Wallowing in the mire

My horse is lame!

He is really a very nice horse, but he has a sore foot. How did he get lame? It seems, in my attempt to offer him the best housing, and the most freedom, I arranged for his keepers to give him daily "turn out." Turn out is time out of his little stall in a large corral where he can presumably frolic with his herd (Pancho and Norman). The problem came with the rain and slightly warmer weather that melted snow and ice in the corral and turned the lower parts into a mire of mud and manure. The higher ground is still firm and dry, but the feeder is in the lower level and it seems Haypee was happy to stand around in muck up to his ankles, waiting to be fed. The result of his behavior is that his foot was softened by the bacteria ridden moisture and a painful abscess formed. Sadly, the cure involves a considerable loss of freedom. His foot must be soaked in warm epsom salt solution every day. (Ever try to get a 1200 pound animal to put his foot into a bucket?) It also must be kept clean and relatively dry between soakings. Instead of running freely with his playmates he is now in "stall arrest." Twenty-four/seven in his boring little stall until the foot heals.

I'm pretty sure there is a lesson here.