The Results of our Vet Visit

I opted to take Hoss to the vet's office rather than have him come to us. There's not a great deal of flat ground to lunge on around here, and the dogs get a little crazy when a horse is running in circles, making a lameness exam even more challenging. I also sold my round pen recently to some neighbors, as I wasn't using it nearly enough to justify it taking up the middle of my driveway.

The fun part of this was we needed Mary to come along, too. I figured Uh-oh would get right on the trailer if her mom did, but boy was I ever wrong! Mary followed my husband and his tantalizing pieces of apple right on to the trailer, but Uh-oh would have nothing to do with it. She didn't need any veterinary attention, but I thought it would be easier on both of them if they both came along. I decided we really didn't need to take her, so we left without her.

Hoss was happy enough to hop in the trailer. In fact, for the first time since he went in the corral, he walked out the open gate before I put his halter on. He headed for the pasture, but my husband was coming out with a bagful of carrots. Hoss immediately knew what was in the bag, and stopped to mug him, allowing me to catch up and put his halter on. He still got a couple of carrots out of the deal.

The lameness exam started, naturally enough, with trotting Hoss straight and in circles. He was still clearly lame. The vet performed a flexion test, which involves flexing the leg for thirty seconds, and immediately trotting the horse out. Hoss was no worse after the flexion test.

The next step was to block out his heels. Once the block was effective, we lunged him again, but there was no improvement. So the vet blocked the front of his foot. When this block took effect, there was clear improvement. Now we knew the problem is in the front two thirds of his foot, and below about an inch above his hairline.

Still having no clear answer as to what is going on, we took Hoss in to the barn and took x-rays. We didn't even sedate him. He stood like a champ, except for checking himself out in his reflection off the door to one side. Once all the shots were taken, the vet and I pored over them on the laptop. I love the digital age. We had immediate images, and could manipulate them for contrast and zoom on the laptop. After going over all of them, we determined they're clean – in fact, except for a very little bit of change in the outside aspect of his coffin bone, which is insignificant and easily the result of being so toed in – and it's not a bony injury.

In the end, the diagnosis is "soft tissue injury somewhere in the front two thirds of the foot." Our course of action from here is pretty simple. Hoss will be on anti-inflammatory drugs for the next three weeks, and stay in his corral for six. After the six weeks of layup, we'll take him back out and see how he's doing.

This is going to be a long six weeks. If I thought the six week recovery period from my surgery was tough, this is going to be much tougher. Hoss is not going to be a happy camper stuck in that corral for six weeks. I figure I'm going to have to get him out from time to time and do stuff with him. Certainly he'll need to be bathed fairly regularly. I'll probably come up with some stupid little trick to teach him, just to keep his mind working.

Now, on to Mary.

Mary and Uh-oh on one of their first morning walks

Unfortunately, her cancer was far more advanced than we had suspected. It had quite badly damaged her "lady parts" and the vet was sure it was metastatic. It certainly got bloody and nasty regularly. There was nothing to be done for her, not even to make her comfortable for a few more months. The vet felt she had perhaps three months before the cancer took her. Three months of dealing with a sore and bloody bottom and the flies attracted by the condition. There was really no good choice other than to euthanize her.

Mary shares breakfast with Hoss

We haven't had Mary long, just about a year or so, but in that time she certainly endeared herself to us. For a time, I experimented with milking her, which has given me a bit of the dairy goat itch. The last year of her life has been pleasant and carefree. She has gone on walks and rides with me and the dogs. When we've eaten outside, we have shared our food with her from time to time. She really liked corn chips.

I will miss Mary, but I am completely at peace with the decision to euthanize her. I couldn't live with her suffering just to be around.

Uh-oh will have to get used to being an only goat

When we got home with Hoss, Uh-oh ran over and looked all over for her mum. It might have been easier on her if she had been along and seen her mother's body, but that didn't happen, so she'll have to get accustomed to the idea that her mom is gone. She doesn't seem to be suffering too terribly badly. I suspect she had some of that animal sixth sense that her mom was sick. I think she'll adjust just fine, and she has plenty of company around here.

Pushing the Envelope, Just a Little Bit

Since Hoss came home lame from Descanso, I've been worried about what I'm going to do to keep "Team Fluffy" from becoming "Team Destruct-O-Mutt." The obvious answer is in the form a mountain bike my recently departed roommate kindly gifted me before she moved out.

I've been looking at the bike with a mixture of trepidation and excitement as I've healed from my surgery. A mountain bike was, after all, a major component in my injury in the first place. It's been two years since I've been on one. I did hop back on the old one some months after the initial injury, but the ride was very short. I didn't feel like I could adequately control the bicycle.

So now I find myself in the unenviable position of having three dogs not getting adequate exercise while the horse is laid up. This lack of exercise has manifested in runaway dogs getting way too far ahead or far afield on the morning walks. So far no destructive behavior has been on evidence, but it is coming, I can just feel it. The last two days or so, Mac has been lying around and whining. This is not a sign of good things to come.

Today, after my husband spent quite some time getting the bike ready for me to use, I screwed up the courage and got on.

The dogs were just about as excited as they could possibly be. There was much growling and play fighting going on as I negotiated the bicycle down the driveway and out on to the road.

I don't mind admitting I was nervous. I yelled at the dogs a lot to keep them from in front of me. Going down the first hill, which is still pretty deeply rutted from the winter rains, I had a hard time feeling like I could negotiate the obstacles.

It wasn't just Team Fluffy that went along. Roxy came along, too, excited and running as fast as her elderly legs could carry her. Which, all things considered, is pretty darned fast. I also heard the desperate bleating of my goats, as they came running along, as well. I suspect I am going to have some really, *really* fit goats!

It didn't take me long to start gaining confidence on the bike. I felt good, really. The dogs settled in and stopped wrestling in the middle of the road in front of me, and I was able to pedal along without fear of being spiked into the ground by a dog.

