Sydney Almost Misses Thanksgiving Vacation ...

This is what I saw on Thursday morning ...

The first words out of my mouth ... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!?!?

I took a deep breath.  That was no way to start our national day of thanks.  I thought about it.  I decided I could live without riding Sydney for the next five days - the length of my Thanksgiving break.  My farrier is coming on Thursday.  It's not a big deal.

And then, just as quickly, I realized that there was no way in heck I was giving up riding Sydney for the next WEEK!  Endurance riders are well known for their resourcefulness.  RM has even dubbed me the Barn McGyver.  I looked around for a hammer.  It's a good thing that I didn't spot one right away as I am completely unqualified to reshape a shoe and then nail it on.

My next thought was to wedge Sydney's size three foot into a size one Easyboot.  I actually dug out one of the boots and placed it against the bottom of his hoof even though I knew there was no way it was going to fit.  I was right.  This was clearly a Cinderella moment and Sydney was definitely not Cinderella.  His big toes were looking a lot like those of the ugly step-sisters.  The boots are made of rubber and they do stretch a little, but not a full size.  Then I remembered that eons ago I had lent/given/sold/traded a pair of size two boots to dear friend, Taz's Mom (shoe sizes don't correlate to boot sizes).  Thanksgiving morning or no, I quickly dialed her number and got Hubs on the phone.

Since Taz's mom had a handful of turkey, I quickly explained to Hubs what I needed.  He told me to sit tight and he'd call me right back.  That man is a true problem solver and I have come to rely on him for many oddball requests.  Even so, I wasn't too confident that he'd be able to navigate the TACK ROOM.  I dejectedly finished grooming the Speedy pony who luckily had on all four of his shoes.  At least he would get ridden daily.  To my surprise, my cell gave a cheerful ring and Hubs gleefully reported that he was currently holding a size two Easyboot.

Oh, glory, hallelujah, happy Thanksgiving!  I thanked him profusely and said I'd be by in a bit.  Fortunately, Taz's Mom lives in the same neighborhood where I board both boys.  I finished riding Speedy, popped him backed into his stall, and zipped over to retrieve what I hoped would save my Thanksgiving vacation.

Slightly crooked application, but the boots tend to shift slightly with use anyway.  As you can see, the boot was a perfect fit!  I have had MANY year's experience with Easyboots, but I know Sydney has not.  On Thursday morning we did a walking ride to see how he would cope with the boot.  I don't think he even noticed it was on.  

I was particularly thrilled with how steady he stood as I put it on.  For some horses, the tugging and twisting can cause a little concern the first time the boots are applied even though they do not cause any pain during the application.  Most endurance horses are pros about the boots and stand quietly no matter how much tugging and wiggling occurs!

For Friday's ride, we went back to full work.  We did lots of trotting which included many changes of direction and figure eights.  The boots performed as expected, and Sydney's hoof wall remained intact. 

As the makers of Easyboot are fond of saying, "Get an Easyboot, or get a sense of humor!"

To learn more about Easyboots and their application, check out this brochure from EasyCare Inc.