The fugitive

Yesterday, Willow leaped over the manure cart while her stall was being cleaned and went on a self-guided, high-speed tour of the property. They tell me she did two loops of the whole property at a gallop -- across the hay fields, through the woods, and over the creek (she comes from jumper lines on both sides and put that talent to good use). Her mistake was heading back into the barn to flirt with the geldings -- they were able to corner her in there and catch her.

Thank goodness she didn't fall down. She had her heavy blanket on from the cold night previously, and they said she was lathered from head to toe when they pulled it off. They hosed her down, put on her cooler, and walked her for half an hour to cool her off. When I checked her last night, I found a half-dollar-sized abrasion on her right stifle. It was sticky with blood and ouchy to the touch, but there wasn't any heat or major swelling around it, so I was pretty sure it was just a scrape. I hand-walked her for twenty minutes, gave her bute, and doctored the scrape. Tonight I went back out and noticed that her front right is slightly swollen from fetlock to knee. I hand-walked her some more and asked for a little trot on the lunge in both directions. She doesn't seem off at all. I gave her some more bute and redoctored the scrape, which still looks minor.

So, no lesson this week after all. I think I'll give Willow one more night of bute and hand-walking and then return her to light work on Thursday if the swelling is gone. I'm just glad she's OK!