Karen's blog
The High Desert endurance ride this year was especially colorful. The fall colors were really nice this year - we rode through tons of yellow and orange cottonwoods. What a great ride!
I decided to take only Bo to this ride. Chief had just done four days at the Grand Canyon XP he needed a break. Plus the vet came back out the week before High Desert and did some more work on his eyelid. We hope this time will be the last time that has to be done and we’ll finally be over this injury.
The ride turnout at High Desert was small this year - when I got there around noon on Friday I think that I was only the fourth rig there. I got Bo all set up, having one horse at a ride is sure a lot easier than taking care of two! He was doing well eating and drinking and seemed content to zip around on the hi-line between the hi-ties. I longed him before more people came.
The vet arrived just as it was getting dark. I saw her pull in so quickly grabbed Bo and got over to vet right then. I vetted him in barefoot - the area is gravely but I knew that Bo would be fine trotting out over the rocks that way so didn’t bother putting boots on. Sure enough, he was!
I see a lot of barefoot horses at rides these days that are not even sound at a walk without having boots or boots and pads put on them. I know that there are probably many shod horses that wouldn’t be sound either without hoof protection but it would really raise red flags for me if my horses couldn’t even walk or trot barefoot soundly. Is it thrush, or feed –causing sensitive hooves? Or having their protective soles trimmed away? I don’t know for sure, but these riders really need to tune in and pay close attention to this.
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