We didn't go far, just ever so slightly farther than we usually do on our morning walks. With Roxy and the goats along, I didn't want to overdo it on them. Besides, it was my first time back on, and as much as I was enjoying myself, I knew it would be easy to overdo it on myself. Roxy and the goats stopped at the pond where we usually turn around and waited for us to come back. Evidently they decided the rest of us are crazy.

I surprised myself by pedaling up all the hills. This particular bicycle is very well geared, so I don't think it's as much a reflection on my fitness as it is on the equipment. I even made it down the same hill I wrecked on two years ago at a pretty respectable clip. The dogs were feeling the exercise by this point, and I didn't have to worry about anybody trying to run in front of me.

It wasn't a long ride. We went perhaps three miles in total. It didn't wipe me or the dogs out completely. I'm pleased to say I feel really good about it. I'm looking forward to going out again. My shoulder is a bit sore tonight. Other than that, I don't feel like I really worked out at all. So as I continue to explore this particular exercise option, I'll have to pay extra special attention to the messages I'm getting from the shoulder. It is going to be way too easy to overdo the shoulder while the rest of the body feels just fine.

Tomorrow we're taking Hoss and the goat to the vet. I will faithfully report on the results.

Let’s see if he’s still lame

I decided to go ahead and pull Hoss out today and see if he was any better. If it's just a bruise, by now he should be improved. He's been in the 24x24 since Saturday night. I haven't even taken him out for walks. He's been looking like he's feeling a little cooped up, and hasn't been favoring his right front, so it was worth the test.

My husband trotted Hoss out for me. With the unevenness of our dirt driveway, it was tough to be entirely sure, but Hoss looked fine. I lunged him in some small circles in both directions and he showed no sign of lameness. So I decided to take him on a short ride on the roads.

I changed in to my brand new pair of jeans-type riding tights I had purchased from Evelyn Allen of Just for Horsin-Round They are very comfy and feel quite sturdy, although riding on my home roads isn't exactly a test. I imagine I will be investing in another pair or two of these.

Hoss was truly happy to get out. Around home it's pretty normal for him to be a little out of hand. He's gotten accustomed to just going fast and getting home. I wanted this to be a mostly walking ride since we're coming back from lameness. We went out in a different direction than we usually would so we wouldn't be cantering up the hill.

When we headed off the property, the goats started calling, a lot like they do when I'm taking Hoss in the trailer. They finally came running down through the pasture and came along with us. It was a warm afternoon, and it wasn't long before they were both panting. If I have to ride around home a bunch, those two are going to end up very fit!

I didn't have a huge amount of trouble keeping Hoss from running away with me. I want him to learn to behave around home. Still, it was a little worrying that he was so willing to behave.

I moved Hoss in to a trot on the hill, and he was nice and smooth. I slowed him back down, not wanting to push him so soon after being so lame. Besides, the goats would never be able to keep up. When we were trotting, the goats started hollering in great distress. Of course, when they got ahead of us, Hoss kept nearly walking over them. He's so used to having them close around him he wasn't paying enough attention to them.

We went past the llamas, which all ran over to the fence to check us out. I don't let Hoss get close to them. Most horses carry some form of Equine Herpes Virus, and llamas are extremely susceptible to it. They'll die. I therefore try to be respectful of my neighbors and don't let my horse touch them, no matter how much the horse and llamas would like to touch each other.

After passing the llamas, we started down the hill, and it quickly became clear that Hoss is still lame. When this whole thing started, he was having the most trouble on downhills, so I'm not surprised it started again on this downhill. We made it to the bottom of the hill and we turned around.

Once we'd walked down the last of the hills toward home, I pushed Hoss into a trot on the flat part of the road, and he's clearly head bobbing lame. I slowed him back down and we walked back home.

Once home, I untacked and got my tools out of the truck. I wanted to get a good check on his foot. I pulled the right front shoe and ran the hoof testers over the foot. Nothing. Of course, hoof testers are a bit crude. Even if you do get a reaction, you can't be sure which side of the pincer the horse reacted to. They're not the most reliable diagnostic tool. They'll tell you where a horse is responding, but give you little idea why or the exact point of the issue. I nailed the shoe back on, and spent some time palpating his legs. I found absolutely nothing to tell me why he's having so much difficulty.

This being the case, I've decided we'll be loading up and going to see the vet. I'm going to use the opportunity to have Mary the Mama Goat's cancer frozen. Lately her melanoma has been ulcerating badly and her butt and back legs are spotted with blood. Her tail has gotten so caked the hair hangs down. I can't imagine she's particularly comfortable.

I expect Hoss's problem will either turn out to be a really nasty bruise that will take a long time to heal, or a ligament issue. I'm hoping we don't end up with a six month rehabilitation, but I'm prepared to deal with it.  I mentioned after the ride that, sometimes it's better to just go ahead and lame the horse.  When lameness is amorphous or inconsistent, it's a great deal harder to determine what's going on.  So, I'm not too concerned about having lamed Hoss up.  I'm sure he'll be just fine with appropriate treatment.

Descanso Endurance Ride 6-18-2011

We arrived at ride camp reasonably early in the afternoon. As usual, it was quite packed. It took me a little bit to find a suitable place to set up camp, and when I did, I had to park right outside an area that had been "saved" for a latecomer. I decided it would work out just fine; they'd set aside up to a certain point, and we stayed outside that line.

After getting Hoss out of the trailer and set up with food and water, I went and got my rider packet and said hello to Evelyn the Tights Lady. By the time I got back to camp, my husband had the tent set up, the table out, and we were ready to camp. It's so nice to have him home!

I took Hoss to vet him in. I'll admit I was a little nervous he wouldn't pass, but he came through with all As and a heart rate of 40.

In the morning I got up plenty early to get Hoss fed and got myself some breakfast. My husband had volunteered and was helping out with Vet Check 1/3, making sure the rider refreshments were handled appropriately. He took my truck and loaded it up and was on his way before I was on the trail.

