Almost goodbye

I know it's been too long since I've posted. Nothing of consequence has happened regarding Scotty, really. Seems I, much like a lot of people have fallen victim to the economy. Never thinking I'd be in this position, I found myself temporarily trying to find Scotty, Emmett and Bonnie new homes. Suddenly not knowing if I'd have the income to support as many horses as I have is a scary feeling. Luckily, I think everything has smoothed out and for the time being I'm secure once again. A relief for sure.

Scotty continues to do well. He is out on pasture now and loving life. I have concerns as he has a lump in his throat latch area. No, it's not strangles and yes I'm sure about that. I continue to worry about the fluid pocket on his knee, which has not increased in size any. He is not off, nor does he appear to be in any pain so I have not made it an "emergency". Lastly I still fret about the nerve damage in his hind end. The atrophy is significant. I'll have to call Holly and have her come out to massage. Everything, non emergency status, had been put on hold until other things in my life had been ironed out. Now I can refocus and start again on his treatment. WHEW.

Nap time

Yesterday reached over 90 degrees and I love it. Scotty enjoyed basking in the sunshine most of the day. Sleeping flat out on his side. The only movement on his body that let me know he was alive was his tail swishing at the occasional bug. We've had some crazy winds here lately too. At least it keeps most of the insects away.

One of Scotty's favorite past times I've found is playing in the water tank. He will submerge his entire face and splash around. I think if the tank were large enough he'd climb right in. He also enjoys being sprayed with the hose while I'm filling the water tank up. I'll spray and he'll back right into it... turning from side to side, which ever he feels needs to be soaked. Must be a residual of his racing days.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. I'm heading off horse-camping sans Scotty. Hopefully this temporary break from his routine won't throw him off too much.

To all of you who read my small little blog - have a wonderful weekend!

Scotty's friends

"Little Girl"

"Otis"

"Cowboy"

"Nakoma"

Bonnie, Laredo & Lucy with Scotty in the back

This past Friday, we said goodbye to one of Scotty's pasture mates. She was 9 years old and she had navicular. Over the past couple of weeks it had gotten so bad she was having trouble just being comfortable in the pasture so my friend decided it was time to euthanize her. Her name was Little Girl and she will be missed.

Today, since nothing exciting is going on, I thought I'd share some pictures of Scotty's friends.

Just pictures

Since today marks the exact date of Scotty's rescue just 5 months ago, I thought I would post a couple pictures I took this last weekend. Enjoy!

5 months ago

May 6 will be the 5 month anniversary of Scotty's rescue. This morning as I was leaving the barn I stopped to watch him in the pasture. Nearly completely free of his curly winter hair, his chestnut coat seemed to glow even though it was cloudy.. His coloring reminded me of a shiny new penny. I thought to myself how blessed I am to have this horse in my life. Why he is so much more special than any of the other horses I've rescued is beyond me. There have been so many horses - all rescues, and none of them have touched my heart in such a way that Scotty has. I gush about him any chance I get, almost like a new relationship still in it's "honeymoon" phase and I brag about him nearly as much as I do about my own daughter. I truly adore this horse.

As I was watching him play in the pasture - running and bucking, I thought back to 5 months ago when he was too weak to load himself in the trailer. I remembered how emaciated he was and how dull his coat appeared, how I could see every bone in his body and how he was trembling due to the harsh Minnesota cold. He had lost his will to live, given up on people - yet there he stood in the pasture when I came to pick him up, ears pricked forward.... hopeful.

It is still difficult for me to talk about - why and how he got so skinny. It saddens me that he was allowed to get within a week from death and nobody seemed to care. Nobody did ANYTHING! In my heart I have forgiven the people involved and I try not to hate them. Hate is a strong word and does nothing but bring people down. If anything I am grateful to them. If events hadn't played out as they did - I wouldn't have the most wonderful horse in the world.

Such a good boy!

Today was hoof trimming day. Only 5 weeks ago I nearly begged my farrier to return after Scotty made such a scene. He wouldn't stand still, and each time the farrier started filing his hoof, he'd rear up. We were lucky to accomplish anything at all that day.

I was dreading today. I adore my farrier and he does such a wonderful job. Takes his time and is very, very anal - almost to the point where you want to hurry him along. Bless his heart he is patient. Today I brought Scotty in and immediately was reminded of his last temper tantrum.. damn, I thought he might have forgotten. Luckily, Scotty was an absolute saint. He stood for all 4 feet like a pro, unlike his previous few episodes. My farrier even was able to take the time to show me how well his hoof wall was repairing and how much heel he had gained. Scotty was very relaxed the entire time. I'm such a proud mom.

