Quality time

After over a month of absolute insanity, I finally found the energy (and gas money) to go visit Miss Promise yesterday. 


I trudged into the barn feeling desperately guilty for being such a terrible horse mom only to find her contentedly munching on a round bale with her two closest buddies. I fed her a mint and we picked up where we left off (I guess I'll never know if it was the mint or not!). She followed me to the gate, stood waiting while I closed it behind her and looked pretty happy while I spent some time brushing her.


She's got quite a nice winter coat started -- and the best part is, she's not shedding at ALL. This is a change from last year...I've mentioned before that she had been lightly shedding pretty much all year round. Her coat is soft and shiny and is that beautiful seal bay color that I only get to see in the winter time, now that we live in Florida. She even has some dapples!


She's gained some weight, too. She's much less ribby than she was last time I was there. And, the "shelf" she had developed between her spine and the top of her ribcage has filled in some, as well. It's not quite perfectly smooth, but there is no, well, shelf, that stops your hand as you run it from spine to belly. 


All in all, she's looking pretty good for a senior citizen that's had a rough two years filled with injuries and lameness! Her right hind finally, officially has a real scar on it - hard, grey, unmovable - the cankles are gone. And, she is relatively sound, although I wasn't convinced she was quite sound enough to hop on even for a walk...I do feel like it's arthritic rather than anything else, from the weather changes we've had recently. Who knows, I just might change my mind and go for a short walk this afternoon. :)