Roxy got tired in Oaxaca.
We rode 672 kilometers in 30 days from the top to the bottom of that Mexican state.
Many days were above 35c by noon, and hardly went below 30c at night.
The feed was bad, the pavement hard, the miles long, the temperature hot.
Roxy got tired. It ended up showing up in her feet. After a few well deserved days off in Tuxtla Chiapas, she showed up slightly lame in her front hooves.
Calling on a team of vets and helpers both near and far, we began treatment. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, ALL OVER THE GLOBE….
No grain, ice on hooves, buta-fenil, no barefoot on hard ground, we followed these steps and within 5 days she showed great improvement. Within another 6 days we were back on the road, in Guatemala. As we eased Roxy back into the miles upon entering Guatemala, she seemed to be OK in the feet. I kept the mileage low, just to be sure.
As we meandered our way to San Andres Itzapa, I decided to take some back routes and see some remote areas When I took Roxy down some bad trails one day, the back way from Xela to Itzapa, she fell 5 times. It was a very long and painful day, for the 2 of us. It sucked.
A cut on her chest took almost 3 weeks to stabilize. Within 2 weeks of the accident, Roxy was feeling peppy, so I started walking beside her to keep her limber. Then I started doing light rides for another week, before heading to a nearby horse parade. By then she was fine. Eager enough for some solid cantering.
All of our rides are now with very little extra weight. They are shorter than during the trip, but at higher speeds. Roxy is much easier to manage now than before the trip, but she still wants to go hard at times…She has put good weight back on, and her topline is starting to fill in nicely.
Considering that she was ridden about 400 kms in the 10 weeks since early August, she has had lots of time off.
Thru this long ride, I’d say she’s matured. Which is good, cause she was hellish to ride beforehand. Nowadays, I’m very proud, for what we accomplished, and happy, because we no longer have to travel with the heavy loads!
Chris MacLuckies’ professional career began with a decade-long stint as an organic vegetable grower in Ontario Canada. His career is prolific in breadth and scope. He has farmed organics commercially, volunteered in Guatemala, ran a gardening business, raised and raced sled dogs, tended his livestock, and ridden his horse on a multi-country expedition.
Chris is a certified TEFL ESL English Teacher, author of seven books, freelance content creator, and outdoor travel gear designer.
