Awaiting May Flowers

What do you see in this picture?

I see Winnie the Pooh

The clouds were building as I left my office at lunchtime today, to meet a mule farrier at my barn.

Before I exited the parking lot, Winnie's head had become detached from his body.

Rain showers in the forecast.

The grass is greening.

Birds are nesting.

May flowers will soon be in bloom.

Please, no more snow showers.

Lola, the mini mule, has been lame for weeks.

The vet was out, but didn't find anything obvious.

We both agreed her toes looked long, even though she's been trimmed regularly.

A round of Bute was prescribed.

She didn't improve much.

My new farrier was out for a 2nd trim, but he didn't trim much off.

He said her sole looks like she wants to hold onto everything.

???

No improvement and those toes still look long and getting longer.

The chiropractor was out.

He adjusted her hip.

No improvement.

The poor little girl can't run and play.

It's not like her to walk so slowly to her feed trough.

So I asked some friends who own Long Ears for a farrier recommendation.

The mule farrier was out today.

Yes, her toes are too long.

Yes, she's walking too far back on her heels.

No, she hasn't been trimmed properly.

So he got to work and...

uncovered a black, oily abscess in her front left frog!

 Hooves are trimmed, frogs cleaned and trimmed.

Lola is walking better already.

Yay for the mule farrier!

Yay for my new New Farrier!

 

Before and After

May goals:

• Lessons, lessons, and more dressage lessons. 
• Plotting, planning, and hoping to attend a dressage schooling show.
• I'll make my decision in a couple of weeks. It will be my first show in over 30 years; my first dressage show ever; and Team Misty's first show together.
• We'll ride a western dressage Intro level test.

April 2015 recap:

• April was very cold and snowy. I missed some goals.
• Didn't exercise as much as I intended (can't blame the weather for that).
• Misty's tail didn't get washed and whitened (I CAN blame the weather for that) .
• Two dressage lessons a week and seeing progress.
• I received my gel injection to my knee and it helped.  I can walk up and down stairs a little better.
• Almost didn't make our trail ride; had to cancel once due to weather. But on the last day of April Misty and I went on our first trail ride together since our July 2014 accident. It was stressful for me, but Misty was great.  The weather was lovely. 
• Misty got a new headstall with a little western bling; some silver heart-shaped conchos to add a feminine touch to that big head of hers.  It's for that schooling show we are most likely going to attend this month. (Headstall and reins made by Buckaroo Leather)

My Heart Horse

Following our trail ride, I dropped her new headstall off at a local saddle shop, to have the poll strap shortened on both sides. I can't have that long strap covering her pretty hearts.

Big head, big heart