New goal

Phelps has become a part of a personal goal for me. I have always wanted to do an endurance race and it has come to the forefront recently as something I want to accomplish this coming year. I am working out, losing weight in bootcamp, and with that, I plan to start conditioning Phelps once he is completely healthy and together we'll figure out what we're supposed to do and compete by the end of summer 2009.

I have no idea other than slowly conditioning him with handwalking until spring or I feel I can safely pony him from Pie.

I don't have a firm plan other than my weight loss milestones and how that corresponds to being able to ride him.

Still loving Phelps

He is sweet and loving. I just watched an older movie called "A horse for Danny". A racehorse movie. Got me thinking about Phelps and how I happy I am that he is out of that lifestyle.

Accident prone

Phelps got his leg caught in something a few days ago. He was tender. It was puffy and had some very small, roundish scrapes on it. Just fetlock and below. Yeah, JUST.

It was warm again today and back with the fly masks and spray. Phelps is so good. He let me grab him, put on the mask, spray his whole body. And then he looks for some affection. Like he wants to make it up to me that I had to come spray him to keep the flies away.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to rehome this horse. He is a sweetie.

Leg is much better today. No longer ouchy on it and swelling is all down.

Blankets at night. Fly masks and sunburn during the day. Must be the High Desert.

A teenager to fuss over him

Some friends of ours are missionaries on Honduras. Costa Rica? Is that the same? Don't hate me. They have two daughters, one of whom is horse crazy. She has her own little...what did she call her...a Honduran Diva of a horse at home. They are here making their rounds of congregations and friends, trying to see too many people in too short a time.

Sydney, the teenage horsey daughter, came over today to get a horse fix since she hasn't seen her beloved mare in almost 3 months! She is being taken care of back in Honduras, but it's hard to stay away that long.

Since our only really ridable equine is Belle right now, she rode Belle. It was cute. Syd's legs were scrunched into a kid saddle, and Belle was being pretty feisty today. But, she got to ride a little and Belle got a little lesson too.

Before riding Belle, I introduced Syd to all the horses, and I could tell she had an immediate attachment to Phelps. She mentioned how beautiful thoroughbreds are and we talked racing a little, including the Kentucky Derby and the ill-fated Eight Belles. I am not a racing follower, but had watched the Derby on TIVO.

When Belle had toted Syd and my two around for awhile, she was groomed and put away. I told Syd that Phelps needed his supplements and asked if she wanted to brush him while he ate. She was first to the gate to go get him!

He was loving and kind, but after Belle, he seemed like he was on pins and needles. He is quite reactive, though he isn't trying to hurt anyone, it's clear that we needed a quick lesson on working around a 3 year old TB. Move calmly and slowly, not creeping around, but not flying around and screeching either.

Syd was grooming him and loving on him. We joked about her having a "man" in her life now and that they'd have to figure out a long distance relationship.

After his grain and grooming, she handgrazed him for me in the backyard until her parents came to collect her. I hope she enjoys the photos.

Another trim

Phelps got trimmed again last week. It looks like he had an old abscess or one that was going to be an abscess but didn't make it all the way to the coronary band. Either way, he has some feet issues in terms of tenderness right now. His heels are contracted and he has some bruising. My farrier still couldn't take his feet as far back as he wanted to, but they are no longer flaring out all crazy.

His feet are not symmetrical from one side to the other. If you put a line down the middle of his foot from coronet band to ground, the two sides do not look the same.

He's ouchy on the gravel right now, but is still very loving and sweet.

Phelps likes kids.

After the evening feeding, Faith and I took some pictures of the horses. Phelps is very happy to have attention and stood completely still for Faith to hug him. He wasn't sure about her rubbing her head on his chest (neither was I!), but just looked curious, not angry.

Earlier, I took some of him in his corral he shares with Dani. He was soaking up the late afternoon sun, watching Faith and Belle riding around.

"What's with the boot in my face as I'm eating?"

Then, he and Dani were chowing down together.

New hay

I bought 9 ton of hay yesterday. I had to go to The Hay Depot (large hay supplier who gets hay from all over the PNW) because all my friend suppliers didn't get as much as they thought and needed it for their own use. So selfish!

I bought alfalfa for Phelps and an alfalfa/grass mix for him and Shelby to share. I think he'll pick up weight quicker on that.

Hay gets delivered later this morning and they don't stack it. Now what?

Phelps was running and bucking this morning. I had to move the youngsters and Belle to an out of the way pasture so the hay truck could get in. I need to move the trailer and a truck out of the way too, but needed a cup of coffee first.