Sarah
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April 2008All horses doing well, Fari in particular has lost the ripples in his hooves from my grass nut blip. My instructor rode him for the first time in a long time the other day and her first words were "God he feels sound". He appears to have far more energy and she remarked that he just felt bigger.
Most noticeable is the development at the back of his foot which is looking rather 'Arnold' like. Now I have concavity and depth to the hoof those structures have the room to develop.
He has competed in dressage and show-jumping, will be going on a fun ride at the weekend and has a combined training event on the 12th, a busy boy.
S x
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sarahh
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Boy recovered quickly from his footy blip after i whipped him off the grass, soaked his hay and removed the occasional carrot from his feed bowl. He showed himself to be back to rock crunching on completing a 12 mile fun ride and is busy every sunday for the next 2 months with hunter trials and fun rides. Continues to stride out like he never did when he was shod.
Tyler has just been doing some unbroken pootling about, going walkies and running around in the school, but all in a lovely sound manner with those stonking digital cushions
So 2 happy little men again this month 
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Yann
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Slight drop off in performance here, grass is through properly in the field now. We have a long downhill stony track from hell and Rio wasn't 100% happy on it at the weekend even with a light rider on, so I popped her boots on and all was well again. My friend's barefoot youngster stomped over it all nicely though.
However both horses are OK in hand and not struggling at all over the rough bits to and from the field, which is the real indicator of trouble. Still doing way better than at this point last year.
No option to do any more than I already am on the management front, on with the boots for a bit where they're needed.
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brucea
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Similar experience up here in the North - grass really pushing up. Link was out for 4 hours Tuesday on mixed ground - some quite rough - and seemed to be a bit footy, OK in his boots, but I feel a small step backwards coming on. No space for him in the sand paddock so we will just have to cope - but may "spell" him with the cob.
Polly's cob feet brilliant as always and really benefiting from the more abrasive, drier sand lot. Broad strong heel buttress and strong bars, wide tough frog. He read the book!
Bramble recovery form bad lami attack coming on slowly - still hobbling on anything but tarmac or sand - but with boots you'd never know he had a problem and he was having a real knees up withPolly in the school!
His back feet look brilliant with strengthening heels and a nice concavity - front feet still quite flat. It will come - we have to be patient. We arranged a session with Isobel Hogton for him last week - horse listener, craniosacral - and he seemed very much happier and content after that. He's back to being extremely cheeky so that's a good sign - my left ear is still sore where he nipped me when I was doing up his rug!
MagOx helping to reduce Bramble's crest and everything is moving in the right direction, small improvements every week.
All the yard horses are filling out with the new grass, but a fair number of the overnight stabled lads have intermittent unexplained lameness, throwing shoes, filled legs, abcesses and the like. All of the 24 hour turnout liveries are 100% sound and happy though. Food for thought.
Anyway - it's nice not to spend 3 hours of a lovely spring evening waiting for the farrier - who hasn't phoned or appeared for his appointment - hard not to be smug really !
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cptrayes
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George
16 hand cob probably never been shod, may be 6 or 7 or 8 (Irish passport  ). May have hunted in Ireland, but has done no work for at least 8 months and from his reaction to a hoof stand he has never been shod. He had some flared sides when he arrived 6 weeks ago, but they were easy enough to take off.
He has stonking solid cob feet with massive heel strength and a saucer shape concavity (as opposed to my finer bred horses who have shovels with a "blade" at the toe, not saucers with a rim at the toe). He's started competing locally and training in preparation for affiliated eventing in May. He is crunching across hardcore lorry parks with total abandon. "Transition" is not a word George knows 
Jazz
Managed to break my shoulder training  , so George has taken over as no. 1 horse competition wise. Jazz is shedding half a frog full depth, resulting from a foot abcess in February but is still sound on all surfaces. His front feet have improved hugely in heel strength and concavity since he had a tie-back in September that allowed him to get enough air into his lungs. He grows foot very slowly for a barefooter, but never gets sore so I guess it's just very tough horn (and it's WHITE!) There is still about 2 months to go before the huge event line from the operation seven months ago grows out. But the heel has been at ground level for some weeks now and it has improved it considerably.
