I was reviewing my 2013 conditioning log this morning, and it is funny how you can look at old data and take away some things. We struggled with our average pace most of the summer. So I'm questioning was it the humidity zapping her, or discomfort from her hooves? Interestingly, about September her pace picked up enough that I felt that I had a shot at trying, that was also the advent of lower humidity, and Renegade hoof boots. So was it one, the other, or both? Old ride data from my Garmin also popped in my head to see how we were doing compared to the last 25 mile LD on her record. That one was completed in 4 hours and 6 minutes. I looked up her Garmin data from the 50/and her rider card, and she did that first 25 mile continuous loop in 3 hours and 50 minutes, so she knocked about 16 minutes off her LD distance on a trail that was much more hilly and technical.
Journey may have some respiratory issues. If you recall the coughing fit at Spook Run and my stopping it by dampening her hay, well that issue continues to rear its ugliness several times a week now we are into hay season. I have to scrape her stall floor down to bare earth daily as bedding exacerbates the coughing, and even a little dust in her hay will set it off. Alfalfa just puts her into a coughing tizzy-fit. So she doesn't get it anymore. I'm hoping this isn't the precursor to heaves. She refuses to eat wet hay, though she will eat soaked beet pulp. This is likely a big issue going forward and potentially at some juncture a game ender if it becomes chronic. We will be seeing the vet here in a month or two for updates on stuff and I'll have to hash that out with the vet. I'll be happy for spring, grass, and full turn out. I feel she would do better with full turn out year round but I'm not set up for it. Something to think about I guess.
We are supposed to get a thaw moving in by the weekend. I'll be glad to get this snow, - temperatures, and ice gone.
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