Monday, June 29, 2009

Phantom Spots

What do ya think? Should I trade in spots for patches?

Paint Girl and I scheduled a trail ride with Tracey from the Mustang Diaries. I was so excited to finally meet Tracey and her daughter and their two Mustangs, whom I've been reading about since I figured out what a blog was, over a year ago!

After getting home from a week's visit with my parents, I went up to see my horse on a muggy, dizzily day. He happily came to the gate to see me and ate a mushy apple out of his bucket. As he was eating I couldn't help noticing how the light rain falling on him made him smell. It was a heavenly sweet horse scentl. If I could get it bottled, I quite possibly think I could market it!

I took My Boy up to the grooming area. I was glad to see the sarcoid scab was gone and healing up nicely, but there is still a red nubbin of a bump to keep an eye on, I have a feeling it is the beginning of a sarcoid in the making. We'll see how it grows.

I picked out My Boy's hooves and when I went to lift his right hind- what the? He was missing a shoe! I couldn't believe it. I took him up to the arena anyway and let him run around a bit. Then I let him graze and called Paint Girl to tell her I wouldn't be taking My Boy on the ride. She said, "What?!" I think she thought something was wrong with him.

I called the farrier, hoping he could squeeze me in for a fix, but he wasn't available until Saturday. Paint Girl and I decided I would ride Fritzy, her Other Half's mare, on the ride.

After I put My Boy away, I began my hunt for the shoe. I did this when he lost a front one last winter, but never found it. I was surprised my horse lost a shoe in the mucky winter pasture, but I'm not sure why he lost a shoe in the dry pasture. I've never had problems with him losing shoes before this past year.

After much searching...and weed pulling....and rock tossing.....I saw this, right there in the dirt!

I swear I had walked by it already. It was in the path along the fence line, where My Boy walks all the time. Interestingly, it wasn't his recent shoe. It looked too bent up and rusty to be a fresh loss. I think this was the shoe from last winter! So where was the most recent one? Who knows, I never found it.

I emailed Tracey to tell her that we could still ride, but My Boy had to stay home. I told her she was going to question whether or not My Boy even existed! She jokingly called him "Phantom Spots." I loved it!

My Boy gave me a funny look as I walked by his pasture to fetch Fritzy for the ride. He neighed at us as we headed to the trailer. Poor boy! I felt bad leaving him behind. I felt like such a traitor.

We had a great trail ride with Tracey, her daughter, and their two handsome bay Mustang geldings. Other than a few rain showers, we had a good ride. The Mustangs walk out well and mostly left our slowpoke equines in the dust.

My view for this ride. This view is not my usual perky set of sorrel ears!

I was impressed with Sandy's jumping logs and weed-eating abilities, and Steve Holt!'s calm, easy going disposition as he led us on most of the two-hour ride. Hard to believe that just 6 months ago, he was an adopted wild 2 1/2 year old! Tracey and her daughter do amazing work!

Of course, Tracey had to tell me that she had some yearling Mustangs, gentled and nearly ready for adoption....well, when I'm ready for a Mustang of my own someday, I will definitely consider a Tracey-gentled one!

Here we are waiting for the farrier on Saturday. Bailey had to come lay by my feet. He thinks he is my dog sometimes.

I thought My Boy might get jealous when I gave Bailey some loves. Alas, he just dozed in the sun.

My Boy has his shoe back on, and I will be applying hoof conditioner every time I see him. The farrier recommended an oil-based conditioner, and said to avoid those where the main ingredient was water.

Hopefully, we are ready for some rides. We have some fun ones with family on the calendar!

That is, as long as My Boy stays sarcoid-free and keeps his shoes on!

21 comments:

  1. Kids! What are ya going to do? Always losing shoes. Good things ponies don't wear socks, or at least not ones that come off.

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  2. What a great ride you all had, but your poor sweet Boy whinnying when you left. He is going to be so happy to go next time!

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  3. Tracy's mustangs are adorable! You look good on Fritsy, but it's not the same as with Mr Boy! :-D

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  4. Sometimes it's fun to ride a different horse but I'll bet you missed My Boy. Sounds like a great trail ride though.

