Apache's Eye

["April" <adlee@mailandnews.com>]

ok, gang,

 thanks so much for all the replies you gave me on Apache's eye and the
trailer loading incident.  Chelle, I'd love to have the blow by blow of your
trailer-loading lesson plan.  You're more than welcome to send it private
(adlee@bigfoot.com) in case others aren' t interested.  I'm a big John
Lyons' fan, but I'm always looking for new, safe, ways to train.  I find it
very interesting.

Next time Serts (the gelding with the bad experience given to him yesterday)
gets into my trailer it will HAVE to be after a few trailer loading lessons.
I don't want to be part of what I was apart of yesterday, ever.  I'd have
rather hand walked him the 2 or 3 miles home rather than go through that.
Anyway, thanks for all those replies.

My hand is getting better (or is it those leftover perscription pain
pills?).  A friend at work noticed large bruises and swelling on my arms
that I hadn't noticed either.  I forgot while I was trying to remember to
let go of the rope, I was pulled into the grate covering the front window of
my trailer while Serts got out of the trailer in a hurry...But all is well
with me...I will mend fast!  :)  At least I didn't break something or
receive a concussion!

I took Apache to the vet first thing this morning.  Skipped my first class.
Didn't want to, but the vet was busy all day and I had to scurry to catch
him before his first appointment.

For all of you that advised giving him bute, i couldn't because I didn't
have any. Not true now.  :)  I have one of those big syringes now.

Vet squirted dye into his eye, rinsed it out, looked at it with a blue
light, and pronounced the problem to be an ulcer in the eye.  Anybody got
any info on that for me?  Like how one gets ulcers in the eye?  Vet said it
was going away.  The reason I hadn't noticed was because it didn't have any
bacteria in it.  Sometime yesterday, he got bacteria in it and the swelling
and tearing followed.

Treatment?  Bute, 1 gram twice a day for 5 days. BNP and Gentocin ointments
3-4 times a day for a week.

Vet said it should go away, but to watch closely.  Any worse and I'm to call
them.  Right now, he said to put the fly mask on, but not put any fabric in
it if I can help it.  If it gets worse, we'll have to find a stall.  Doc
would want him on night turnout only...

Anyway, that's the rundown...thanks for all the advise on keeping my
soon-to-be endurance horse (gotta make that first 50!  :) ) healthy and
happy.

Oh, btw, any idea if it'd be ok if I rode him while on meds?  If I can, what
should be the limits?

April & Apache (healing together)
Chattanooga, TN


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