First ride

Once again, too much time has passed since I blogged last. Scotty is doing well, the field road of doom has dried up and the weather is nearing 60. Yesterday was Easter and I was able to spend the entire day at the barn. It started with grooming, clipping and then riding. Everyone got their turn, including Scotty. I went a bit nuts with the clippers and shaved his entire face. I also decided to ride.

So this was our first official ride since the last time I hopped on his back was only for a picture. After a few uncoordinated bucks on the lunge line I hopped on. Luckily I have the laziest horse on the planet - all he wanted to do was walk. He stood dead still while I got on and we walked and did a bit of trotting. He was such a good boy and really seemed to enjoy it.

Scary stuff

Has everyone been as busy as I have? Wow time flies. This past weekend I was able to get my trailer down the "Field road of doom" and take Scotty on a field trip. The Mounted Patrol unit that I ride for was having a sensory practice so I thought it might be fun to take Scotty and see how he would fair against all the scary obstacles. I would lead him from the ground of course as I am nursing a severe case of tennis elbow (funny, I've never played the game in my life). Better judgement being that I should not hop on the back of a track-broke 4 yr old TB who had been kept in a stall all night, with a sore arm, and ride through a scary course. So I led him through it. Scotty was fantastic and did everything I asked. We had a teeter totter, large ball, a "car wash", tires, mattress etc. He actually seemed to enjoy himself. Attached are a few pics of our adventure.Enjoy!

Spring is here??

I don't like the cold. I frequently complain, whine, and pout when temperatures fall below 40. I am also a fair weather rider and my horses pretty much get the winter off. Last week we had sub zero temps - today is nearing 60.

The warm weather brings unwanted side effects:

1.) The "Field Road of Doom". The field road has now turned to cankle (calf-ankle)deep mud in places and I now have to walk out to the barn. Luckily I was able to get Scotty's alfalfa, grain, and shavings back there on Saturday, nearly getting my truck stuck on the way out. Luckily there is a small subdivision on the east side of the barn where I can park and trek in. Muck boots are now my primary footwear as even the pastures are soggy now.

2.) Horse hair in the mouth. Two things I cannot stand in my mouth are hair of any variety (especially when found in my food) and tiny fish bones. I nearly throw up in my mouth just thinking about it and actually start gagging and dry heaving when they wind up in there. Shedding ponies result in hair in the mouth no matter how hard you try to avoid it. I'm thinking of investing in some of those surgical masks. As far as fish bones are concerned - I thought I learned my lesson - the fish I like are the Filet O Fishies at McDonalds. Last Friday I had a walleye sandwich at a restaurant. Supposedly boneless, you can imagine my surprise when I bit into a tiny little bone. Luckily I was able to keep my composure and unnoticeably spit my mouthful into a napkin. I did not finish my sandwich. I hate that.

3.) Flooded Barn. The runoff of melting ice usually turns three of the four stalls in our barn into swimming pools. Saturday Scotty's stall began to flood. I frantically chipped at the ice around the back door creating a drainage channel into the pasture instead of into the barn. So far so good. Three of Four stalls have been saved.

4.) Spring Fever! Fresh horses usually mean unscheduled dismounts. I've been lucky with the past few years *knock on wood*... but I just realized I have a 4 year old Thoroughbred who is off the track, feeling healthy, and has recently shown me how much pent up energy he has by racing around in the pasture and throwing bucks that would make rodeo horses jealous.

5.) Stuck trailer. Refer to #1 reason. My trailer is parked at the barn and removing it from the barn requires the quarter mile journey down the "Field Road of Doom". Currently it is not driveable, barely walkable and resembles that of quicksand. It is frustrating that I have opportunities to trailer my horses different places to ride now that the weather is warmer - but can't get them out at this point. Poor planning on my part - I should know better, however my trailer doubles as Scotty's alfalfa hay storage in the winter. I'd have no place to put his hay. I'll just have to wait for it to dry out in a couple of weeks.

So there you have it... my top 5 undesirable side effects of spring and warmer weather.

