It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Just as Mother Nature decided to throw us a bone and send some dry, sunny weather our way, my brumby's feet seemed ouchier than ever. She wears shoes all winter, in the spring off they come, and she's good until sometime in June. So today, after some hemming and hawing, Lilly  got some new shoes put on.

But first she needed to be evened up. She's still growing out that giant chunk that was missing. Fake hoof to the the rescue! First her hoof must be trimmed, then cleaned and completely dried. My brumby must have felt like she was at the spa when the hairdryer came out!

Along with the side of the hoof being built up, she also had a big crack in the front that Bill filled in. This stuff is tricky because it gets very warm as it sets. The chemical reactions have to be just riiiight for it to set properly. It does not help at all if your brumby starts squirming.

There it is drying on her hoof. Then it gets trimmed, just like a real hoof. 

Here you see some of it on the bottom of her foot (right hand side). And her new shoe! The shoes have dramatically changed Lilly's comfort level. What a relief! 

While Bill was finishing up with Lilly's feet, Jackie and I went riding. She was on Freddie and I was on Bella but we may as well have been riding Mutt and Jeff. Freddie kept randomly stopping and Bella would then walk right into him. She was also throwing her head all over the place like Donna Summer at a French disco. They could not have been more clown-like than if they had been trained. All we needed were some musical sound effects.

In the center of this picture you will see Freddie and Jackie. Freddie was resisting moving forward here because he knows his buddies are just around the bend in the BP. Instead of moving forward he decided he would only go backwards. Jackie had to spin him in tight circles so he'd listen more closely to her. While Bella and I waited for them, Bella pawed the ground like she was digging to China.

Not at this spot, but at others on this road, there are steep drop-offs on one side or the other. Along one of them, Freddie tried to fake Jackie out by pretending to walk over the cliff.  I've never seen anyone dismount so fast. While laughing. And screaming. And laughing. We quickly renamed the road The Cliffwalk. It was not a bad ride. But it was not very relaxing. It is hard to relax when you are riding a little gnome who seems to be a reincarnation of one of the three stooges. Or if your horse is trying to go head over teakettle down a cliff.

We kept going and  I heard Jackie cry out, I SEE A SKULL!! Which was terrifying. But look, it was only a little animal head. Not a murder victim.

 Back at the barn I treated Lilly to some carrots and apples with a little molasses. Being with Bella really makes me realize how elegant and patient my brumby is. Look at her cute little tongue coming out to slurp up any extra molasses. Bella helps me see how perfect my own horse is. Oh it's love all right. Love in the first degree.

Tomorrow, more good weather!