Helping me to stay sane

This is the near-side eye of my beautiful 25 y.o. 75% Arabian Palomino horse.

His registered name is Lanark Park Scots Dragoon, but I call him Diego.

This eye was very sore a few months ago and the vet thought he had a Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) on it. The treatment was going to be costly & painful. While we waited for the hard-to-access medication, I thought the eye was looking better ... albeit just a teensy bit. So I told the vet I'd like to hold off for a bit and adopt a 'wait & see' approach. I stopped putting any medication in it because I had to either fight with him to do it; or sedate him. After 3 weeks or so, I could see a definite improvement in the eye. The vet was checking on his progress and agreed it was slowly getting better. The swelling went down. Then the weeping stopped. He was no longer reacting painfully to light. After 4 weeks, there was just a small gobbet of pus in the lower corner of the eye. By now I was bathing it gently 4-5 times a day with warm saline solution. By the time 6 weeks had passed, the eye was looking normal. The vet could not find anything wrong with it. Its onset was acute (very quick), so I think he either hit the eye on something; or he scratched the cornea. So why does he help keep me sane? I ride him 3-4 times a week. We go into the bush near the property. He enjoys being out & about. He is kind and gentle, very affectionate & trustworthy.

I feel safe on him.

He saved my heart after the very emotional loss of a beloved pet.

I love this horse to bits!