Headed out to the start, we needed to cross a small stream. Hoss stopped at the top of the hill down to the stream and wanted to stand and look around. I gave him a kick to get him going, and he pitched a bit of a fit. He bucked a little and kicked. I immediately pulled my crop off the front of the saddle and whacked him with it. That didn't make him any happier. He certainly wasn't happy about discovering I had my crop with me! After a moment of nonsense, he walked down and crossed the stupid stream.

Hoss gave me some trouble at the start, but he wasn't as bad as he has been in the past. He was more willing to behave himself than he has been in the past. It helped that we managed to hook up with another horse and rider we have ridden with in the past.

Because of the problem Hoss has been having all week, I really wanted him to walk the downhills. He had been most uncomfortable going downhill during the previous week, so I hoped by keeping him slow downhill we'd be able to get through the ride. I told the rider we were with this, and she was perfectly happy to stay with that program.

The first three quarters of the first loop is pretty good. Very few rocks, mostly good footing. There were some rocky areas, and Hoss would show ever so slightly off when he tried to go quickly over those areas. I was finding he was able to go okay at a particular pace. He was best on regular footing, either hard and even or soft and even. Rocks on the surface of the trail gave him problems.

The last few miles of the first loop is on the Harvey Moore Trail, which is a brutally rocky trail. Coming down this trail, we came to a particularly bad patch. The other rider decided to hop and off and took off on foot. I dismounted as well (not as gracefully as her; she can dismount while her horse is still moving, I can't do that) and started walking to let Hoss pick his way down the trail without my weight.

After a bit, the trail improved and I decided to get back on. The other horse and rider had disappeared. That gal can outwalk me any time! I saw her white helmet bobbing ahead of us once, and never saw them again until the vet check.

The trail returned to rocky and nasty, and I got back off and walked in to the vet check with five minutes to spare on the cut off time. A volunteer checked his heart rate, and he was at 56 when we walked in. Very nice.

There was a bit of chaos in the vet check. A group of stallions was misbehaving badly. A volunteer was kicked, and it was evident the riders really had little control over the horses. These horses had passed us earlier on the loop, and we had been warned one of them was kicking every time they tried to pass or were being passed. I kept an eye on where they were, determined to stay the heck away from them. Typically I don't like to point out the poor behavior of others at a ride, but in this case, it deserves a mention.

Hoss passed the vet exam, and we hung out eating and having some bran mash before our hold time was over. We ended up staying over time, as the stallions were getting ready to leave and I didn't want to end up in front of them. It would only mean being passed by them yet again. I didn't want to deal with it.

The horse and rider we'd been with before had left quite a bit earlier. We saw them about ten minutes ahead of us several times, but couldn't quite manage to make up the difference.

The second loop is much nicer. It's considerably flatter and faster for most of its length. I did forget to turn my GPS back on for a few miles, but remembered before it completely bollixed my data collection.

Hoss trotted out eagerly enough, at a good pace that kept him from showing any evidence of lameness. About a mile and a half out from the vet check, we saw a beautiful buck in velvet. He's gonna have a huge rack when they're done. I really wish I was quicker with my camera.

Once we hit Soapstone Grade Fire Road, the trail conditions suffered. We were forced to slow down and walk over the rocky, eroded portions of the trail. The uphill portion was particularly nasty. Once we topped the road and came around the hill, there were some trottable areas. We were passed by bicyclists and Hoss wanted to race with them.

This year the second vet check had been moved from the Stonewall Mine area to a new staging area across Highway 79. So we rode through the old vet check area and continued on our way. We crossed a boggy area behind two other riders. The first horse suddenly dropped about a foot into a hidden hole, followed closely by the horse behind him. I managed to direct Hoss around the hole, but of course there was no knowing for sure what would happen.

Another boggy area had to be crossed before we crossed the highway to the vet check. Hoss wanted to stop and eat the yummy green grass growing in the area. I would have let him, too, had we not been pushing the cut off time for the second vet check. The third loop is a real booger, so I really didn't want to waste any time getting in if I could avoid it.

After crossing the highway, I dismounted and led Hoss the rest of the way in. We had to get past a tow truck backing down the road to a stuck truck. One of the volunteers and a friend of mine had made the mistake of trying to park her truck in a ditch. I felt very badly for her. Fortunately it appeared the truck was not badly damaged by its misadventures.

Hoss's heart rate was 52 when the volunteer checked him. Very, very nice! Once I got him to trot – he still thinks trotting in hand is stupid – he passed the vet exam. He even got an A- on gut sounds, the first A that vet had given out all day at the second vet check. Of course, by this time he wasn't much interested in the foods provided. Well, at least not interested in the ones we was allowed. The ride manager provides grain at all of her rides. Grain with oats. Hoss is allergic to oats. So, of course, that was what he wanted.

We ended up leaving the vet check early due to the tow truck. For unknown reasons, the tow truck driver was uptight about the horses in the vet check and wanted us all gone. The volunteer running the vet check decided to simply let us all go early and shut down the vet check. It was really strange. It turned out the tow truck wasn't taking up enough space to prevent horses from going by, so there was no reason to get excited about it. In fact, I left Hoss with a volunteer so I could use the porta potty, and he was standing there being passed by the tow truck maneuvering into position, completely unconcerned about it.

We were the last ones out of the vet check. We made our way up Middle Peak Fire Road. This is a steep, rocky trail. There is not much opportunity to trot on this road. I did get Hoss moving every opportunity we got, but it was still slow going. When we finally got off the worst part and were able to actually move out, we caught up with our friend from earlier at the water/cookie stop. We hooked back up with them, and rode on together.

Much of the Azalea Spring Fire Road is rocky and uneven, forcing us to walk much of it, but once we got on the West Side Trail, we were on our way. This loop is tough, and we were really chasing the cut off time. The West Side Trail is good footing in spite of being overgrown and having a few trees encroaching on it. We moved in to a nice trot and made good time.

