It is budget time at my job, number crunching angst that we endure once a year. I have had my Excel program crash, lost all my files and started over again. Then I got a call from Lauren that Bruno had lost his casted, padded, newly minted shoe and he was lame again. The vet had said it would only go about four weeks but this was only ten days. All I kept thinking was I can’t afford to go through this whole process every ten days.

I also knew my Houston based farrier would not want to make yet another trip across country to see Bruno. I didn’t know what to do.

Meanwhile, over at Caroline’s, Joey was getting new expensive shoes with pads and heartbars, not unlike Bruno, but Joey needed four. All of Joey’s soles had been cut too short and he was unbearably lame all around. Two days after the new shoes, I got the report he had trotted and even tried a little canter. Joey was feeling much better.

By Friday, I had gotten Roland scheduled to come re-cast the hoof. Bruno was actually getting around okay (or better than I would have expected) on his bare foot. He had been almost 99% sound earlier in the week, for the first time in a long time, but was only slightly off without the shoe. It seemed to speak of hope that one day this would be better.

Friday, I had decided it was time for four year-old pony, Pixie, to have her first outing. Thursday night, the recently broke pony was giving me a hard time. But after some work with me, Lauren got a pretty good canter from her for the first time without trying to buck and dodge instead of canter. We were to take Feather for a lesson with Dev at a nice facility in Richmond. I took the day off, Lauren cleaned up my English saddle. I dusted off my boots, found some breeches and was set.

We realized we had never even tried to load the pony before. We got a successful practice run Thursday night. Friday, we were off early with both my Florida horses loading competently. Pixie was pretty amazing. Very green, been no where, barely broke, we walked around the covered arena filled with jumps, horses going every which way, giant dressage mirrors reflecting in the corners, and the pony just walked on. She is well-bred from quiet German lines, RSPI, and it showed.

Dev said if her canter (we did not try the canter) matches her trot she should pin well in the pony hunters. If you are looking for an all-star show pony, keep your eye on this one. That’s if we let her go!

Feather had a good lesson, jumping the 3’6″ courses at an easy five feet. No hesitation, no worries today, but Lauren had come armed with spurs and crop, George Morris would have been proud!
It is fun for us to have these lessons and an opportunity to catch with our ‘keep their horses at home group’, the Kresta’s, the Chambers, Caroline and Arianna. We added Shelby and her massive jumper to the group as well!

I rushed home to finish off some work files and get my mom to the retina specialist. Macular degeneration is quickly now claiming my mother’s sight. There is not really anything to do.

It was hay day. Time for gathering the bales from the field once again. We did not ask Ally this time as she is still healing the broken arm from the last time. Our riding buddies showed up and we made fast work of gathering 60 bales. We went off to the Mexican restaurant and then called that a good day!