Or, "the qualitative effect of addition and subtraction of a wedge heel on dynamic landing pattern at the trot (up)...."I saw this photo in Horse and Hound and had a good laugh. There was no caption, no explanation of whose leg and shoe that was. Intrigued, I ripped out the photo and let it flutter around on my dashboard for a few days while I drove to a conference. I laughed every time I saw it.
Finally, today, I found out the rest of the story. It's a about a woman named Claire...who can't stride out at all.
Claire Lomas is a ****event rider who was badly injured in a fall. She injured her spine (in addition to just about everything else) and, as she so understatedly says, "can't walk, at the mo".
But her friends still can. One of the riders at Weston Park horse trials last month hatched a plan to turn the trot-up and vet inspection into a mini-fundraiser to help Claire with her medical bills. Everyone chipped in to egg him (yes, him) on and his plan became more and more outrageous. As did his hair and his outfit...and, finally, his shoes.
When the time came, the fellow literally did have to trot his horse, which meant he had to run in five-inch Lucite high heels. Luckily Martha from Equestrian Services Thorney was on hand to capture it with her camera.
This guy's still raking it in and the photo of his best-shod foot is traveling around the world, thanks to Horse and Hound and the Hoof Blog. A donation from the Hoof Blog was made today through Martha to the Claire Lomas Fund so that we could make you laugh this morning.
Read more about Claire and her plans to walk again at www.get-claire-walking.co.uk.
© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. If you would like to use the photo, I am sure that Martha at EST would arrange a donation to Claire's fund for you, too.
Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).
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