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  5. too bad at the shoe, but look at you riding all these different horses ! Hope you are enjoying your summer

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  6. Looks like you had a great ride and a great time...all rolled into one! :)

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  7. I feel for ya...my mare is lame again. She didn't throw a shoe but we think she clipped her front hoof with the back one while running in the pasture! Sometimes she gets over zealous ruling the rooster of the herd since she's the dominate mare! She could have something under the pad that caused an abscess? Farrier said he would be here this week but to soak in Epsom Salts. She must like it because she just puts her hoof in the bucket and stands there....then I give her carrots afterward. Looks like you had fun....maybe some day I'll get to ride again! Lu

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  8. While I prefer patches...I think you love your spots too much to trade! :)

    You look great on Fritzy and I do feel for My Boy who seemed to know he was missing out.

    Glad you all had a great ride.

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  9. I'll bet my brumby's pasture is full of her cast-off shoes! Doesn't it make you think of Cinderella leaving the ball!!??
    Pony Girl, you are so into your horse, I'll bet you could learn to do your own shoeing. I am not kidding! It is a valuable skill and I bet you'd get very good at it!
    It is something I would like to learn, but I am too afraid of hurting my brumby! But eventually, I know I will overcome that fear.

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  10. It's so weird seeing you on Fritzy. I don't know why. I bet she the same size as My Boy, but she just looks so huge with you riding her. lol!
    I know you can't wait to ride your handsome spotted boy again soon. Any Cowgirl Cousin get-togethers planned this summer?

    ~Lisa

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  11. Oh Pony Girl...your post makes me want to ride again so badly!

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  12. This may be a dumb question but the ground you are riding on looks grassy and soft. Why shoes? I had a thoroughbred who would stone bruise as soon as summer hit so maybe your horse is like that. I'm so glad to have two that I don't have to put shoes on. So much cheaper and no lost shoe hassle.

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  13. Oh you look different on that painted pony!! I am glad you still got to go for a ride. Those mustangs are really impressive!! I am glad your boy got his shoe fixed.

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  14. well you know you'll find the newly lost shoe next year dont you! LOL I hope he gets healed from that sarcoid soon so you guys can ride ride ride!!! I love those mustangs..I have really changed my opinion of them, I grew up hearing how wild they were and you can never get your hands on them....now I want one so bad!

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  15. {Lisa}~ My Boy is bigger than Fritzy (taller) so she actually felt shorter!

    {Mary Olsen}~ The trails are also very rocky in places. My Boy is really tender, I used to just have front shoes on him, but he would gimp on the hinds, even after weeks of "toughening up." So now, in the summers, I do shoes all around. I pull the back ones in the winter since we do little riding and it's mostly muddy! :)

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  16. So cool you got to meet up with the Mustang Clan! Too bad My Boy couldn't go.

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  17. I think you look good on the black and white! And Fritzy has perky ears, just perky, big, black ears!
    It was a fun ride! Too bad for the rain, but at least it wasn't a soaker!

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  18. Sorry to hear about your boy's problem!! Glad you got it fixed! I always keep my horses au natural but one of them when she went to a trainer friend of ours he had her shoe'd. Said he felt like she was being tender footed...We'd never had that problem her with her at home but they have alot of gravel and we don't...So well she threw one shoe the other day..*UH* that's a bit frustrating!! It hadn't even been on but maybe a month!

    G;ad you had a good ride, you do look good on Fritzy!! I always chuckle when I see you girls with jackets or hoodies on! I couldn't even imagine that this time of yr here!!

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  19. The moral of your story is...thrown shoes are another great reason to own 2 horses!!! Glad you had a great ride!!!

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  20. {City Girl}~ It's funny, I never go on a ride without bringing something long-sleeved....even if it's bright and sunny and hot, you never know what the weather might do around here! ;) But the other day, it was actually overcast and drizzly, so I wore a sweatshirt and brought a rain jacket. I outfit myself to live in the woods for a week, I like to be over-prepared...just in case!

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  21. That was such a fun story of meeting some new people who are training mustangs...glad you enjoyed your time with them and had someone who was trail ready to ride. Give the boy a hug! Don't know what was wrong with my blog awhile back....I just went in an reset the exhisting settings and it worked.....weird....

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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