Scotty is well - yesterday we played "tag" in the pasture. He'd follow me for a treat and I'd duck behind the round bale feeder and pop out the other side. He'd paw and snake his head and trot after me. We both found this quite amusing for about 5 minutes, then he got bored and walked away. Scotty also enjoyed playing in the water tank. I caught him submerging his face and splashing around. I just love his little quirks. Today the farrier (bless his heart) is hiking down the Field Road of Doom to trim. I love spring!

Equine Massage

Sorry for not writing lately. Sometimes I just get so busy with other things to even manage a few minutes to write. Sometimes I just forget.

Scotty is doing well and he had his first massage the other day. I had never seen this process and found it very interesting. I think Scotty seemed to like it. He's a fidgity horse and doesn't like to stand still much so I'm sure it was a challenge. He enjoyed his legs being rubbed and had the most unusual reaction to the "tail pulling". He looked surprised and confused, then when she released he hunched his back and lifted his legs like he was stretching or readjusting. Since the massage he seems to be moving more freely. His hindquarter nerve damage is going to take some work though. I'll be lining up a few more massages as cash permits.

If you are in the Southwest metro area of Minneapolis and are looking for equine massage, please check out Holly Chumas. Her website is www.neoblumassage.com . I highly recommend her - she is the sweetest lady, is extremely good with horses and she does a lot of racetrack work. I can't say enough about her.

On a side note: Race trainer Justin Evans, responsible for ruining Scotty,(along with drugging & injuring numerous others) is now licensed in New Mexico after being suspended from training at Turf Paradise in Arizona. I'm wondering when the Racing Commission will wake up and stop licensing these cheaters? I can't wait to see if he returns to Canterbury this summer. Heaven forbid he run into me on the backside.

A girl and her horse

I saw the eagle again yesterday while I was in the pasture hanging out with Scotty. He flew about 10 feet above our heads. I could see every little detail of his wings. Absolutely amazing!! Seeing him as frequently as I do now makes me wonder if it's not such a coincidence as I had once thought it was. Perhaps eagles are just more frequent these days and this one has a nest nearby. It's just strange that in all my years living in this town, never to have seen one until Scotty came around. And my goodness, how close they come!

My daughter was also out in the pasture giving Scotty his daily treats. I was able to catch it on camera and thought I'd share.

Happy Friday!

Nothing of consequence has happened around here lately. Nothing blog worthy at least. It snowed here yesterday, a total of about 5 inches which is not totally unbearable. It all seemed to come down at once though, making the driving less than desirable.

Scotty spent most of the yesterday inside, munching on his hay buffet. Winds and small ice pellets made me feel more comfortable keeping him inside. After all, I'm fresh out of bubble wrap and heaven forbid he get another injury. I did let him out to stretch his legs for about an hour while I cleaned his stall. Boy did he stretch his legs!

Once the field road of doom is plowed and some of the snow is gone I will bring Scotty in to the vet for his knee xrays. He will be sedated and also have his teeth floated, perhaps spring shots will be in order as well. I am mentally calculating just how many Venti Skinny Carmel Latte's from Starbucks that equates to. Ramen Noodles are on the menu for the next few months for sure. Many of you have emailed asking how to help and where to donate: Again, I'm not one for soliciting donations but apparently Scotty has touched so many lives that some of you feel compelled to help.....

All donations can be sent directly to the vet clinic, and yes they do accept Credit Cards via phone.

Cleary Lake Vet Clinic

952-435-8387

18577 Natchez Ave

Prior Lake, MN 55372

Attention: Scotty c/o Annie Gallus

Happy Birthday Scotty

Never in all my years of owning horses have I ever thrown one of them a birthday party. It seems silly to me, actually. Just another day to Scotty. For me though, this one is a big deal.

On December 6, my friends and I physically lifted a severely emaciated 3 year old chestnut horse into the trailer. I remember preparing myself for the worst. Chances were slim he would even make it the 30 min trailer ride, much less survive overnight. He was so weak that his muscles trembled and he wobbled back and forth. I went into the mindset that he would most likely need to be euthanized but at least this way he'd die a dignified death. We couldn't get him into the vet clinic for two days so it was important for me to spoil him during that time. At least he'd know he was loved , if only for a short period of time. We blanketed him, fed him numerous small meals and all the hay he could handle. He was kept in a stall so he wouldn't expend energy. Slowly, over the next two days he began to come around, his eyes brightened, and his appetite increased. It was then I promised him I wouldn't give up on him.

