Tuesday. Our first proper hack out in 2 years! I don't count our ambling round the village as a proper hack but today we did country lanes and went past fields with horses and cows in. She always used to be very worried about other horses in fields especially if they moved! It's fine for her to charge round the field like a mad thing when they go past her field but they are expected to gaze in awe as she passes. But she wasn't a bit bothered even when Destiny came running across the field calling to her as we passed. We met the bus and the dust cart on a narrow stretch. The only thing that did freak her a bit was the flock of geese on a lake in one of the fields we passed.
We kept to a walk again but although she was looking round at all the things she hasn't seen for so long it was a much more relaxed walk than Monday. She could have been a different horse. But isn't it amazing how a ride that almost wasn't worth bothering with as it was so short 2 years ago has turned into a major expedition now!

New shoes for Sara

Every girl loves getting new shoes and Sara is no exception. Tom came on Friday to give her a new set. 

She had lost one the previous Sunday so we have had yet another week off. But now we are ready to go again and the weather over the weekend was horrendous. Yesterday I was quite busy with all those things that get in the way of what you really want to do but we managed a quick lap round the village. 

What with being in the middle of a mega season and full of spring grass she felt a bit like a time bomb ready to explode but I managed to keep to a lively walk . We even managed a couple of brief stops at road junctions. 

Most of the traffic we met was considerate although we did meet one woman who seemed to want us on her bonnet. Yes I would normally pull over to let you pass dear but I didn't trust Sara to stand still. The ensuing exchange of pleasantries was watched by a gentleman standing on the corner and as I passed him he said' ' Well done'.

My thanks to all the considerate drivers out there and a word to the others. If the person on the horse asks you to slow down there is probably a good reason. We are not all stuck up and think we own the road we are just trying to preserve our and our horses skins. Even if you don't like horses just think of the damage that they can do to your car! 

The story of a foot.

Let me tell you the reason Sara has been out of action for so long. 

It all started with a surface crack then after a dry spell the bottom half inch split. My farrier who I had been with for over 20 years tried cauterizing it with a hot shoe and putting a back shoe on so that the clips would hold it together. At this stage it wasn't bothering her. 

My farrier was well past retirement age and I reluctantly decided I should change in case I couldn't find another when I really needed one. The one I got looked at the crack and said yes he could deal with it, no we wouldn't put glue on it as if dirt got underneath it would get infected and we would keep an eye on it. 

Well we kept an eye on it until it reached the coronet band and she was dead lame! The vet said he would staple and glue it.

I changed farriers. 

I phoned a few friends to see who they recommended and came up with Tom Baker. He has been an absolute godsend. I honestly believe if I hadn't found him when I did I wouldn't have Sara now. Exactly 2 years ago he turned up just to assess the situation and see if he could do anything as Gary had only reshod her the week before leaving with the words 'it's got worse, we'll keep an eye on it'.

Well Tom spent 2 hours cutting infected hoof away so the glue that I had been asking for all the time Gary was attending her had something solid to stick to. When he finished it looked horrendous. 

 Over the months we took more photos as it slowly healed. There were times when we didn't think it ever would.I even started looking for a husband for her.
But look at it now. It's a slightly different shape now but you wouldn't know which one it was if you didn't know.

I'm so grateful to Tom. But I will never forgive Gary for the unnecessary pain he put her through by not doing anything or seeking a second opinion and I will never forgive myself for trusting his college education over my instinct and not changing sooner.