Oh My Aching Hooves

Remember this foot?
It belongs to a very nice Arabian gelding that makes me think of MiKael's Arabians. This horse has been fighting with some hoof trouble, and five weeks ago we were called in for a consultation to discuss his glue on shoes.

He was not a happy horse.

This week, we removed those glue on shoes.
End result, thanks to the considerably thinner sole than the horse would like,
He wound up quite uncomfortable.

But we have an answer.

I introduce you to the "Build A Boot" Process.

Ingredients:
Duct Tape
Scissors
Marker
High Density Styrofoam board
Exacto Knife or Razor Knife
Flat hard surface

Step One:
Lay strips of Duct Tape length-wise (depending on size of hoof, average is 6 to 8 strips)

Step Two:
Lay strips of Duct Tape Width-wise.Step Three:
Styrofoam Board- have horse stand on it.Step Four:
Take your marker and trace outline of hoof. If you forget the marker like we did last night, use the pointy end of your hoof pick to scrape a trace around the hoof.

Step Five:
Cut out hoof shape.


Step Six:
Size boot to hoof pad- cutting off excess tape. Trim slits at 2, 5, 7, and 9 o'clock markers.
(This allows for easier folding of boot around hoof.)

In this case, we also cut out the frog area so that there would not be excessive pressure on the frog.

Step Seven:
Place pad in center and prepare hoof. (In this case, we used an Epsom Salt and Betadine scrub. Allow foot to dry if you must scrub with a wet solution before applying boot.)
This foot? That hoof looked exactly like the hoof that is at the very top of this post. Neat what a GOOD trim can do, huh?

Step Eight:
Apply boot to hoof. Wrap tape around outer wall of hoof, secure with additional Duct Tape.

Unfortunately, we slam ran out of daylight at the end of this, and I was unable to get a shot of the end result. However, I heard from the owner this morning, that the horse, whom I will dub The Mighty H,
was MUCH happier.

So why the hoof boot build? Equine hoof emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, and this system of building a pad for your horse with readily available and affordable materials can save your horse's life. At the very least, it can drastically increase his comfort levels, so that healing can take place. It has been shown that pain slows healing. By providing relief in a non-invasive form, with additional support to the internal structures, healing can actually be sped up.

In a founder incident, a boot like this can and WILL help STOP ROTATION. That along with cold hosing, can effectively save a tremendous amount of pain and suffering, not to mention vet bills on your part. (GET. XRAYS. Period.)

This boot can also be used to help ease pain from an abscess, during a transition phase from being shod to properly barefoot, or even to help stabilize a protruding object should your horse step on an offending object such as a nail. (In that particular case, a couple pieces of 2 x 4 strapped to the bottom of the hoof can also provide the needed stability until the vet can arrive.)

The beauty of the high density foam? It molds to the hoof, providing support where it is needed. It can not HURT your horse. It is non-invasive. And it also provides INSTANT relief.

Just ask The Majestic H here!

Late Entry For Wordless Wednesday

Careful glue on shoe removal process

Pre-trim, post glue on removal

Pre-trim 2, post glue-on removal

Dat how I feel. Only she looks better.

(More Wordless Wednesday Pictures at The Daily Journal)

Saddle Up And RIDE!

That is the most logical step, now that I have a sound horse again right? Well sure it is. Just hop on and go, right?

Except....

An email conversation with a friend recently brought to light a few things rattling around in my brain. It is something that several other bloggers have alluded to as well, and I think to some extent, all of us have felt twinges of uncertainty around horses.

Here is an example of several things that have crossed my mind since Sonny Bunz' Great Escape.
- I don't think I *know* this horse- this is the first time I have known him that he has not been in any kind of pain. In fact, in all honesty, I have to wonder if Sonny knows who HE is right now, considering he is quite young himself and has been uncomfortable for a while now.

If any of you have suffered a severe injury, and I know there are a lot of us out there, the mere *memory* of pain is enough to affect our actions and movements for quite some time. Once the pain is gone, and we start to realize it is gone for good, we then enter into a new phase of conditioning and development. Often times, we need to relearn how to do things over again. I have seen small evidence of this in the past, in horses known in passing. Now knowing Sonny for an extended period of time, I am seeing a whole new horse emerge. This is also common in young horses as they grow and mature. In this case, I have a bouncing baby boy who now knows he no longer hurts, now knows he is able to move and party, and he is testing the water so to speak.

