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.
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