Zippy
Is a backward horse who does not even look as though he will be four in June. If I told people he was three this spring no-one would think to question it. He's never been shod and he has sweet little feet, rock hard, with a very big depth of concavity. They were still foalie-feet at 2 and a half years, and looked contracted with a couple of close-to-sheared heels. But they are turning into very nice little feet now in the style of the "better" (i.e not flat and thin) TB feet (he's a WB but looks every bit TB). Zip's not doing a lot at the moment but is still sound rocketing around the field across patches of rocks that just lie about when you live on the side of a mountain 
C.
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hobnob
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Not doing too well this month (and its only the 4th Apr). Shut gate into winter field of about 1 and a half acres as grass was growing and pony seemed not quite right. Now in summer field (not the supermarket!). When I say in field I mean they have a mud track around 3 sides which they used all winter and I am starting to move elec fence on very short grass once a day. Pony did have slight pulse on OSF for a day which has now gone if I dont move fence too far. They have about 2 square foot of new grass per day (moved at night). Pone is 98 percent better but I dont want another summer like the last one with off and on footyness. Bought some Magox yesterday and am only feeding 5ml at the moment as waiting to hear back from you guys to the correct dose. Bloomin grass. 5ml is double what she should have according to the tub as it is marketed as a calmer - I dont want her comatosed She has excellent concavity as always and back of foot is still forming well. Still landing heel first. White line at toe tight but slight flare on quarters.
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Em
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Drummer still rock crunching...I'm watcing him with interest as he went very footy last summer, he was fed topspec and when I took him off it he showed an improvement (but could be other factors).... We have now had a change to SS feeds.
Shadow is an interesting one....he has always been footy on the stones...to be expected..... but he is definitely feeling his feet...ground is very hard though. No pulses and stides out quite nicely on grass and in boots....he is now down to 498 on the weigh tape and looking alot better. He has lost the equivelant weight of 2 of me!!!  he is also on SS feeds and has some bioflow boots which so seem to improve his stride! Can't wear them for a week though as he has just had Bowen.
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brucea
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We've just had a snow storm!
All lads in stable eating dinner and having a wee rest from the weather.
So warm on Thursday that I bathed Link and he was dry and looking glorious in 20 minutes - today they are all sheltering from the wind, snow and hail!
Spring time!
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hobnob
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Footy update ;
Feeding 10g Mag Ox a day now and took her out today with her boots on the front. Oh my god she was flying. Haven't had to use them this year so far but oh well. Will keep on with Mag and limited grass and walking out in boots and monitor. No heat or pulses though.
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brucea
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Good news then Hobnob. The Mag-ox seems to be a little magic doesn't it!
We woke up to about 4-6 inches of snow on the fields - so Pony-Sledging day!
Got my little lami pony Bramble into his driving gear and tied the traces to a cross bar and then to the sledge!
Spent a happy hour and a half pulling my kids (and an assortment of yard kids) around in the snow - with no boots - he seemed to be really enjoying the feel of the snow under his feet and was just fair delighted with himself having a job to do.
Happy little chap. Pony and Dad are both exhausted now.
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hobnob
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Thanks Bruce - I think it was more to do with the boots than Mag as I only started it late last week! Who knows though It definately isn't having a calming effect on her though. She was feeling well pleased with herself out in her boots yesterday she was spooking here, there and everywhere and snorting like a pig!! We had an inch of snow down here in Devon too!!
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brucea
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My guys absolutely love their boots - hold up their feet to get them on. Never did that for the farrier And they are much more forward going - maybe coz their feet are comfortable for the first time in God knows how long (guilt......  )
I used the Easy comfort pads and they seem to really like them.
