Monday was the first day without rain in over a week and with a forecast calling for t storms through the next 10 days it was my only chance to ride. The arena was dry enough for an easy walk, trot, canter ride with only one visible puddle at the near side, so I grabbed my bestest mare and tacked up while Dusty grilled steaks for dinner.
Mare is not amused by this ending of her retirement however she looked pregnant and waddling in the video I posted yesterday and needs the exercise.
Now I know Gem inside and out and it’s been 3 months since I worked her in the arena. I knew this ride was going to be bad and planned a no stress no goals 30 minute ride.
Well, of course she had other ideas and it quickly degraded to the usual battle. I sighed. After months of riding sales horses that were all obedient at their core, I just plum wasn’t in the mood for this on a cool and rain free Monday evening.
Still my favorite black tipped ears and the arena is draining super well given the deluge we have gotten all last week. I haven’t messed it up too badly!
I tried to walk, she tried to trot. When I finally let her trot it was two strides super fast followed by two strides at a snails pace then shooting forward the moment I asked her to get going again. The seesaw pace is one I am very familiar with but now that I’ve ridden so many steady horses I just don’t want to any more.
I finally let her canter to stretch her back as she always appreciates that but then I lost all steering because my 20 year old mare is still green to the basics. Or just doesn’t care what I want.
Sigh.
I dismounted after about 20 minutes and looked longingly at Eeyore in his stall while I untacked Gem and headed inside for dinner. He came cantering down the hill for dinner without boots and with no bute on board so I’d say he is 95% back to good. I have to decide what my next step is for him: keep the boots, go with glue ons or stay barefoot and try to toughen up those hinds while the hoof wall grows down enough. I finally got a really good look at his right hind and there is no wall left at all on the inside half of it. No wonder he hurt so bad.
The forecast is depressing for the foreseeable future but that buys me a little time to figure out what I want to do. The vet recommended bare for at least two weeks to let the hoof harden up so I’m not in a super hurry to decide his fate on that.
I really really want to ride him though and while I don’t normally complain of rain as it provides enough grass to not need hay, I want sun for the next week so I can ride.
The Roaming Rider 
Hahahahaha!!! Oh Gem! You are such a funny little mare 🙂 I think she had to remind you why you bought Eeyore in the first place 😂 Can you ride him in his boots if he’s sound with them? Hope he grows hoof quickly bc ugg this waiting game for hoof to grow is such a pain!!! But at least he’s cute and cuddly so you can get to know him on the ground a bit better before you guys start conquering the world!
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If the rain holds off I’m planning to get on him tomorrow or Thursday. The arena footing is soft enough that he should be able to handle it without the boots just fine. I can ride him in them if I have to, but I worry about the sand getting in there and causing rubs. I don’t need rubs too!
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He was probably just tender footed after having been in shoes for a time. Some get like that.
I know how you feel about not being in the mood for that kind of ride. I get that way sometimes with my mare.
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I love my mare and all but she is not an arena horse and after riding others that are more prone to calmly doing the thing, I can;t get myself to deal with it. Not now anyway. Maybe once I get going with Eeyore a little it will be a nice challenge to ride her.
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Wow I can’t BELIEVE Gem wasn’t a gem ::sarcasm:: Look at that glare!Can you ride E in the hoof boots??
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Right? Who would have seen that coming? I’m worried about sand getting in the boot and rubbing. That’s all I need after all this. He should be good to go by end of the week
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oh man…. c’mon mare!!! in a way tho, it’s gotta be kinda reassuring, right? like you’ve worked your tail off in the past year trying to develop your own skills and the horse’s too. it’s easy to feel self doubt in a situation like that. but then you committed to finding a horse who would be more of a partner in training. imagine if you had gotten back on gem and she was…. suddenly better for all your recent practice with all these other horses? but nope, and now you really know 100% that it wasn’t just a matter of fixing your ride or whatever to get a better result from her. like obvi she’s still a very special girl and you guys have an incredible history together, but i am *so* excited to see things get underway with Eeyore once his feet feel better!!
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I think I would have had a stroke if she came out easy and willing. I can’t even imagine a reality where that is true LOL!!!! After so long with her I just kinda assumed I sucked that bad at riding.
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i want you to get on him and walk if nothing else. OMG i might have had to sit on him in the stall if I were you 🙂 HA HA HA
And oh Gem…special snowflake you are 🙂 HA HA HA
Your ring looks AMAZING 🙂
and it is pissing down with rain here as we speak. I am sure people will want a deck that is three colors right? Brown (new paint) Red (old paint) and natural (new boards). SURE cause it wont ever get painted if it does NOT stop raining. UGH
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The rain is ridiculous. The arena is holding up well. It needs dragged but my tractor broke and I’m waiting on the part so I can repair it. Plus you know. Hard to drag in the rain.
I really want to ride him but um..I’m also very very nervous. What if he becomes a demon horse? What if he dumps me right away? What if I didn’t buy what I thought I bought? I want to ride him but I’m also sorta scared to as well. I’m hoping I can coordinate a lesson with Trainer as my first ride
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you will be fine. He seems to be a good egg. Fingers crossed trainer can come and help! 🙂
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How frustrating for you! To have him so close but so far!
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When Irish lost a shoe I would put on his boot and ride him and he rarely got any sand or gravel in his boot. I didn’t ride hard- mostly walk and trot or hack out but it worked fine.
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I second what Teresa said. When we first moved to MD from FL, Lily arrived with a sore foot where she exposed the laminae from pawing in the hauler’s trailer on the 20-hr trip north. I rode her in Cavallo boots in the (sand footing) arena for two weeks. Never an issue with rubs nor sand inside them. Only had that issue when I tried using the Cavallos on trail (which is why I later switched boot brands for endurance.)
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I need to just suck it up and ride!
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