No Hoof, No Horse, For Reals People.

  So this summer did not exactly go as planned. At the end of May after a fabulous weekend at Inavale Farms annual Eventing Camp, Nick and I came back home more confident than ever. We had made huge improvements from last year, even from the beginning to the end of camp. We confidently sailed over a bunch of Novice fences, down banks over drops & ditches. It was really pretty awesome that my  20 year old horse was felt like a spry twelve year old, and was rearing to do more.
  We continued that streak when we got back with a few great Lessons with our coach Anne, and we started setting our sites on a few Beginner Novice events coming up, and at least one schooling at Aspen. But then the last two lessons set off a chain reaction I didn't see coming.
   I've been struggling with Nick's sub-parr Thoroughbred feet for the last 6 years, hence the "Bad Feet" part of this blog title. Even before camp, starting in March, I was having problems keeping shoes on him, his front left in particular. Then a not so great shoe job left him with an abcess as well.
Luckily this cleared up by camp, and by some miracle he kept all of his shoes on for the weekend. That was pretty much the last time his shoes managed to stay on.
  Twice he ripped shoes off during jumping lessons, and then the abcesses began, 3 since June. Add that to the extremely dry weather we've been having, and his front left foot basically crumbled to nothing.
  I am just now starting to ride him again, and for the first time since the beginning of march, he's kept his shoes on for an entire 6 weeks. Complete soundness is still a little elusive, since his foot is just super out of balance, and needs time to grow out.  He's been a bit sore on his hind right over compensating for his front left...So it'll just take time.
  A friend recently asked if I was considering buying a new horse, and the answer is no. Not that I haven't considered acquiring a new mount, but when it comes right down to it, I'd have to get rid of Nick to do it. The  Hubs, with all his horsey tolerance, is not ready to be a two horse household... And definitely not ready for me a to buy a truly competitive horse. (I'm still breaking him in) ;-)
  Nick will hopefully once again be a comeback kid, and in any case his home is with me until he goes to that big pasture in the sky. So for now I'll dwell on this happy memory from camp, and hope that we'll be back at it in a few months.

 

One Year Later...

This weekend is Nick's one year anniversary of actual work. Possibly the only year in his almost 20 years, that anything has really been asked of him since his very brief stint as a race horse in 1997. He's taken it all in stride for the most part,(pardon the pun) and even though he can be an emotional red head, he never really says no and means it.

  We've had sets back in health and in soundness (He is a delicate flower), like all horses do, but he seems like he's going to be a comeback kid no matter what.(Yes, I am knocking on wood.)

  In that year we've moved farms, and found a trainer that could see past his age and condition, to the diamond in the rough that he is. We attended an eventing camp, and didn't make fools out of ourselves, and competed in Nick's first show ever. Then we ended our season crossing off a bucket list item which was riding on the beach, and Nick stormed out across the dunes and into the waves like he's been doing it all his life.

   I'm super excited about this coming year, he's come such a long way in health soundness and training.  A big shout out has to go to my trainer, Anne Carr, and to my Vet, Dr.Wilson at Oregon Equine, for not running for the hills, or trying to talk me out of him. I really appreciate all of your help.
  And lastly a shout out to my husband Darren, who doesn't really get the "whole horse thing", but get's that it's important to me, sorry if I endlessly talk about Nick's Antics. :-)

 Enjoy these before and after shots. I think he's lost about 10 years. :-)

                                                                          Feb. 23, 2014

                                                                       Feb. 20, 2015