Unexpected things happen unexpectedly.

A couple of weeks ago, the Eventer mentioned that she would be having a shindig at her house to watch a movie and talk show season.  The eventing show season, obv.  I filed this in the back of my mind and forgot about it.

OR asked me a few days ago if I was going.  I was still wavering up until the very last moment, but did actually make an appearance last night (proud, L?).  I only stayed for about an hour, but before I left we talked about clinics.  Everything happens at least two hours away.  Sad face.

I told them that I would be interested in a clinic, in these fancy trainers.  Names were thrown left and right (a Misty?  Missy?  A Shultz or something?), but they flew right past me.  And then I left.

Quarter sheet, FTW.

Fast forward to today.  I've got a lesson with T3, who I haven't seen in what feels like a really long time.  And I won't see her again for about six weeks.  She gave us notice that she would be in town and arranged private lessons for the three of us that normally took... as well as for OR, who wanted some jump schooling.  I was second in the line up and made sure that I rode last night, since he had a couple of days off.  It was 38 degrees last night and dude was not happy.

Right before my phone died.

So, I pull him out of the pasture, pull off his sheet and start grooming.  He's got a hind leg cocked, but almost always rests that back end.  And then I notice a scrape.  When I touched it, he flickered just a little bit, but the wound wasn't warm.  I kept grooming, tacked up, and mounted.  The first lesson was running behind, so I ended up walking him in the grass for about twenty minutes.

When I entered the ring, I told T3 that Archie had been nailed in the hind leg, but that he seemed sound on it.  I picked up a trot and she told me to push him a little more through his back end and he responded by kicking out and then cantering.  I brought him back to a trot and she asked if he felt off to me.  He didn't.  She said that he wasn't quite right.  She thought maybe he could work out of it, so I changed direction.  She then told me to do a circle.  And Dude was off.

I dismounted and we looked at the wound.  I put my hand around it and he actively flinched and it was obviously warm.  Conclusion?  Archie got nailed right before I pulled him out of the pasture.

I cold hosed his leg, buted him and applied some topical ointments.  I'll check him tomorrow, but won't try to ride again until Monday.


Since I had a shit ton of free time, I pulled my camera out of the trunk of my car and started taking photos of OR riding in her lesson.  She did great and her horse is just developing into a freaking beast.  It's awesome to watch.

After her lesson, I asked her what happened at the shindig after I left.  She said that they had discussed going cross country schooling in a little city outside of Columbia, SC.  It's about two and a half hours away.  In the discussion.. um.. space wasn't left for me and Archie.  OR said that they could try to shuffle some things around to make room, but it would be difficult.