Here we go again...but wait..!

A frustrating but relieving week... The day after Jester walked smoothly on the street (just 30 yards!, he was hobbling worse than ever. He was down often, and did not want to weight the left fore. Out came Kim's herbal clay poultice to coat both fore soles... No problems with the appetite, however, as he is now gobbling more beet pulp and black oil sunflower seeds with his Integrity Lite and CA Trace minerals. At long last... Thursday Jester blew an abcess in the left fore, just off center of the toe. There is a spot between the toe pillar and the frog apex that has a bit of give, as if there's an empty pocket underneath. Not much coming out of that hole, the size of my pinky tip. He is SO much more comfortable and happy. I'm keeping a renegade boot on that hoof with some powders to draw out and prevent infection. No swollen leg yet!! Honey the boss mare was allowed back into the pasture with him and Taffy for the day, since he could move well enough to avoid Honey's piranha teeth :P When he is in with the other gelding who's staying with us, the gelding keeps him moving too. Poor Jester, he's the biggest horse out there by far yet the bottom of the pecking order. 8 weeks and I am hoping and praying he's turned a BIG corner in the healing process. He has nearly 2/3 inch new growth at the top of the fores, and I am keeping those toes backed up and a breakover (Gene Ovnicek style-web search if you're not familiar) in the laminar wedge area of the toe sole. When viewed from the side, the fore-most weight bearing part of the hoof is in line with the line of the growth at the upper portion of the hoof. A picture will help. Stay tuned.