Do I not pay attention enough?

Man I've been on a blogging roll this week. Could be because it's too friggin hot to do much with the horse. He did get his feet trimmed today. Here's the deal. He is wearing his feet faster than they are growing. His hind feet especially get the toe worn down because he drags his hind legs. Normally, I would like "Crap - hock problems!" but he only does this when leading. He does not do it when I ask him to lunge, or ride him or otherwise am working him. So ... I think he's just lazy. He has done this ever since I got him. So, I dunno. I would hate to have a 3 year old with hock problems already. In any case, he might need shoes if this continues. I've always been a barefoot believer, so I don't know if I want to go the shoe route ... he's got good, solid feet .. he's just wearing them off quickly. So ... I dunno.

Here's the other deal. Apparently, about 6 or 7 months ago, Hampton had an abscess pop. There is a distinct mark on the front of his left hind hoof. I heard the farrier say "Hmmm, well his abscess mark is growing out nicely ..." ... and I was like "Uh, what?" I am familiar with how a horse acts with an abscess rears its ugly head. They are normally 3-legged lame, and it shows up suddenly. This has NEVER happened with Hampton. He has NEVER been lame, except for some very mild soreness in his front leg last fall when he clipped his cornet band with his back hoof and then developed scratches. Plus, I know every stinkin' inch of my horse. I never noticed a popped abscess in his foot - no blood, no pus. Nada. Six or seven months ago would have been in winter, so I guess it IS possible that he popped it out on the field, and was lame very briefly perhaps on a rare 2-3 day stint when I didn't make it out to the barn. He certainly lived in muddy, gross conditions where an abscess would thrive. But man. What the heck? I felt stupid when I explained I had no clue about any abscess. derrrr.

Tomorrow I am going to ride. I have to do 5 am barn chores so I might as well stay awake and get a ride in around 7 am. It needs to happen if we are going to have any chance at not embarrassing ourselves at the show on July 31.

Check out photos from today. Woot. He still looks like a heaping mess of legs. But I think the shot with the barn in the background shows how much weight he has gained.