Scrappy was totally businesslike by himself, picking up his nice little steady trot and we had a great time motoring down to and around the horse camp loop. He moved out well, or so it felt, and it was nice to miss those occasional ouchy steps he took over rocks when bare in the hind. At mile 10 we were cruising back to the trailer feeling good.
At mile 10.5 he slowed, losing enthusiasm suddenly. At mile 11 when I asked for a jog he was suddenly trotting lame! I stripped his hind boots, didn’t find any bumps or sores, trotted him with bare hinds and he was ouchy. I took off his front boots and trotted him and he was ouchy. After handwalking to the top of the dam, within 1/4 mile of the trailer, I trotted him in hand and under saddle again and he was ouchy but a little less so? After a 25 minute trailer ride home he was trotting almost cleanly barefoot. After much panic and analysis/advice from experts last night we’re thinking he either was whacking himself with the bulkier boot, not used to moving with them, and/or maybe need larger captivators on the size 0 hind boots. I couldn’t hear when riding or tell when trotting him in-hand myself if he was whacking his legs, and may have been the whole time until it hurt to do so anymore. The one day we ride alone would have been a good day to have a second set of eyes of course, but isn’t that the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. He also is sort of in-between boot sizes on front and hinds and is probably going to get a better fit from the new Renegade Vipers. So next I play with boot fit and try riding him with hind splint boots!
Cute random animal picture interlude..
I live in a world of expectant faces. These faces are Desire and Nan goat
This morning was 54 degrees, sinfully cool, and I fed at first light to get a morning ride in. Blaze and I huffed and puffed our way at speed up the steep 1 mile hill to the top of the ridge, then I jogged back down beside him. He was quite peppy on the hill climb and even hit 4 mph in his walk home, why that’s simply screaming for him! 🙂
Forgot my GPS on the rack, gotta love an open air tack room you can ride into for stuff!
Luscious locks, Blaze edition:
Lots of yellow flowers all along the roadsides today
Sweated up after climbing 1 mile Hill
We were both hot and sweaty at the top of the hill but the air was so cool coming back down that I got goosebumps! Love it. This weather makes me want to never stop drinking cozy hot tea and reading books, or if I Do, only to ride another horse for a while.
By the way, Blaze doesn’t approve of being clean. At all.
Ermahgawd I’m so clean and perfectly brushed, it’s totally digusting!
Gotta get rid of Clean!
Halfway there
Oh yeah, mission accomplished
Redheaded Endurance 
How do you have time to ride so much? I'm always amazed at this but then I have to trailer to trails and that probably eats some of my ride time.
PS, I love Blaze's belly. He's clearly a boy who loves his food. Actually… do you have any of your heard which isn't super fond of food? =)
They are all very easy keepers, yes. Blaze has a really big barrel and deep girth, believe it or not you can feel ribs/see them when he works right now, yet he looks all “bellied out.” I feed high quality hay twice a day and that's it, besides sloppy Elk Grove mashes when they work.
I am lucky to live 15 minutes from 30 miles of trails and can also ride 3 different directions from my house and get a 6 mile, 8 mile, or 13 mile ride depending which way I go, with hills optional on two of those.