Rain? Who ordered rain?

For some reason I was completely taken aback by seeing rain this morning. Unfortunately it meant that I can't walk Campo because the barn surface does not have enough give in it for him at the moment, and I really didn't want to get soaked. It has stopped for the moment so I might take him out in a minute. Meanwhile I have given him Buttie for company today because I just felt it was time he had some interaction. Buttie is being cheeky and getting squealed at, but then he is biting his chin so it serves him right :-))

There has been a big change in his action today. It doesn't feel much like progress but SH reminds me that after less than two weeks ALL change is good change because it is showing that things are ..... changing. So from being more lame on the off fore, he is suddenly more lame on the near fore today, and it isn't wearing off in the barn. If looks like classic navicular, and he was doing a classic toe-point too. I gave him the choice of being on the concrete yard or in his box last night and it looks like he chose to stand for too long on the hard surface and has given himself an aching heel.

I am simply gobsmacked, literally open-mouthed, at what has happened to his feet in 24 hours. I will photograph again tomorrow, when I think he will have an event line big enough to hold a pencil in place! His foot above the line is so tight and upright that it makes the rest of his toe look as if it is somehow "loose" and crumpling upwards. It's not, it's just the comparison of the two lines, but the speed of this change is simply unbelievable. His soles are much more difficult to flex with my fingers and I am extremely hopeful that we have cracked the insulin issues. Food wise, he routinely has food left in the barn in the evening and in the stable in the morning. He's eating as much as he needs and no more. Isn't that just wonderful????

I'm having trouble remembering that I only took him on for a few days to save him from being put to sleep, until I could ship him to someone with a dry lot. Now that he is here, and such a lovely boy, I am going to keep him until he is completely sound, however long that takes.  He is so rewarding. I told Nikki that I would give him one month to prove to me that he could improve and that if there was no improvement I would have him put to sleep myself at the end of March. There is no possibility whatsoever of that happening now, and with the absolutely incredible changes happening to his feet, I doubt that it will be necessary for a long, long time.  Let's hope I'm right!

C