May

Nic · May

...sorry, late again Shocked

hobnob

Start of May report:

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 !!! Embarassed

Mares - I love em !!

Chris Thompson

Louise Sandberg took a few pictures of Brego jumping for me, here are some of them

Click to see full size image

Click to see full size image

Wonder if mot being shod allows you to jump higher?

SueH

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.

brucea

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?

horsesfirst

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.

cptrayes

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 Laughing

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.

Jane

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!! Shocked

I had a long walk to catch the blighter but am very pleased he's feeling better - now for some REAL work! Wink

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.

brucea

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... Smile

Sarah

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 Crying or Very sad

S x

Nic

There's stuff on the blog about the latest rehab horses (Blue and Angel), who are doing well, but I won't repeat that here Cool

Of our own gang, Felix and Charlie are having a well-earned holiday after 9 months of hunting, but I am struggling to persuade them to wind down as they seem to prefer galloping flat out up the field at night or whizzing round the track during the day...or perhaps they are just trying to make me believe they still need hunting-size dinners...

The others are still in work, and Bailey, Hector and Jacko are off to the Golden Horseshoe pleasure ride this weekend, so I am hoping they behave without the civilising influence of anyone more grown-up Shocked

N

Terry

Medraar, well super fit, just completed his first attempt at 50 miles, so more to come for him this season.

Abu, as fit as he has been for ages, rock crunching and out doing 30 miles as a nanny this weekend.

Saqr, oddest looking feet you have seen but the best quality out of the lot, his first competative ride this weekend being shown how to do 30 miles by Abu

Max, 3yr old warmblood, probably the best balanced feet I have ever seen, hacking out nicely except an elevated spanish walk down hill!!

Bonanza, 2 year old who constantly races around with the off tweek of his fetlock for behaving so coltish!!

Terry

Helen N

SueH

Jakes been fab so far on what I'd call easy surfaces (grass, smooth tarmac,) and also pretty good on big smooth stones or stones with 'give' but last night tried what I call lumpy lane as test: (not been re-sufaced so eroded to rigid lumpy surface. boots from now on on this. Too far outside the comfort zone for my comfort so we turned back early and did alternative soft route (at speed bless him he romps off when comfy) and will do this lumpy lane in future in boots.

hobnob

I like 'lumpy lane' !!

horsesfirst

We have six acres of grass for our two and most of it is up to my waist Shocked

The landlord won't allow any more animals on the land and he won't allow it to be cut for hay. Confused

So it has been quite hard to manage the grass intake for the girls. Not helped by the water supply being at diagonally opposite ends from the field shelter and stable. (Too far to carry lots of water and too far for a hose pipe.)

A small track grew too much grass and the Arab was getting a fat leg. Keeping them confined during the day has been problematic (water and other stuff) and a really tiny paddock, while successful from the grass intake point of view was driving them crazy.

So we have made a double bubble thermometer. Bubble by the water tank, bubble by the field shelter and a long (relatively) thin (bit wider than a standard gateway) runway in between. They were out on it last night and they seem to be ok. No fat leg, no argy bargy and more exercised than usual.

We will see how it pans out longer term.

Helen N

Hi Horsefirst

I'm curious about the 'fat leg'can you explain more please? How does it manifest itself? What is it caused by? How do you deal with it? What does the vet say? Etc etc. Apologies if you have already explained in a previous post Very Happy

horsesfirst

Hi Helen, happy to explain Smile

If you divide the front leg into three between the knee and the fetlock. The top third below the knee fills in just where there should be a deep groove. It looks and feels like a very fat vein. Vet used to say it was just a minor, recurring sprain and not to worry about it. Took years for me to work out that it was diet, specifically sugar and simple starches. It is a handy indicator that comes up before warm feet, pulses or filling in of lower leg. There is no relation to work load, except that exercise can clear it when it happens.

Now I know what causes it I do my best to manage the diet. If it does happen then exercise helps. Stabling when the leg is filled does not help.

Helen N

Thanks for that, very interesting, because it's very similar to what happens with Carly's near foreleg. He also has a large windgall on that leg, with smaller ones on his other 3 legs. He has done a lot of work in the past and had terribly unbalanced hooves before he was de-shod over 5 years ago, but the damage was already done by that time. His legs always feel better immediately after work and when the weather is cold (as long as he hasn't been standing around a lot Wink

) The idea that it could be a diet related problem is something I will monitor closely.

brucea

Lifted my horses feet for the first time in two weeks (broken ribs and bending don;t mix)

Asrounded to see that they have all lost concavity and flattened out - it can't be grass because 2 of them aren't on the grass!!! Could it be for the last two weks that I have not been exercising them as much as normal? No changes to diet.

