Rain and Flies

Hi, everyone!  All is quiet in the Polo paddock today.  Momma K and Aunt B changed my hoof dressing today and treated my withers.  Everything else is pretty much healed up!  Hurrah!  Now my job is to eat well and take in the sunshine and grow some hair back over the places where the hair was bitten off our fell out.

I must say that while yesterday’s rain may not have been K’s favorite, it felt great to me.  The green flies still think I’m pretty tasty.  The rain keeps them at bay and the cool rain shower soothed my itchy skin.  My moms are trying to help me by using Bronco fly spray and Swat ointment, but the flies seem to just plain ignore it.  How rude!  They also tried a fly mask, but had to take it off because it rubbed my jaw raw in just a day!  I don’t mind not having the mask on, though.  It hid my handsome profile!

Unfortunately, I have very sensitive skin, which my moms say probably has something to do with being on anti-bleeder medication at the racetrack.  A lot of racehorses are on a medication called Salix that thins the blood and helps prevent bleeding in the lungs when we run.  I know, it’s pretty gross.  So my skin hasn’t been getting the blood supply it needs for optimum health, and when the flies bite I bleed!

It was a bit of relief to have the hoof dressing changed.  Yesterday’s dressing was a bit wet and soggy due to rain.  Aunt B suggested a plastic liner for the sole of my hoof dressing to help keep the water out.   She’s using empty human grade IV bags, which is a pretty neat thought.  She just put it on the bottom of my foot over the Combi padding and secured it with Vetrap.  I hope it works!

Here's a photo update on my injuries, all of which are feeling better every day, even though some don't look so great:

Left to right: withers, chest, neck and left hind.

Aren't I doing well?  Speaking of flies, I’m curious… what are your best methods for keeping the flies at away? 

~Polo