The Trim...

Sam's feet were in better shape than I expected them to be. I don't know if they have ever been trimmed or not but were not horrible. The heel was long and the toe was short, she walks a little post legged but I know it will be better.

We have been working on proper foot behavior for a couple of weeks now. Nothing to fast or furious, just the occasional pick up and hold for cleaning. I wanted to learn how to trim her in the bare foot style before she was trimmed the first time. Knowing she has never had shoes on she has to have a tough sole so I didn't want to trim away a good thing. So the time had come for the trim, and I was completely surprised how well she took the strange feelings and pressure. The first three went amazingly well. But the last one, well that a foot of a different story.

She didn't want to give it to me. She pulled it away, she tried to sit on me, she tried to stand in my hand, if you can imagine it she tried it all except kicking me (refer to the feet are used for walking lessons). But she absolutely was not going to give me that foot. I noticed that she was cocking the other hip even when I was not trying to get that foot, so I began feeling the muscles up and down her back and hips. There it was a knot the size of an orange just behind the pelvis. I massaged the best I could and worked on rubbing the knot out of the muscle. At one point Sam was really leaning into me and had her neck stretched out as if it really felt good. I never did get the knot to go completely away but it was much smaller when I quit rubbing.

I ask her to give me the back foot again and she did, but only for a min. I decided I would give her a break and my back one too. While I was resting Sam was standing tied, but suddenly she decided she didn't want to be tied anymore. She began pitching what I would describe as a child's throw your body on the floor temper tantrum. *Sigh* Here we go again. I really thought we had gotten over this but alas I guess not. I can't just unhook her that would only teach her to act bad and she will get what she wants. So I moved her to a different spot where she couldn't hurt herself; and channeled Mugwump. LOL I let her stand tied and throw her fit until she decided that she wasn't going to get anywhere. I closely watched her to make sure she didn't get herself in a bad spot, while I trimmed the feet of her horsey mom.

Misty is 24, and a saint as horses go. She does show the sparks of what she was like at Sam's age occasionally but for the most part she is resigned to acceptable behavior. I always said I wish I had know Misty when she was young. HA HA, that is a lesson in watch what you wish for.

When I finished trimming Misty's feet, Sam had finally decided she wasn't gaining any ground with her antics. She was standing calmly hip shot and nose resting low. I retrieved her and quietly finished the work on that last foot.

Wow! What a day. It is obvious now that Sam needs to be seen by a equine chiropractor and massage therapist. Her tendons have been shortened because her heels were long, but that too will get better. She really has come so far from the timid quiet horse I brought home over a month ago. It won't be long before she can go out to the big field with the other horses.