It Was A Shoe In

Anticipating the Storm

Scott called early this morning to let me know he was coming to shoe the Boys. That meant Mic was coming too, so I was going to be very active playing fetch for the bulk of the visit.

I still have to download the pictures of Mic at my door. Scott took one of him before I came out, I and I got a shot of him through the porch door window waiting for me. Scott insists I am the only person he behaves this way about. While he is sociable at other farms, he is not as totally taken as he seems to be with me. I guess it's the good toys! ---One of which is now stuck way up in a tree. It was a throw toy with a rope attached and when I tossed it, the rope caught on a twig very high up in one of the maple trees. Since the air was incredibly calm today, there was no breeze to knock it down, so I guess I will have to wait until the storm blows in for it to fall out on its own.

While Mic and I were playing Scott and I chatted. One of the very interesting things Scott is involved in is a horse based business venture called Equine Baseline. This is a new concept of analyzing a horse's conformation, gait, and shoeing/trim information to be stored in a permanent data base. Scott has enlisted other professionals to help assess horses in the program. The idea is to record a horse's natural way of going, etc., his progress in training, and other information about him to be set up as a baseline and record of his athletic career. (Trust me, visiting the website will do a much better job of explaining all of this.)

Chance and I were able to help out today by serving as models for some video Scott wants to test on his website/database. He put white spots on Chance's knees, ankles and hocks and then tested three different video cameras as I led Chance in straight line towards and then away from the camera. The purpose of the videos is for gait analysis. For years, Scott has kept records of his clients' horses by photgraphing their feet through the years of his trimming and shoeing. This photgraphic record allows him to really notice changes in a horse's hoofs over time, and helps him assess any soundness issues that might arise or make decisions about shoeing /trimming changes.

Equine Baseline takes that basic data collection much further. Eventually, I think the database will also contain any health concerns, vet records, etc. that might impact a horse's overall fitness or abilities down the line.

By the time all the filming was done it was early afternoon. C had already called me to postpone our possible trail ride since she had a ton of extra things to do before the anticipated storm. So I decided to follow through on my own physical therapy appointment instead. I ended up getting a chiropractic adjustment as well, so I opted for stopping for a haircut on the way home and a "quick" trip to the supermarket for some lunch meat so I could make a sub sandwich.

I don't know what it's like where you live, but around here, the threat of a snowstorm brings out the basic nesting instinct big time. The supermarket parking lot and the store were both packed. I ended up in the back parking lot--quite lucky to find a place to put my car. I didn't go too crazy in the store, but there were a few sale items I just couldn't pass up. And, I bought some more onions to make another pot of onion soup since the last batch was SO GOOD!!

Before I finish for the night, I have to once again clean the stalls because the Boys were stuck inside while Scott was shoeing. And, I also need to carry several bales of hay to the barn itself so I don't have to struggle with carrying any through the snow over the next day or so before I get myself shoveled/plowed out. I also need to dress the Boys in their waterproof winter blankets again so they are protected against the storm since I'm pretty sure they will be out in it at least part of the time.

These are the moments when having the Boys in the back yard is a real blessing. I have plenty of hay and grain for them, so there's no problem there. Water is not an issue as long as the electricity is on, but I do have an emergency supply should I need it. I can also easily melt snow if need be because I have both a gas stove and a gas fireplace in the house, neither of which need electricity.

So, at the moment, all is well in Follywoods. With a winter storm on the way, we are all snug and content with a plan for handling the snow.

Here's hoping it won't be too deep.