Somebody shoot me, please.

River is a fan of symmetry.

Heaven help me.

My vet is going to fire me as a client. I haven't called him about this new development... yet. Today's his day at the track (not the one River came from), so I'll wait until he's probably done with that to bother him.

I went out this morning to give River his second dose of antibiotics (2 down, 12 to go), only to discover that now his right FRONT is swollen in addition to his right hind! Wow, thanks, buddy! I do prefer even numbers and symmetry, so it makes me SO happy that you decided to have an even number of fat legs. I don't even know WTF he could have done this time. There's a slight hint of warmth on the back of the pastern, but nothing like how the hind was. (Thank goodness for the past tense, the heat is mostly gone from his hind.)

So now River gets to spend the day in a stall. He'll have to go back out at night because the baby comes in at night, and her stall is next to the stall River hasn't broken yet. Those two stalls have a removable wall so they can be made into one big foaling stall. The wall is a little too easily removable and we can't risk them knocking it down during the night and hurting the baby. As much as I'd like to keep River in until he's better, I completely agree that it's not worth something happening to the baby. At least it's getting cold enough at night that the mud is freezing... FINALLY. So I'll just have to clean the mud off River as best as I can before he goes out, coat him in Gold Bond/Desitin/petroleum jelly, and hope he doesn't get too yucky.

At least he isn't really bothered by the fat legs. He's getting his racing plates pulled next week, so maybe that will help. River, please please please don't develop a chronic problem, I'm BEGGING you. I gave you a home and clothes and friends, the least you can do is stop getting injuries! You survived HOW long on the track just fine? You have no excuse for this.

I'm praying he just tweaked something in the mud, first from being rude to the other OTTB and then from being a drama queen in his solitary confinement (sharing two fencelines, though!). Please let it go away quickly. Pleeeaaaaaaassssssseeeeeeeeee. Please!

You can see how bothered he is by this.