I think he's OK, recovering! Bay's backsoreness is gone, I think... I felt bad that he was pretty sore there, but I think it was just the amount of work we did was a lot more than he's used to, and I expected him to be a ~little~ creaky. I was pleased with how his feet held up. No problems there at all.
ecurbh and I were talking about that ride, how you get to see a lot of sights up there we rarely see, like the views. If we did it more often it'd be easier, and maybe Bay can get in that kind of shape, not sure. I don't think Cyn's feet could do that too often and hold up. They were chippin', and they usually don't.
More then likely he was sore just because he wasn't use to that. That climb was a pretty good/hard/steep climb.
There are more rocks there then I was expecting, not a lot, just more then your past pictures showed. I don't think I could ride one all the time barefoot there. Mia did great, but she was very careful in places...Riding one all the time that carefulness can get annoying, when you're trying to make time. She's been barefoot awhile too, hasn't she?
When was the last time Cyn was trimmed...if she was longer then normal, that might have been why she chipped a bit. She didn't look critical to me, in fact pretty good after that ride, Mia too. They both did very well, foot wise.
Becky
They would probably hold up better if you put a "Mustang roll" on her hoof. What that amounts to is taking the rasp and beveling, or rounding in the hoof wall all the way around, but especially at the toe. Kinda like this...
The rounded edge gives nothing for the rocks to catch hold of to start a chip. I've been doing it to all my bunch and they never get chips any more. The only one who does is Bob, who is in shoes, and his hooves chip off around the nails. :-/