On this day in 2010....

Tommy and I went out on a short ride on Wednesday evening.  He started out a bit off, but worked out of it. We rode around the the fields.  He was having difficulty in one area where the ground sloped slightly, taking short strides in front and just generally being very careful with his steps.  It wasn't a long stretch, maybe a few hundred feet, but apparently it was long enough.  Since then he's been lame on the right front.

The right front is the one with the worst ring bone and side bone on the xrays.  Saturday evening he seemed less stiff, but I went ahead and gave him three grams of Bute.  I guess the good news is that his left hoof is healing well enough that the other leg can hurt.  I

We have a new farrier starting this week.  He seems very knowledgeable on draft horses and is currently working with several with ringbone.  He had some great suggestions about different shoes, pads, and trimming.  I'll pick up another tube of Bute from the vet this week so that I can get it into his system before the farrier appointment.  That seemed to make a real difference in his comfort level the last time the farrier was out.  I'm excited to see what the hoof looks like now.

Facebook just told me that on this day in 2010 I posted that Tommy's new bridle just arrived and I couldn't wait to try it on him.  I hope next year Facebook will tell me that on this day in 2011 I posted Tommy's very last lameness episode.