Big-Boy Birthday Bonanza!!!

Happy Birthday to the Sweetest, Goofiest, Big Gran-Man, Pony Ever!!

My big guy is FINALLY 3! Today is his birthday and I love him soooo much. Is it silly that I am proud of him for, uh, growing?

I don't have much time with him today (Last 4-H Judging Team practice before state competition this weekend) but I bought him some treats and plan to go shower him with love and a couple of cookies. I also bought him some bell boots because...

Someone got his first pair of big-boy shoes yesterday! He was great and walked off like he had been wearing them all his life. The farrier barely needed to shape them, he said Granite's hooves are nearly shoe shaped already. He also noted that our "special fin" aka club foot is looking better and better and may be a normal angle after a couple of shoe settings. I know a lot of people are swearing by the barefoot trimming and until yesterday, I had never had shoes put on a horse of mine (with the exception of Karma, but D had her shoes set and we did TONS of trails through all sorts of rocky terrain). But, I am very confident in my farrier who knows much more than I do about horse's hooves and he thinks the safest thing for Granite's tendons in his "special fin" is to keep shoes on the fronts. So, I am doing as told and my baby now has new kicks on his front feet. Being that he is a huge klutz, I asked the farrier if bell boots would be a wise idea. He told me it definitely couldn't hurt. So, he will get a pair of pull-ons today (He lost his pair of velco-on bell boots during evening #1 in the pasture).

I have a back-log of blog topics to share, but today we will have to settle with wishing my Prince Charming a happy 3rd birthday. He is now ready for our next adventure-- riding! As soon as his trainer heals (she broke her nose riding a crazy greenie), my boy will start going to school and learning to me my partner under-saddle! Wish us luck!