Farrier Day

WTH?

Stop Right There! 

Freshly Trimmed Hooves - Aren't They Beautiful?  

Wally's Hooves Need A Few More Months Of Terrie's Magic

Pausing to Check for Invisible Boogers

Wally Taking Off At His Usual Rocket Speed

Saturday morning was farrier day.  It is always a big deal because it is so exciting to have visitors in Pastureland!  I call the horses up if needed but usually they are already hanging around the barn.  They are haltered and given a little treat, then I begin brushing them, hoping to have them as calm as possible before Terrie arrives.

Terrie is a natural "barefoot" farrier.  Some wise people at the AANHCP (Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices) researched the mustang hoof and developed a way to trim the domestic hoof to match the mustang.  Even though my horses are not working horses, it makes sense to me that their hooves should be trimmed to match what is natural.  I am grateful for Terrie's knowledge and skill, not to mention her patience with Ginger who insists on misbehaving most of the time.  She does not kick but stubbornly insists on putting her feet down whether Terrie is finished or not.  Terrie always wins after a tussle.  And Ginger always exhales in surrender.  I assume it is a game Miss Thing enjoys playing.  That does not mean I do not want to whack her with a big stick for being such a pain - Ginger, not Terrie.

It was the second time Terrie trimmed Wally's hooves, and after just a little struggle - until he figured out what we wanted him to do - Wally was the perfect gentleman - far better behaved than Ginger.  I swear horses are the most sensitive, psychic animals in the universe.  Though she did not say anything, I think Terrie was a bit relieved that Wally was so well behaved.  I was so relieved and outright happy that the morning had gone so well that both horses sensed the change and were suddenly spirited and rejoicing, too.  Wally was prancing, tossing his head, thundering up to me and slamming on the brakes, only to spin away in a cloud of dust.  He actually forgot himself and thundered up to Miss Thing, who squealed in warning, sending Wally back pedaling in a flurry of mane-waving head tossing.  You would have thought Wally ruled the universe, which of course, he does.