They seem to recover between rides - the foam is pretty tough and their feet come out quite "polished" - I wonder if the camping mat might remain squished down after use and maybe not provide the right support after a couple of uses? Mind you - you'll probably get a lot of camping mat for the price of one set of comfort pads!
Just on the subject of the MgO - we noticed an improvement surprisingly quickly with the MgO - and now 3 weeks on, all 3 of our lads have tremendously improved coats and manes - Bramble's mane is now silky - it was really rough before. That's just the outer signs, what might be going on inside?
Our soils are pretty deficient in some things - Mg, Cu and Se amongst others - so maybe I'll see more of a differerence from Mg and trace element supplementation.
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Sarah
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Fari out and about on Sunday with Carly and Rooster. All completed a 10 mile pleasure ride at Adderley. Fari going like a trooper out in front and racing, very certain on all types of terrain. Yipeee! Not so great jumping though, seemed not to like the gooey nature of the take off and landings. Arabs ...... Pah!
S x
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rose
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My girl is just great at the moment riding out bare all round and whilst picking her way over the rough bits it does not slow her down. Had her trimmed today and the blacksmith and I thought her feet looked fab - best yet.
Only got the spring grass to worry about now !!
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abitodd
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The move to a new area where more roadwork is possible is working wonders for Wubbo.
We are still only walking,but we now have a range of spectacular walks.
There is the spingy collected one used mainly for going trough the scary village.This is great because it makes me feel like Carl Hester and there are people around to see this fantasic rider on this a fantastic horse,and windows to look in so i can see for myself!
Then there is the extended walk used to keep up with my terrific boyfriend who has bought himself a mountain bike so we can enjoy rural persuits together.This extended walk works up or downhill.Its smooth and comfortable,and even works over stones!
Wubbo had his 5th birthday this week,so I am starting to introduce a bit of trot work on hacks.He prefers trotting downhill.(How little he knows about the limits of shoes!)
All in all great progress.He is balanced.Building much needed muscle and learning loads.
The only down side is that he is on his own in a field full of grass.The excess grass is not causing problems,but being alone is. So the search is underway for a barefoot companion that can cope with grass.
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Jane
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All mine seemingly better for *some* dry ground now and again. The grass is growing on the 1 acre that the 5 of them share, but they are keeping it at a nice level!
Magic went to his first event of the season today, I'm going to start a separate thread, but suffice to say, the feet were fine!!!
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brucea
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Out through the forrest trails on Link for almost 5 hours today - went pretty well - boots on front bare behind - but I think the easy boot epics are starting to wear - he was slipping quite a bit. The ground is absolutely sodden up here though so maybe that had more to do with it.
A bit ouchy though at one point - had taken a flake off the outside of one of his hinds and probably bruised himself - walked beside him for a mile or so and he seemed to be fine after a while. Will keep a close eye on it.
I dunno how these long distance edurance guys do it - I'll be walking like John Wayne till Tuesday!
Brambles taken a step back and still quite sore. Poor wee chap - just has to work at growing those soles.
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Terry
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Well just did my first ride of the season with Abu (40 miles) 65km, he was very fit to say the least!! We averaged a healthy 12km per hour making mince meat of the ground conditions of stone, rock and bog. Thank god I train in just those conditions! The vet was telling me 60 % horses had been eliminated with stone bruising, it would have to be a rock to damage his depth of soles!! All horses are going well, Medraar my other endurance horse is due out in 3 weeks and I have a 4 year old straight from Egypt which I have just backed who is coming on well, his feet are doing great on the hardcore, bit different from sand. I also have a 10 month old colt for endurance as he gets older.
It has been an interesting journey for me with my horses who have been shod and then transitioned and laterly all but one of my guys never being shod.
Summer is on it's way!!!!
