Supping on Supplements

Because of Odin's heart condition (see my other blog), I got curious about the massive amounts of money I am outlaying to the vets and the herb/supplement companies. Although the total adds up (for all pets) to a whopping $225/month, only $30 of that is Mercury, $125 is Willig, and $70 is Odin with his heart stuff. I didn't count cats because I don't feed theirs consistently. I'm hoping to cut Willig back (way back), but it will depend on if the hives come back.
Speaking of, not a hive on his body. He is clean as a whistle. Well - hive-wise. He is doing really well with turnout and all the "new" stuff there is to look at - traffic, lots of other horses, a house, a kubota ... but he has discovered the pleasure of rolling and then me cleaning it off.
He's doing really well on the lunge line, and I rode him yesterday and today (briefly, because I have NO leg muscles after two months of not riding at all, and basically 6 months of riding minimally). He's putting his head up like a giraffe a lot, and he really spends a lot of time looking to the outside (at stuff - not just balancing to the outside), but I'm pleased considering I only had a few lessons on him, and Bob didn't really get to spend much time riding him because of the hives. I really like his personality, but it will remain to be seen if he is too much horse for me on my own. I don't want to ruin him, but I'd really like to keep him.
Mercury is a sweetheart. Holy horse. He has been on stall rest his entire first week at the new barn, and the other boarders are marveling at how calm he is. I can plop a foot in a bucket and then wander off and do stuff (thank goodness - after two weeks of soaking each foot 15 min/day, I am SO tired of soaking feet), and he just stands there. The left front hoof (the one that had the shoe the longest) had a soft spot mid-week that I poked with the hoof pick and more pus and blood came out. Two days later, I squeezed more out with just my thumb, so I think that one needs another week of soaking. The right front foot (the one that hasn't had a shoe for about 8 weeks now and that had the monster abscess) seems to be almost completely healed. There is just one tiny sensitive spot. I have heard from two people that this winter has been really bad for abscesses.
I hope this week we can put shoes back on (and trim poor Merc's feet), and then this weekend he can start getting turned out. Then his next shoeing we'll put pads on and keep them on so this doesn't happen again.