Remember Link went through a strange period of lameness and hot feet/pulses in January/February but the vet couldn;t find a response to the testers (unsurprising through 20mm of sole) - well cleaned and brushed his right front tonight and when I used my knife to pare off a 1p size perfectly round high spot there was a pocket of compressed dried out powdery gunk underneath it and a section of sole about 2" square peeled off. Guess that explains it then.

sarahh

Good to have an explanation for that lame episode Bruce, I know you were quite concerned about it at the time.
I also found an exit hole on Tylers sole when scrubbing the other day, so he must have had an abcess at some point. Possibly while he was turned away, hence me not noticing any lameness!

horsesfirst

Little QH has got the flattest feet, esp after today. Did 2.5 hours (a short one for a Saturday) mostly 'lumpy' roads, old concrete railway sleepers and road scrapings. But judging by the wear appears to be heel first landings. Apart from one long trot, all in walk. Covered 10 miles. So her 'Mum' was pleased with that.

Nic

Just got back from the Golden Horseshoe pleasure ride, and we had a lovely day - details here http://uknhcp.myfastforum.org/about1013.html

N

Terry

Completed first competative ride with Saqr, very interested, he was on stalks and very anxious of what was going on, a bad start by kicking the vet whilst being vetted, but vet was lovely and appreciated he had lived wild in a heard in Ciaro until twelve months ago so is just getting used to sharing his space.
He was fab on the ride until a bag jumped out at him and he decided he needed to get me off, which he did and them galloped off up a busy B raod, thank god some other riders got him, back on board with a cut leg but he appeared fine.
I decided to take him straight into vetting incase the adrenalin wore off and he knew he had cut his leg!! so 2 mins in venue, saddle off and to vet still passed with HR og 60, me thinks he will be my future race horse!!

Terry

SueH

Hacked out in front boots [Renegades] for first time since feb to hack via Lumpy Lane (Hobnob I'm glad you like my name for this lane Very Happy

)

Big surprise - whilst he was better compared to no boots he wasnt heaps better. On flat tarmac he walked as if on turf so more fluid and bouncy (that distinction has been there all winter so i expected that). BUT I was expecting him to traverse the lumpy tarmac quite well in front boots, however he still edged onto the verge (where he zooms off) or picked his way fairly carefully (albeit slightly less than unbooted) on lumpy bits, so I can only imagine:
1. his fronts are so sensitive that he can feel lumps through his boots - but then he'd show more discomfort without front boots on other surfaces surely.
2. his rears are also quite sensitive too and that's the limiting factor. I'm tempted to try some rear boots e.g. Easyboot glove to experiment to see if all four are booted how he copes. Luckily this wretched lane is not our only option so we can stick to less challenging surfaces and keep boots off.

Very interestingly when we got onto the mountain where the tracks can be very stoney my friend's shod mare was clearly unhappy with it. It may be more the age of this lovely horse, and she does mainly road work with a bit trot/canter on the verge. So it might be less to do with hoof health and more surefootedness on uneven ground (which is tendon/ligament health isnt it) JI remember Jake was quite trippy when we first started taking him on the mountain as he lived on a level surface and hacked on roads and schools only. He's become more and more sure footed especially when he's unbooted. I'm hoping all this movement will stimulate the inner structures in a rounded way.

brucea

Thanks SarahH - I was very concerned about that last episode since there seemed to be so many different things going on, and glad that it has all cleared up. Certainly he's completely happy on that hoof.

Anni wasn't concerned about the changes on the xrays, and Sarah B had a look at the xrays and described the growth in the palmar extensions as "outriggers" and was suggesting maybe they would be reabsorbed in a couple of years time when they were no longer needed and they were just there to provide badly needed support. Amazing how adaptable the hoof is to be able to make changes like that.

We have worming with combination Mox + Praz later this week - so will be on on colic watch for a few days.

hobnob

Good luck with the worming Bruce. You can Mox and Praz seperately if that may save Link's tummy. Not alot of people know this but the combination product (Pramox) contains nearly 3 times as much Praziquantel as Equitape which is Praz only. So you could Equest and then Equitape. Dont forget that the horses poos will be lethal for 3 days, to other animals if you Pramox so mind the cat etc !!

cptrayes

Sarah - Foxy's leg - superficial tendon injury Smile

or injury to the superficial tendon Sad

???

