I have ridden my bike quite a bit more this week than I had in the whole previous month or even 2 months. 15 with Sharon, 32 with Linda, Sharon, Erik, Steve & Lan & today Amanda and I rode the mtn bikes for 2 hours at Banner Forest.
This is the steepest hill in the whole park and we both have a hard time going down it. Today it only took me 3 tries, it took Amanda about 10. But we had all day and she finally did it. Both of us did it last week too, she only the bottom half but she's getting better at it.
The trails in the park are getting so well worn that they are like sidewalks almost. Pretty soon we're going to have to go to new ones to challenge her more.
Today it was just us and I was able to ride at my pace and not feel guilty for making Lan wait for me. He is great finding the way and taking us to good trails but he doesn't understand that's its not just about getting down the trail as fast as your bike can go every ride.
I've been out to the lake a once or twice each week, going to the buckets and back each time
(.97 mile R/T) and approximately 42-45 minutes.
Today Rich & Alisa hosted a swim & BBQ but I only ate good food and chatted with a lot of friends. I love my triathlete friends.
In horse news:
We tried to get Wifi into another Dressage show, Bridle Trails in Bellevue but they were full. That made me sad because we don't know of any more shows for a while. I can't be asking for days off every week and their next show is August 10th, 1 week before Iron Girl Triathlon.
We had a new horse come into the barn, a big gray TB gelding. Thomas is at least 16hh and actually quite nice looking but he has terrible feet. He came off the trailer limping and he limped as he ran around the arena and he can barely move in his stall. When he does move he's got to throw his head up to take the weight off his feet.
This is his right front, the horizontal line along the coronet band is a blown abcess and the hoof wall below it has cracked off. The entire area is soft and extremely painful for Thomas, there is hoof wall separation and it was terribly overgrown and cracked. The first night Lan trimmed off 3 big chunks of toe. He is walking on the sole of his hoof.
All of these photos were taken after he had been trimmed by Gary.
This is the other front hoof, its got cracks all up it and it had a shoe on that had been on for at least 6 months if not longer.
This is the rear left hoof, the crack is worse than it looks because its full of shavings.
I had Gary come look at them and he didn't have much good to say for them. He wouldn't put shoes on the horse. He did suggest a vet but at least soak 2 times daily, antibiotics and Bute. He was willing to come back Sunday to attempt to shoe the horse but he also said there was no hoof wall to hold a shoe on that front hoof.
But the owner said the limp is caused by bone chips and his hooves are FINE. She didn't want to give him any Bute, not even when I offered it for him. She disregarded everything Gary told her.
So today shes back, with a Mexican farrier that would have just slapped shoes on him no matter what. I told Lan to go down & stop them and I told her no way will I allow her to torture a horse on my property and she would have to remove him before she can do anything like that. The farrier was nice and understood where I am coming from but she made arrangements to move him tomorrow.
Last night she gave him a little Bute but I gave him 3 more this morning and it did nothing to stop his pain. Tonight I gave him 3 more and if I didn't have to work in the morning I'd give him more. Shes going to move him to the back pasture of the farrier, with no shelter of any kind.
Stupid bitch, she has owned this horse since he came off the track and she hasn't done shit to actually care for him. I hate people like her.
I'm giving her a partial refund, charging $30 for the 3 days she was here. I actually did all his stall cleaning, bedding, turn out & in, held him for the farrier and gave him my Bute. Shes lucky shes getting a penny back.
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