in it to soak. Fill bucket of water (bleached handle and bottom). Take self and buckets out. Change into frozen rubber boots 100 feet from corral. Pour water in trough. Step in foot bath with bleach solution. Get hay, take in, foot bath, more hay, take in. Do warm compresses for 10 minutes. Go out, throw away paper towels, latch gate, foot bath, throw away gloves. Pick up water bucket. Sanitize handle. Hand sanitizer, change boots, hand sanitizer. Footbath nearer to house, then leave water bucket in foot bath. Get in house, strip in laundry room (John especially likes that part) throw clothes into washer and run it on hot. Vigorously wash hands and wrists. Find something warm to wear.

The vet said not to go overboard with the quarantine procedure since other horses have to come in contact with bodily fluids to catch it, but I could so easily track those around on my shoes or get them on my clothes.

Well, I've been sitting here forever, was interrupted by a phone call, and now I'm tired, so I'm off. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!