Since Hoss had been doing so well, and he wasn't showing any signs of soreness, I decided to risk the faster trot even though it was downhill as well as flat and uphill. It was a calculated risk. As close as we were to the cut off time, we were either going to end up being over time, or risk a lame horse and make the cut off.

Unfortunately, the risk didn't pay off. When we came in to the vet check, Hoss's heart rate was at 70. I was pretty sure I knew why. He was favoring his right front foot. He was also extremely hungry. He dug in to a bran mash and absolutely would not be pulled out of it until he'd licked the bowl clean. It took 20 minutes for his heart rate to come down.

When I took him to the vet, Hoss's heart rate was bouncing. I pointed out to the vet that he would probably be lame when he trotted out. She wanted to get his heart rate down to criteria, probably thinking if he didn't come down he would be a metabolic pull. Which annoyed me only because it would skew the overall statistics for AERC. Leave it to me to be worried about data collection for someone else. Hoss's heart rate did come down and stay down long enough to move on to the trot out, and he was lame, right about grade 2, which isn't technically a pull under AERC rules, but I wasn't going to continue anyway. At that point there wasn't enough time for us to make it back to camp at a walk and sound. Either way, our day was over.

Hoss went in the trailer and I caught a ride back to camp with a volunteer. I couldn't even ride back in my own truck – still there with my husband – because there wasn't enough room after he crammed all the stuff he needed to take back into it.

Back at camp, I got Hoss fed and cleaned up. My husband and I had dinner, then came back and broke down camp. After the awards, we loaded Hoss up in the trailer and came home.

I put Hoss in his 24x24 corral to recover from his lameness. I didn't want to let him stay in the pasture, which is not level, until I am sure he is better. If he isn't sound in a week, I will take him to the vet for radiographs and a lameness exam. However, I do suspect whatever the problem is, it will ultimately be addressed by the shoes I nailed on him. Already he looks perfectly comfortable, although he'd rather be in his pasture!

Test Ride 6-16-2011

I took Hoss and Team Fluffy out to Hollenbeck Canyon to see if Hoss is better enough with shoes on for the ride. When we arrived at the trail head, I got out of the truck and immediately noticed fluid running out of the trailer. My first thought was Hoss had peed in the trailer, but I quickly realized unless he had peed about 10 gallons, there's no way it was going to be coming out of the trailer where it was. I went around to the tack room, opened the door, and discovered my water tank – which I had filled yesterday – had sprung a leak! Water was spraying all over the floor of the tack room. I quickly got the hose out and opened the valve, releasing the water on the ground under the trailer.

Once I got Hoss saddled up and headed on down the trail, I did notice he still seemed a little iffy. As we went, he slowly seemed to get better. By the time we'd reached the single track, he was going normally. But when we got to the long downhill, he was stepping carefully again. Then, when we got to the flat, he wanted to run. So I let him have a nice canter, and when he came back down to a trot, there was no sign of any ouchiness.

After we came back around, I heard a noise that made my blood run cold. A coyote was barking, trying to bait my dogs. My dogs have learned to ignore coyotes calling. It's a skill I feel strongly they need to have out here in the sticks. Coyotes will call and get a dog to chase them, then lead them back to the pack where they will be torn to pieces.

I could see the coyote in the near distance. All the dogs were near me, as it was a hot day and they were feeling it. I kicked Hoss up to a trot to get the dogs moving along, and kept an eye open and ears alert for any further calling. I turned in the saddle frequently to keep an eye on Ash, who was coming along on Hoss's heels.

When the dogs ducked under a bush to lay in the shade for a moment, I pulled Hoss to a stop to wait for them. No way was I going to leave them behind! Once they'd had a little time, we continued on, the dogs going ahead for bushes, except Ash, who was once again bringing up the rear. I kept swiveling about in the saddle, and then, lo and behold, that damned coyote was coming up behind Ash!

I started to turn Hoss around with the intention of getting the horse between the dog and the coyote. Unfortunately, Ash turned about and discovered the coyote on his heels. The coyote turned and ran, and Ash went off after him despite my calls. I got Hoss turned around, and tried to get him to go up the embankment and after the dog. He just didn't get it. In his mind, we're supposed to be going that way, not up the crazy hill!

This is where Hoss compares poorly to Phoenix. Phoenix I would've whipped around and he would have shot up that embankment like a mountain goat. He would've carried me up that hill and caught up with Ash in no time. I suppose it's a little unfair to compare the two. Phoenix was older and had many more years in training than Hoss has had, and Phoenix and I had known each other far longer. Some day I'm sure Hoss will be more responsive to what I want, but this was not the day!

Ash disappeared up the hill, hot on the coyote's heels. I knew without doubt this was a hunting excursion at this point. Ash is slow. There is no way that coyote couldn't have outrun Ash if it wanted to. It didn't want to. It wanted Ash to keep coming.

I called and hollered and screamed for Ash to come back. I rode down the trail to locate Ash and Mac, who were both just a bit down the trail waiting for me. Looking back up the hill, I saw Ash coming back down. I called him and encouraged him, because I almost immediately noticed the coyote was right behind him. I heard Ash make a nasty fight sound. After a few tense seconds, he reappeared at the top of the embankment.

Once I knew Ash was back with me, we continued back down the trail. That was when I discovered Mac was not where I'd left him. He'd gone off to help Ash! I set Hoss into a canter, screaming for Mac as we went. I saw the hole in the trail a split second too late to correct Hoss's trajectory, and he put his right front foot straight into it, and down we went. Since I had been expecting it, it wasn't bad. I was able to stay out of Hoss's way and keep my body back. Hoss shook the incident off, but took three bad steps. I called for Mac, and was relieved when he appeared almost immediately in the brush, running back down to me.

I'm pretty sure I hollered myself nearly hoarse. I sure hope I haven't ruined my singing voice for this Sunday!

As we continued on our way, that coyote kept calling in hopes of getting one of the dogs to come back, but it didn't follow again. I think Mac may very well have caught up to it when Ash made that noise. I won't be surprised if that coyote left with a limp. When we got back to the trailer, I did find blood on Mac, but no corresponding wounds. Ash doesn't appear to have any wounds, either.

