Corny's Summer Gets More Interesting

Today Raleigh, our long-time farrier, came to trim Corny's hooves.  She took one look at him and said, "Crap, that horse is fat."  Raleigh is nothing if not blunt, but I can't pretend that I was shocked by this news -- I've noticed that his figure has definitely expanded.  I just hoped that he would somehow shrink on his own without my having to do anything about it.  This method of losing weight doesn't work on horses any better than it does with people.  So immediately after Raleigh drove off, Corny and I began Day One of the "Crap, that Horse is Fat," diet/exercise regimen.

First Corny got hosed off, clipped and brushed as a first step in improving his self-esteem. Then I photographed him in all of his rotundity.  He tried to tell me that he wasn't fat -- just fluffy.  I'd love to believe him, but as I sit in front of the computer and look at his picture, all I can think is, "Crap, that horse is fat."

After Corny got hosed off and clip, his day grew steadily worse.  I walked him down to the round pen  where I insisted that he vigorously trot around me for 15 minutes.  This length of time should be a piece of cake for even a moderately fit horse, but Corny was hot and tired by the end of it.

His day got better when he, the dogs and I ended the morning by cooling off in the pond.  Corny loves playing in the water as much as the dogs do.  But is it my imagination that he appears thinner in the water?  

We all went back up to the house trailing streams of water behind us.  Corny went back in his pen with a carrot, the dogs took a siesta under the porch and I came in for a cup of tea.  

My plan is to do variations of this at least five days a week for the next month.  Then we'll see what Raleigh has to say when she returns.