Scotty has come a long way over the past 3 months. Certainly a cause for celebration.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTTY!!

It's a bird... it's a plane...

Yesterday was a nice day. I spent most of it at the barn grooming and doting over the horses. Not much to do really when the entire barn, pastures, and field road are glare ice. We've started dumping the used shavings into the pasture as the horses were having trouble walking up the slope to get to the water. It's horrible and I'm terrified something will happen to Scotty (or my other boys). Last winter my daughter's pony slipped on the ice and fractured his pelvis. This past weekend I took a digger outside the barn, landing on my hip and bumping my head. A minor concussion and a rather attractive bruise were the results. I almost feel I need to stuff my Carharts with pillows and and wear a crash helmet when I go out there these days.

I was taking pictures of the ponies yesterday as I usually do on the weekends. As I was shooting, I hear a noise from above. Off in the distance I see three Paragliders coming my way. Now, Minnesota is not the best place for paragliding. We have no mountains to catch the thermals and such. These turned out to be motorized paragliders - the same glider wing, only with a motor to keep them aloft. They preceded to fly in formation directly over our pasture and over my head at only a few hundred feet. How absolutely awesome is that? You just don't see such things in my neck of the woods. Of course the first thing I thought of was my friend Scotty Marion (my horse is named after him) and how he loved paragliding, ultimately losing his life doing it. I watched in awe as they passed over head. Only one of the 9 horses bothered to pay attention- Scotty (the horse) was busy burying his head in the round bale. His chestnut butt is next to the horse that is blanketed in the picture.

Call me crazy but since this horse has entered my life - I've experienced some strange things, all of which force the memory of my friend to the forefront of my mind. It's almost as if Scotty himself is saying "Hey, I'm still here".

The Ark commeth..

We've had unusually warm weather here for February. It's been in the 40's the last few days. It has given us a false sense of spring, knowing soon we will be seeing temps below zero again. You've all heard me complain about the cold and how I absolutely detest it. Everything about it I cannot stand, so I try hard not to complain about the side effects that the warmer weather brings.

The snow and ice are melting, the 3/4 mile long field road up to the barn is a disaster. Today you'd be sucked in for sure if you tried to drive on it. I learned my lesson a few years ago when I decided to attempt what should not have been attempted. Not a wise idea as I got stuck only a few hundred feet in. In my attempt to un-stick myself from the mud I had turned the event into a 4X4 off roading adventure. There was mud everywhere. I managed to move a few extra feet, spun myself in reverse and wound up sideways in the corn field. I was stuck up to my running boards, mud packed high up into my truck's wheelwells. Fantastic! Since then I've been a bit more careful on which days I attempt the muddy road of doom.

We have had crazy rains the past two days. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but with the winds gusting to 35mph it seems a lot worse than it is. I slept well last night knowing that Scotty was safely tucked in his stall. This morning as I was driving to the barn I couldn't help but notice all the surrounding crop fields which now resembled large lakes. Plan B was put into effect and I parked in the residential neighborhood on the far side of the east pasture and trekked in on foot.

Scotty was happy to see me per usual. Or maybe it was just the grain he was happy to see. I've gotten used to hearing that friendly nicker when I slide the barn door open in the morning. He always seems to smile at me, his head and neck always filled with shavings from his past night's sleep. I absolutely adore him. I can't wait to see what his future holds. I do know what my future holds, however. With all the thawing and rain, two of the four stalls are swimming pools of poo water. It will only get worse and there will be some digging out to do tonight. Scotty's stall is dry for the time being and I'm considering sand bagging. Seems everything is flooded. As I try to sweep the water from the main barn isle, I just keep repeating "I love the warmer weather, I love the warmer weather".

Last night our farrier braved the muddy road of doom to come trim Scotty's hooves. As he was scraping part of the sole away he noted that Scotty had some severe bruising. He would find that three of his four feet were badly bruised. They were older bruises he said. He also pointed out the lack of heel, as well as a few other issues. Essentially Scotty has typical TB feet. Small, brittle and crappy with no heel. Padded shoes were discussed, however it would be difficult to keep them on with the condition of his hoof walls. I am considering Boa type boots for the front feet at least for his turnout time. Perhaps that will provide him some comfort from the bruising and maybe prevent any additional damage.

In the mean time I will focus on building an Ark so I can sail into the barn instead of drive.