I took everybody home after what turned out to be a far more eventful ride than I had hoped for. I thought about Hoss's almost-lameness thing. If the shoes helped, well, maybe adding pads would help more. It's the only thing there is left for me to do, short of building him a pair of bar shoes (since I do think it's that bruise in his heel bulb causing the issue, bar shoes would be appropriate). So, after pulling everything out of the tack room to let the tack room floor dry, and running errands around town (when you don't put the money in the bank, your checks start to bounce; weird how that works), I took Hoss back out and put a pair of plastic pads under his shoes. By the time I put him away, he was yawning, a good sign. Very frequently, when a pain issue is addressed in a horse, it will yawn and/or lick and chew. So I think I may have finally got it.

If we were farther out from the ride, I might just throw in the towel and not go. At this point, if I withdraw, I still end up paying for the ride. If Hoss doesn't pass the initial vet exam, though, I get my money back. And if he does pass, we have the chance to try to complete. I'm pretty sure I can get him through this with careful management. Even if we end up pulling, it's only 2 pulls in 11 rides, so our average isn't bad. We're gonna go for it, and hope for the best.

Conditioning Ride 6-14-2011

This ride would be more appropriately titled "Give the Dogs a Good Workout so They're Not Crazy Ride." Since the endurance ride is this weekend, it is unusual for me to take Hoss out so close. Still, he's now done a multi-day, so I really don't feel like I'm exactly challenging him by taking him out for a slow six miles four days before a fifty.

Mac saw the vet to have his drains removed yesterday. I was beginning to get really concerned. He'd developed a lot of swelling under his jaw. It wasn't getting smaller, and it wasn't draining, either. When the vet saw him, she was worried, but after consulting with her colleagues decided it was probably edema and removed the drains. Well, by the time we got home (an hour's drive) the swelling was visibly smaller. By this morning, it was nearly gone. I'm thinking the swelling was a reaction to the "foreign bodies" under his skin. This dog is gonna give me fits. For such a fabulous guard dog, he sure has a lot of wussy in him.

We drove down to Hollenbeck Canyon for this little ride. I'd spent the morning on household chores, which was good, because it got quite hot, so an afternoon ride was better. By the time we started, there was a pleasant breeze, although it was still quite warm. The dogs were spending more time than usual looking for shade.

I put Hoss's hoof boots on and saddled him up, and off we went. I was curious to see if he showed any signs of lameness. After our last ride, the next day he was stumbly and not wanting to walk normally on our morning walk. I had planned to ride him that day, but didn't due to what I was seeing in the morning. After a couple of days, though, he was his usual jaunty self. So I figured today would be a good day to see what would happen.

I was disappointed to realize he was limping a little on the downhills. I decided to see if he'd warm out of it, which has happened once before, since he wasn't giving me any indication that he wanted to stop or slow down. In fact, once we crossed the water, he wanted to trot. I let him move out, and he was completely sound on the flat. We turned the corner and he wanted to canter up the hill, so I moved him up to a canter and we had a nice little run.

The view after our little canter

We walked for some time after that. When we got to a downhill, he limped a little again. After a longer, steeper downhill, we got to the wide, flat trail, and he asked to trot again. I moved him into a trot, and he was very definitely off. I slowed him back down and decided we'd walk the rest of the ride. He wasn't happy about it, but he accepted my decision.

I love this rock formation

While we rode, I thought about what was happening and what might be causing it. He's not lame without the boots (although that's only been when I'm leading him, not riding him). He'll be a little ouchy the day after a ride, but then be fine. His stride is normal. He pulls a little bit right at the end of his step.

The long flat trail

It occurred to me it was very possible the boots themselves are the problem. I decided to pull them off for the last half mile of the trail and see what happened. After we crossed back across the stream, I hopped off and removed the boots.

It's a good thing I decided to remove the boots while Hoss's feet were wet. Chances are, with his dark hooves, I wouldn't have seen the bruise on his heel bulb if it had been dry. Now I have an answer. The boot is rubbing a bruise into his heel bulb. I felt his heels with my hand, and found that heel was significantly warmer than the rest. All his heel bulbs were warmer than the rest of the hairline, but they are encased in the gaiter when the boot is on, so it's not significant. The one heel being warmer than the rest, however, is significant.

I rode back the rest of the way barefoot on the fronts. For a few strides, Hoss, was a little off, but it was almost like he was expecting pain rather than experiencing it. He started walking more normally – although more slowly – after ten strides or so. On the downhill back to the trailer, he was not off at all.

Now, that is a heck of a bruise!

I now know why he's been having trouble. I won't be able to use the boots for this weekend's ride. This means I will be nailing a pair of shoes on his front feet. Of course, I'll have to take him out for a "test drive" before we head out for the ride on Friday morning to make sure the entire issue is addressed.

The boot/barefoot experiment may be over. While it's the first real setback we've had, my first inclination is to just start shoeing him again. I will probably keep the set of shoes he'll have on him for the next six weeks and see how things go. After that, I will reassess and make a decision on what we'll do.

I remembered to turn on my GPS before the ride, but failed the reset it. Once I realized it, I turned the GPS off. It's not significant anyway. We're too close to the next ride for the data to be important. Besides, this ride really was more about exercising the dogs than the horse. If any of it was about the horse, it was about getting him out.

Conditioning Ride 6-10-11

HR: 40

HRR: 56

HR10Min: 40

Miles: 8.5

Avg Speed: 3.9mph

Time: 2 hours, 19 minutes

After last week's coyote watch, it turned out Mac had fought with one of the targets. I had checked him over when he came back, but found nothing. So I was very surprised Wednesday morning when two abscesses broke open on his face. I was able to scrounge up some leftover antibiotics and gave him those along with some of Roxy's anti-inflammatories in the hopes of clearing it up at home. He already had an appointment with the vet for Friday, so I wasn't worried it would get bad before he got seen. Well, the antibiotics helped, but one of the wounds was up high on his face, and gravity pulled the fluid down under his jawline, effectively preventing it from draining properly. So when I took him in this morning, I knew he was going to have to stay and have drains put in his face.