- For those of us who are Mom's, those little eyes looking up at us and smiling, those little arms that wrap around us and gush with utter devotion and unconditional love affect us tremendously. The first thought? "Man if I get hurt, who is going to be there for this child?" The second thought, at least in my case having two little dudes to look after, is "How can I get time to ride on a consistent basis, when these two little buggers rock and roll, and one of them has powers of levitation AND teleportation?" Even with Dear Husband home, it takes about 8 adults at times to keep these two in check. Add in Jo The Wonder Nanny Dog, who is just plain ODD at times, and riding time tends to be quite frustrating. At least Jo The Wonder Nanny Dog can be closed in the house. The Little Mens? No way. I wouldn't have a house STANDING at the end of a 45 minute horse session.

Next on my list, which crossed my mind tonight as we worked on the lunge line again and did some other ground work, was the ground work itself.

There are a few folks out there who seem to deride ground work. All they want the horse to do on the ground is stand tied, lead, and be tacked up, and know basic lunging.

All well and good, if that is what you want.

I, however, am going to look at this from another angle. First, the horse that I have before me today is essentially a *New* Horse inside and out. Secondly, he is fresh and I am *Not* by any stretch of the imagination. Thanks to the kids, and the complications that came along with their pregnancies, I have not spent time actively ON a horse in oh... let's see here now... Four years? Yep- FOUR years. That makes ME quite a bit older than I was before. And we won't even *think* about fitness levels, and *shape*. This horse is going to have to learn a few things before we think about going back to active under saddle work.

The arguments that those things can be learned while under saddle, well, y'all hold that thought kids.

Thirdly.... ahhh thirdly.

Thirdly is I want a WHOA on that colt from my voice before I pull my aging and tired old body up on that 16 hand fire cracker. Maybe it is just a placebo for my brain to boost confidence. Maybe it stands in solid fact. I don't know- but either way before we start doing more than our 5 minutes of puttering around in the yard, that colt best know WHOA when I say it and he best plant his rump in the dirt if need be!

The friend I was chatting with suggested a trainer, or someone I trust to be my ground person. Both excellent ideas, and in fact, it made me bummed out. Why? Because the two people that I trust with my life when it comes to working horses are: NOT HERE (ie: my Very Best Friend in the World next to Dear Husband, lives far, far away now,) and the OTHER person that I trust with my life is chasing after our children.

This is going to sound quite bad, but in my limited exposure to people here in the equine community, I have not met anyone that I would place my trust in. I've had a few lessons here and there, watched a couple handle horses, and let's just say the search for a trainer for me will continue...

Can things be learned "just" under saddle and not so much on the ground? Sure they can. Is it the smart thing in *this* case? Yeah, umm...not so much, no.

The moral of this somewhat wandering story today? Confidence. Building confidence. Building a working relationship- NOT just a trust-me-because-I-feed-you relationship. A trust-me-because-I-can-guide-you-safely-through-my-requests relationship. Building confidence in ME that yes, this aging and changed body CAN do this, that I CAN still ride, that the fond memories of yesteryear are based in fact. For me, that confidence is built day by day, step by step, re-establishing that Working Relationship on the ground with this horse.

Will we step up and ride? Oh Hell Yeah. And we even have some basic goals lined up for The Big Red One AND myself.

Now if we can just tweak that darn saddle fit just a tad more... (I have to pause here and say a HUGE and hearty THANK YOU to MiKael. One of her stunning Arabian Horse's has a back that is startlingly similar to Sonny's, and she has been a tremendous help to me in sorting out how to fit this blasted saddle to an ever changing back. MiKael, You Rock!)

Stay Tuned y'all, things here are just starting to get really good!

What An Amazing Discovery

The day dawned bright and crisp here with a heavy frost on the ground. A strong warm sun soon warmed the air and chased the cold away, bringing us a day that was too lovely to be inside, pacing myself, and feeling miserable. Oh no- this day begged us to be out in it, sharing in the glorious light. The spring birds were singing at the top of their lungs, and the breeze was warmer than it has been in a while. Sonny Bunz and Snicker Pony were feeling quite frisky, but Snickers was also feeling like a love bug. As I messed with him this morning, he allowed me to pick up all four tiny hooves. This is a milestone in our relationship, as Snickers has been rather resistant the whole 2 1/2 years we have known each other to having his tiny toes trimmed. During his last visit here, we made a strong, concerted effort to learn how to be a gentleman during his pedicures. Most days we had to spend an hour or so learning how to quietly and politely be handled like a gentleman. It looks to have paid off, as this morning sans halter or lead, he handed each hoof to me like said gentleman. *phew*

We had other beasties to tame today, but they had two legs and were in the form of snarling children. Time passed and they settled down as well, and I was able to head back out to play with Sonny Bunz and get myself a red headed horse fix.

