August 8, 2025: Bee’s Hooves, Hot Weather, and Herd Hijinks
It’s still blazing hot here in Texas, which means we’ve been keeping our riding to a minimum. Our girl Bee, however, is looking pleasantly round — a big change from when we first brought her home and she’d dropped so much weight. Once the weather cools, we’ll ramp up her workouts. Until then, we’re sticking to the Rule of 130 — the combined temperature and humidity should be under 130 for safe riding. In August, that’s easier said than done!
On Wednesday, Bee got a much-needed pedicure from our trusted farrier, Shawn Kelley. We’ve been working together to get enough growth in her front feet so she can ditch the wedge shoes. We’re not there yet, but we’ve added some tried-and-true helpers: good old Knox Gelatin and Formula 707 Hoof Care to encourage stronger, faster hoof growth.
Speaking of Bee’s hooves — if you’ve noticed in pictures that they’re different colors, even striped, there’s a fun reason for that. A horse’s hoof color usually matches the hair above it. Solid white legs tend to grow lighter hooves, while darker legs grow darker hooves. Stripes or spots on the leg hair often show up in the hoof, which is why Bee rocks a bit of a “pinto pedicure.”
The rest of the week had plenty of barn entertainment. We caught Karl (and yes, we always draw out his name like “kaaaaaaarrrrrlll”) using a tree as his personal scratching post. We also snapped a shot of the Three Musketeers happily munching hay we’d cleaned up after a delivery.
Bee, Neville, and Vita munching.
Bee and the new mare, Sunny, seem to be getting friendlier. Herd dynamics have been fascinating to watch. This week, Sunny was “holding” the Three Musketeers captive behind a fence they could have easily walked through. Then today, Neville got quite vocal when Bee was across the street at lessons, Vita was in the barn, and he was left with Sunny, Gypsy, and the minis. Apparently, he likes having all his “women” together.
Bee and sweet Sunny.
As for Bee’s lesson, she was a star. We worked on her suppleness around the barrels, and once she gave me control of her head, her overall turns improved dramatically. She may not love the heat, but she’s still giving me her best.
Shadows and suppleness.
That’s our week — full of heat, hoof care, and just enough barn drama to keep things interesting.