Behind the Bit

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Riley's birthday gift (best b-day ever) Posted: 26 Jan 2010 01:37 PM PST Believe it or not -- I don't tell you guys everything. I didn't tell anyone that last week he was stepping short on the right front at a walk. Heat in the foot, digital pulse after one hour of turnout on frozen ground. I didn't blog that I took him off turnout to assess his situation (granted, we had 2 inches of rain that kept all the horses inside). I didn't whine about going to the barn twice a day to handwalk him and feel his feet. Today, my birthday The outside footing in Bucks County is abysmal--the mud is fetlock deep everywhere. At this rate Riley won't go out for awhile, and he deserves more than this anemic indoor handwalking -- if he holds up. So this morning I decided to step it up. A test of sorts, under the best conditions possible -- a large, empty, indoor with Eurofelt footing. At 6am, in 35 degree weather, I booted Riley up and put him on the end of a lunge line. No drugs. I wore boots, heavy gloves, and a helmet (cuz I'm a dork). I didn't really circle him around me but used the whole ring to minimize joint stress. He was amazing, he was my beautiful big-moving boy again! Maybe not forever, maybe only in this super-optimal footing, but at that moment in time he was awesome. He was happy to be moving! He sat down on that heiney, he threw those front legs out like he was Totilas-in-training. He bucked, he tried to change directions, he cantered, he farted, he whinnied. Not a lame step. The barn manager came in a bit later, and I had her check his pulses. Nada. This business has had its ups and downs. But today was a wonderful day.

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