A good grooming revealed the start of shedding. That right there was a thrill, even though it brought out sneezing and more coughing. It was well worth it! Sonny was antsy, and wound up. He was ready to DO something. So we did. I placed the surcingle on his broad back, fitted the bridle on, (was too lazy to remove his halter- which in this case was a good thing), and we moseyed out to do some warm ups and long line work. He stepped forward in a strong flowing walk, with his ears forward and eyes bright. At my request, he moved right up into a long strided strong trot, and I could see trouble brewing in his eye... In an attempt to head it off, since I do NOT allow bucking and "playing" on the lines- ANY line- I was setting him up to change direction and change pace. Too late- he threw in a buck, stepped up into a canter, and tossed his head... and BAM! The surcingle broke. It came off his back, flipped up and bopped him in the head, and he managed to drop his head and yank off his headstall.

Loose horse.

Headed out our road, towards the highway.

At a gallop.

I about passed out at the sight of his rather large and powerful red hindquarters, tail streaming behind him, headed on down the road. Little black dots danced across my vision, and my knees were watery.

Fortunately, he turned around at some point and came back towards home. He blew by our drive, and went instead over to the neighbors. It took about 10 minutes for me to corner him here at home, and catch him.

The good news is, the whole time he was galloping about balls to the wall, or showing off in this HUGE floaty extended trot, the bugger was SOUND. Not one bad step. Holy Mother of God, that horse was SOUND, and his movement had my jaw almost on the ground. I was stunned, as was Dear Husband. It was almost tempting to not catch him as he was prancing around the yard just so that we could watch him.

Fortunately, better sense prevailed and I caught him.

There is now a SOUND horse in my paddock. This is going to sound silly, but I almost don't know what to DO about that. So long has been spent patching things back up with him that seeing him so sound and ready to go and ready to MOVE is boggling my mind!

All in all, (now that the children are in bed,) it was a fantastic day.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

I'm Still Standing....

Right so TECHNICALLY I am sitting right now, but you get the idea. Things are moving at a snail's pace with recovery, but at least they are MOVING. Mornings are my strong time, and each day that freaking wall hitting me moves back a bit later in the afternoon. I figure by this weekend, I ought to be back to ripping around and have enough brain cells firing in order to contemplate new posts and pictures. (Sonny Bunz needs a good trim too. I'll get Dear Husband to help me out, and get some really good shots of tools in use and start talking about our Toys!)

Since my brain cells are at a minimum ebb right now, what about a contest of sorts? Wait- why a contest? Why not just... ummm... heck I dunno... what about a fun giveaway "just because"? Sounds good to me! I have gotten some primo cool stuff from folks- OneCowgirl sent a really awesome picture of a sexy hoss looking over towards a mountain range (hangs in my livingroom- everyone loves it too!) 20M sent along a book that I have devoured from cover to cover, and had quite a few discussions about with a Very Dear Friend. Midlife Mom cured my Dunkin Donuts Craving with a FIX and a half- she sent a whole box of DOUNTS. And last but by NO MEANS least, Mikey sent along a gen-u-ine Arizona Sidewinder Rattlesnake skin, complete with rattles AND instructions to let the Little Mens run amok with it scaring people. (Dear Husband however, gave me "The Look" at that idea. Doesn't mean *I* can't whip it out and scare people with it! The kids have to learn from somewhere, right?)

Since folks have shared so very much here, I'd like to return the favor.

What is the prize? (I heard that! You, in the back there- sit down and wait your turn!)
I think that needs to be revealed at a later date- the suspense sounds like fun to me! {insert very evil giggle here}

Let's see here. We have a semi-contest/ giveaway-just-for-the-heck-of-it, and a mystery prize. Now we need a deadline. {closing eyes and poking desktop lifeline book...} .. Dude check that out- I poked March 8- Daylight Savings Time!

Comment to be entered! And for the "contest" part of it, tell us all why you are looking forward to Daylight Savings Time!

Sign up by March 8 with your story!!

