Yesterday the farrier came to reset Cesar’s shoes and pads. Earlier this year he almost died from founder, also called laminitis. This is a painful hoof condition where inflammation inside the hoof capsule causes the coffin bone, or the small triangular bone at the very bottom of the horse's boney leg column, to rotate out of position and begin to penetrate the bottom of the hoof. When that happens, the horse has to be put down.

We don’t know what caused him to begin to founder, but we put him on stall rest and pain meds, and then after much research and many phone calls, found a new farrier, or horse shoer, to come out and see what he could do for him. I will say, our new farrier of LBBM horseshoes saved Cesar’s life.

With the special custom made shoes Cesar has been wearring for the past few months, he has completely recovered from laminitis. His hooves look crazy weird and deformed, but he is no longer in pain, and yesterday, he was finally able to have the special shoes removed and he walked 100% normally without pain again. I am grateful for that, and to Lane for being such a skilled farrier. And I am grateful for your donations which have helped us be able to pay Lane for his expertise and the cost of the special shoes. Thank you.

I did not handle him for the farrier, because I am still deeply conflicted over knocking me down a couple of days ago. My knee is still tender from the impact with the ground. But he was perfectly 100% perfectly behaved, which is the thing about Cesar. He stands perfectly still for the farrier, even when he got shoes on for the first time in his life. You can catch him, halter and lead, stands tied, stands quietly for the farrier, honestly, in so many ways he is a really great horse. He does anything and everything willingly you could ever ask of him. He just gets emotional at times, and as a trainer, he is a challenge for me to figure out what makes him behave like a perfect gentleman 99% of the time, and then rarely he’s an outright dangerous criminal.

I have to believe it has a lot to do with getting so many mixed signals as a baby horse, plus he was the baby before the fillies came along so he is jealous, and then he did have months this year where his feet hurt so that is understandable. But why he even foundered in the first place is a mystery because there was no instigating cause than any of us can recall which triggered the condition that makes sense. I halfway believe it was emotional. Despite the fact he has his moments, we love him dearly and would never want anything to happen to him. And besides, wouldn't life be boring if I didn’t have a challenge to overcome, learn about, and then be able to teach others about my experiences with Cesar? So stay tuned, because I am formulating a plan to try to see if we can help him overcome his anger issues. Poor kid.

​ Today I am grateful for this new day, that my kids cleaned the kitchen last night after I went to bed, that I feel optimistic about this new year, that we got to spend a little time training with the Mustang fillies again yesterday, for the sunrise, and I am excited about seeing the full Wolf Moon tonight. I encourage you to make a point to get outside after dark tonight and check it out if you can. But until then, you have a whole day ahead of you to make the best day of your life. Hug your pets, do a little exercise, review your goals and plans for 2026, and don’t forget to drink water and consider taking some vitamins. Oh, and find something to be grateful for, and do an unexpected kindness for someone else. There is nothing better for your own self esteem, than to give freely to someone else not expecting it, and expect nothing in return. Grab this new year by the mane, find your balance, and relax, knowing all is as it should be. Have a wonderful Friday you Animal Loving Angel! And if you are able, we sure appreciate all the help we can get https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/Resqranch, have the best day ever!

Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq