Taken a bit of a bashing

That will be poor old Sam, rather than me. I was travelling last week and so Sam went back onto full livery. When I got back I discovered on brushing his back left leg that it was very badly swollen from the hock downwards and was covered in lacerations. After the shock had worn off I was a little annoyed to realise that no one had bothered to ring me and let me know that Sam had hurt himself. So after finding the nearest groom I asked what had happened to him and was informed that he had had a bit of a run in with the post and rail fence in his field. No one is quite sure what he was up to but the fence was trashed so the assumption is that he was showing off to his field mate got his leg stuck in the fence, fell and then damaged himself and the fence.

As my instructor was with me on the Sunday, we were supposed to be having a lesson, I got her opinion on him and after we trotted him up she agreed that it was superficial swelling and that he looked completely sound. So we had a mini lesson, just walking and trotting and we did find that at the end the swelling and heat had gone down quite alot (it probably swelled up from him standing in his stable overnight). I went to see him again last night and rode him in the school in just walk and trot and the swelling seems to be getting better. So hopefully he will be as right as rain tomorrow when I go back for my lesson. Only thing left to do now is to speak to the lady that runs the livery yard to make sure someone calls me if this kind of thing ever happens again!