Barefoot Thoroughbreds- Fact or Fancy?

We hear it all the time:
"Oh Thoroughbreds Can not possibly go BAREFOOT! Their feet would fall apart!" Or you look at horses that are fresh off the track, and see God-awful underrun heels, with flare for days and toes sticking far enough out you have to wonder how they can walk, let alone run. (And people wonder why track horses break down... geee, seems pretty simple to me in the majority of cases.)

Let's take a look today at two Thoroughbred geldings, and their hooves. I personally want to hear someone tell these two owners that their horse's feet are going to fall apart.


This is a front foot on Gelding One. It is a shining example of a healthy frog, healthy heels, and well exfoliated sole. In this photo, he is due for a trimming, and his bar growth is a bit long, but overall this is a fantastic looking hoof.

This hoof is on Gelding Two: Now to be fair, Gelding One suffered a crippling injury and is on permanent pasture rest to very light work. He in all honesty does not work very hard in life these days. Gelding Two however, is in training and works consistently. This hind foot shows a wonderful view of nice, fat healthy frogs, great heel purchase, good concavity in the sole, and is a very healthy hoof. Hmm... kind of looks like this foot is missing out on the "falling apart" issue, doesn't it?
Gelding One again, showing off a lovely hind foot. Note the healthy heel purchase, wonderful wide frog, smooth sole, and overall wonderful looking hoof. Yep, looks to me like HE missed that Memo too on Thoroughbred's just falling slam apart with out shoes to hold them together...
Again- Gelding Two showing off his other hind foot. Again, just great overall health here.

Now it is time to address what we hear.

"Thoroughbred's hoof walls are too thin to support them. Their feet just break and chip, and break away. They MUST Stay Shod to Stay Sound."

Fact One: ANY hoof, on ANY horse, will break, chip, crack, split, and "fall apart" if the following happens:
- The hoof is not balanced
- The heels are not trimmed
- The toe is continuously trimmed, while NOT trimming the heels
- The bars are not trimmed.

Fact Two: Wall thickness varies from hoof to hoof, BUT! ANY HORSE will *appear* to have "thin walls" if you allow ONLY the wall to be weight bearing. Recent research from one of my all time favorite researchers, Dr. Robert Bowker, has shown that the sole and the wall MUST work together to support the weight of the horse, in order for the hoof to work as it was intended to work. If the wall alone supports all the weight of the horse, as in a traditional pasture trim, you will see the hoof wall suffer. Funny thing is though, when that horse is trimmed properly, you find after a very short amount of rasping that wall gets thicker again. Go figure that one huh?

Were we to take a pasture trimmed horse and dissect his hoof, the wall thickness about two inches up from ground level would blow you away. (No, I do not have any photos of my dissection time in class. Sorry...) Being able to see the progression from thin and weak at ground level to thick and strong closer to the hairline is really an eye-opener.

The next argument will be that these two horses are flukes. I'll be sure to tell that to all the other barefoot Thoroughbreds out there, working away, doing jobs like lesson horses, racing horses, and fox hunters, that their feet are just supposed to fall apart rendering them lame and too unsound to ever be used again. They must have missed that memo too.

The point to today's ramblings:
If you trim PROPERLY, with BALANCE and an understanding of how the hoof has been designed to work, ANY breed of horse, with ANY COLOR hooves, can (and DO) go barefoot and stay sound working for a living. The horses move better, and stay sounder.

Wall thickness is a nice thing, but overall wall strength, combined with working with the sole as God intended it to is much more important.

To be sure, there is MUCH more to having healthy hooves than just proper trimming. Proper trimming is a great start- but LIFESTYLE plays an important role here- and this is a post for another day.

To Be Continued......

Back To Hoof Talk

Back to Hooves 101 today, since my brain has decided that it can work. Today we are going to take a look at a solar view, which I have added some colored marks to, in order to identify question areas. I'll also explain how we would treat the areas.

Starting at the toe: The blue circle shows a bruise in the toe.
Causes? In cases like this, bruising present in the toe area is NOT from "stepping" on something, but instead from pressure exerted on the sole from growth and imbalance.
Is this serious? Generally not. Most often these bruises grow out, and with proper trimming they are gone even faster.
How to fix it: Trim the toe, and address the amount of sole found in that area. The "toe callous" present here does not need to be so large to do it's job. (That job is to provide additional support to the internal structures of the hoof.) The main tool in your arsenal in this case will be a good rasp. You also need a good hoof knife. (Again- ANVIL BRAND THE KNIFE!!)


