Sorry all, it sort of slipped my mind that another whole month had gone by....
From our end, grass is growing and most of the horses are out at night, on the track during the day. Charlie, Hector, Felix, Bailey and Jacko are all hunting until the end of April, Ghost is schlepping about being an idle old bugger, and the latest rehabs are working hard at develpoing their heel first landings
The new boys are another pair of "navicular" rehabs, one from Gloucester (Angel, 8 yr old bay Dutch warmblood who has been here about 3 weeks) and one from Cornwall (Blue, 10 yr old IDxTB who has been here a week), and both are doing very well. Will post pics of them on the blog before too long, time permitting ...
I have had my girl on very very restricted grazing for about 4 weeks now. And she can no longer tolerate even a days grazing in her muzzle without coming in with quite strong pulses and going footy.
Had the farrier who thought her feet looked good but that her soles were thin. So they have recommended that I try her off sugarbeet and use fast fibre and try protexin probiotic and Trinty consultant's Tenderfoot 80.
Has any one used these or know what is in Tenderfoot?
Also is a probiotic sugar free?
She looks fab but is footy on the road. I had a serious go without any boots for 3 rides but she just could not manage, if fact just got sorer. I usually ride booted in front only.
I rode her out in boots all round yesterday and she was fine.
I ride approx. 4 times a week for farily long rides of 2 to 3 hours and try to loose school her twice a week. I feel as she is stuck in such a tiny paddock she needs to get out each day.
The only horse I have who is not getting pulses on grass is ........ my Shetland! He is still growing at two years old, so I can only put it down to that. They are all off grass from 9am to 7pm and so far that is keeping the pulse free. They go into my small barn, and there is a pen on the side so that they can get into the fresh air if they want, which they love.
New boy is a shirexIDxISH. BIG 16.3hh, bitter chocolate colour, almost black. Came with disgusting front shoes which were and inch wider than they were long. The length was "correct" if you can describe any shoe as correct . The width was because the farrier had left him with wings, who knows why He was toe first landing and tripping constantly without anyone on his back. He hasn't tripped since they came off, has twice the movement of the horse I bought , and is sound on a one hour hack on the road and crossing a chipping covered carpark. I think he'll cope with no problems at all, as his feet have already shed all their chalk sole and are hard and shiny. The back feet had half an inch of horn and bar proud of the sole. That took some getting off . The fronts were flat with collapsed heels and bars, but they already have a nice sole callous and some concavity.
Jazz finished the hunting season with a really tough day, with lots of cantering up stony paths. He was sounder and fitter than most of the field. So far, the in-during-the-day regime has kept him rock crunching. Fingers crossed.
Current compromise of grass free pen 8-6 is workable in that boots remain off for Jake.
Trim last week was more of a tidy up as we've managed to do sufficient boot-free roadwork to wear hooves quite well. Jake wears front toes asymmetrically about hoof axis: more toward the outside - but interestingly symmetrically about his body axis. His breakover would appear to be offset toward outer part of toe. Perhaps this is making up for conformation of his upper joints: knees/shoulder etc.
One problem is that he has got little stones wedged in white line area of left fore. I am trying Keratex (started 16 April 2009) to harded up area and see if that helps.
He is still not happy on gravel which doesnt 'give' [eg. loose gravel on top of tarmac]. He is less happy about [i.e. tries to avoid] these surfaces after a long ride - as it the hoof has had enough after lots of work. However, as soon as the gravel disappears, even after a long ride and he hits smooth tarmac again, he is absolutely fine. I could boot him and ignore surfaces, but I'd rather stay out of boots and just avoid gravelly bits. I cant say he is that much worse now that when boots came off so I'm inclined to stick to grass-free-pen for daytime and allow him space of grass paddock at night for his sanity.
He is moving and jumping extremely well on soft surfaces but does not like it lumpy. Have sourced local hay cut June but is fertilizer free + Timothy horsehage haylage + my Whitchurch hay which is an arse to get cos not local but is later cut. Going for variety of forage. _________________ X
SueH with Jake and Clay
Today's hoof piccies as we've not done any for absolutely aaaaaages. Comments welcome! http://www.facebook.com/album.php...amp;id=511281842&l=996ecbd088 RH is growing out blown heel from an abcess ?3 months ago. RF did the same thing 5.5 months ago, you can just see the very last bit of skanky hoof wall.
She's feeling very well and upferit :hooligan: - slowing down for corners is for WIMPS apparently... _________________
All my guys fine - Bramble was a bit footy last weekend for no apparent reason but seems to be fine tonight - hormonal?
Spent a happy day in Cumbria getting in some practical experience trimming exmoor ponies in exchange for food and lodging for my children while I attended the active natural hoofcare course at Sarah's the following day (really good day - learned loads - quite thought provoking)!!
All these wee ponies had just come down from the moor - hard little feet with wide solid frogs and full leather like heels! But the effects of quite a hard winter showing clearly on the older ones.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Join! (free) 
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
. The width was because the farrier had left him with wings, who knows why 
He was toe first landing and tripping constantly without anyone on his back. He hasn't tripped since they came off, has twice the movement of the horse I bought 
, and is sound on a one hour hack on the road and crossing a chipping covered carpark. I think he'll cope with no problems at all, as his feet have already shed all their chalk sole and are hard and shiny. The back feet had half an inch of horn and bar proud of the sole. That took some getting off 
. The fronts were flat with collapsed heels and bars, but they already have a nice sole callous and some concavity.
