For Heaven's Sake!

After he bankrupts me, Speedy is clearly trying to send me to an early grave. As I came driving down the ranch driveway yesterday, I looked for him as I always do. He's easy to spot with his nearly white coat, especially this time of year as there's no foliage to hide him. When I did lay eyes on him, I could only shake my head in disgust.

Could you try to get a little more gross?

Since a dirty horse doesn't really tell the whole story, let me clarify. Since Willy's move to a new home, Red Mare is Speedy's new best friend. She lives in the adjoining dry pasture. A maintenance crew has been dragging composted manure out to the bottom of her pasture, so she was temporarily moved to a small grass pasture immediately adjacent. 

Even though I wasn't there, I know exactly what Speedy did (and said) about her move 50 feet to the west. He ran himself into a lather, screaming his head off all the while. She was well within sight, but he was no doubt pissed to be separated from her. His frantic gallop up and down the fence line stirred up quite a cloud of dust which is now pasted to his once white and fluffy coat.

​But that wasn't the worst of it.

That WAS a wrapped hoof.

Why does Speedy have duct tape hanging from his hoof? I hear you ask. Well, he literally wore through several layers of duct tape as he paced the fence line wailing piteously for his lady friend. Jerk.

No more duct tape.

I peeled off what remained of the wrap and redid it. But first, I poked around at the drainage hole and was pleased to note that he didn't appear sore at all. As I walked him back to his pasture, I asked him to pick up a jog in the grass. He was very nearly sound.

Well, hallelujah. Maybe we'll be back to work sooner than I thought.