A bit of an egg.
It rained a bunch last night and I'm guessing he smacked himself while running around in the muck today. I'm pretty sure he did it right before I got there as it's actually bigger in the picture then it was when I first got there. I cold hosed it for about 25 minutes and then scrubbed it with some betadine scrub in case he had some small cuts under there. Then he got some bute to help with the inflammation. Fingers crossed it's gone or at least greatly reduced by tomorrow AM.
Inspired by L. Williams' post on feed, I've decided to do a quick run-down on what Charlie is eating and why.
Cocosoya oil
I've been looking for some sort of coat supplement for the summer and my research led me to cocosoya oil. Lots of omega goodness and has the added benefit of providing some extra calories. I added this to the diet in the beginning of March and I can already tell a difference in his weight. Charlie doesn't seem to mind it either and he's very picky (are you really surprised?) Now if it keeps him from bleaching out this summer, it really will be a miracle supplement. ;)
Next up is Sand Clear. I haven't actually started using this yet as I'm waiting for 1 April since you feed it for 7 days each month and I figured it would be easier to remember to feed it if I started the first of every month. Since Charlie typically eats outside, I thought this might not be a bad idea to add to the diet.
The grain
For grain, Charlie gets Seminole Wellnes Show and Sport which is a high fat, high fiber, low starch feed. Charlie LOVES this stuff and I really like the ingredients. I also like that there seems to be a very high degree of quality control as every bag looks the same. Charlie's girlfriend gets Purina's Equine Senior and every bag's contents seem to be just a little bit different - sometimes it's the color, sometimes the consistency, sometimes the smell, etc. To me, it just never seems to be quite the same. Not so with the Seminole.
Loose minerals
I started feeding loose minerals last fall after talking to the vet about Charlie's ongoing battles with rain rot. I told her I was convinced it was an immune issue based on something lacking in his diet. She suggested feeding a loose mineral to cover any mineral deficiencies. Since I started feeding this (in combination with one other thing that's mentioned below), no rain rot. The really cool thing about this stuff? It's $14.99/bag and I've only used about 1/4 of the bag since I opened it at the end of October.
Given all of Charlie's feet issues, it should come as no surprise that he gets a hoof supplement. I think it helps but I don't really know because he still has crappy feet but when I told the new farrier that he got this he seemed to feel it was a good one.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I feed a splash of apple cider vinegar for a number of reasons, none of which are proven fact. I started feeding this last September because a client of Cherie's told me she fed it to her horses to prevent rain rot. But I know other folks who feed it because they say it helps keep the flies away and many humans drink a shot of apple cider vinegar to help with arthritis-type issues.
I'm hoping the weather clears up and Charlie's leg goes down so I can at least go for a hack tomorrow. I'd really like to practice our turn on the haunches move. I might try and get back up to Amy's this week but my truck really needs it's oil changed so we'll see how the week plays out.