Getting Closer!

I rode Sonny 1 lap of round pen 2 days ago!


After our regular walkies along the dirt road to strengthen his feet, we made our way to the round pen. I put his boots on front feet & did some liberty 'stick to me' with circling around me & spins as we walked around the pen. I was purposely causing him to us the sides of his front feet.

He seemed to be handling that ok so I asked him to trot a few slow laps changing direction through the center each lap. Total 4 laps. Then I asked him to go to the mounting block & I laid my weight over his back. He looked surprised! :-D No wonder... he hasn't been riden since Feb 2011. Anyway I slid onto his back & after a few seconds for him to adjust to the weight I asked him to walk 1 lap of round pen & back to mounting block where I got off.

I watched him closely for rest of that day & next for signs of soreness. I didn't walk him on the road yesterday incase there was soreness inside. Today due to my plans to trim him again I didn't walk him either. After the trim I moved all horses back to front paddock where the footing is more rough with small stones & pea sized gravel where they tend to rest mostly.

I was filling the trough while I pulled some weeds when they galloped past me & thundered down the side fence to the front where they put on a good rodeo. Including Sonny! I was glad to see that he was feeling good & didn't seem to be as badly affected by this trim as much as previously has happened. I'll keep a good eye on him & check for heat in his feet during next few days because all the things he's done over last few days could cause soreness, more damage or another abscess.

Here are a few photos from today's trim with the others at this link:-

http://s340.photobucket.com/albums/o358/claireT_2008/BBB/August%202012%20Sonnys%20feet%20photos/

I didn't rasp the heels as short as earlier this month because I can still see a slight red glow through the sole when held at the right angle to the sun. This low angled sun at this time of year seems to shine right through the horn. I tis plain to see his soles are still very thin. The ridges of horn that developed as a result of the previous round of walkies on the dirt road & which were rasped off at previous trim have started growing back. I tried not to remove them this time as I think they will help to create sole thickness. However the photos of the trimmed hooves do show where the rasp touched those ridges along each side of both feet.