Playing Dress Up

Today was unusually warm (in the 30's WOW) so I figured it was time to actually do something with Scotty. His only jobs since he arrived on December 6 were to gain weight and try not to hurt himself. He has proved to excel at the first - not so great at the latter. Now it was time for him to branch out a bit and start earning his keep.

So I brought him in and tacked him up. Being a racehorse, who knows what I was going to encounter. I've been to the racetrack many times, I've seen horses flip over while being saddled in the paddock area. I've also heard stories of re-training OTTB's and this happening. FANTASTIC, I thought. So I took my time. There were no issues other than him losing his patience and moving around, oh... and the crabby faces he makes where he bites at the air. I slipped on the bridle and led him out to where the photo shoot was to take place. I handed off my camera to Kate and let her click away. I was happy with the results and overjoyed that I now had some decent pictures of Scotty and I. Normally I am on the other end of the camera.

Overall Scotty did really well. He was patient for the pictures and almost seemed like he was ready for me to get on him. We still have a ways to go before that will happen, and I was happy today just to play dress up.

Saying Goodbye

I haven't posted in a while. Last Friday I took my old mare, Maggie to the vet to be euthanized. She was eight days older than Christ, blind in one eye, limited sight in the other due to untreated Uveitis, she had a knee the size of Texas, and sometimes had trouble getting up due to her arthritis. Maggie also had bald areas on her face from her eyes watering so much. With our recent bout of subzero temps, she was suffering from frostbite.

I knew Maggie over 18 years ago. I worked for a local trail riding facility and she was one of my favorite horses to guide on. I wanted to buy her but she was too expensive at the time. I had to chose something else. I ended up guiding on her for a couple of years, always trying to hide her in the back row of dude horses, hoping she'd get overlooked so I could use her. She was a fun, fast little mare. We had some good times.

Fast forward to this past October. I have friends who run a local horse rescue. They pick up horses from local auctions and feedlots, take them home, rehab them and adopt them out. As I was surfing their site, I immediately recognized Maggie. There she was, a few hundred pounds underweight and displaying all of the ailments listed above.... right there on the website. I immediately called and arranged to bring her home.

Turns out they had bought her from an auction for $20. I picked her up the day after my birthday and started the rehab process. She gained weight quickly and soon looked like a horse again. She had open sores on her face from a poorly fitting halter, and those, along with the scabs from the eye drainage started to disappear. Her coat shined again and she seemed happy. Aside from her actual blind eye, which had turned white, she didn't look like an extra for the movie Pet Cemetery anymore. I had noticed she was arthritic and sometimes had difficulty getting up. She'd struggle, fall, struggle again, then hoist herself up with a grunt. Her knee continued to gradually increase in size and although it seemed not to cause her any discomfort, I had put her on joint supplements and MSM just in case. She also appeared to begin to lose sight in her good eye. It was hard to tell just how much she could see, but once in a while she'd plow right into the side of the barn or into the fence post. She would also tend to get spooky while in a stall. I'm assuming since it was darker, it probably had something to do with seeing shadows.

So I made the decision to have her humanely euthanized. It would take place in a nice warm facility, with Scotty's vet. I would not be there for the actual euthanasia. I couldn't bear to see it, but I knew she was in good hands. It was better alternative than finding her in the pasture unable to get up. I could just imagine how frightening that would have been for her. I trailered Scotty with her so he could help take my mind off of it. He needed to get weighed in anyway. I also didn't want to drag an empty trailer home. That would have been difficult for me.

The picture posted above was taken at the clinic as we said our goodbyes. I will miss her

On a positive note, Scotty weighed in at 937lbs. A whopping 134 lbs since Dec 9!

The Visit

I don't have much to say today. Nothing really exciting has happened as of late. I think this is a good thing. We have been in a deep freeze here with temps soaring as low as minus 27. This does not take into account the wind chill factor which brought the number down to about minus 50. Fantastic. The cold weather makes me crabby and my trips to the barn consist of only things that absolutely have to be accomplished. No time for grooming, treats or lolly gagging. Pretty much it's all business.

Today it was much warmer, possibly in the twenties. It felt like a heat wave so I spent much of the day at the barn. The blankets came off and the horses ran around and rolled. At one point Scotty ran to the end of the pasture and somehow his hip gave out. Certainly a result of his botched nerve block. Down he went. He struggled for a bit to get up and when he did he galloped back up to the barn, and where I was standing. Later I noticed his knee was a bit puffy. Fantastic. Always something with that horse. I again started to worry.