Terry
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hobnob
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Middle of the month update. Pony now 100 percent again. Went out for an hour today, booted in front though just in case. Also put back on magox again (I said it made her tense) but only 5g a day and also started adding salt to feed as there is none in her Antilam and its supposed to help mg absorbtion. Still moving elec fence at night a bit - will monitor.
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brucea
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Linkwood doing just great and now we have had a few drier days his feet seem to be more comfortable and he is tromping around happy on the gravel now.
We jumped in the school tonight - on the brand new rubber surface (there was nought at all wrong with the sand, but some folks kept complaining and my mate felt he had to install it)
Link got very upset at one point becuase one of the less enlightened riders came in and started knocking her poor horse about and fighting with it because it was shying from the jump fillers - he's funny that way - he feels threatened if another horse is in trouble. I didn't like what I saw at all, so got off and we went to give my daughter a ride round the farm.
When we got back to the stables, there was a message asking me if I would remove the shoe from the aforementioned horse - which was pretty twisted and jammed on. It seems to be my role in the yard....I average 6-10 shoe pulls a month!
I like the horse and wouldn't leave him like that, but had to leave one of the broken nails in the wall as I just couldn't get it out, but took the shoe off as gently as possible. Gave me a chance to give him a stroke and some gentleness.
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hobnob
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Why are some people so so horrid to their horses. They dont deserve to own them. Some equines must be locked in a world of hell. I know this sounds OTT but can you imagine how they must feel...
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Yann
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Good for you brucea...
Rio still doing OK, but Tess was looking less certain over rough stuff, I assumed it was the grass but was slightly mystified as she's not shown any heat or pulses. However she came in obviously unsound this evening, with one warm forefoot and one cold one, lame on the warm one. I really hope it's an abcess or bruise and not a reccurence of the mystery lameness she had a month or so ago. Good news if it's nothing to do with the grass either, because it's not possible to do any more than I already am about it 
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brucea
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The saddest thing is watching the horse trying to reach out tenderly to her for reassurance, and getting rebuffed harshly. One does what one can.
We had one of the less enlightened farriers in the yard this morning, I was accosted with "see all you barefooters, you're all F**** mental so you are..." and so on.
I was completely caught off guard, but one of the really formidable ladies (of a certain age) waded in with "haven't spoken to many farriers up here recently have you? You lot are hardly in a position to talk - People in glass houses..." ..Brilliant. Should have seen his face.
So much for intelligent debate...but I chuckled all day.
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Sarah
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New jumping pony arrived Saturday wearing the most awful shoes. I can only describe them as .... graduated egg hearts! Diagnosed with navicular, lame for most of last summer although incredibly!!! ....... sound in his very clumpy shoes.
Whipped them off on Sunday and pony was happy stonking over everything including a trot up for the video down the road.
Now Wednesday and he is still stonking including an extended trot to get away from a shark snapping Morris across the knarly road planings this morning. Yeha, thumbs up for 7 months in a stable without grass on the hoof front, sadly his brain is a little messed up and his body in a very under muscled state.
S x
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sarahh
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So when do we get pics of new jumpies pone and his feet Sarah?
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Yann
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I think I may have had a small hand in this pony eventually finding his way to you
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SueH
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My first entry so added background below.
Slight drop off in Jakes performance on hard ground unbooted - shorter stride. No impact on his performance on grass unbooted. Jakes heels came down again in trim late feb and this was expected. Grass coming up and so whether this is also affecting performance ??
Slightly less forward going in boots on roads but booted on grass v happy. I am continuing to ride out in boots, riding daily with light nights or every other day for hour and now with one longer ride a week up on Holywell common incl. canter work on grass - long ride last night Jake going great guns seemed very happy and forward going with fab Renegades.
Small crack extending upwardly from lateral opening in hoof wall (old abscess) on front left. Treating with white lightening gel/cotton wool plug replaced daily. Not too concerned as crack in old crap horn (shod horn not fully grown out yet)
Importantly (IMHO) received mineralcheck results from analysis on his main: shows too low Ca, Mag, K, Se and P; low Ca: P ratio. Bit depressing but at least I know what I'm dealing with here. Clearly NEED to sort this out or rock crunchin hooves are pipedream!
