From Monday, May 28

I'm a couple of days behind but am determined to catch up today!  This post is for my Monday visit-first day back-with Kramer.
I was greeted with puppy licks & kisses from Stella...

...and several nickers from Kramer

That was the best part of my visit.  It was a little "bumpy" after that.  Once I got close to Kramer, I saw that he pulled the left front shoe(the right front was put back on over a week ago).  Soooo, he pulled a shoe before I left (so I couldn't ride)and he pulled a shoe upon my return (so I couldn't ride).  Turns out, he pulled it Saturday before last.
Mitch will be out tomorrow to reshoe him all around.
Kramer was in a testy mood.  He acted a bit disrespectful and resentful as well as grateful of my presence.  I knew he needing lungeing since he's had nothing done with him in two weeks.  I did our usual routine with brushing, wrapping legs.  There were quite a few distractions with four dogs (Herman, the farrier's dog was there), the new screens were up (which I love, by the way):

When I took K out to begin his lunge, that's when Paul decided to start up his new "motorcycle".  It sounds like a motorcycle but it's the size of a scooter.  However, it's a sound that apparantly Kramer hasn't heard before.  So the scenario is:  new screens which are tolerable, horses and people at washrack, etc., very tolerable, farrier banging on anvil, tolerable.  Motorcycle noise barely tolerable; now seeing the motorcycle carrying a person away on the driveway, intolerable.  Four high-pitched barking dogs streaking past from all directions towards the man-eating motor"thing": "I'm outta here!"  Kramer became a jumping, bucking "airs above the ground galloping crazy horse.  All I could do was hang on and keep him from running into chairs and/or jumps.  I couldn't get him to slow down for a few minutes.  Poor guy, when he finally stopped, you'd swear he just came off the track.  Sweating and blowing very hard, nostrils distended, white rings in the eyes...  I think in his mind he was running for his life and he couldn't relax. So I hand walked him at the other end of the arena to cool and calm him.  I put him in the wash rack to give him a lukewarm rinse-off:

He's still breathing harder than normal and I haven't yet rinsed him off, that's sweat covering his body( almost totally covered!).  At least at this point he had calmed down.  He felt much better after his bath.
I gave him some alfalfa and snacks and then put him back outside in his shady turn-out with some hay & alfalfa.

He was back to his normal self by this time.  Looking forward to Thursday, when if all goes well and no nerves are nicked or soles are bruised I can ride again!