Helping Horatio

I noticed Horatio shaking his head and keeping inside the barn more than usual during the day. This morning I got a good look at his head and saw a large red bare spot. Flies were buzzing around it. I thought OH, NO, how will I ever get a look at him to find out what's going on. He is HUGE, maybe 350 or 400 pounds, and has butted both me and Matt in the past. Horatio is one of my rescued Rambouillets, and has a magnificent hornset. He is not mean, just playful. When he butted me I was carrying a bucket of corn past him. Who could blame him for trying to get my attention? I told Matt about the bare spot and we speculated that he might have torn it on some old barbed wire that is still around the farm. I feared the flies would lay eggs in the flesh and his beautiful head would be full of maggots. Matt was reluctant, understandbly, to tackle him. I said, what if we grabbed him while he's lying down? If you lay on top of him I might be able to dress that wound. He shrugged and walked away, but didn't exactly say no. Later in the day I said, look, he's lying by the back door of the barn. Maybe if you sneak around and jump in the door and straddle him we can do it. Matt must have been feeling real good because he said, sure, let's try. I grabbed my kit and away we went. Matt jumped in the door, and staddled Horatio, who proceeded to get up and run away with Matt. I was there in a second and got ahold of the big horns. Horatio must not be feeling well since he stopped and decided not to fight us. Matt said to get him on the shearing stand, which we succeeded in doing with much pushing and pulling. I managed to dress his wound (getting Blukote on one horn, what a stupid klutz I am!) and check him all over for flystrike. I did get his very overgrown hooves clipped, something I've been wanting to do for months. I decided to clip his wool, but only got his back done before I realized I was stressing him terribly in the heat. At least I cut an "air hole" in the fleece. I borrowed Hannah's spray bottle and filled it with permetrin sheep spray to keep the flies off him. I gave him Ivomec, LA200, and vitamin B. I hope he's okay. I just love the old boy. I have to get some good pictures of that head to make a notecard.