Yuck!! That sounds like a horrible disease! I glad you explained why they call it pigeon fever because I was wondering if it was transmitted by pigeons (which seem like pretty filthy animals), but then I doubted that there were too many pigeons in CA and NV!!!

Well Dangit, Sounds down right Nasty. Never have seen it only heard about it. Shoot, sure feel sorry for him. Looks like a long haul, but with the experience you have, you 'll have him up and going in no time. Good luck.

I forgot to tell you how this mess turned out!!!!!!! I thought the swelling didn't look quite right....and it went away real fast. It was a freeking hematoma!!!!!!!! Apparently, Tucker got kicked between the front legs by another horse!!!!!!!! The vet says that it ws no-way PF!!!!!!! I also have noticed that he was, and maybe still is, barely perceptably gimpy on his rt rear.

So.....I'm looking for a new trainer.....

Holy cow, did your trainer put him out with another horse?? I would kill him! Janie is not allowed to go out with other horses, EVER! We have never put any of our show horses out with another horse. I don't even like it when the minis are on the other side of the fence from her. I hope he feels better soon!

This lady trainer is a real piece-of-work. Super-nice lady. I really liked her!!!! Very friendly, very knowlegable....She, however, failed to tell me that she's a pro barrel racer, (I won't mention her name) and that she is NEVER home for more than a day or two, or three. I have to admit, she taught him to load like a champ, and the one time I was "allowed" over to her place, I watched her saddle him...Lead rope laying on the ground. Tucker was supposedly being kept in a pen made of panels. She did mention having turned him out with 3 cows...and how much he liked "working" them.

I shouldn't have paid her 3 months in advance. I think she thinks that I'm a rube. I will admit, I can be way too trusting. She says she wants him back at the end of the month for 30 days....The amount of time she feels she owes me because she was gone so much. I don't think so. I doubt that I'll ever hear from her again. She never called with even one update....I called her twice....and she let me know in a "nice" way that she'd call me. I ran into her in a fast-food place one day. I stood right behind her. She said "Hi", then stepped around to the other side of her husband, just to let me know that she wasn't going to talk to me.

Sounds like you have been had.. And, I know what you are talking about with the hematomas. My mares come up with them now and then when they kick each other..