New Ideas

I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone in my last post who said that Walker seemed back to normal.

This week he was lame.  YOU ALL JINXED US!

Just kidding.  Well, not about the lame part.  He was lame on Saturday, but I rode him anyway.  It has come to the point that he is either stiff or lame so often that no one is able to tell the difference.  This sounds stupid but when I asked the barn manager (who obviously looks at bunches of ponies every day) if he was lame at all last week while I was away, she just said "he was stiff as normal".  Nope.  Pretty sure he was lame.  And you turned him out lame.  But it's really not your fault.  I rode him lame, after all.

Anyway, by the time Sunday rolled around he was extremely lame so I loved on him and put him away.  

Then the BM told me that the farrier came out last week, took one look at him, and said "I need to talk to her first."  Exactly the kind of vague message you want to get four days after the fact.  I managed to track down the farrier, who went to the Royal over the weekend, and he said that Walker still looks uncomfortable in his right front.  He wants to go ahead with the elevated pad that he suggested months ago which the vet disagreed with and I agreed with the vet.

Preparing for a bath.

That's why he's hiding his head in shame.

In truth, I had been starting to think the same thing myself.  I have owned him for a year and a half, and minus the odd ouchy, he has never been so lame so much.  These days he likes to dig his poor little toesies deep into the sand, which I imagine is his way of relieving some pressure from his low-ish heels.  I'm hoping that the new pads will help him find some comfort and stay sounder longer.  

Probably our last bath until Spring :(

I did give him a nice bath though.  Although we have a wash stall, I can't see me bath him too much during the Winter and risk turning him into a popsicle.  It will probably be his last bath in maybe six months, as scary as that sounds.

PS: Blogger is on crack today so I apologize for any wonky formatting.