Rquest to horse owners, and trimming update, etc.

Today was a nice day for once!  Still on the cold side, but sunny.  I noticed something:

Peanut has the same things in his eyes that Gene does.

Is it normal?  Have I just not noticed before because my original horse training taught me to never look a horse in its eyes unless you are trying to be threatening?

So, if you have a horse, please take a close look in bright light and see if there are a line of peppercorn-like things obscuring the middle of its pupils.

Annnyway.

Today we had a trim, with Dawn fresh from her trip from Panama where she hosted trimming seminars.  We discussed Nutter's feet, and were pleased to see that his flattish or unevenly concave feet of late have sprung to full concavity.  There was an unusually large amount of growth, and I wonder if it was because of the concavity pulling the sole away from the walls.  She really took back the toe on the front with the broken out wall, and we had a discussion.  In my last pictures of it, you can see that the front wall appears to have a flare.  However, on the solar view the toe white line looks tight.  She told me how sometimes a wall will flare, but will still stay attached to the sole and pull it forward since it is elastic.  Oh.  This is also why very long-toed horses seem to have super long frogs - they can also be pulled forward.  Ohhhh.

All in all she was pretty pleased with what she saw, but begged Peanut to stop cracking his back feet because he's supposed to be the ambassador of healthy barefoot feet at the barn.  I told her about the disasterous rear soaking, and so instead we're squirting bovine mastisis goo into the cracks.

With Gene, she decided to take the toe back but leave the heels be.  She has found that a good way to lame a horse is to attack both its toes and heels at the same time, and so today was toe day (trim back to toe callus or roundabouts).  Besides, she is having the damndest time getting his heels to spread, and she thinks that they are happier decontracting as they are instead of buzzing them down.  His heels could probably stand to come down another half inch at least, but considering that he has already lost about 2" of heel height since we got him it can wait a little bit.  He seems to be happier (sounder) when she doesn't buzz his heels anymore, so she decided he would like his toes done instead.  He started licking and chewing as she attacked his toes, and took that as a thank you.

After the trim, I rode for the first time since September.  Nothing much, just up the driveway, around the house, and back down the driveway, but it was satisfying.  I didn't know what to expect since Peanut has never had so much time off since I've had him, but he did great.  After I finished tightening his girth I saw that he had dropped, which is always a good sign.  Then again, I turn girth tightening into a game, so it's to be expected.  He then stood perfectly for me to mount, which was my biggest worry.  I mounted, settled in, and slipped him a cookie.  Good boy.  We then started off and I tried to remember everything.  So much to remember.  He did great!  I was mainly trying to leave my reins alone, so I turned and stopped with only my seat and legs.  Each time we got a stop without reins he got a pat and a cookie.  I didn't push beyond a walk since I was concentrating so much on my riding... and with trying to keep him from knocking my leg off on the fence posts.  He did respond wonderfully to my signals to move over, though.  :)

Everything with Peanut is easier when made a game, and our newest game is having him run (trot, gait, whatever) next to me.  How many times have I had to have a vet chase him to get him to move out?  Sigh.  But, now it's a game and he's starting to get it.

I tested this game a little bit while he was loose grazing with the lead draped over his back.  I was walking away, following Rick and Gene, and noticed he was following me.  I started running, and he matched my speed behind me.  Great!  I did it a few times, and he got a cookie each time.  The last time he was cantering behind me (slowest horse in the world, remember), and I stopped short.  Next thing I know, he slides to a stop right beside me.  Looking back at the grass, he stopped so abruptly he slid at least 3 feet over the grass.  What a good, attentive boy!  He got a jackpot for that one.

With everything going on at work, I forgot what a darling horse I have.  And, best of all, he's proven that he's not the kind of horse that must be ridden daily.  Or weekly.  Or monthly.  I'm so proud.  :D