Day 31

Little Love has lost weight.  I guess this is no surprise, knowing what she has gone through in the past week.  It's not only bodyfat that has had to go, she has also visibly lost muscle mass.  Not a great development, but sort of expected.  There is nothing I can do about that fact, as at the moment she only moves as much as she wants to move.  I am so hoping the boots will make a difference and we'll be able to walk more, I can't wait to get them!  Of course, there are still some hurdles to cross before we will actually be walking around, mainly a) will the boots fit  b) will they help.  But, I'm hopeful.

Today when Becky and Col were off on a trail ride, I soaked Little Love's feet and mucked the stall (simultanously, we are getting good at this soaking thing!).  Afterwards I set up the rugs in the aisle, to give her the option of going outside.  At first she didn't want to move, but I motivated the first couple of steps with a banana.  Once she was on the carpet, her curiousity got the best of her (she heard me getting more shavings from the garage and had to come and check that out).  After a few minutes she was outside on the concrete.  She crept around gingerly, but didn't enter the pasture where it would have been softer.  I let her make the call today, I know I've been quite the slave driver lately, trying to get her to walk as much as possible. 

After a five minute outing, she crept (I can't call it walking, it's more like creeping) back to her stall.  I left the door open and the rope undone, in case she wanted to come out again.  While I was prepping the evening feed and doing other chores, Little Love explored the concept of an open stall door by stepping onto the rug with her front feet and then backing up into the stall to think about this unexpected freedom.  She had an interesting look on her face when she did this, as if she wasn't quite sure what to think about the choice presented to her in the form of an open door. In the past, when I left her stall door open (at the other barn), she would NEVER have even thought of walking out on her own, she always stayed in her stall like a good horse citizen.  I'm looking forward to watching her explore the "open stall door" concept further, once her feet feel better!