Ick, Thrush

It was farrier day today and Gwyn's cracks in her hooves look pretty good. They haven't gotten worse, so that makes me feel better. I do need to come up with a good solution for our ride in April though, because I would like to avoid putting shoes on and I have no idea when my Megasus Runners will actually arrive. They're supposed to start shipments in a couple days but they're coming from Austria... and I have no idea where I am in the order of things.

I wanted to order a fit kit from scoot boots but that's sold out from the USA side dealer. I'm going to be sending pictures of Gwyn's feet to Renegade because they'll evaluate from pictures and measurements. I have before a trim and I'll grab just after a trim to have a good range. I need to do that tomorrow.

Being good for the Farrier

The farrier also said that Saffron had thrush. So it was off to the feed store to grab stuff for her and begin treatment for that. I need to remind myself that she really is quite docile and not nearly as frightened of me as when I first got her. She's never been anything but polite for the farrier so there's no reason why I can't pick her feet out. Especially now that Arwen is gone she's been practically a kid's pony on level of calmness and chill. I think I still just don't fully trust her. I'm worried I'll do something that will trigger some incidence of abuse.

On the subject of kids ponies though, I've decided to see where we can get with Saffron becoming a riding donkey. She's big enough for the girls to ride and small enough that Kaylee won't be intimidated. Hazel LOVES Saffron and will walk right up to her and give her hugs.

She does not put a tiny hoof out of place with that kid and is more trusting of her than me.

I started today with some hopeful treat motivation. Saffron is unimpressed. She is not nearly as food motivated as Gwyn. It's either that or I haven't found the right treat. I need to get more gingersnaps, as I am told those are a donkey's weakness.

"Not gonna move, Lady. No matter how many delicious things you stuff in my face."

I tried a pony bridle I had lying around. WAY too big. Same for a 5" snaffle. Way too big. She needs something smaller and a 4" bit for sure. I found a mule bridle that has a snap around the crown piece to make it easier on the bigger ears and I like that in theory, but I also kind of want to try bitless with this one, especially if the kids are on board. I don't want them yanking her mouth around when I'm pretty sure the first time she's ever had a bit in was today.

So Saffron needs new gear. I do want to get her a biothane halter. Her leadrope is newer so that's fine but her current halter is the one she came with and it really just doesn't fit her correctly. I'll probably be making a Two Horse Tack order here shortly as stuff is adding up and I can combine it all onto one shipping charge.

A Ride in the Sun: 1 mile

For just the briefest of moments this weekend, we had warm(er) weather and it was sunny and clear Saturday and Sunday AND I didn't have to go into work. The stars were aligned, y'all. 

It was a dead horse kind of day. Pink is Gwyn, flat out, and purple but blending in is Saffron, also down but not totally out.

"Mom, you have treats, right?"

Since shedding season has FINALLY begun (yay spring!) I took my time grooming Gwyn. In anticipation of ramping up some work with her, I also gave her the tracest of clips. My first time ever. No judging. This is where she sweats the most so it should help, especially at our endurance ride in April. I might do more for her in April depending on how much of her coat she's blown out.

After tacking up we took to the still sn*wy and wet arena for a 'what is your energy level like today' lunge.

Pokey pony was pokey. I didn't even bother lunging the other side. I could barely get her to trot without a lunge whip. She was of the "ewwww mom, my feet are splashing cold sand on my belly" opinion and just didn't wanna.

I figured that was a good mindset to have for a toodling kind of ride.

"Please can we be done?"

So I hopped on and we did lots of walking work with bending and walk halt transitions and some trotting but really the arena needed one more day of sun before I felt comfortable doing a lot of trot work in it. I need to go through and salt and drag it before the plants take hold.

I did set this up. We walked over it. Gwyn did not touch the poles. That's pretty big. She's usually very lazy with her feet.

We also did the first exercise from the Jumping Exercises book. I did a few extra stuff using this basic set up like a clover leaf pattern with smaller 10m circles. 

So sunny!

Parked out, for her.  Gwyn, you are not a Morgan or Saddlebred. 

I think she was happy for the attention though. Now that she's shedding I'll be making sure to groom pretty much every day so we can keep the itchies at bay. Saffron won't shed for a while but will suddenly be sleek in July. That donkey is enigmatic. I also pulled blankets from them since the weather seems to be on the up and up with no precipitation forecast for a week.

It'll mean less clean horses but they'll be fine, the woolly beasts.

We got about a mile of work in 30 minutes. So we weren't particularly marching. But it was a rejuvenating, warm ride.

In which Sn*w becomes a 4 letter word

We went from this, at the very end of February... (27th) 

To this (my drive home from work, on the 1st)

I, of course, had helpers in the barn.

And a new addition in the barn. 

And there was more.

I mean, pretty, but I'm over it. 

And I went out to the barn to discover that a certain stubborn mare had not left the barn ALL DAY. And promptly got stocked up in one leg.  (March 7)

Compared to her other hind.

So I cold hosed that day. It wasn't tender, or hot to touch. She was probably thinking, "CHRIST, woman! THERE'S SN*W OUTSIDE AND YOU'RE HOSING MY LEG?!'

But I thought ahead and had the space heater going so she can suck it. And I always only have it on if I am in the barn. 

Since she was being obviously stubborn about being in the sn*wstorm, I put her blanket back on  (she hasn't been clipped...) and put extra hay out in the sn*w to force them out.

My drive to Kaylee's school (March 8)

My forcing them out in the sn*w worked. Saffron is displeased.

The swelling is only on the outside of her hind and I obsessively checked it every day. 

I still had helpers.

I stopped cold hosing after that first day based on some advice from other horse people and just massaged the leg. It was getting progressively better each day and she was fine with weight bearing and there was no lameness I could see. 

Hazel tries so hard to chastise Gwyn when she steals Saffron's food. Gwyn ignores her.

March 9, getting better.

I got new hay bags since my old ones were either falling apart (looking at you, Tough-1) or had giant draft nose size holes in them, negating the benefit of slow feeder (Hay Pillow).

My new ones are Hay Chix slow feeders.

March 10 I had to go to work and had a helper but then we got to do some fun stuff.

Like go to the Michigan Horse Expo in Lansing!

Gwyn's leg was pretty much back to normal.

And I discovered that my now obviously spoiled horses were getting PICKY. They ate ONLY the alfalfa and left the timothy. Don't let them tell you they're hungry. The bag on the left is what they had sitting around ALL DAY.

Spoiled mare.

We burned a bunch of cardboard.

March 11 was much sunnier and there was STILL leftover hay so that got dumped out of the slow feeders. Things are slowly melting. Just an hour south has a 10 deg temperature increase, so we are still encased in sn*w when the rest of Michigan has nothing, it feels. 

And this was this morning. Sunrise over my pasture. And sn*w is coming down again today.