A bigger boat

In the movie Jaws, the first time Roy Schneider's character spots the shark, he utters the famous line: "we're gonna need a bigger boat," indicating that he feels outmatched by the giant beast.  I feel ya, Roy.

In the past month, Zeus has been hobbled by what is likely a soft tissue injury (sprained ankle or the like) which kept him sequestered from the other two boys.  Then, just when he was feeling good, Brutus had a return of his Colic, which plagues him once or twice a year (see: All's Well that Ends Well in the April / May 2014 Rural Heritage)

For Zeus, my vet was able to come out and examine him at the hitching post.  Zeus wasn't wild about it and wouldn't keep his foot up for much of a trimming, but he tolerated the experience.  

However, both boys required pills or other oral meds.  Having nice, calm animals is a real blessing, but a one-ton animal who'd rather not open up and say "ahhh" is still a handful.  Getting Brutus in his old box stall was easy, but once there, he all but filled it up.  And, he wasn't wild about the balling gun and the large thumb-sized pills.  

I managed to tie Brutus's head up high with two lead ropes and lift his head up to give him all six(!) pills, but it wasn't a smooth process by any stretch.  The first two were the worst.  After that he figured out the routine and went along grudgingly.  

Every time we have a medical issue, it reminds me that a bigger boat would be in order.  It feels like living on borrowed time to have no chute or stocks to put the boys in.