Before you ask, her helmet is in the same place her bridle, saddle and boots are.

Another fun evening at the farm.  We had gotten the trailer hooked up so that still lame Mickey can get to the vet and farrier tomorrow.  Mickey twisted his shoe off in the mud, pulling the nails through his hoof.  Lauren, unsuccessfully it turns out, tried to pull the nails free from the hoof.

That was ten days ago.  X-rays confirm part of the nail is broken off inside his hoof.  We have tried to get the hoof to blow the abscess on its own with soaking, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and time.  But Mick is not getting better.  Tomorrow farrier Jason will try to cut the nail out while being guided by the x-ray images.  That should be pricey. I am just hoping they can get him back to walking.

The trailer is pulled up right next to the gate.

The trailer is pulled as close to the barn as possible but Mickey can barely walk so it might still be too far.  Pony Pixie will go along so she can get her feet trimmed as well. She missed the rotation with Roland when she was at Sarah’s.  Along also, will be kitten Esther (now known as Levi) as he has continued his stomach problems for almost two weeks and multiple treatments.  He is miserable with his constant diarrhea and we must find a solution for the little guy or put him down.

I guess to lighten the mood of lame horses and poopy cats, after Lauren dragged the arena with my VW Golf, I challenged Lauren that I would give her $100 if she could get on any of the horses bareback while they were turned out in their various paddocks.  (I know this is why we get hurt!-We play stupid games.)

First, she headed to the Boy of Snow (Snowboy, geez) thinking that was easy cash.  But I have a whole group of girls from Whipple Tree that would have told her that was a bad plan.   Lauren placed her hands on Snow’s back, prepared to vault on his back.  His ears flattened on his head, his hind end came up to buck and his head whipped around to bite her.  Snow was not having it.  Not one bit!

Next she approached Pixie.  Pixie has been pretty quiet since coming home but took her lead from Snow with another big NO!  Lauren couldn’t catch Feather who had just started on her nightly alfalfa.

Now, I would have been headed to Mickey’s stall.  He is locked in a stall.  He cannot walk.  How easy is that?  But no, Lauren headed for Bruno’s paddock.  Now remember, no helmet, no halter, nothing but naked horse and silly girl.  Lauren got out our little step stool and did some practice pushing on his back.  Bruno thought Dr. Criner had returned to do some chiropractic work.

I think we can rule out that Bruno ever has been ridden bareback.  It is just not part of most racetrack training programs and we had never tried it (nor will I ever try it!).  Lauren got the wobbly little step stool next to bru and launched herself high up onto his broad back.  She just didn’t quite make it over.

But amazingly, Bruno stood quietly as Lauren maneuvered herself to a sitting position. I quietly crept in and got the little stool out of the way.  So many things were wrong with this game.  Any quick movement from Bruno and Lauren would be on the ground and perhaps flattened like a pancake. Or a bolt from Bru might have resulted in her decapitation with the low ceiling and hanging fans.  A fall from Bruno without a helmet could have resulted in a major head trauma.  I was pretty happy when Lauren slide down from Bruno no worse for wear.  She looked at me and said, “I am not getting the $100 am I?”   No, Lauren you’re not.