A guarded excitement

Things are looking good.
How good...?
Taffy has been very comfortable in boots with full double pads for weeks. I don't leave them on 24x7 now, it's really hot and the pads don't breathe. I don't want rotten frog/sole etc.
Sunday last, August 15
I soaked her again in the ClO2, All 4 feet. More time on fores. No apparent immediate difference in how she tenderfooted around.
Later that day.....
NO hobbling?!?! without boots!!
keeping the deep thrush (or other hidden greeblies) away is doing wonders. She has been without the boots for turnout almost all week.

Thursday, TWELVE weeks out of shoes.... I had to get out and ride (have only been able to ride a couple times a week, short schools)... We worked on cues- or rather, I went searching for the right buttons. Learning this horse is a challenge for me, as I am not the quietest rider seat and hand wise, and she is ultra light. Current challenge: gate obstacle for trail class. Taffy sidepasses left off a right seat cue, but to push the gate left I have to unweight my right seatbone. So she sidepasses right! I try adding right leg, she gets huffy and bouncy and fusses at me with her lips). What do you WANT? she seems to be asking. I am schooling her in a bitless bridle so I don't mess up her mouth cues. We did get the gate opened and closed, step stop step stop repeat. Tried a push gate and back through also. Once I get into her rhythm, this will be fun. Stopping from a sidepass, pivot/spin, or backing is still a mystery button.

To cool off we took a jaunt around the neighborhood. She was eager to trot, but I asked for a walk. She covers a lot of ground at the walk when out of the arena. I sure love moonlight riding. She is a brave mare, only once blowing her nostrils when we came to a shiny spot on the road where it was recently graded. Must have looked strange to her. She trusted me and walked through though.

And then....
on the way back,
we came upon the neighbor's vacant field
freshly disked.
An invitation
to take off the boots
and see how she moves
on naked feet in arena type footing.
....
.....drum roll>>>>>


Perfect.
:):):):):)
Happy happy!!!


I stayed on her across the hard dirt, only a few bobbles from gravel.
Fine across blacktop
I dismounted and led her across the large gravel in front of our house.
lots of bobbles, but willing movement.
HUGE improvement.
Yipeeeeee!
She got a good rinse off with stiff hairbrush (her fave). and her bucket of yummmm.

(currently Nutrena senior feed-no molasses-4 lb a day divided, free choice bermuda hay, AZ regional mix supplement with flax (horse tech dot com) and bugchek supplement. Fewer itchies, finally.)
Sigh, I'm so tickled she's been comfortable all week. I did roll her toes, arch the quarters, and lower the heels yesterday a few hours before riding. Her feet are now the size of the shoes I pulled- that much de-contraction. Will have to post a measurement pic.