Sunscreen on A Sarcoid?

Before I brought my horse out today, the first thing I did was take a load of stuff (helmet, longe line, carrot stick) up to the arena. I didn't want to have to carry everything while I led my horse up later (the arena is not near the house.) I also wanted to snap some photos of my horse in the pasture. As I walked to the back of the property, my horse was watching me intently from his tree. I love that look.

He has a way of nickering softly at me as I walk by. I could barely hear him, but I could see his nostrils wiggling back and forth.

He watches me and starts to follow me down to the gate as I walk past him back to the garage. By the time I return with his lead rope to catch him, he's already at the gate. He's been really, really good about wanting to be caught lately. He's still wearing the halter. Not ready to go without that quite yet.

After I groom him, I put a little bit of sunscreen on his sarcoid. The vet told not to put anything on it while it was oozing from the Xxterra. Recently, I have put some aloe vera wound cream on the dry healed skin, but nothing on the scab. I didn't want to irritate his skin. But I am afraid that that exposed pink flesh might be getting sunburned. Holy cow, I don't want him to get skin cancer there in five years!

I said I was going to ride My Boy today, and I did. On the way to the arena, My Boy is always a major staller. He loves to stop at the mares' water trough to drink. Maybe the water is better than his own? He drinks like he hasn't had water in days. After he takes a big slurp, he holds his tongue sticking out like this for several seconds.

Then he looks at me as if I'm holding him up. From drinking water? Never mind that we are trying to get to the arena to do some work! I always let him drink, of course, but I know he gets plenty of water from his own trough, I see him drink out of it, too. He is just putting off the inevitable. I'm tellin' ya, it's true! He'll also stop to relieve himself somewhere along the way. Or just look at something in the woods. Or try to snatch a bite of grass. Major, major, staller. He thinks I'm clueless, but I've got his number.

I always keep a good eye on Paint Girl's mares when I am up to see my horse and she and her other half are at work for the day. Look them over for oddities, wounds, or any abnormal behavior. The day after they had their vaccinations, I saw Fritzy laying in the corner of the barn, completely still. I watched her for a long time and began to panic because she was not moving. I was imagining making the call to my sister at work, telling her something was wrong with her horse. Luckily, I saw the mare's tail flip up and over her back. And a few minutes later, her head came up, then she got up and wandered out of the barn.

As my boy is stocking up on H20 like a camel, Fritzy and the goats are standing in the sun. But where is Brandy?

Oh, there she is! Whew. Smart little camouflage mare, hanging out in the shade!

I longed My Boy before I rode. He played the "I'm an old, tired, lazy 40 year old nag and it's hot out" and clomped around the arena. It took some persuasion to get him to move out. I love that when I cluck, he trots. And when I kiss, he knows he needs to lope.

When he first started loping, he put his head down and hopped up and down halfway around the circle. I yelled at him to cut it out. He did that last year under saddle on the longe line, when wearing a built-up saddle pad. It's not a typical "I'm feeling good" buck. It's a discomfort or "something feels funny" hop. I've since switched saddle pads and it hasn't been a problem. I'm not sure what his problem was today. I finally had him loping both directions without the hopping, so I bridled him and rode.

I just walked and jogged on him. Despite a lot of chomping on the bit (I forgot my cavesson) he responded well and was responsive and soft in turns. Not bad for not getting ridden much over the winter! He was a little stiff at bending though. I can barely get his head round to my boot when flexing. We need to work on that. The chiropractor that worked him last year wanted me to do bending exercises with him from the ground.

Nobody was there to take my picture, so I set my point and shoot on the timer and hung it on the panel gate. Still wearing the bowling ball helmet, obviously!

After our ride, my horse dozed in the sun while I snapped some pictures. When it is warm, My Boy typically has a low energy level. Let me correct that. He typically has a low energy level- most of the time! He is not a raring-to-go kind of horse. I don't mind that, actually. It wouldn't be good if I wanted him to be a performance horse of some sort. But he's not. And on the trail, he walks out well and is enthusiastic.

I was bummed that Paint Girl wasn't there. This picnic table was looking pretty lonely. She would have enjoyed working with her horse on this warm sunny day. Or at least hanging out to watch, drinking a Dr. Pepper and the dogs panting at her side. Oh well. Plenty of time to horse around together. Hopefully, as soon as this weekend!

I couldn't resist snapping a picture of my horse eating grass before I put him away. He was chomping down that spring green like there was no tomorrow!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

P.S. I realize I've totally gone off my blog schedule this week....but I'm on vacation. So I figured my blog schedule is on vacation, too!