Butch is sore, summer is here

Yesterday had Butch in a working trot for longer than he's used to; last night I noticed the area in back of his left hind foot just above the coronet band had all the hair rubbed off with pink skin showing. It didn't appear tender but I put salve on it anyway.

This morning the bare crack is tender; he's favoring that foot a bit, both hind pasterns are slightly swollen and he's walking slowly on all four feet. (No heat in his feet, thankfully.) Lee says it's to be expected, just like a person being sore the day after a heavy workout, but I am concerned. Seems to me we built Butch up to this point pretty carefully, yesterday was not much more than the day before. I am wondering, again, if Butch has what it takes for this journey. If I'm asking too much of him. Next couple days will give some idea.

I ran the hose on his legs for a while, reapplied salve to the crack and gave Butch the day off. Re-evaluate tomorrow.

The summer heat has set in. Yesterday by the time Butch & I returned to the barn it was 105. I had planned to be beyond the west Texas desert by now! We'll just have to deal with it... turns out Lee and Kathy are too busy now to leave for thier own trip next week and help with water/feed caching. If we can't be dropped off beyond the water-danger zone (as far as towns being close enough together to avoid being stranded, waterless) I'll either have to go back to get my rig and haul us to an entirely different destination (if I can plan a new trip in such a short time), or haul us back home.