Momentum

I rode my horse yesterday!

Just for 30 minutes at the walk, but it was enough to get him loosened up, to ask for some acceptance of the bit, to do a few tiny leg yields and to reassure me that he has not forgotten everything.

the actual cutest.

He felt sound. At the same time, however, his duct tape boot split at the toe, after just 30 minutes. So I am not sure if we can do anything more than walk around for a little while until he can have that foot open again.

I re-wrapped. There was a slight sheen of moisture inside the hole. I can't decide if it was drainage or the last bit of saline from the last time I wrapped it that just didn't evaporate. So this time I rinsed it with saline and then dried it with a cotton swab, then packed the hole with gauze and added more gauze on top of that. I'll ride again today and rewrap and then we'll see.

I also groomed him for the first time in, um, about three weeks. I've been that busy, discouraged, tired, whatever. He was under a sheet the entire time. So yesterday it was in the low 70s for the first time since early October and he was nekkid and I thought oh my God my horse looks like a homeless ragamuffin.

That is my size 8 Ariat Terrain for sizing purposes. That pile is halfway up my shin. o.O

He was so happy, leaning into it. He had clearly been itchy. I'm the worst horse mom ever. But I fixed it, so that has to count for something. I'll go again today and scrape more off, and ride again, and maybe, maybe we will start to get back on track.

I'm staying in touch with the vet about the toe, and right now the plan is to wait until midweek next week when the farrier comes. We'll have him trim the toe (which is long, and I think putting some pressure on the open area), and see what he thinks. 

We discovered while riding that there is a new banner in the arena and that Tris is apparently one of the new mascots for the local university riding team. He was used in one of their shows once and was apparently such an exemplary citizen that he offered up a polite, balanced canter when one of the walk-trot riders put his heel too far back. Ha.

I laughed and laughed. L-R that's Skip, Tristan, Portia (I think? too many grays!), and Prince. They don't travel for IHSA yet so I think they had a limited number of photos to choose from, and apparently Tristan's beggar-face made the cut.

So, spring. Even with all the insanity, hope is returning.

Spring in the foreground, winter in the background.