Monday, February 28, 2011

Dear thumbnail...

I really liked you on my left thumb.
I tried to make you look better because I rasped you a couple times a few weeks ago. That is the reason for the dark purple nail polish and sparkles.
But today you decided to put and end to your resilience.
I was trying to be nice and help a second week student with a problem I had on the weekend.
It involved a horses foot.
It also involved the owner leaving the shoes on for about four months which caused the hoof to look like a duck's foot and the shoe to break off leaving broken off nails. Note to readers: When your farrier recommends 6-8 weeks for re-shoeing LISTEN!! It'll make your horse last longer and your poor farriers job easier.
Anyway, with my hoof knife I was helping dig this nail out and the horse jerked.
The day before at the end of class I sharpened my hoof knife on the big sharpener and DAMN was it sharp.
It was sharp right into my left thumb nail. I didn't notice at first I thought I just caught my cuticle until another classmate shrieked because I was bleeding all over my boots.
I would show photo's but it's pretty nasty.
I also never realized I had a thumb until I split it in two with my knife. Every time I hit it off something or hit it with my hammer (which never happened until today just for the record) I am reminded of why human nails are not cloven because one piece of nail lodging itself under the other F*&^%$^# HURTS!!!

Farriery: not for the faint of heart, afraid of blood, weak of knees and or back.

15 comments:

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I feel nauseated for you.

Dreaming said...

Oh, ouch! There is nothing worse than cutting a finger or thumb. They have so many nerves in them. Do you need stitches?
Take care!!!

Shirley said...

Oh the pain.... sorry to say that it comes with the territory of being a farrier- right, Mrs. Mom? Mikey?
You're a tough girl, Sydney.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Yikes! Did you lose part of your thumb, or just the nail?

Geez! You haven't even officially started your farrier career and you've got an OJI!


Stay safe!
~Lisa

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Whoops! I just read your last post. Somehow I missed it.

Line #9 makes me wonder if you didn't jinx yourself! Eeek!

Sure was a cute dog, though. :)

~Lisa

Jessie said...

Oh, I feel so bad for you.... Not a good time to have a thumb injury!

Crystal said...

oww!! that sounds painful! Funny how those things dont hurt till you see the blood, thats how you know the knife was sharp!

Jen said...

Ouch! I presume you are like the rest of us and will forthwith follow Murphy's Law to the letter. Translation: You will bang said thumb on everything you can find to hit it on [or with] to remind you of its painful presence (this process will last for many moons - or what seems like it, anyway ;o)

Achieve1dream said...

Please get a tetanus shot if you aren't current. This post reminded me of the time a cat bit right through my thumb nail . . . not happy memories lol. I'm like NuzMuz. I feel nauseated for you. Hope it heals quickly and you're okay.

Oh and if the nail is still getting lodged under itself the doctor might be able to glue it to stop it from doing that. Please be careful!

Rising Rainbow said...

Oh OUch!!!! That really sucks.

I also have to say that owner, oh so not good! Those feet have to have somewhere to grow with shoes on them. Poor horse.

lisa said...

Ouch, almost can feel the pain myself for you! You know your fingers are to precious, keep an eye on them now!

Janice said...

Ouch....I'm glad you didn't post pics, my stomach twisted into a knot just reading about it.

allhorsestuff said...

Darn it..sure that's NOT what you said!
Nice of this"self inflicted"incident would be the worst of yours, in this field. May they be few and far between!

Far Side of Fifty said...

It should heal up fast if your knife was really sharp. I find that vet wrap/tape ( The one that sticks to itself and comes in all kinds of colors) worked real well to help shield my thumb before and after a surgery I required. I cursed that thumb for many days..it was always hurting itself:( I hope you are up to date on Tetanus
I would tell you to be careful..but sh*& happens:(

Hurricanes12 said...

ouch! i've slashed myself with my hoof knife before, but not quite so bad as your injury!
i love your farriery:.. thing at the end. so very true!

though i find my thighs hurt more than my knees/back.

i love reading about your farrier training, as i'm doing it via an apprenticeship, not school, so it's interesting reading something different :)

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