A little quiet

BG had the farrier out yesterday. She needed the visit due to her hooves starting to crack in the dry weather and on the hard ground. Its only been about eight weeks since they were last done, but I was amazed at how much the farrier actually managed to take off, almost a centimetre on some hooves. They look so much neater and tidier now.

I was a little worried about catching BG beforehand. As you know from the new water bucket introduction, anything unusual she thinks is some sort of conspiracy, so she would know something was up when we went to visit her half way through the day. Luckily she was good about coming down and being caught, and then just dozed in the sunshine till the farrier arrived.

BG stood nicely for the farrier too. Except when she was doing her off-fore when I think BG had a fly annoying her on her belly so she got a little jittery.

Today though BG was a little quiet this morning. I was half expecting her to go lame today, since the ground is so hard and it was quite a short trim. Her manner changes when her hooves feel a little sore, she goes quiet and that is the first sign more than her coming up short at all. She walked down the field nicely and her hooves weren't overly hot, nor was there a pulse. Turning tightly in the shelter and leaving the shelter where the ground is a little rutted she was very tentative though. With that and her quiet manner I think she is definitely feeling slightly footsore, so I will need to keep an eye on her. We've stocked up on shavings so we can make her a nice soft bed if necessary for her to rest her hooves on.

This morning, after a week, she finally had a drink from her new water bucket. She still seemed a little unsure about whether it was safe to do so, and gave long glances back over both shoulders after her drink as if to check everything was still okay.

Lets hope she isn't any sorer on her hooves tonight.