"hakuna your tatas, emma"

Happy Valentines Day, everybody! Let's celebrate the occasion by reviewing an extended-cut collection of recent photos (and gifs omg) of Charlie being entertained by his favorite barn friends and obvi some gnarly updated shots of the #HoofHole2023....

charlie is the luckiest horse to have so many friends enriching his days during this long recovery!

First Update: As anyone who's been around long enough may have surmised, my optimistic tone and ambitious hopes for beginning Charlie's reintroduction to full turnout last Friday were.... hm, premature.  

after switching to the dry wrap protocol we ended up with a bit of a blockage

As you may recall, we transitioned protocols by the end of last week to a fully dry wrap. Meaning we stopped soaking the hoof, and, a few days later, stopped using Animalintex wet poultice pads in the wraps. Meanwhile, we continued applying the antibiotics slurry.

using betadine for a little extra flushing

My vet advised me on Thursday night to be more aggressive in scraping off old residue from the medicine. Tho, I'd already finished Thursday's wrap by the time that advice came through, so I figured it'd just be a new part of the protocol for Friday. 

these little curved-tip syringes are extremely versatile and useful tools!

But by Friday night, the residue had already blocked things up enough to increase pressure inside Charlie's hoof, so he was decidedly less comfortable again. Not critical, but a setback. 

not really soaking, here --- kinda just dunking a bit to help clear the blockage

My vet said to do what needed done to clear out the blockage, but then otherwise continue with the dry wrapping plan -- don't reintroduce soaking or wetness to the wrap. 

side story:: michael almost came to the horse show with us omg haha

She also recommended scuttling my original plans for attempting a start to reintroducing full turnout. The horse was much better by Saturday, but she still felt like slower was safer. 

moving on to sunday, the first day where we didn't reapply an antibiotic slurry.
also omg his sole is BLACK

Charlie is doing well with brief stints in the paddock tho. He goes out in the morning while barn staff does chores. I assume this is for about an hour. Most days I pop him out again in the evening while I clean his stall and prepare for his wrap change. 

mmmmmm fluid in da hole. just treating with betadine from here out

And some days he's lucky enough to have a friend willing to sneak him out again midday. Realistically, Charlie is not a great paddock pony, bc he eventually gets impatient and weaves. And the charm of the paddock is already wearing off a bit....

charles is so helpful

But the frequent changes of scenery (aided and abetted, naturally, by a fresh flake of hay!) are still entertaining enough, I suppose. 

d'aww his friends turned him out midday for some fun in the warm sun on Monday!!!

It's good to see him out, too. Stall rest is just plain hard on this horse's body. I'm starting to create a mental inventory of what all we'll need to do once he's past this process. 

so happy to see him moving around even tho he's lonely and sad
(also. pls be nice. i know he's lame. you know he's lame. the vet knows he's lame. we all know. the whole system is operating in distinctly suboptimal conditions right now, mkay?)

Probably, uh, some ulcergard lol. Honestly probably should have maybe already started that... But I really didn't think we'd be looking at so much stall rest, whoops. 

ugh his condition is so discouraging rn, i might have actually cried a little lot when my friend texted this picture :'(

I'm also noodling on plans for what Charlie's general reintroduction to riding might look like. Realistically.... he's just in bad shape, all around. 

boot performed well in its first mud test tho!

We'll probably do his hocks right around the very tail end of this whole saga, tho ultimately I'll defer to my vet on her thoughts re: timing. Then... Well. We're basically starting at zero.

honestly feeling good about this! after snapping the pic, i pulled out the leather insert to let it air out and brush off the mud. might also cut up an old yoga mat to add padding***
(**based on the input of an anonymous commenter who shared successes from how they coped in a similar situation.
pro tip: unsolicited advice? meh. sharing stories of what did or did not work for you? amazing!)

I tried to do the math the other day, and it's kinda an ugly set of numbers. Charlie got basically the whole month of August off after his #TangleWithTensile. 

wondering if those heel bulb marks are just bc it was more wet this day.... still using a "pillow" of cotton fluff inside the wrap

Then there was another 6wks off after kinda general malaise in October/November leading up to the vet prescribing Equioxx.

mmmmm #bubbles #gross #itsBETADINEnotblood
i think this is progress tho? reminder: we still expect this is a "false sole" that will eventually (soon?) slough off, revealing a new sole underneath --- sorta like growing in a new toenail underneath the dead one.

And now we're already 6wks into this saga, with every expectation of a few more to come. That's.... a shit ton of time out of work just in the last six months. And Charlie's condition right now, paired with the effects of prolonged stall rest.... reflect the consequences. 

"your coat matches my slipper <3" -- charles, who adores children

So ya know. Brace yourselves for the transition to unending "Rehab" posts, I guess. And --- before you even go there, I do NOT want to hear a SINGLE bit of unsolicited advice about the value of "walking" and "hills." Please, kindly, go fuck yourself. 

my sweet goofy pony, we'll take care of you!

Ahem. Anyways lol. Aside from Charlie's splint surgery, this whole ordeal is running away with the prize for "Most Ridiculous Ding Yet." Here's hoping those won't be famous last words, tho, lol..... 

And in the meantime, I'm gonna do my best to just calm the F down and keep giving the horse what he needs** <3 

(**aka, beefing him back up that #DadBod shape we know and love!!!)