The Pink-ish circle at the end of the frog: this is a reference point, for education only. Known as the Apex of the frog.


The Orange circle on the frog: Now overall this is a fairly healthy frog. BUT! See the area inside the circle? The line? This is an indicator of a frog getting ready to shed. Not usually a big deal, and you CAN use the knife to help clean this area. The reason to clean it? So that other materials can not pack into the space left while shedding, and create a spot for possible infection and thrush infestation. Use your The Knife to carefully trim away tissue that is ready to exfoliate.


The Purple circle on the sole: Encloses an area that is a good indicator that this horse has retained sole. What on Earth is "retained sole"? It is sole material that has been "trapped" or "retained" in the hoof, instead of exfoliating as the horse moves. In a healthily functioning foot, the flexion of the sole as the horse moves helps older/ dead tissue to flake away, leaving a smooth, almost polished looking sole.

How to treat it: This is a case for your hoof knife again, and CAREFULLY scrape at the spot. *TAKE ONLY WHAT THE FOOT WILL GIVE YOU. If you have to "force" any part of the sole out, you are better off leaving it to someone who has done this a time or three.


The red circle in the heel: This shows a bit of bar material that can be lowered to the level of the existing sole. Leaving this up throws off the balance of the hoof, thus throwing off the balance of your horse.

How to treat: Using the hoof knife, pull the knife through the bar tissue carefully, until it is level with the sole. Then rasp the heels, and check the bar again- you may find that the bar needs a bit of touch up with your knife.

The blue arrow: shows wall that needs to be brought down in the entire heel area. Leaving this sticking up "for the horse to walk on" will only weaken the wall there, and wind up cracking and forcing the heels to continue to grow under.
Treatment: Rasp the heels, and make SURE they are level.

The red and blue arrow: points out a small section of wall that needs to be addressed. Whenever you have a thin, sharp point like that protruding from the hoof, you have increased chances of the following happening:
- It can catch and tear on rocks, creating a bigger crack in the hoof
- It can cut the horse as he or she moves about in the pasture
- It can also trap material in the hoof wall, creating a pocket that will in time work it's way up into the hoof wall, creating white line separation, and a place for various bacterium and other creatures to set up a home there.

To treat this: rasp the wall. Leave NO sharp edges or protruding points.
Overall, this has the potential to be a healthy hoof, in a very short amount of time. The heels will need to be trimmed often- maybe as often as four week intervals, maybe three week intervals. The entire hoof wall needs to be brought down, and slowly that sole will begin to flex and help shed the trapped tissue. A big difference will be seen in this horses movement pretty rapidly. I'd guess that in about six months or so, this hoof will look amazingly different.

Next post we will take a look at what folks say can't be done- THOROUGHBREDS going *gasp* BAREFOOT.

Happy Sappy Valentine's Day

See that look in this sweet little Donkey's eye? That about sums up how I feel right now, minus the ever present box of tissues. Trying to catch up on everything this week has lead to a bit of a relapse of this cold or flu thing that has attacked Command Central, but never fear recovery is not that far off. (I hope.)


See that funky fowl above? That is the "Attack Rooster" we met this week also. It always amazes me that something so small can and will challenge things so much larger than they are. The best part is, we get out of their way- usually with a quickness!
Cub was able to make himself a great new friend too. This particular bay gelding just had a blast following the boys around and even conned me out of an apple core. (Shhh-- don't tell Sonny Bunz that Mommy gave away his apple!)

We saw some very interesting feet this week as well, and unfortunately I took not one picture of them to share and teach about.

There are still some fantastic pictures in my inbox that need to be shared, thanks to you all zapping them to me. As soon as my head clears some, we will get right back on that.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful day with the Valentine of your choice. Me? I am going to curl up in a blanket on the couch, with my Dear Husband and the Wrecking Crew, and watch a movie or two.

Sunset Happiness....

Pardon the lighting y'all, but I had to share a Sonny Update here. Sonny is sound and today we all had the time, the weather, and a bit of returning health to RIDE.

And it was Heaven for me and Sonny Bunz. Not sure who was happier. According to Dear Husband, both of us were smiling pretty large.

Awards!

