The Day Off

Took a vacation day today because the Boss went out of state for a funeral, and the Vet was due to do some dental work on the horses.  Did you know that horses have canine teeth?  I sure didn't.  They're more pronounced in males, and females have just little nubbins.  That surprised me since they are grazing animals.

I also learned that horses develop sharp edges and sometimes side growing spikes on their teeth.  Apparently this happens on wild as well as domestic animals.  The Vet said that some wild horses die from this because they can't eat properly.

After the Vet left and I grabbed some lunch, I took my mare for a short ride.  This year she's had issues with going across an open field in the park, so our ride was only along and through that open field.  She behaves much better without pointy teeth jabbing her cheek from the inside.

I also tried using spurs for the first time.  My spurs are quite gentle with just a ball on the end of a shank. This year when I turned her head, trying to turn her, she would continue going straight.  Now when she does that, a gentle poke in the ribs with the spur takes care of the issue.