Poor Mac looks like he's got the mumps!

The other two members of Team Fluffy, however, were healthy and energetic. It had been my plan all week to take the dogs for a quick ride today. Mac being at the vet certainly wouldn't stop us. Besides, he wouldn't be real thrilled to see overly obnoxious dogs when he got home anyway. So I loaded up to get them some exercise.

Before we left for our ride, I went ahead and nailed a pair of shoes on Hoss's hind feet. I'm definitely not going to be able to purchase and test drive a pair of boots before the ride next week.

When I started up the truck, I quickly realized I was in the "danger" range on the fuel level. Somehow I didn't think it was quite that low since the last time I'd used it. Granted, it sat for a week, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised I forgot how low it was. After some debate, I decided to ride at the Steel Bridge. That way, I could stop by the post office, get gas, ride, and run any errands afterwards.

Hoss was feeling good for this ride. Once we got past the nasty little water crossing, I pushed him forward into a trot, and he moved out with spirit. But I noticed that ever so slight, maybe I'm crazy for seeing it head bob again. Despite that, Hoss was not interested in slowing down, so I let him continue forward. I figured if it didn't go away, maybe getting him going on it would finally reveal the problem. He's had no swelling, no heat, nothing apparent in any way to tell me why he's having this problem.

On our way down the trail, we came across some people on foot. Hoss loves people. Usually I make him continue on and ignore any people we meet, but just for fun, I decided to let him stop to see what he would do. Well, he just about stuck his head in the first person's hands! It's funny to see how people-oriented he is. He poked his nose at each of the delighted people on the trail to ask for a quick pet before we got on our way.

I was still contemplating Hoss's almost-lame thing as we trotted along the rocky road section. It seems his trot is not as smooth as I'm used to it being lately. As we trotted along, though, the almost-lame went away entirely, and I still had no clue why it might have been happening. His trot even smoothed out a bit and felt more normal.

After we crossed the cowboy gate, I decided I didn't want to take him up the super-steep hill to the gazebo, so I directed him up an alternate route that cuts the gazebo out. I didn't ask him to trot up the hill. He hates to trot uphill, and I didn't see any real point in fighting him on it. This trail was cut largely by bicyclists, so it is narrow and has a rut at its center. It is not very ideal for horses, and less so for horses trying to go faster than a walk.

When we reached the top, having gotten a little tired and annoyed by Hoss's snatch and snack antics up the hill, I pushed him into a trot over the flat area and partly down the slope. He seemed a bit rushy on the downhill side.

Hoss wanted to rush down the hill a bit. I checked him back several times, and did think I felt that slightly-off thing more than once as he went down the hill.
By the time we hit the bottom, though, it was gone yet again.

We trotted back through the rocky road and to the water crossing. After crossing the water, Hoss really wanted to take off. It was all I could do to keep him together long enough for me to be the one to give the command to go fast. He even tried to run out of the river bottom, which I hate with all the overgrown plant life trying to remove me from his back.

We got a good gallop in, and when Hoss slowed down, he took two or three very definitely bad steps on the same front leg I've been thinking he's having problems with. I let him trot, which he was enthusiastic about and again not limping. While we were crossing the bridge, he got really rushy on the down side of the bridge.

I contemplated this maybe he's off, maybe he's not think on the way back to the trailer. About half a mile out, it suddenly hit me. This problem is very recent. I didn't notice any trouble until after our little trailer wheel wrecking episode of a couple of weeks ago. That must have been a wild ride in the trailer. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it bounced him around enough to cause some minor damage. I think if I can get the chiropractor out, that's really all he needs. I did notice a few days ago that his back was sore in a weird place, but that's gone now. I think this could easily go away on its own, but if the chiropractor can see him before the ride, all the better!

After I had untacked and loaded Hoss in the trailer, I got the dogs in the truck and headed out to get a couple of things done. I stopped at the bank and topped off the tank in the truck (I hate the station I had originally stopped at, so hadn't filled the tank completely.) After filling the truck, I called ahead to the pizza place for a take out pizza. I knew I would need to make the trek to pick up Mac, and I was starved. I stopped at the feed store for a few small items, and took the horse and the two dogs home.

Post-drains, now  Mac looks like Frankendog

I fed everybody before I hopped in the Jeep to go get Mac. I tried to call to make sure they were done with him, but didn't get through. I figured they had to be done with him by then. It was 7pm, after all! Mac was happy to see me and cried most of the way home. He has two drains in his face. It's clear he's more comfortable, but one of the drains must itch like the devil. I keep having to correct him for scratching. Around here, a dog in a cone can't get down the hallway, let alone out the pet door, so we take our chances.

A very good ride was had by those who went, and now I have sleepy dogs lounging about the house. All is (nearly) as it should be.

Conditioning Ride 6-5-2011

I blew off church today in favor of taking a ride. I had planned to ride the day before, but was simply too tired. It had been a long week, and I needed some rest. Besides, over the previous two nights, what I suspect was a coyote had taken three of my chickens, two right out of their pen. So I needed to stay up late on Saturday night with the dogs in order to take care of the problem. So Saturday I mostly spent napping and watching old episodes of Burn Notice. That night, I stayed camped out in my chair. The dogs went off several times, and Mac disappeared after something in the dark for a significant period. After that, there were no more disturbances. I was able to go to bed about 1am.

I didn't want to take the dogs off the property so soon after trying to convince a predator to stay off, so I took Hoss up to Cuyamaca. I wanted to get in some long slow miles. I parked at the Merigan Parking area, where the Descanso endurance ride will start. It was early afternoon by the time we got there. I had needed to charge my phone, since I really don't like to ride alone without it. At the very least, if I'm in an area of poor coverage, I can get somewhere I can get a message out to seek help.

