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!