Let's back up like... two weeks.  Archie had one shoe and I went out to "ride" him.  Because after the ordeal of strapping on a foam pad, all we really did was trot around in circles for a little bit.

I'd noticed the day prior that the Kid had some hives on his butt and flank, but wasn't uncomfortable or any thing.  We'd done our little ride and he was fine.  Lo and behold, the second day, Archie's ass is completely angry and raw.  I didn't ride and instead gave him a little bute and sprayed his angry butt with Chlorhexidine.

The next day, I went out to check his butt and found that, whoopsies, now it's clearly rain rot.

Somewhere around that time, he threw the second shoe.


Fortunately, or unfortunately, I'd scheduled a recheck with the vet for his cough.  Because we'd been riding so much, right?  The appointment is for 7:45 and at 7:25, the vet and I are both walking out to Archie's pasture.  Thanks, dude, for killing any attempt I made at preparation.

The vet asks how he's been and I sort of laugh and answer that he's been a hot mess.  I talk about his butt funk and his bare feet and, oh hey, by the way, firing the farrier, done with life, yay.  He asks if I want to ride since Archie is barefoot and I'm actually dressed for the occasion and the Dude's just been wandering the pasture between having his feet pampered and his butt scrubbed, so I figure that he can handle it.  We walk a little  bit and when I ask to trot, he gives me this enormous front-end hobble and the vet validates my decision to not ride the Kid barefoot.  Because ouch.

He works out of the cripple okay, though, and we trot and canter long enough for the vet to clear him and declare the stall the culprit.  With a side of well-trained owner, stopping to let dear Ponykins slam on the brakes and drop his head at the slightest provocation.  At least I'm considerate?

A hundred and thirteen dollars later, I have a bottle of Malaseb and a joke, after we discuss the stall and allergens:
Me:  At what point does it become Recurrent Airway Obstruction?
Vet:  At recurrent.
(Not funny..?  I laughed.)

(don't be jealous of my life!)