C

Sarah

brucea

Wormed last night Hobnob with the Pramox, Promax, Prolapse...whatever it was. Confused

Link was perfectly OK this morning so still vigilant, but more relaxed about it. Bramble has had no ill reaction too - he's been sound. Apollo just treated it as more food and hardly reacts to anything! Rolling Eyes

I wonder if all the changes we have made, with Anni's help, in the last couple of years are now paying off and they have a bit in reserve now so that worming does not affect them quite so badly as it used to.

I'm going to try to get on Link tonight for the first time since my accident two and a half weeks ago - still sore, but can't wait any longer! Will remember to wear my body protector though.

SueH

Brucea, glad to hear Link doing well.

Jake well into project "Acclimatise to stranger danger ponies" Shocked

: rodeo beginnings with Morris and Carly have progressed with hacking out with other stranger danger geldings.
Visit to local showjumping on our own, prompted only 5 min rodeo at shock of ALL those new faces, but worked him round to manage calm foray round working hunter bit and a little hop over 1 jump with no bucking Very Happy

. Have upped the pace generally and now doing 2-3 hours per day for last few weeks with plenty of haring round the mountain with all the uneven surfaces like a little star Very Happy

. Now he's managing to canter in big wide open spaces alongside mares friends without losing it. Jake's habit of trotting with bouncy camel head when excited by another excited gelding is work in progress Laughing

: have homework from instructor on getting forward not VTOL.

Hacked to unaffiliated dressage @ Marion Bach last night (lovely atmos), just to take him round, see everything, and popped in the warm up area with other gee gees. Surpassed himself by behaving like a the little star (no camel impersonations at this one) Very Happy

. Entered P4 in June unaffiliated so we are now working toward completing without VTOL Wink

.

To explain, this all may seem unrelated to hoof performance, but its here to log how far he's come hoofwise. I truly believe that I could not have got to the point where we are now facing/dealing with fundamental issues with this horse) without having developed his feet to cope with it. Whether we could have done it via remedial farriery we'll never know. But certainly taking the shoes off and then in Feb taking boots off (avoiding stoney bits so we can work out of boots as much as poss) has served us well. Without a doubt it produces the most graceful movement from the boy and to watch him is pure joy. Very Happy

Jane

Max aka navicular cripple went to his first real jumpies lesson today. Max's can do fillers, Max's can also do water trays, Max's can even do trotty trot and cantery canter circles.

Max is a superstar and a very good advert for the unflappability of TBs!! Laughing

We jumped about 85/90cm and he was better the bigger they are. He's got a great canter and just lopes in and lobs over.... a very different beast to a Magic!!

(and to anyone who was at the Mary Bromiley clinic last year - this is the one lots of us had phoned up about!)

He's got his first dressage tests on Sunday, then combined training next week, and then its onto find some XC schooling so we can go eventing, yey!

Everyone else fine, Magic revelling in his older-brother-superstar status. I have even let them have the field during the day this week (no rain = no grass growth round here) - but they never poked their noses out of the barns - too many flies out there for grazing!

Nic

Methinks pix of Max may be in order Cool

Sounds like he has done better than ex-navicular cripple Hex, who tho' ace at hunting all over Exmoor etc is fwightened of coloured poles....possible clue as to why....I have a photo of him being loose-jumped over something about 5 ft high before he came here Shocked

Think we will need to get over that one before we can go XC, sadly Sad

On the plus side, it only took him a few minutes to learn about walking over coloured poles.... Cool

N

brucea

Well I saw soemthing amazing last night

My 12 year old girl was riding Link out on the wee country road past the yard - I walked with Bramble (that's what happens when kids grow out of their ponies - they take yours, and you walk!)

Link stopped, dropped his head and made a "hrrmmph" sound and then did a neat side step around something. When I caught up with them I saw it was a scattering of small pieces of broken glass covering perhaps a square foot - but the pieces were all wickedly sharp looking.

Isn't it great to ride a horse that is actually looking ahead and watching where he puts his paws down !!! Very Happy

Bless him!

Update: Blowing an absolutely howling gale and amazing storm up here! Wild wild wild - and all the geldings are going mad and flyign around. Hope no one gets hurt!

horsesfirst

They do learn. Little QH who used to be clueless over footing is, I think, enjoying the opportunity to exercise her brain rather than just been treated as a passive/dumb mode of transport.

