I know I said I was going to ride Justice today but I changed my mind. Once Lara starts riding with me I will be riding Justice plenty so I wanted to spend today with Sinwaan.
Justice was right at the fence so I gave him his carrot.
I had called and left a message that I was on my way out. When I got there Kittee and Dale were already almost tacked up. They had the jump on me today!
I went out to catch Sinwaan and had no trouble with him but Ollokot was crowding and Sinwaan doesn't scare him off like Justice would. Ollokot got into the paddock and I had to take the halter off Sinwaan to get Ollokot back in the pasture where he belonged.
Grooming quickly, I took off my saddlebags and put on my single bottle holder instead. While I was tacking up, Kittee and Dale were warming up their horses in the pasture. Finally I was ready, got on, did some circles and backing in the pasture and told them I was ready when they were.
Off we went!
Again Dale had trouble getting Misty to cross the road. After dismouting she led across with ease. Mounting up again at the same spot as yesterday she gave him just as much trouble walking onward. She was really acting up and being barn sour. So Dale got off and Kittee traded him horses and got her moving up the hill, following Sinwaan. Once we got up a little ways they traded back and we didn't have trouble after that.
A few times Sinwaan hesitated, once he had to stop to poop - this is becoming typical behaviour. Once when we were stopped he was really stomping his rear and thrashing his tail which makes me think a bug was bothering him (I had put on flyspray before we left). This happened twice, the second time he stomped his foreleg hard. A few minutes into moving on, he felt off. I couldn't put my finger on it but something wasn't right with him. I told Kittee it felt like he was favoring a leg and she said he looked ok to her. A second later she did notice it and agreed with me, by then I was confident he was limping. Not obviously, but I have been riding him enough now to recognize when he isn't 100%. I got off him and checked both front feet and saw nothing. I walked him in hand a few steps and saw the head bob and the hesitation so I told them we were done, I would lead him home. He was favoring his left fore leg.
Back down the hill we walked, we must have been up about 1/2 mile today. The weather was so beautiful, it was perfect. I had taken the day off work due to a head cold so I was able to get to the barn early and was hoping for a nice long ride. It was not to be.
When I got Sinwaan back to the barn I untacked, groomed him and then got out my measuring tape and easycare paperwork. Time to measure him accurately for boots! It's either boots or shoes and I really don't want to go the shoe route if I can help it. I did find a small rock in his right hind but it didn't seem to be the cause for his trouble. I gave him his grain, put his flymask on and turned him back out in the pasture.
Ollokot was at the gate begging for goodies so I took him a carrot. I noticed Dale and Kittee had come back to the road crossing by then and were working Misty on going across the road. She seemed to be making good progress. Sinwaan saw them and trotted across the pasture to watch. I don't know what's going on with him. Perhaps it was riding two days in a row on the gravel is too much for him. I feel badly. I need to figure this out soon if we are to keep up with our conditioning program.
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