No riding today – Ike deserved a day off.  I only groomed and dispensed treats.  Should have done some beauty school, but just didn’t feel like tackling the hard stuff today. I think it is nice just to visit with the boys so they don’t just associate me with work; although I think Cigar has figured out that his life no longer includes work of any kind.

As you can see from the photo, Ike is not the one with chipmunk cheeks.  Poor Cigar was the one whose cheeks were lumpy and bumpy – he declined a photo since he was looking his best.  The horses had just been fed their afternoon grain and heads were down munching on hay when I arrived.  I was putting some anti-itch spray on Cigar’s tail because he has rubbed a bald spot over the past few days.  Not sure if it is from his constant rolling to fight the flies or if he is itchy.  While I was checking the back end, Ms. C noticed that Cigar had an odd lump on his right cheek.  When I palpated both sides, the right was more swollen than the left.  Very odd.  He was his normal self with bright eyes and happy nickers, so he did not seem to be in any distress.  Gave him some bute and some antihistamines.  A show of hands by everyone who has sat on the tack room floor pulling apart antihistamine capsules and dumping them into a cup of oats…Will check tomorrow and if it is any worse, I will place the call to the vet.  Hoping that he was just stung by something and it is a temporary reaction.  Reminds me of the time when I was stung on the forehead and awoke the next day looking like a Star Trek character (a Borg perhaps?) with a swollen forehead and eyes.

You could tell that it was a hot day today.  You could see the dried salt on the horses from the sweat.  Hoping that the weather is much less steamy next weekend when the black wool jacket makes its next appearance.  Excited to read that ride times will be posted tomorrow.  Fingers crossed that they are close together and in the morning like the first show, although I really don’t want to be the first one down centerline like we have been at the two shows we have attended this year.

Hoping the weather cooperates and I can catch a ride tomorrow.