We tested her grass tolerance (in a very minor way), which it turns out is very low, as in zero. We now have purple ring round her feet, just below coronary band, as punishment for our foolishness. Ok so now have to find zero grass environment for her.

Local stable being so kind in putting her up. Some thought about livery there on a permanent basis but don't think they can provide no grass turnout. The alternative is to go back to our place (6 acre field) where we have made a grass free patch, which seemed to suit her just fine. Obviously we have to wait until we get a companion for her, but I am not sure I can handle going back to the field (emotionally). It's bad enough just going back to get feed and hay.

In the meantime she has already sized up the 'competition' at the temporary lodgings and the expression on her face quite clearly shows that she reckons she can 'take' the lot of them (mostly house sized TB's). Never been short on attitude, which I admit is just as I like them.

hobnob

Oh deary dear - at last we have a little problem. LGL pony has been 100 percent up til a couple of days ago when she has started walking down hill asthough she has wet her knickers ! No heat, no pulses just not great going down a steep slope. I suppose it had to come eventually. Still on 24/7 track around field with hay and hardly any grass but obviously enough to affect her. Will make track narrower tomorrow. We have had loads of rain and sunshine over the last week so this is the cause I guess.

brucea

Damn, damn, damn and more damnation. That foot Link had problems with? Well after the storm last night and all the horses going more than a little freaky, he's lame on that foot today. Bitterly disappointing really.

I'm almost depressed enough to watch "Britain's got talent"...

Bramble had a great day - was at a Parelli course for 3 hours this afternoon - had a whale of a time and acted like he'd seen the dvd! Funniest thing was when he saw himself for the first time in the mirror! There were several mirrors, but one was mounted at stable door height so he was fascinated by the pony who, like him, could just see over the edge of the frame!

There was a low mounted mirror and he loved that. At the end I let him off his lead rope and he galloped up to the mirror whinnied loudly, jumped around like a prat, and then trotted back to us to go home! Made us smile! Very Happy

Not sure he worked it out really.

I met a TB type horse called Bulldozer today. He was 18.1hh and built like a ...well a bulldozer! Too big to be allowed really. Confused

Never seen anything so big! But his feet were not like pie plates - they were quite neat really.

Nic

Grass here is growing now at a visible rate, and the rehab horses and Bailey are all off the grass completely. The weather has been so foul the last few days though that the boys who have been forced out into the fields at night all come in at a flat-out gallop in the morning and currently are refusing to leave the barn Shocked

Charlie is particularly thrilled with the fact that he still gets big breakfast and big dinner every day, despite being in NO work...he is the first to gallop in Cool

Everyone else gets breakfast and dinner too, of course, but theirs are scaled down, or else they ARE in work Laughing

After the excitement of the GH I am now eyeing up the boys and working out who is my most likely endurance candidate. My reasoning goes something like this, so all input is appreciated Cool

Charlie: on hols, and will be hunting again in August, so no go. Also would be v sad going miles and miles on his own with no hounds... Crying or Very sad

Felix: on hols, and will also be hunting again in August, so like Charlie really could do with a break. Loves going off on his own but disapproves of bling and pink bridles. Has a super low heart rate but like Charlie would be disappointed by lack of houndies... Rolling Eyes

Hector: not on hols, but should really be learning to jump...Mostly ok about going on his own but has fully functioning built in GPS which tells him at all times where the trailer is. Optimum speed is often disabled when GPS flashes up error message about direction. Appeared reconciled to lack of hounds at Golden Horseshoe, and quite liked the bling (he is orange after all) Confused

Wacko Jacko: ruled out on account of hound fetish and wildly bizarre front feet, which would be likely to cause sleepless nights for attending vets and farriers even when he trots up sound. Cool

Ghost: loves being out on his own, has hound phobia so lack of them in endurance is a huge bonus. Nightmare to ride in company but fine as long as he can overtake things...Pretty good heart rate but is 25 (or maybe 26) years old... Surprised

OK folks, who from my motley crew gets your vote? Shocked

N

horsesfirst

Hi Nic

Wouldn't worry about hound fetish too much. We were convinced Snips (aka Madam) would find it a drag because no jumpies and until then she was not uber competitive. Couldn't have been more wrong. She took/invented (for herself)? the challenge of catching whichever horse was in front of her and got rather fresh. Also grew temporarily cast iron feet that could tackle any terrain regardless.

