Bobby had been having some pretty bad hoof problems and once tested up for 7 kms at a time of fast work, several times a week. I was a bit concerned about riding him for that, because he was a touch lame and this liberty work from the car window out on a bush track, answered the problem.
If you have a good eye, you will notice him learning to feel his way with his barefoot feet, still the teensiest bit lame, but he had improved dramatically over the preceding days work.
This was not the only time that I have had a lame horse ask for lots of work to fix it – and it worked. In fact, I think it saved his feet, which were strugglig in early barefoot at the time… (a few years ago now.)
I had the horse float on behind the four wheel drive and although he was on the passenger side of the car, it doesn’t matter, he still comes when I call him up beside me.
One day I had a four wheel driver come from the opposite direction and swoop into the front of him to block him off – we were doing a fast canter at the time and kind man that he was, he thought my horse was running away from me. I just stopped the car, called Bobby – he swung around and came flying back to me at a gallop. The bloke’s eyes just about popped out of his head. We gave him a jaunty wave and a smiling thank you as we went past…
Click here for the Youtube of Bobby out in the bush, at liberty from the car window. I haven’t reduced this file specially for the internet, so you may want to pause it while it loads so that you can watch it without that annoying stop and go.
Amazing
Thanks!