Lame-o.

I'm not sure why I'm so bummed out lately. Perhaps it's the long damp winter, that was too nice to enjoy things like snowmobiling, and too cold to do much trail riding.

Needless, I've been a little blue.

So I looked forward to my first ride on Moon since coming back from my mini vacation. We'd picked up a couple odds and ends (some t-post insulators on clearance for the future, a new bag of pony treats) and I'd been thinking about Moon the whole drive to Minneapolis and back.

Last Thursday we had what I thought to be a good ride, and positive steps towards our "new" way of riding. I felt like I had some sort of direction and was ready to put some time into our practice to see what might come of it.


No surprise then, that I was thoroughly disappointed last night, when I asked Moon to trot and he proceeded to move out in an obviously head-bobbingly lame trot.

Hopping off of him in a mild panic, I checked every limb for heat or swelling. THIS is why you shouldn't clean hooves with gloves on. You just can't catch anything in advance. Though I didn't really feel any heat anywhere.

I walked him out a bit more and then asked for trot again to see if maybe an earlier stumbled caused a bit of temporary ouchiness.

Still lame.

When W came in to give her lesson, I stole her away to assess Moon for a few minutes. We both agreed it was likely his right fore, as there was a touch of heat in the coronary band. Perhaps an abscess?

I took him back to the barn and borrowed W's hoof soaking boot and epsom salts. Spent the next 45 minutes watching him soak and being sad and upset. My poor guy. I was gonna put in so much practice this week and we were going to make progress. Now he's sitting for another couple of days, unrideable and clearly sore.

W gave him some bute before bed and said she might bring him in tomorrow to rest in his stall. She also said she'd have the farrier who was coming by just do a hoof test on him to see if we can pin-point where he's sore.

So tonight I go back not to ride, but to soak him again. Ditto on tomorrow. Hopefully this is nothing serious and passes sooner then later. There goes our trail ride this weekend. : (

Last thought, the Davis Soaking Boots are excellent. A little tough to get on and off, but work like a charm. Even when your horse keeps wandering off to check the garbage cans for treats...