There's a hoof in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza...

Max spent some time today with his tender foot soaking in water that had boiled and cooled down a bit to as hot as he could stand it.

This was on the advice of my YO, the reason being if there was anything brewing up in his hoof somewhere, like an abscess, then a hot water soak a few times a day would help to draw it out so we could deal with it.

Max was perplexed on the first go at 7.00 this morning. He lifted his foot for me gamely enough, as he always does, but when I asked him to put it back down in blue bucket filled with steaming water he was not keen. He hovered his foot over the bucket and resisted my coaxing.

I finally managed to convince him by applying downward pressure to make clear what was required, and Max finally obliged, then was delighted to get a loud click and pony nut as his reward! He was so delighted he immediately lifted his hoof back out of the bucket and offered his nose for a kiss.

"No, Max. Foot in the bucket please, sir. It's to help you feel better."

Again he lifted, again he hesitated and them, sploosh! In went the foot with eyes expectantly on me.

Click and pony nut.

Max nodded his head with delight. A new game!

I continued to click as he kept his foot in the bucket and offered pony nuts, one at a time. We managed to stay like that for five minutes.

Back at lunch time, boiled the water, cooled it, got Max back out of his box and showed him the bucket of steaming water. He had a good look and then straightened and looked at me expectantly.

"Foot up please, Max."

He obliged.

"In the bucket now, please."

Slight hesitation and then sploosh again, and again we stood, clicks and pony nuts offered for five minutes.

It doesn't do to get too delighted with oneself over these things though.

Our final dip was late this afternoon. I'd held Max back from his release to the field specifically so we could have just one more go.

Out he came eagerly and spied the bucket and the steam. Up went his foot and sploosh! into the bucket. Click treat, click treat, click treat... nose offered for a kiss and while disarmed by the whiskery muzzle coming towards me, I was unable to stop what happened next.

Max quite deliberately and slowly lifted his hoof out of the water, kicked the bucket over with precision and left me standing in a puddle. All while stealing a kiss!

We may try again tomorrow, though I'm not sure we need to. He's walking much more evenly this morning, and both his front hooves are the same temperature, so hopefully, it's nothing more than bruising after all and my wee hooligan is on the mend.