(Sunday Ride--70 degrees and sunny)
I have to give a shout-out to horse husbands. If you have one, be thankful, not everyone does. They are built-in riding partners and a big help at the barn.
I had to laugh about this though!
(Saturday Ride: 55 degrees and raining hard)
I asked my horse hubby to saddle up 3 times this weekend. THREE times! And, he did so happily. One of the rides was a fund-raiser for Free Rein Therapeutic. It's our local charity that helps kids, and veterans with PTSD, through working with and riding horses.
After the ride, we were serenaded with some live country music. They also provided a yummy BBQ! The comfort food was so darn comforting because we were drenched and cold when we got back.
Some of the volunteers.
The upside to riding in the rain was the smell of wet pine and the increased activity of the birds. We saw a bald eagle soar down the middle of the Spokane River for quite a ways. It was stunning with the rain hitting the water, the dark backdrop of a gray sky and mist--stunning. Of course, where's your camera at a moment like that?
(Up on the bluff)
We saw a bunch of activity on the other side of the river, and it turned out to be a WEDDING! What a beautiful spot to get married--even in the rain and cold.
We even got a free t-shirt for riding!
You may notice, I'm riding Cowboy and not Leah. I had my farrier put shoes on Cowboy when he was out since Cowboy has been called back to full-time service. My farrier has been handling Leah's lameness issue for me. (He's coming out weekly or as needed.) Because of my history with veterinarian mis-diagnosis, I tend to trust my farrier more than anyone else. He is the reason Cowboy is sound 10 years post-P3 fracture. If I had continued to rely on my vets, Cowboy would be dead these last ten years. (And that is NOT an exaggeration--he was scheduled to be put down.) So, if there is an issue with one of my horse's feet--my farrier is the one I go to. You may call this minimalist, but since I started down the minimalist road, I've had FAR less problems with my horses. If it progresses, though, my farrier will tell me when it's time to get x-rays and proceed to the next step.
From his tests, it appears she's slightly laminitic. Not enough to limp or shift weight, but enough to test for some pain in the toe area of all four feet. We think it was caused by her obesity, so our plan is to use an anti-inflammatory and take the weight off of her. She loves to eat, so she's not happy with the calorie restriction, but it's for her own good. In truth, she's getting a normal amount of food--like most horses get. I was killing her with kindness before.
Interestingly, she was most sensitive in her left foot, but it is her RIGHT that she fights going to. I think there are multiple issues we're dealing with--not just the feet, but the feet have to get well before we can proceed to the rest. I'm quite hopeful that she will be sound--in the feet--very soon.
(Thursday's Ride: 80 degrees, hot & sunny. My TWO favorite COWBOYS!)
