New Farrier and a Trip Across the Pond

So, for the past two weeks I have been planning and prepping for a big trip the SO and I are going on.  It's been in the works for about 6 months, and I cannot BELIEVE that it's finally happening!  Myself and the SO, along with my family, are going for a 16 day trip to France :)
We'll be spending a week in the countryside (Brittany, the maritime province), and then a week in Paris.  We'll be there for their Bastille Day (like Canada Day, or Independence Day), so that is going to be a blast, let alone everything else!  With this in mind, and the heat (40 degrees Celsius, are you kidding me?!?!), Koda has gotten fat and happy out in the field, hanging with the herd.  He was due for a trim this week, so I had to get someone local to come trim him out, so I took a shot in the dark.

My friend P is an avid barrel racer, and her husband has really gotten into farrier work.  He took three weeks of courses with our usual farrier who teaches courses at the agricultural college in the province.  I was pretty confident when I called her and asked if he would mind giving Koda a trim, thinking since he studied with our old farrier and does her horses, he couldn't be horrible.  Well, let me tell you he did an INCREDIBLE trim!  He balanced Koda's feet up, looked at different wear patterns, saw the bruises that I KNEW would be in his hind feet (not too big), and ironically we both discovered that Koda was a bit sore on his right shoulder.  He was being a PIG about that one hoof, then when we trotted him out he was bobbing a bit on that leg.  I inspected all around his shoulder and found a hot spot around the top of the shoulder blade (looked like a kick).  Nothing to write home about, but let the BO know and to keep an eye on him/cold soak when possible.  Since he's getting the next two weeks just to be a horse and chill out, I'm sure he'll be fine once I'm back.

I'm so glad that I've found a farrier who will trim Koda who is local and knows what he's doing!  Living up north in the middle of no where has gotten just that much better now for Koda and me :)
Now, it's time to make our way to France ;)

Be back in a few weeks!!!!