Jail Break!

Star started limping when we came home from the vet a couple of weeks ago. We all thought he stepped out of the trailer wrong. This was the beginning of Shirley's hunt for Buster. She told us she didn't have a lot of years left to ride and she did not want to miss any because of a sick or hurt horse. Of course Lynn told her she could ride Indy. . .

Anyway, she took Buster to the vet for his shots last Saturday and took Star along, too. The vet said he had an infection in his hoof (?) or ankle (?). Wherever it was, he lanced it and drained out the gunk, packed it,  put a boot on it, and told them to keep it dry. Ha. Dry.

To that end, we carried the new fence sections Lynn bought last month up to the covered shelter they won't use. (: We hooked the two fence sections together (so easy!) and then strung baling string across one side door and three big bungees for a gate on the other door. Piece of cake!

Star was put in with some grain, water, and hay. He seemed fine. Of course the rest of the boys circled around the shelter, poked their heads in and looked at him, and dinged around with the strings. Buster tried the hardest to get in with Star. He leaned and pushed against the bungees. He strained around to drink Star's water. He would not leave Star alone.

We finally decided to feed them a little early so they would go down the trailer court a ways and eat--leaving Star and his strings alone. Once their grain bowls were empty, here they came back again. We figured they would stand around and keep him company.

Next morning, surprise! There was Star with the rest of the herd--free. Someone, or several someones, had worked all the strings loose and Star was set free. No one knows if it was Brady who is very smart and knows how to untie most knots; maybe it was Jupiter who loves to ding around with the best of them; it could've been Buster, who likes everyone and wants everyone to like him--maybe he thought it would earn him friendship points. I doubt if was Ziggy who probably liked having mean ol' Star being separated and wouldn't have set him free, and Indy, well Indy is Indy.

So no more jail. Star quietly lets Shirley soak his foot and doctor him. He likes the extra attention and the little bit of grass he gets to eat. He's moving around better, but still limping a little. He doesn't kick as much at having the boot and a plastic bag on his foot. Shirley says, "If it's not one thing, it's another."

Today it's drizzling and a little breezy. Saturday we are loading up three orange horses with stars and snips to go and meet an orange horse with a blaze for ride at Swasey Creek. Keep your fingers crossed for dry weather!