Short Farm Post

Apologies for the inconsistent blogging. Thanks to KH for the 8/3 comment. Gives me an excuse to write about the farm while I'm putting together the next bone post. I know everyone is waiting breathlessly for that. Art as an early two year old above. I'll have the camera back soon. He's a different horse now.

As to sending mine to a training center, that's a fair question. And, a thought, with the Woodlands closing. Doubt we'll go that route, unless we find a budding Dutrow, lol. Our best laid plans were to gallop into the Woodlands with 8 weeks of a real live race track to do the jock work, and then stable at Fairmont Park possibly considering Oaklawn or Will Rogers in Tulsa, depending.

With Woodlands gone, jeez, we're trying to figure Plan B and the price of gas, plus we had a rather revolting development yesterday. see below. My two truthfully have been held back by weather and immaturity and maybe a little more dawdling on my part than I'd like. But, I think they're about there now, and hope to be able to report from a race track in the next weeks.

As to Got Country Grip, KH, I'm unable to see what you referred to. Nor am I entirely sure I understood your point. But, agreed there's a lot of concern about youngsters and speed. I have it and am considering some interesting revisions to Burch training which I'll post eventually.


Training:
Tues. 8/5: Injury to Art today that I'd thought was a bowed tendon. Unbelievable. I'll archive the observation and the thought process. Let's say I was discouraged for a good while. Morning feeding time I see Art take one bad step. I'm in a hurry and see nothing else untoward, but all day at the office I'm thinking hmmm. Decide not to train Tues. night, one of those premonitions. Then, feeding in the dark, I injury check still worrying about that bad step, and sure enough a blown up front right from mid cannon down to the fetlock with a whole lot of heat emanating from one little area above the fetlock. I'm in disbelief because there's absolutely nothing this horse has done training wise to cause this. I'm starting to think rap instead of bow.

Tues. night the horse gets bute and by Wed. morning lots of swelling still. I look at it in daylight, and, interestingly, the appearance is much more of a rap than a bow. Unable to tell for sure as there's significant swelling now going all the way up the leg. But, that's good, i.e. the swelling is other than localized, we're without the fleshy feel of a bow, and #1 the horse is NOT lame at the walk. At this point I'm thinking very serious rap instead of bow. We're without kinks also.

Put leg in the water bucket for the few moments I've got before the office. Checked Art at 7 pm this evening, and, by jove, significant reduction in swelling. Unable to feel any heat. This might be only a one week thing. Upsets me to lose a week, but beats losing this horse. Verdict still out though, as I type. Rod had his second day off. (Edit--Thurs. morn heat is back. The youngsters were romping hopefully explains renewed heat. Swelling is way down, but above the fetlock it threatens to harden. Due to that I'm back to being very concerned.)