If it were me I'd take whichever one is most settled in company and has reasonable brakes. Also whichever one can develop the best steady working rhythm.

Nic

sarahh

I think Ghost. You could amaze and astound with his former navic crip and old man endurance success. And I'm sure he would love having a job
X

Nic

Yay Sarah, I will tell him you voted for him - he will be reeeally pleased Cool

He thinks he's the best, I think he's a naughty old b****r - tried to tank off with me today...Maybe we should go together, you with Boy, me with him Shocked

N

Jane

Terry

I would use Wacko Jacko and Ghost to show all makes, models and shaped feet can perform.

Ghost sounds like he would love it!

Terry

Nic

brucea

Everything is green, green, green here

A number of horses in the yard showing signs of footiness - subtle, but they are there if you're looking. Some owners becoming concerned about their weight so they put on muzzles and throw them back out. Shame - they look so miserable with muzzles, but at least they are eating less of the green stuff.

Link seems a bit better on his sore foot - must have just bruised it and tweaked it during the storm. Still - not going to ride him this week, will walk him out or let one of the kids (lighter than me) exercise him like Ben did last night.

sarahh

Jane

Terry

I will take a look Jane but I thnk Nic is being a wimp Twisted Evil

Wish me look for the weekend folks racing 120km totally bare on my clients horse I have trained, really want to do well but don't want to beat Abu's record of 120km totally bare!!
If we are sucessful our next trip will be 160km!! 100 miles totally bare Shocked

Nic

Terry

I see what you mean Shocked

but who says the pretties feet are the best!
I certainly do remember the day we met, and the vet called Bruce Mad

he was an arse, but that's what our sport can be like.
I also remember using your hoof thermometer and what interesting readings we got from the shod horses!! Sadly the horse we took the thermometer readings from is no longer with us Rolling Eyes

I am proud to announce Abu will be reaching his 10 years next year of competing at advanced level endurance, I bet there are few shod horses who achieve that Very Happy

Terry

horsesfirst

Little QH who seems to be very grass sensitive is already better on grotty surfaces after just 3 days of being kept in. (She is getting two hours of hacking/day plus brief turnout sessions in a barn).

Keeping her in is not ideal and we are looking for a better solution, but temporary livery has loads of grass and most of the horses there are showing laminitic symptoms.

Her Mum wants to put her out in a grazing muzzle. The thought gives me nightmares. I can just imagine her hanging herself on it or getting caught up somehow.

Plus the fields have never been poo picked, the horses she would turn out with have a reputation for kicking and then there is the barbed wire.

What would you advise? (bearing in mind I am uber sensitive to hazards at the moment, I might not be capable of rational thinking).

Nic

Given that Charlie here has just voted against turn out (details on the blog!), I would suggest you go for the safe option, and stick with your current scenario, as long as pony seems happy with it.

Turn out in the barn will allow for a leg stretch, and 2 hrs hacking will give her more than enough exercise and stimulation. She will be lots more comfortable in that scenario than with laminitis/injuries and I suspect you will be happier too.

Terry, great news about Abu, many congratulations Cool

I remember meeting him at Cirencester and what a little star he was there Smile

N

brucea

horsesfirst

Thanks Nic, that is very reassuring. Pony as you know is opinionated. I doubt she would go in the stable if she were unhappy. As it is she walks in very positively.

Reacted badly to the handful of nuts the yard owner gave her as a present (legs swelled within hours and it took about 24 hours for 'it' to work out of her).

I think this is one quite metabolically sensitive pony. Just need to persuade all and sundry that 'presents' and grass will not lead to happiness. Rolling Eyes

rose

Well my girl is the same as she is every year about now - sore all round on the road unbooted but ok on soft gound. She had increased pulses the other night despite being on a very small mainly hard packed bare mud patch.

I decreased her space to about the size of three 12 by 12 stables and the pulses improved.

We did a 12 mile fun ride on Sunday but I had to boot all round as she would not have coped otherwise, but we had fun and amazingly stayed dry.

