Not all glamour

On the delicate subject of cleansing Dibby's, shall we say "undercarriage", the time had come this morning the take the matter in hand.

Unlike my own which conveniently puts in an appearance more or less when required, Dibby's undercarriage was much more shy and retiring, as befitted a senior cob of considerable dignity and gravitas.

After consulting the vet, Dad gave Dibbs the recommended dose of Sedalin which was supposed to bring the item on question into view. When this did not work, he administered some more and then more. With Dibby eventually thoroughly sedated, it emerged and Dad was able to attend to his task very gently with warm soapy water and a sponge and it was soon done.

Given the heavy sedation, Dibby was kept in for the afternoon. Dad brought me in to join him when I became agitated at being alone when the adjoining fields emptied at lunchtime. We stood in for a while and when Dibby had come round properly, we went out into the field for an hour later on.

When Dad came to bring us in, he was concerned that Dibby was swollen and needed to get advice from the vet as to how to treat the problem. He was advised to apply ice or cold towels and cold-hosed the area very gently as well as walking, which seemed to help.

Some horses, it seems, ocasionally have a reaction to ACP like this. What a shame it has to happen to Dibby, who so intensely dislikes anyone getting too close to that area. Not a pleasant day for anyone concerned.

On a lighter note, Dad said he didn't remember seeing pictures of Carl or Anky in their marigolds in Horse & Hound. As he found today, a cob's life is not all glamour.