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.
