Horse Shoe Woes

Last month our farrier was hit by a truck while riding his horse on a gravel road.  He broke a vertebra in his back.  No surgery but has to wear a brace for several week.  I don't know when he will be able to work again.  His horse was injured too and had to go to the Vet School for treatment of a deep laceration and cut artery.   Both horse and rider should make a recovery but it will take time. 

 Meanwhile, what to do with Otoelene?  Her feet still aren't in good enough shape for shoes anyway.  I had these Davis boots that I got as a back up for endurance riding but never used so I thought I would give them a try today.

 Our first obstacle was this plant with big leaves that Otoelene must have thought was made from plastic.  Once we finally got up to it she was fine.

 But I looked down and we had already lost a boot,

 out in all this grass somewhere.

 Luckily, retracing our steps we found it and put it back on.

 Then down through the bottom to check on the thistle spraying progress.  Looks like they are curling up and dying nicely.

 After losing the boot two more times I just tied it to the saddle until we got back to the gravel drive.  The other side was her bad foot anyway and it was staying on pretty well.

Then we found J out in the far field spraying more thistles.  It's a never ending job.  I was hoping the boot would work out and I could trail ride with them but it looks like they won't be that dependable.  Guess I will have to keep looking for another solution.