LGL pone still 100 percent out without boots. Ribs are beginning to cover more than I would like so cutting hay down a bit.
Went out for walkies in hand with her pal today and was a hoity toity girl !!
Feeling very well and bouncy and went down a rocky track with no problems - of course unbooted. This time last year we couldnt go without boots so she has done well. Heels are starting to stay down rather than me having to gradually lower them. Hooves growing really fast.
As I said, feeling very bouncy today (may have been the wind) and did some nice dressagey moves on her own, Slight stropppy moment when I asked if she could please behave herself and stop jogging as she bit me on the boob !!!
Mares - I love em !!
Same here with Jake as it was, fine on everything but sharp rocks which dont give. A little bit of rain seems to creates just enough mud for a cushion to make all the difference. Getting fitter, happily doing around 3 hours most days and going like the clappers over the mossy mountain tracks. 2 hours yesterday on lovely smooth lanes, tried to push him onto grass verge for a break but no interest so left him to decide and not once did he move off tarmac, bless him. _________________ X
SueH with Jake and Clay
We have a beaten earth very solid area in front of the sheds in our yard - and it has small golf ball size stones scattered all over it. All the guys find this very difficult to walk on and they'll march over a much rougher and sharper surface where the stones are evenly spread. I hate walking up the yard - it's uncomfortable on my feet. If the stones were a surface rather than a scatttering I think they would have no problem.
Only mentioning it because I got a sniping hard time yesterday about the pony hobbling over these stones - and then watched him carefully as he strode over the hardcore on the ramp up to his paddock with no hesitation. I guess the kind of surface I've been describing is extremly difficult for them. He even finds it a bit hard in boots - so it's maybe more of a balance thing than a sole comfort thing?
Similar scenario here. Chunks of any description on hard surface are not appreciated. Lots of stones as a surface no problem.
Have (metaphorically) wired the QH jaw and her concavity is emerging. Long may it last. Arab has canyons (in a good way).
Can't do 3 hours a day (time not feet) - good effort, congrats Sue! But did 7 plus hours over the weekend and they will get another 3-4 during the week. We typically average about 10 hours (35 miles) a week in total.
Both very well and very pee'd off on the two days a week they don't get worked.
It beats me, people's reaction, it really does. Do they REALLY think that it is better for a horse to not notice that it is standing on a lump of stone just the right size to bruise its foot? There is nothing strange or wrong about an unshod horse avoiding single stones on a hard surface, it's just common sense! After all, they are about to put between 100 and 300 kilos of weight onto it! The fact that they walk over hardcore fine shows that when you have less of a point loading, they know they can do it without damaging themselves. Why do people prefer their horses to have numb feet? It's simply an abdication of responsibility to a farrier.
Jazz is in the barn during the day and seems to be coping with that pretty well. He is feeling the odd stone on the road now and then, and if left standing in a stable his pulses come up. He did two hours on gritted tarmac on Sunday that wore his feet right down and saved me a rasping job
My little Shetland is only two and that seems to be preventing him from getting any pulses at all. He's the only one of my four who never does! He came to me with long pointed toes and high heels but they look cute enough after 3 months.
My new middleweight IDx, Radar, is going to be the same as Jazz, I think, so they are being kept together.
Zippy is for sale so I am treating him with caution. He is also off the grass during the day because failing the vet with sensitive soles would be a disaster! It's a risk that's not worth taking, no matter that he has never shown the slightest reaction to grass in the past. _________________ smartiesdiary.blogspot.com
Well after a serious McTimoney session (lady said he had a back like a well worked 19yr old, not a 5 yr old!) the nav hoss is feeling dandy....
A bit too dandy as he whipped round and legged it last night on our hack and left me eating dirt.... I haven't fallen off for ages and its a long way down from 17hh!! I had a long walk to catch the blighter but am very pleased he's feeling better - now for some REAL work!
Mine too are in during the day, back on haylage as Dan is still skinny TB. They are in the hayfield over night though (not taking any this year) and this caused Dan to go footy earlier in spring but they seem to be coping now. _________________ http://magicsownlittleworld.blogspot.com/
Like you Caroline, I think that it is kind of comforting to have a horse that really pays attention to where his feet are and plans ahead - I'd feel safer riding him than a numb hoofed horse who is unaware of where he is putting his clogs and risks stumbling or damaging himself!
My link will power over quite rough stuff, and scrambles up some "Oh holy cr*p, we're not going up there!" kind of places! I have to sit quiet, not distract him and let him concentrate - because he is really planning ahead and watching where he puts his feet. And - he very seldom stumbles or misses a stride wth me on board. He's lilke a huge ginger mountain goat!
Much more aware of his footing and far more able to plan ahead - but it's taken a year and a half of no shoes for him to develop that skill. He was never that sure footed in shoes.
Another learning point for me - give the horse time to relearn and retrain himself...
Morris super dooper rock crunching. Quite happy over all surfaces at all speeds. Hoping to get him out to his first pleasure ride in the next month or so.
Fari two times round what was advertised as a ten mile ride, but was probably more like 8. Took boots attached to the saddle but never put them on and put them back in the car before the second time around.
Fox tendon injury, suspected superficial so on small track rest for next few months
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