Why is it ALWAYS Tesco?

I shall have such a reputation in that place soon! I was sat in Tesco's cafe when the enormity of what we have been through hit me. I got my final piece of evidence this morning that Tetley has not been physically or mentally damaged by his horrible ordeal - he allowed Tia to share his bowl of food. Now that I know he is going to live, be healthy and that his gorgeous, loving, trusting nature has not been irreparably damaged, all the stress has gone. I slept for 12 hours last night and 11 the night before. With the end of all that stress, suddenly I was able to cry about it - and did - in the middle of Tesco. AGAIN!

They spent the night in two's again. They all seem very happy with the idea and are out in the field now alternately as a foursome or as two two's, so peace is reigning. Tetley went straight to reassure Jazz again this morning when he came out of the barn.

Now I know that there are probably some foot fetishists out there who would like to know but are too concerned about the situation to ask, what has happened to his feet? The answer, I think, is that he was fed so little that he hardly grew any (there appears to be an event line only half way down his foot and she had him long enough to grow almost a whole one if he'd been with me). The good bit of that is that they haven't gone too badly out of shape. The backs were too long, and flared solely because of that. In one trim they are now tidy with great concavity. The fronts are a bit splayed, but nothing that bringing the heels back today won't cure in a week or two. He was trimmed only days before we got him back. Why IS it that farrier's let heels go long - especially on a horse where they simply run forwards under the foot???

I have been doing a "thank my lucky stars" list. I'm not a religious person otherwise it would obviously be "Thank God". In order of importance:

Mary Lou, for being there, for fighting his corner at her own personal expense (emotionally and monetarily), for caring and for having the wits to know how to get help.

Superhubby, for being a superb negotiator and an incredible support to me.

Claire, for having a stable ready for him to be evacuated to with almost no notice. He didn't go there in the end, so you haven't heard much of Claire, but knowing she was there with a home for him took a lot of pressure off at the time.

Tetley for being so robust and so forgiving.

Victoria, for treating him so badly that we knew we had to rescue him. Without that, he would have been condemned to an old age as a rough riding school nag and sold at auction when he wasn't fit enough to do that any longer.

Thank you all of you for your massive support. If any of you know a really caring home on the Cheshire plain who would like to borrow him long term when he is fit, please ask them to get in touch. Only the best will be considered, obviously!


C

ps Tia is better, rideable but I haven't the energy :-) Jazz is still unsound but not as bad. Zip is a very good boy.