Starting a new month with new knowledge

I haven't updated this week because Drifter has been lame. She was stiff on Monday, off at the trot on Tuesday, dead lame on Wednesday and so on. I was soaking her figuring on an abcess. The vet looked at her today and couldn't find an abcess, sore spot on the hoof, no heat or swelling in the leg, no issue when flexing her. It didn't make her worse with either flexion. She is just lame. She was supposed to go out on pasture board starting today, but can't because she is lame. Go figure!

Secondly, she is pregnant. She is 60-90 days along and should foal out between end of March and beginning on May. I don't know what this does to my training plans.

Confidence

Last night Drifter went out with the pasture board horses to start integrating into the new herd. She was suitably nervous coming in this morning as she is very submissive and on the bottom of the new herd. She has no confidence and it really shows in situations like these. I was going to long line her, but with her already being on edge I felt she need to get away from me and move. So we lunged in the indoor. I was able to walk a big circle and use half of the indoor for her at the trot. This really helps to balance her and gets her moving out nicely. I think it was the right choice to lunge instead of long line this morning.

I also figured out that Drifter (called Mama Bird most of the time) has Sweet Itch. That means that she is allergic to gnats and mosquitoes and she breaks out in a itchy rash. The best way to control this is to avoid having her bitten. I am trying a fly sheet with hood, but I am not sure the barn staff will keep putting it on and I am not sure how "ok" she will be with them putting it on. Although, she was fine with me!

She also has a dentist APPOINTMENT now, August 1st.