Cooler Day

Early Start on a Sunday

The choir had off this week, so I skipped church and just did "barn stuff" in the morning.

After I fed the Boys, I did some paddock cleanup with about 4 wheelbarrow loads of accumulated manure. I did the water troughs and by the time I got back inside it was all of 8:30.

So I did a little house cleaning--far from getting it all done--and decided to shred all the credit card offers and old financial papers I had left in my shredder basket. That took up a good bit of time.

But bless it's little heart, the weather stayed pretty cool as the sun was hidden behind some good cloud cover. When I did go back out after noon, I started off with Chance. I lunged him for one or two rounds to see how lame he was. He is still uneven behind, but I think it looks a little better. Since my vet is coming tomorrow, I guess it's still all right that he's not sound, but on the other hand, it is worrisome. I'm hoping we find out what's going on and that it is something easily treated. After the little lunge, I then took him out on the lawn for 20-30 minutes of grazing.

Tucker was up next for a good schooling session in the ring. He was very distracted today, but when he was paying full attention, his work was really good. All the first level moves are just a breeze for him. I made up a version of the second level test as well and aside from the balance issue in the downward transition from canter to walk, he has no trouble with the rest of the exercises. His walk to canter or even halt to canter is excellent and his trot lengthenings continue to improve.

I snagged Toby--who never quite seems interested in going for a ride--and took him out along the little road through the field that goes up to the farm two doors up. It's only about a 10-15 minute ride there and back, but the stops for grazing added another 5 minutes. I usually let him eat out there even though it's a really bad habit, mostly because he's basically retired. Thus, I idulge him terribly.

By then it was starting to rain in little drips and drops. We are supposed to get showers eventually.

At least it's cooled off.

Addendum: It is raining like crazy now. Apparently we are getting the remnants of the second tropical storm of the season, Barry. Hope it's not too soggy for the vet tomorrow. I have no indoor place to jog Chance.