Assessing “The Girls”

• 

• 

Friday, April 26, 2019

A large factor in preparing my mares, Sunni and Rosie, for driving this summer has been to have a professional who understands sport horses assess them. I hauled the girls to Dr. Paul Edmonds, in Redmond, who spent lots of time studying their movements, limbs, joints, muscles, and hooves. He was on target, pointing out elements that I knew already, and adding insights new to me from his observations.

He felt that minor pain in Sunni’s front legs is from her too-long hooves. To this point, I’m chagrined that her hooves weren’t trimmed before this assessment, but fate had it that an accident put our farrier out of commission for two weeks, and I stalled for yet another week, hoping to learn that both horses are capable of being driven, and thus, could be shod. Once Sunni’s hooves are trimmed, Dr. Paul thinks she’ll be in fine driving condition–and today, our farrier is coming.

• 

• 

Dr. Paul wants me to wait before driving Rosie, he first wants to perform chiropractor work on her hips. He might be onto something, for Rosie has periodic rear soreness, and we’ve considered lots except that perhaps her hips are out of alignment. Until receiving that hip adjustment, she’ll be exercised on long-lines. Sunni will go along on Rosie’s next visit so the veterinarian can assess her hoof trims (he took hoof x-rays to guide the farrier).

All this is big, for when one asks lots from an animal–and pulling a cart or carriage is hard work–it’s reassuring when experts can help the animal produce adequate effort. Now, assisted by a capable veterinarian and our talented driving trainer, we’ll start hitching-up, for serious.

Dear Friends, it’ll be interesting, how a hip adjustment affects Rosie overall. Diana