As I was gathering my things to leave the barn I noticed a rather large bird circling to the east. As it came closer I saw it was a bald eagle. This was my second sighting in 9 years of living around here. Second sighting in ONE month, both associated with Scotty. The large bird soared right over my head. I had my camera in hand so I snapped a few pictures. It stuck around for a few minutes and flew away. In the one picture you can see the eagle flying in the sky behind Scotty while he ate. It looks like a black dot in the sky.

Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe not.

"Bailey Road"

Over the past month I've learned a lot about Scotty's history. It's been interesting to say the least. I've pretty much absorbed myself in trying to figure out what exactly happened to him and why he was dumped. Talking to anyone and everyone I can who may have been associated with this horse. It has taken my mind somewhat off of his his originally guarded prognosis and has given me something to focus my energy on.

Emotionally it has been draining. I have been involved in rescuing horses for quite some time, and it never seems to get any easier. Scotty is by far the most severely malnourished horse I've ever taken in and we weren't certain he'd make it. With the help of his guardian angel, he has managed to pull through with flying colors - even in such a short period of time. I am amazed.

Registered as "Bailey Road", Scotty was born Feb 21, 2005 on beautiful, big name breeding farm in FL. His sire, Aldebaren, was son of the famous Mr Prospector. I had heard his stud fee had been upwards of $60K. His dam, Vintage Champagne, was by AP Indy out of the famous Meadow Star. In November 2007 he was sold to SEJ Stables for $65K and ran mostly at Turf Paradise and Canterbury Park . In the year that they owned him, he won over $38K for his owners. Not a bad beginning.

He was trained by "super trainer" Justin Evans. Mr Evans is well known at both tracks as a "win at all costs" trainer. In fact, he was recently suspended down in AZ for illegal practices and in May 2008, he was fined for using the drug Methylprednisolone in two of his first place finishing horses. One of which was Scotty.

In July 2008 "Someone" at the track gave him a shot in his back. According to the owners, no one (Justin Evans or his vet, Dr. Luper) would own up to administering it. The shot went into his spinal column and paralyzed the nerves going to his left hip and leg. As a result, the muscles in his left hip started to atrophy. I was also told that the shot had actually been some sort of nerve block. He was deemed useless as a racehorse.

The owners needed him gone so they asked a fellow trainer that was on their way down to FL if they wanted him. It was either that or they would euthanize him. The trainer wanted him as a pony horse, however, did not have room in his trailer for him so they tried to find him a home. They made arrangements with an acquaintance of mine who was working at the track at the time, to temporarily take him. She in turn, contacted our mutual friend who runs a local boarding facility. The agreement was supposedly for 6 weeks, until they could either find him a home or transport him to FL.

Long story short, the trainers thought the acquaintance had placed him in a home, so they never bothered to check on him. I am not going to go into all the details as it is very touchy. There are underlying debts and agreements that need to be ironed out and I will not air them on this blog.

Throughout all of this I have been able to track down and speak with Scotty's breeders, previous owners, and the trainer that was going to take him to FL. I am happy to say everyone has been very pleasant and helpful. I still have work to do. I am going to get to the bottom of the "shot" he was given.

I have posted pics of him taken 1-10-09. You can clearly see he's gained quite a bit of weight. If it were warm enough I could turn him out sans blanket without the fear of the neighbors calling PETA.

I am not a vet

I am not a vet, I do not even play one on TV. Scotty's shoulder injury is probably nothing more than a bruised foot. I'm very much ok with that. It seems my assessment of his abnormal, "oh-my-god it's broken", bony shoulder was nothing more than how he was resting it. Only because he is so scrawny, it appears disfigured. My second guess was an abscess. Perhaps I will keep my day job.

I did leave him in the stall for a few days, which drove him batty. He expressed his displeasure by making crabby faces and biting the air around his face. Directed at nothing in particular, I'm assuming it's a trait he learned while at the track. Our trip to the vet has been postponed again due to the glacial ice flow which has become the field road and also fluctuating weather conditions. His shoulder, or shall I say hoof, continues to improve and he only seems mildly ouchy while negotiating the frozen piles of manure. He's back to bucking and running which is nice to see. My colt was even picking a fight with him.

So many pieces of the puzzle have come together since his arrival just over a month ago. I will gather my thoughts in the next day or so and write up his entire story as we now know it.