We hit the trail right about 1:30 in the afternoon. Not a bad time to start out this time of year. It was a warm day, but not too warm, with a very nice breeze. Hoss was feeling perky. I had left his front boots on since our last ride two days earlier, just to see if it seemed to make any difference. I have to say he seemed to be far more comfortable than he had on our previous ride. He was still content to simply walk.

We encountered several other riders trotting back along the trail. Several of them appeared to be endurance riders. I know there is a NATRC (NASTR?) ride going on in the Cuyamacas next week, and the endurance ride the week after. I expect those two events are the reason for the traffic in the park. Meeting other horses often distracts Hoss. He thinks he should be going whatever direction they're going. It makes perfect sense. When we go on endurance rides, everybody is going the same way. So, if we encounter horses going a different way, clearly we're doing it wrong! After the third encounter with horses going a different way, he was convinced we were wrong. It took some cajoling on my part to keep him moving on.

We started out on Merigan Fire Road with the intention of following a good chunk of the first 25 miles of the Descanso endurance ride. Hoss was quite cheerful and didn't offer up evidence of being sore on his hind feet, despite being bare. On the Blue Ribbon Trail, he started to slow down a bit. This trail is a bit rockier than the fire road, so I wasn't surprised.

Once off the Blue Ribbon Trail and on the South Boundary Fire Road, we were in some very rocky territory. Walking was definitely all we'd be doing. I dropped my reins around the swell of my saddle and practiced riding solely with my legs. It was good practice. I moved him from side to side of the road and even got him around the gate between the fire road and the highway. Once we were at the highway, I was uncomfortable getting him across without the reins in my hands, so I picked them back up.

After we crossed the highway, we picked up the West Side Trail. Since this is a single track trail, there is quite a lot of grass in easy reach. I had to keep my hands on the reins to deal with Hoss's "snatch and grab" technique for eating as he goes. I've never been a fan of "trail grazing." It's a bad habit I feel takes the horse's attention from the trail and increases the odds he'll make a mistake. Additionally, Hoss is allergic to oats, and much of what is within reach is oat grass. I've never had him get enough to make him sick, but it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

Although I had the reins, I really concentrated on controlling him with my legs, other than preventing snatch and grabs from happening as much as possible. When he would succeed, I would stop him and pull any contraband grasses from his mouth. He's not fond of that, and I'm hoping he'll figure out if he doesn't snatch food, I won't take it away.

We turned on to Lower Descanso Creek Trail. We were still locked in a game of who can beat who on the food front. Sure enough, paying more attention to trying to get food than the trail ahead resulted in near disaster. Hoss stepped off the trail into what turned out to be poor footing that crumbled under his feet. This despite my efforts to keep him where he needed to be. It was probably a combination of not wanting to go over the exposed rocks and what looked like yummy food off to the side. Hoss's feet slipped from under him and he went down. Ever the athlete, he was able to regain his feet without too much trouble, but I was certainly annoyed with him for ignoring me and I made sure he knew it.

From there we turned on to the West Mesa Fire Road. I asked Hoss to move up to a trot, which he did willingly enough. It's funny to observe the difference between the trot he does during conditioning and the trot he does during rides. Sometimes I really wish I could get the conditioning trot at rides. It's smooth and even, unlike the one I get at rides, which is more like attempting to contain a determined runaway. Unless we're ahead of some horses he'd like to be with, in which case I get the "anything but forward" trot.

Once the fire road started getting rocky and uphill, I let Hoss drop back down to a walk. No reason to keep pushing him under the circumstances. He'll be yanking my arms off trotting up that hill at the ride.

We turned off the fire road to the connector to Harvey Moore Trail. For some reason, Hoss decided this must be absolutely the wrong way to go, and slowed down significantly. I found myself kicking and pushing to get him down the trail. Once we got to Harvey Moore, though, he seemed to figure out where we were and moved out reasonably again.

The rocks on Harvey Moore are about the size of softballs, at least the ones not the size of footballs. This makes for hard going, even for shod horses. Those rocks will roll under a hoof unexpectedly. For a horse transitioning to barefoot, it's even more of a challenge. Hoss is learning to pick his way among rocks and choose very carefully where to put his feet.

When we arrived at the Sweetwater Parking area, Hoss was sure our ride must be over. We usually park here, and he was convinced our trailer would be there. It took some effort on my part to convince him to keep on down the trail.

We crossed under the bridge to the East Side Trail. By this time it was starting to get late and a little chilly. While I wasn't yet cold, I was glad I'd had the foresight to pack a sweatshirt in my saddlebags.

There are some interesting obstacles on this trail that require some thought from the horse to negotiate. Some of the boulders we have to get by will scrape a rider's foot right off if the horse doesn't give enough room. To the horse, many of these places look like they should be negotiated by going too close for the rider on one side. In most of these places, I can get my foot over the encroaching boulder, but there are others I must pass by. Having already experienced what happens when he ignores me, Hoss was better prepared to go where I wanted him to go. He behaved himself well getting over the boulders and negotiating the rocks.

We joined up with the Arroyo Seco Fire Road. I noticed a lot of water damage on this fire road. There is a very deep culvert that has been worn into the road, mostly along the side and leaving most of the road in okay condition. At one point we came across an interesting obstacle. A small tree had fallen across the road, easily stepped over except for the water running across the road on the other side. Hoss has never seen an obstacle like this. It took him a few moments to figure it out, but he got over it without much fuss.

I started to feel a little saddle sore, so I hopped off and led Hoss up a steep hill and down the opposite side. The fire road here is very rocky, so it gave Hoss a chance to negotiate the rocks without packing my fat ass along as well. Once we were past the steepest parts, I got back on. My butt was feeling better, so I felt I could manage the rest of the trail in the saddle.

