Chapter 42

Dan’s response was further enhanced when Scott leaned on the door and through the open window reached in and gave Dan’s shoulder a squeeze.

“Hey, I’m glad it’s you,” Scott said with a broad smile.

Dan wanted to say, “Me, too,” but merely nodded.

“So, Shadow’s not getting any better?” Dan asked.

“No. In fact, I think he’s worse,” Scot said, a worried look replacing his smile.

“Hop in. Let’s go out to the barn and see what’s going on.”

Scott walked around the front of the truck and got in. Dan was acutely aware of the man that now sat so near him. He tried to keep his eyes focused ahead and not glance at Scott.

When they got to the barn and went in, Dan walked to Shadow’s stall and looked at the horse through the bars. He could see Shadow was extremely uncomfortable. While horses often cock a back leg to rest, it’s highly unusual for one to stand taking weight off the fore hoof by pointing a toe unless they were in serious pain.

“Not feeling too well there, are ya, Shadow, old boy?” Dan asked.

The horse raised its head and nickered softly.

“Let’s bring him out, and I’ll see what I can do to make him more comfortable.”

Scott slid the door open, went into the stall, put the horse’s halter on, and led Shadow out into the aisle way. Shadow limped badly, tossing his head with every step as he tried not to put any weight on his right fore hoof.

Once in the crossties, Dan used a hoof pick to clean the debris out of the grooves on the sole of Shadow’s hoof.

“I should have done that for you before you got here,” Scott said apologetically.

Dan looked up at him and smiled. “I won’t charge ya extra for it.”

Using the hoof testers, Dan located the area in which he suspected an abscess had formed. Then using a farrier’s hoof knife, he pared away the sole until some blackish, foul-smelling pus shot out.

“Got it,’ he said.

“Geez.” Scott wrinkled his nose.

“That’s why he’s been sore. The infection builds up and puts pressure on the nerves in the hoof wall. Every step he takes is hell.”

Dan continued to pare away the sole until a cavity the size of a small kidney bean was revealed. He then flushed the cavity clean.

“Let’s see if that did the trick.”

Dan undid the snaps on the crossties and asked Scott to lead Shadow forward, turn, and walk back. The horse walked almost normally.

“Oh, my God!” Scott exclaimed.

“Yeah. Once the pressure is relieved the pain is gone fairly quick. It was a pretty big abscess. I’m kind of surprised it didn’t pop on its own.”

“Is that it? He’s okay now?” Scott asked.

“Not quite. We have to take care that it doesn’t reform. Since I opened the sole we have to protect it for a while. Whose horse is Shadow?”

“Susan’s.”

“What’s her favorite color?”

“Lavender.”

“Hmm, don’t have lavender. Will purple do?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Dan took a role of purple elastic Vet Wrap, a poultice pad, and several other items from his vet case. He then showed Scott how to pack the wound with a paste of Epsom salts and Betadine. He bound the pad tightly to the sole of the hoof with the purple Vet Wrap and covered the wrap with duct tape for protection.

All the while he worked, Scott leaned over Dan, listened intently, watched closely, and asked questions. He was in such close proximity that Dan felt the heat from his body and caught the smell that comes from a man who’s been working hard and sweating. Dan willed himself not to respond. There was no point in doing so. It only served to frustrate Dan, as Scott was in so many ways so desirable, but also so off limits.

Dan straightened up. “I want you to do this for the next three days. Take the old bandage off, flush the cavity with Betadine and clean water. Here’s a syringe for that.” He handed Scott the instrument.

“Then pack it and wrap it again. He should stay in his stall tomorrow, then he can go out. After three days, leave the wrap off but keep flushing it with Betadine and water until the cavity fills in. He’ll be a little sore for a couple days, but then he should be fine to ride. I’ll give you some bute to help with any residual pain. Give him one scoop with his morning feed. He might not like it, so you might need to mix in some molasses.”

Dan bent and wound the purple Vet Wrap around the outside of Shadow’s hoof, covering the protective layer of duct tape.