You know that old saying, “time heals all wounds”? Even though I’m pretty sure it’s referring to broken hearts and the like, it sure does apply to our horses! From weight issues to hoof issues to injuries, time and patience seem to be the best thing we can give our horses.
That’s certainly been the case with Ace’s feet … that have dealt with flare issues, an abscess, bad thrush, and a toe crack all within the last year and a half. With patience and regular trimming, his feet are now …

My bad boy got a bit of a belly ache on Saturday night and really scared his momma!
Ok, he’s not bad. He’s actually pretty wonderful. We’ve had an awesome month filled with lots of riding. We now have a solid canter with snappy transitions and even have our leads mostly worked out. And we’ve been popping over crossrails and little 18″ verticals. And he’s starting to carry himself better; getting on the bit and rounding through his neck and back.
I left the barn at 4:00 Saturday afternoon after a short …

One thing I learned yesterday is to never ever take for granted having a healthy, sound horse.
And it wasn’t because Ace presented with yet another problem. It was because for the first time in nearly three months he was completely sound!
I lunged him walk/trot to watch how he was going, and as hard as I tried to find something wrong, I just couldn’t! And on top of that, my typically mellow boy was goofing off big time. He took off into a canter and would hop around at the end …

It’s been an interesting few weeks for Ace and I. He’s been displaying signs of lameness since mid-June. Initially I thought it was a stifle issue, so we did lots of conditioning work and he got marginally better. A few weeks ago I had the vet out to do a Coggins, float Ace’s teeth, and check over that stiff right hind.
After feeling all over his leg, and using the hoof testers and flexion tests with no results, we did a nerve block. Because the vet agreed that it seemed the …

Well, it’s not Ace’s stifle after all. When he came out for a routine float, I also had the vet check out Ace’s iffy hind end. Turns out he damaged something on his fetlock or pastern. Xrays were clean, so I was thrilled it’s not arthritis. It looks like he’s injured his suspensory branch and will need at least 2-3 months off to heal.
It’s a big deal, so I’ve been sharing about it over on my main site. See the vet visit in pictures, and be sure to check back …

Not only did I survive my week away at camp, I’d say I actually thrived. It was a great week, and for a few days after returning home I just wanted to go back. It is nice to be home though and getting back into the swing of things.
Ace is looking pretty good these days. He still seems a little weak in his right stifle when he turns, but isn’t in pain or lame or anything. I’ve got him back in light work, walking and a little trotting long straight …

It’s been a crazy few weeks in the Baker household; my hubby was gone for 10 days, we’ve had some weddings and some traveling, we’ve been finalizing stuff with the house (check out pictures of our house here), packing to move to said house, prepping for a week vacation, and keeping tabs on my lame horse.
Ace is doing well. He’s not completely sound, but I’d say he’s 90 percent of the way there. I’ve been grooming him, loving on him, and lunging him just enough to see how he’s moving …