Since looking at feet right now and talking about hooves is a bit beyond my capabilities, it seems to be time to post some recognition that has been most generously shared from fellow equi-bloggers. I truly hope that no one was offended at the delay in getting these up --- what with the illness that has invaded the house this past week NOTHING is as it should be here at Command Central.

But this is a good way to start getting things back on track, right?

First, Funder passed along the funniest award. I have been Hammfattereded. She is pulling my goat. No wait- that isn't right. Ahh forget it- my brain is working less than usual.

Instead, here is a bit about the award. It came from our good pal Andrea, over at Swamp Suburbia. (If you have not been there, you really need to. She has THE Sweetest Cowpokes!) There are, of course, Rules that go along with this award, of which I will post but chances are ... well.. not follow completely. (Yes Andrea and Funder, I can hear you both now! Let me see what I can do to rectify the error of my ways before you both remove my qualification for the award...)

First, Le Rules:
"This award is given to the blogs that make you laugh. The blogs that stand out and amaze you with wit and wisdom humorously delivered to your heart and funny bone! The rules are easy and simple.
1. Blog about the Hamfatter award, tell where the name came from (you can copy and paste, that is what I did!!)
2. Post the Hamfatter Award Proudly on your blog!
3. Pick 5 blogs that just make you laugh and link to them in your post.
4. Link back to the person who gave you this hilarious Hamfatter Award.
5. Let your blogger friends know they were awarded a little something."

OK, five blogs that make me laugh....

Mikey, you ALWAYS have me in stitches. Always. You, Dear Wonder Woman, deserve this award.

Callie, you too have a way with words that cracks me up. Keep your chin up my wonderful friend, and tell Stephen that I said BEHAVE!

Heidi, my sista from anotha motha- girl, I have to be careful to NOT be drinking my moring brew when I hit your blog! I'd have wrecked my computer multiple times over by now.

Dressage Queen 20M, girl, you are strong and tough, and always give me things to think about and smile at. And I looove that sexy hoss of yours as well!

TrainWreck- now this is a woman who amazes me with her talents. Seriously. I don't think that there is much she can NOT do, and she always brings a smile and an adventure with her posts!

Hey! Thats FIVE! Whooohooo!!!!

Now, Saddle Mountain Rider saw fit to pass along some more Lemonade. Along with a recipe for some sweet lemony sunshine that I would have given my eye teeth for this week. Lucky for me (or maybe not so lucky,) I was unfit to drive so I never did make it to the store to retrieve the ingredients. Ahh well, at least the list is up for next time!

I think this gem of an award has made it's way around, so let me see where it can go to next. There are some new bloggers here that might just love to get a chilled something to sip upon, as they delve into the equi-blogging realm! (And I promise, I will post those SOON!)

Saddle Mountain Rider also saw fit to bestow me with the Honorary Pony Cousin title. Considering all of my riding has been in my dreams of late, it seems fitting to be a cyber-cousin with a bunch of ladies who have some fantastic horses, great senses of humor, and adventures a plenty! Many many thanks SMR!

And now my friends, it is time for me to rest. The house is quiet, horses and dog have been fed, children are tucked in sleeping sweetly, and Dear Husband is sneezing next to me as I cough up a lung. Yes, rest indeed. (*ahem* SMR- hit that sweet sauce for me please?)

Still Alive!

And fixing to head on out for a busy day. So to prove that I am still here, please enjoy the pictures~!

The Hay Man Cometh

Sonny Bunz this past summer, before he moved back "home" in August.

I spoke with our Hay Man a moment ago, and AMEN! He will be here tomorrow afternoon with a lovely load of hay for Sonny Bunz! Let me tell y'all, *I* *AM* *THRILLED*. And Sonny Bunz will be too. I will try to get pictures of his haygasm to share with everyone.

In other news, all clients for today had to be rescheduled. This bug/ illness or whatever the heck it is has kicked my butt in a big way. I couldn't bend over right now to tie my shoes, much less trim hooves. Seriously. My excitement for the day was talking to Hay Man, and watching "The Cowboy Way". (Yep Chelsi, it ROCKS!! Although I don't think I have the energy to even contemplate playing Big Chief with Dear Husband right now...)

For now, I will leave you with an image dug out from the files of Sonny Bunz. Everyone stay healthy, and I will return when health permits me to keep my eyes OPEN for more than ten minutes at a time!

Sonny Bunz the day he returned home in August. One of his favorite past times is to hang his head over the porch rail, and beg treats from everyone in the house. Ya think he is a wee bit spoiled?

