What is it with these highly bred, highly strung animals?

Finnegan (occasional office hound) is once again wearing a smart green bandage, on Wednesday he decided he didn't want to be left alone ever again and as punishment for being abandoned he would lick open the newly healed gash in his back leg, in the space of 20 minutes it was open and freely flowing again.  Out came the dressings and vet wrap again.  On the same day one of Deputy Ed TB's horses turned into a tripod  - temporarily we assume.  So we'd like to introduce you:

This is Titian, writes TB.  He’s an ex-racehorse and he’ll be 20 years old in May. He wasn’t very good at racing, not because he wasn’t fast, he was.  He just doesn’t like going in front, he prefers to stay at the back, following the crowd.  Also, he absolutely hates being stabled or put in a horsebox, so that made the racing lifestyle a bit of a problem for him.  I don’t know why they persevered so long, he just ended up a nervous wreck, and probably his stable lad too!

Nowadays he spends his days standing around eating hay with his pals.  No stables involved. A much more suitable occupation he thinks.  I bought him to do some dressage 11 years ago, but it wasn’t to be.  I soon discovered he was prone to hoof abscesses.  Just when we were getting somewhere he would develop another one and that was it.  No foot no horse.  Eventually I just gave up and resigned myself to the situation. Retirement.  Good job I’ve got four more equines!

Yesterday morning I found him on three legs yet again. Time to get out the poultice equipment.  I’m getting quite skilled at it, it’s all the practice.  The trouble is if you put him in a stable he goes berserk with panic.  So the poultice goes on, all nice and hygienic, and then out he goes into the mud.  Here’s a photo of him this morning waiting to go out with his nice new poultice.  It could be a lot worse (and often has been).  The weather’s been so dry around here that the mud is usually much worse at this time of year.

Also, the pus is flowing freely (yuck!).  I must be one of the very few people whose day is cheered up by its appearance!  He’s on four legs again now, just about.

So now back to the office, the week's edition is now printing, all 14 pages of it.  It will be live online for digital readers very soon. This week there are 37 new paid posts of which 31 came direct to CJS, also 15+ volunteer placements and the Practical Work Days Schedule for March.