Farm Report

Spectacular wild flowers and scenery around here at the moment with leaves in the first stage of turning. Although possibly a stand of flowers newly grown behind a tree near our track spooked Nob's horse on Sunday. Fairly constant rain in September that we have resolved will continue, and trying to figure out what to do. St. Louis is more and more becoming the prominent thought.

And, with October, which I'd thought might be the beginning of an unusually early winter, also a sense of foreboding. The temps have been 20 degrees below normal since April. Any reason to believe this will do anything but continue, even if Sept. has been an exception.

And, Nob's spill. Avoid making too much of it except every fall provides instruction for the next one. Nob said it had been so long since he last fell (2003) that in the split second his memory of how to fall came too late. How to prevent? That is the question, and looking back on this one you could almost see it coming even with an extremely calm animal that has only rare and very momentary panics, as opposed to some others that go nuts repeatedly.

Got to the farm that evening and Rod had lost a front shoe from galloping in deep mud the night before meaning that after tacking it back on it would be near dark for the gallop. Sequence of events. Everything has a cause.

Next, during the pre-gallop mouth washing I accidentally brushed the hose against Rod's rear fetlock causing him a panic where he jumped forward and almost landed on my foot.

Then, reports Nob, early in the trot there was an equipment problem and Nob stopped the horse to fix this right where deer normally jump out. Nob said he considered "concerning" the horse because of the location and dusk, but thought this calm horse would be ok, which would prove to be famous last words. Within 10 min. pre-gallop Rod was in a spook situation twice.

Then the gallop began in a different more difficult location, again due to the equipment problem, and it was about 50 yards into actual galloping where the fall occurred. Continue this next.

Training:
Tues. 9/29:
Art: Unbelievably the horse has lost a shoe and complete skin over one front heel bulb. Bulb completely exposed. Off.
Rod: trotted 1.6 miles. Nob unable to look up as nothing supporting his neck. Unable thus to gallop.

Wed. 9/30:
Rod: Nob's neck is better but he's still riding like a sack of potatoes due to soreness everywhere. This one lasts 3/4 mile trot as Nob is severely whip lashed again when horse stumbles so badly at the trot that he almost lands on his nose. Nob in pain and unable to go on.
Art: Nob unable to ride. Paddock is like a dried egg carton with sharp shards of mud in them and it is decided too risky to go riderless. Why risk a severely cut leg with the rain coming in that will soften things. Yup. Questionable week for our training.