Relative Something

The mares got professional attention on their hooves yesterday, and they all look pretty darn sharp now as a result. It doesn’t take long for their hooves to begin looking really ragged from stomping around on the dusty, dry lime-screenings surface under the overhang and the drought-worsened, rock-hard clay ground in the paddocks and fields.

One of the reasons we put the sleeves on their legs is to protect them from fly bites that cause them to stomp their feet in reaction. Repeated stomping contributes to the chipping. The dry conditions don’t help much, either. Cyndie regularly paints a conditioner on Light’s front hooves to help reduce the cracking she is prone to.

We were really pleased to see that Light showed little resistance to standing patiently for the farrier. Historically, she has been the least cooperative about having work done on her feet. It’s incredibly rewarding for us whenever she demonstrates full acceptance of the process.

Things were going so well that I decided to wander over to the compost area and tend to the piles while the other three got trimmed. Cyndie reported that they all behaved well and passed hoof inspections problem-free. We’re good for another month and a half. That’s a great feeling.

This Old Horse also dropped off a sample batch of grass hay bales that look much better in quality than the dregs we have left from the last large delivery. We’re hoping there will be more from where these came from when we get the next winter’s-worth shipment later in the year.

As evening drew near, Cyndie and Asher found the horses grazing at the far end of the hay field near the road.

They give our place such a regal ambiance, simply by their presence. It’s such an honor to be able to provide them with a healthy place to spend their retirement. The many blessings definitely go both ways, from us to them and from them to us.

There’s a lot of love happening here every day.

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