Below is Snickers Pony. Snickers is back now, keeping Sonny company since Graham went back home to work on his under saddle skills. Snickers also has carrot coaxing skills that Johnny Reb finds adorable.

Dirty. Rotten. Trick.

We got home from messing with some long ears today, (Dear Husband 1, Jack the Donkey about 8- more on that in a moment,) and there were about 8 messages on the voice mail.

One of those was from SaveTheHorses.org, saying, "I sent you an email!! This is an emergency!! 20 plus free mini donkeys and mini horses in your area!" Of course, I hit my inbox, got all the important information (like the name and phone number,) and I called the owner.

Well.

SOME Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, according to the owner, pulled a nasty practical joke on him. Listed the ad, the gent's phone number, and said ALL the animals were free. The poor man said that he has had about 210 phone calls today, and he really does not want to see his cell phone bill from this when it comes in.

Now, I for one do NOT know how this very sweet sounding man was able to keep laughing, but he giggled through our entire call. I reckon if you have a "friend" like that, maybe you don't need enemies, huh?

Back to the day today. Emergency call came in last night for a lame donkey. We packed up and hauled out, and met some very lovely donkeys, a couple of adorable minis, and a few large horses as well. The little jenny that is lame was LOVELY to work on, and kept following Dear Husband and the rest of the folks around up and down the fence line after she was trimmed. Sweet, sweet girl.

Get a couple of the other horses taken care of, and they were pretty much OK. Then came Jack. Jet black, loves his rump rubbed, but DO NOT even THINK about his feet apparently. The scoreboard? One 250 pound jack donkey- oh about 8 points. One 200 pound Dear Husband? Well... he got one front foot done, before Jack decided enough was enough. And I think we are going to leave it at that. Let's just say that no one near that handsome donkey was "feelin' the love".

Onward and upward of course, and after a short break Dear Husband was back at it. He did one little mini mare, and the last big horse (who needs a J-O-B worse than Sonny Bunz does,) and I stepped up to finish the last mini. (Yeah. Riiiiiight.) Little Stud Muffin proceeds to whip some serious butt. I will give his owner FULL CREDIT- I have never met an owner more determined to hold the horse and get the job done. This man bulldogged the colt (who was standing on his tiny little feet about shoulder high with the owner,) and down they went in a tangled heap.

In about three seconds flat, there were about 4 other people in the mix, trying to sort things out and extricate the owner. (All were unscathed- even the mini.) Dear Husband looked at me, and said, "Well, time for the Chupacabra Treatment."

It took about thirty seconds of Little Stud Muffin being on his side on the ground before he decided that STANDING and BEING GOOD were fantastic. I trimmed him up and he stood like a rock- never moved a muscle until I put away all the tools, and went back to rub his little tiny hiney, scratch his little tiny neck, and rub his little tiny ears.

Now, is that our favorite thing to do? Nope- we tend to lean towards better living through chemistry. And next time, Master Jack and one other gelding will be getting some Happy Juice in order to be trimmed. Little mini Stud Muffin? Welll, I reckon he will be just fine with out it.

That sums up our day here. Now I just need to finish returning calls, and answering emails, getting laundry going, pick paddocks, feed Sonny Bunz and Snickers Pony, feed the Little Mens, and ..... h*ll I don't know what else!

Have a fun one y'all....

Quick Sonny Bunz Update

Aside from the Big Red One giving me incredibly dirty looks as I fork over what he sees as NOT "his special hay", he is fine. I had him out today to play just a tad, and spent some TLC time with him. His gut sounds are back to normal, and so is his attitude.

For those of you, (MIKEY! you smart arse) getting a kick out of the blood in the pictures from yesterday, I will freely admit that every time I handle tools, I bleed. You would think after all this time working with sharp tools, that I would know better. However, I have found after my break from trimming I am back to being somewhat clumsy with my rasp, and have a "thing" for running it over my knuckles.

Not a big deal- I was not meant to be a hand model anyways.

And Lytha, since I know what you are going to say too, I still hate gloves!

Ya know that t-shirt that says, "When I count my blessings, I count my horse twice"? I counted today how many times Sonny came up as a blessing, and it was way more than twice. In fact, every time I walked out to the paddock to see him, I counted him (and Snicker Pony too. He is too cute NOT to count.)

Go count your blessing, whether it be only in your mind, or for real walking out and kissing velvety noses. Have a grand night y'all....