We turned up what I think is a section of the California Riding and Hiking trail toward Sweetwater Trail. About halfway up, I noticed a very large blockage of fallen tree. I was concerned the trail was well and truly blocked and I'd have to find another way around, but rode up to it anyway to be sure. Fortunately someone has figured out how to get by it, and I followed the negotiated trail around it. The tree that has fallen clearly had been trimmed in the past in an attempt to prevent it from causing a problem. I could see where several branches had been cut off prior to its fatal fall. Unfortunately it fell from its base. It is a tangled mess of blockage now.

We turned down the Sweetwater Trail. For the most part it's in good condition, although overgrown. Then we got to water running across and around the trail. For the most part it's simply water crossings, but at one point the stream has created a boggy, nasty spot Hoss wanted nothing to do with going through. Despite my efforts to get him through, he stopped and refused to move on. I thought about getting off and leading him through, but recalled a story of someone who got pretty badly hurt trying to do something similar in a less hairball situation. So I got off, found a lovely thick stick, got back on, and used my stick. With a little encouragement, Hoss decided going through the bog wasn't nearly as bad as being whacked with a stick.

Interestingly, Hoss suddenly decided he could walk way faster than he had been, and could cross water without checking it out and pretending he needed a drink and trying to eat anything he could find. I may have to go back to carrying a whip.

I noticed the sport tape holding the gaiter on Hoss's left front boot had let go and the gaiter was just flopping around. This was with many thick, muddy areas left to cross. After each crossing, I looked down, and that boot was still on. I'm quite impressed with how the Gloves stay on his front feet. Now if I can only find a boot that works for his hind feet….

We made it back to the Merigan Fire Road and continued on back to the parking area. The sun was starting to drop down behind the mountains, so I pulled out my sweatshirt and slipped it on. I'd forgotten about pulling a sweatshirt on and the complication of removing my helmet. Now that I can get a shirt off over my head, it didn't dawn on me that part of the reason I'd been using zippered sweatshirts was so I wouldn't have to deal with removing my helmet. I managed to get the sweatshirt on while my helmet was on the saddle in front of me and Hoss continued to walk, but I expect this will be all the reminder I need to pack one of my zippered sweatshirts instead.

When we walked back in to the Merigan Parking area, I noticed there's a pay station for parking. That's new. I somehow missed it on my way out. Not being the kind of person who absconds, I got an envelope and paid retroactively for my parking. It was $8.00. I'm going to have to investigate if this is some new thing they're doing throughout the park. If so, I'll be riding a lot more at Laguna. It's only $5.00 there! It's not that I mind paying for my use of the park, but $8.00 does seem a little excessive, especially if I'm going to use the area regularly. I'd be happy to pay for an annual pass or something.

When I got off, I realized somewhere along the way my GPS had died. I expect we went somewhere between 15 and 18 miles, based on our usual rate of walking speed and being out for about 6 hours. Hoss's heart rate was 44 when I checked, so there wasn't much point in taking it again at ten minutes.

I'm feeling pretty good about Hoss's soundness. I didn't notice any trouble with his right front on this ride. Our entry is going out in the mail for the Descanso Endurance Ride!

Conditioning Ride 6-3-2011

HR: 36

HRR: 48

HR 10 min: 40

Miles: 5.75

Avg Speed: 4.1mph

Time: 1hr, 21min

I didn't have much time at the end of a long work day (well, shorter than I used to do, but I'm out of shoeing shape), so I planned a fast one at Hollenbeck. I needed to be at church by 7:30 for a concert. The director of the church's choir (which I sing with) also has a volunteer orchestra. We were performing together. It was definitely something I needed to be on time for.

Having gotten our Easyboot back, I put Hoss's boots on so that he'd be able to do a fast ride. That Easyboot is a challenge to get on. It's definitely not a boot type I would stick with. The Gloves are challenge enough. While hooking up the gaiter on one of the front Gloves, I accidentally ripped off the section of hook and loop that goes over the top. I quickly discovered this meant the gaiter would not stay secured. I wound up running sports tape around it several times to keep it on. I don't think the boot would have popped off without the gaiter, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Once at Hollenbeck, I quickly dusted Hoss off and saddled him up. When we hit the trail, he was eager to move out. I made him stay at a walk for half a mile of warm up before we crossed the stream and I let him into a trot. He quickly picked up that he was in the boots, and moved out at a respectable gait.

Not far in to our ride, it looked to me like Hoss had a slight head bob on his right front. Sitting the trot, he felt perfect, but there was just the slightest suggestion that he was off in his head position. He didn't want to slow down, so I let him continue and remained vigilant for signs of problems.

Hoss was fine at the walk, and after some trotting, the head bob went away. After the single track, we trotted some more, and turned down the hill back to the flat area. Down the hill, Hoss did start to feel a little off. I got off, checked his leg, and even removed his boot to check it for rocks. I found nothing to account for the problem. He was annoyed with me for stopping him, and when I got back on, he hardly gave me a chance to get both feet in the stirrups before he was taking off.

When we got to the flat trail, Hoss was all about getting in a good gallop. He picked up a nice canter, and moved out smoothly. We had to slow down a couple of times for trickier sections, but for the most part he cantered all the way to the turn back toward the parking area.

We trotted as far as we could, then walked much of the rest of the way back. Having lost the Easyboot in the muddier water crossing, we walked back to the usual crossing.

When we got back to the trailer, I dismounted and immediately noticed the Easyboot was gone. Again. I didn't have time to go back out and search for it. I will have to search for it later, and hope nobody who wants to keep it finds it first! But, like I said before, I'm not exactly keen on this boot type. If it's gone forever, it's not the end of the world.

Between all the boot mishaps and unexpected trailer tire and dog expenses, I will be putting a pair of shoes on Hoss's hind feet for the Descanso ride. Provided we go. I left the front boots on Hoss overnight, and trotted him out this morning to see if there was any sign of lameness. He trotted clean, and was throwing his head about as if he were an Arabian. So he appears to feel just fine. Still, I want to get another long ride in before I commit to the ride, to be sure he's not developing some lameness issue. It's entirely possible what I was noticing was footsoreness that had not been addressed yet by the boots. I should know soon!