This is a picture I took at my SO's Uncle's ranch in TX, using the macro function on my point and shoot.
I like the play of light and shadows, even in this unaltered version.
So today is a day of opposites.
This morning I am woken up to a call from my farrier, apparently his bank says that my check came back, even though my bank says that the money left several weeks ago. My bank still cannot explain this. - BAD
Then I go for my walk and am able to really run the last 1/4 mile without any knee or back pain what so ever, and I am officially 15 lbs down from when I began exercising a couple of months ago! Plus, due to a new supplement I am pain free without my usual 1600 mg of IBU. - GOOD
I am trying a new thing with Dutch's bit. Andrea at Eventing-a-Go-Go post a couple of weeks ago about how lowering the bit in her horses mouth has made her much happier. So we tried this on Dutch. Much less chopping, but a lot of head swinging and squealing. (I believe this is due to more the wind/ snow combo than anything else) He stretched down into the bit much sooner but was very inconsistent, again I think weather has a lot to due with this. But all in all, I want to try him again like this. I am ready to try anything, he has almost eaten through our current Happy Mouth. I know that as soon I adjusted it in his mouth he stopped chopping and swinging his head. Now we just have to see if this will be a consistent thing. - GOOD
15 minutes into our ride Dutch went head-bobbing, toe dragging lame on his left front. He was completely sound last night... and before it was his right front that was questionable, along with a claim that he was 3 - legged lame on his left hind 2 days ago but when I got out there he was not sore on his hinds at all and it was very questionable as to whether or not there was any lameness there at all. Tonight he was bad though, it showed up on the lunge, in a straight line and turning at the walk (a first)! - BAD
I am praying that this is still an abscess, so I soaked and packed his Left front, he got some STP a lunch of 4 lbs of hot soaked Alph-alpha pellets with his dose of Pertone hidden inside. I think we are approaching another diet change, after some research and advice we will be slowly switching him over to 6 lbs of Pennfield's Grand Prix Granola and 2 lbs of Progressive Nutrition's Envision to keep the fat but limit the sugar, his lunch on working days will be a variable mix of rice bran and alph-alpha pellets as needed for condition, this does not include his supplements. He will also be sporting a fancy new grazing muzzle for part of the day, until the sweet new grass growth has slowed and the sugar levels have stabilized. This will be our first step in hopefully going barefoot by the end of next year.
Then as I am soaking Dutch's feet I hear back from TfA.... I did not get accepted into the program.... - BAD BAD BAD
Despite the almost white out conditions that remind me of where I used to live, and the fact that tomorrow I will be able to play around in the powder with the horses (if Dutch isn't crippled by then - with my current luck who knows) I am having a hard time being optimistic tonight. I will not be able to make it to class tonight - which is unfortunate because tonights class is my favorite this semester and almost always leaves me in an introspective but energized mood. But the flakes coming down are almost unreal in how big and fluffy they are and looking out the window is peaceful... I think I might hike back out to the barn with some coco and try to find my zen place and not worry about how much longer I am going to be able to afford doing this (both school and horses) with my cash inflow in the shape it is. I will bring my coco and my Nook to the barn and Dutch and I will catch up on my mid-term studying - He likes the sounds I make as I try to work through Uncle Remus- and leave worrying about the rest until tomorrow.