BACKGROUND Jakes purchased April lame right hind (bone spavin) then diagnosed early navicular. Anti-inflam injection for hock + shoes off + navicular drug (Circulon) July 07. Barefoot seemed to make most impact. Gradually improved over winter with light exercise on roads, booted on fronts (initially Easy boot then Renegades when they arrived). Jake pronounced 'sound' on fronts feb and only grade 2 lameness on right hind.
X
Sue
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brucea
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Well, Bramble's feet seem to be a bit better now - maybe it's the drier weather, maybe it's just time and the right surface. The spongy areas of sole are disappearing and the whole sole just looks a little more concave and harder in front. Behinds look right out of the textbook. Gait at walk very much normal now.
Every bit of progress is something to be grateful for.
He's well enough to have an outing at the weekend to be the pony in the celtic medieval farm paddock at the fire festival at our local archeology park this coming weekend. He'll love all the attention from the children!
I'm in Ohio this week, and had a cracking day out on trotters and pacers on the track yesterday - adrenaline filled doesn't begin to describe it! Amazing hooves, I'll post pictures when I get them downloaded.
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hobnob
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My end of April report : This month has been up and down. We are walking out boot on the front and I am just starting to tweak her diet away from Topspec Antilam and onto Seaweed, Yeasacc, Salt and Mgo. The new spring grass growth has definatley been to blame so that is well restricted also. To look at feet look brilliant lots of concavity and ripples growing out to be rasped away forever - hopefully! Still no thrush and soles starting to flake away a bit due to the drier weather. Fingers crossed for May
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Nic
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End of April, end of the hunting season...
I have been so impressed with my boys and girls this season - Charlie and Conto have far exceeded my expectations, Bailey has had a great year, and all of them, but particularly Felix, have been outstanding ambassadors for barefoot...
He has not only taken many different people out hunting, most of whom had never ridden a barefoot horse before, but has left all of them with big smiles on their faces, and has shown not only them but a host of visitors what barefoot horses can achieve. Today, a visiting huntsman told me he had been watching Felix for the last 3 weeks, and said that was the horse he wanted the next time he came to Exmoor - his phrase was "He just floats over the ground"
Here's a photo of the pocket rocket today, after a fast 5 hours - oh, and he has hunted every week this season, and twice a week for the last month, but he is still as fresh as a daisy. and loving every minute of it..You can see why I love that pony
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brucea
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Wow...he's lovely and looks like he's really enjoying his job!
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Nic
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Thanks Bruce - he is a star, and you're right, he adores his job
N
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SueH
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Felix is gorgeous, can see why u love him, what a babe!
X
Sue
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hobnob
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He looks lovely Nic - very focused on the task in-hand!
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Nic
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| Quote: | | very focused on the task in-hand! |
Oh yes Our huntsman is the main focus of Felix's life and he was right in front of him The only thing that would enhance Felix's life right now would be if he were Tony's horse rather than ours 
Nic
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Sarah
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I know this is posted in May but ..... I would like to add that I have had the totally wonderful pleasure of riding the four wheel drive pocket rocket out a number of times on the hunting field. He is 100% over any surface at any speed and akin to a mountain goat.
Last time there was a stream to negotiate with a rather challenging mountaineering bit in the middle. The lady in front of me bottled out knowing her horse would fail miserably in shoes due to lack of traction. She went round the long way. I knew however that all I had to do was to trust Felix and he would negotiate it like it wasn't there and ..... he did like he had stealth rubber on his hooves, what a boy!
Also like to say well done to Terry Madden who organised a farrier at the Wirral endruace ride to give a prize for the best hooves, who won???? Bond with his barefoot horse, way to go those rock crunching barefoot horses.
And now to May!
S x
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