Cheap Date and Less Furs

So I am way behind on what is going on with Fawkes, although nothing too unexpected has happened so that is good!

Wednesday I got out of work early and went to the barn to visit with Fawkes and do his Keratex treatment.  I was greeted with a drugged out pony just finishing up his clip job.  The vet said she gave him a normal horse dose of tranquilizer and then instantly regretted it since he nearly fell over 3(!!) times before steadying.  They apparently had several people balancing him and holding his head while R2 quickly shaved him.  He is definitely a cheap date with the drugs.  And he is also flipping cute when tranqed - snuggly and sweet and all sorts of nice that he doesn't have time for under normal circumstances.

Busy tasting the rainbow or whatever it is drugged horses do

Since he was already under he also got his teeth floated, hopefully preventing another episode of mouth abscessing.  I think he looks pretty good properly clipped instead of the embarrassment of last summer, but I just noticed I don't have any full body photos.  Will work on getting those.

I still sigh at this

One intriguing note, when he was getting clipped by his ears, we uncovered some white scarring.  It doesn't show when his fur is grown out.  My guess was the scarring is from the cribbing strap, but the vet said she didn't think so.  Her guess is that he had some sort of traumatic injury - like flipping over while being worked in a chambon.  I don't even know what a chambon is and as far I know, he hasn't been worked in one since I got him, but a) I guess it could have happened when he was a racer and b) it is possible something happened during a training session when I wasn't around with one of his previous trainers?  A moot point now, I guess.

Left side

Right side

The temperature was dropping so we gave him an extra blanket and put him away.  Thursday I was able to squeeze in a quick ride before Thanksgiving with friends.  It wasn't a very noteworthy ride except for to say that he was really good, responsive to the leg, softening, not being spooky or overly resistant.  Right leg response continues to be a work in progress.  We just did basic W-T-C, small leg yields, turn on the forehand, and many transitions.  I put him out in a different turn out to let him play and he had kind of a meltdown.  Orange horses really don't like when things change.  I have a mental note to try and put him there more often to expand his universe.

Fawkes got Thanksgiving carrots and promised to think of all the things he was grateful for :)