She looks bored to death most of the time in her tiny space poor soul.

hobnob

My little mare having the same probs horsesfirst and Rose - join the very sensitive club. Have made the track alot narrower now and she seems a bit better. No pulses but not 100 percent going downhill. Passed a yard when driving to Taunton the other day that had about 5-6 horses loose in it on the concrete with lots of haynets hanging up. This lark may be catching on ! Also heard from one of our customers at work who moved up to Dartmoor last winter and her lammy shetland pony is enjoying 24/7 turnout for the first time in his life as the grass is so crap !!! Sounds like heaven - any room for a little one !!! Very Happy

horsesfirst

The people at the temporary yard are lovely. I am trying hard (and failing) to live up to their example. But it is soooooo hard to keep trap shut when they comment how lovely little QH feet are and they wish their horses' feet were as nice. Then they turn out the crippled beast with the wrinkly, flared, bruised and crumbling feet onto grass a foot high. After of course having fed it a bucket of econo mix sugar and starch. But I was good today. Any bets on how long I last? Wink

Little QH is doing ok and for now her Mum is persuaded that it is not worth the risk of damaging her by turning her out. Exercising her for two hours a day and controlling my feelings at the same time might lead me to flake out though. Rolling Eyes

hobnob

Horsesfirst - I too find it hard to keep a lid on it !! You get the funniest looks when you say that some horses may have a grass intolerance especially at this time of year. The normal reply is "no dear its not a pony I have a full TB". Oh well ... Rolling Eyes

horsesfirst

Oh Hobnob, thank you, I am glad it is not just me!

One day maybe horses and lush grazing will be viewed in the same vein as kids and chimneys.

Yard owner has kindly let me put girl in barn overnight.

Chris Thompson

Horses and lush grazing = kids in sweet shops.

Well that is how I explain it to folks anyway

Nic

And most horses don't know whats good for them, for sure... Shocked

But I've found it fascinating that for the last few nights Charlie has refused to go out in the field with the boys, and has resolutely stayed in the barn and on the track with the rehabs and Bailey.

Is he refusing to go out because the weather here is foul at the moment (he is rugged but it has resembled a monsoon downpour when it has rained for the last few nights) or because he prefers haylage, or just because he has suddenly developed the hots for Angel (not noticeable in his other behaviour BTW!)?

N

brucea

Interesting Nic. Our two laminitics are ignoring the grass that grows round their dry lot - they could reach it under the fence but they are not doing so.

I had thought of using the torch on it, but I don't think I need to now.

Bramble has become a bit footy - he always seems to when it has rained heavily and his feet have been wet for a week. Must be that his sole becomes water loged and perhaps more flexible?????

I wonder if in 20 years, horseshoes will be considered as an out of date and misguided practice (rather like docking dogs tails) and keeping horses in fat grass will become seen as akin to feeding toddlers McDonalds.....

Chris Thompson

brucea

When was the last time you ate one Chris? Bet you felt a wee pang of guilt Smile

Rain, rain, some more rain, and what a surprise...it's raining again. Grass is just loving it. It's forecast to rain tomorrow too. Sad

Chris Thompson

brucea

So did I Chris Embarassed

and that's why I piled on way too much weight, got ill, and the wife put me on a diet. Sad

BUT I do get chocolate shakes on this diet - and lemon, vanilla almond or chocolate peanut flavour choccy bars too.

brucea

Well - got up and out by 6AM this morning and got Link down from the field, fed, tacked up and out on the road by 7. The plan was to meet up with two yard friends at the forrest - but they needed to trailer up because they were worried about the length of the hack on their (shod) horses. After freeing up the brakes of the trailer I went on my way - and had 40 minutes to do the 4-5 miles to the rendezvous point. We were there first and Link was very excited to see his two best palls coming off the trailer.

A great hack round the woods - including the new "all purpose" track Confused

that has been laid - pyramid shaped, sharp, fist sized granite rock. We didn't feel it was fair to ride over this so we all walked and I found it really sore through my boots. Link fairly marched out over it. Pleased Smile

We left them at the car park and set off for home and got back about 12 noon. Starving!

Link was great - no problems with his front right at all - I had wondered if it might be an issue after the short spell of lameness last weekend. I also thought he might not needs trimmed after his expedition - but he does need trimmed - hardly affected his feet at all.

Barefoot boy, can do! Didn't slither on the bark/litter paths at all - the shod guys were all over the place, and the riders got off and led them down the steepest bits!

sarahh

My 2 are shedding sole like its going out of fashion! Picking Boys feet out today I had chunks about 3/4 inch thick coming off with the hoof pick!
Hacked boy over to a friends today and he was his usual rock crunching self along their horrible track.
I'm going to start keeping them in during the day from tomorrow. We've not had any problems but with this constant cycle of rain and sun there could be some Round The corner!

brucea

I've seen a sole peel to about a 1/4 inch thick - but 3/4 inch seems a great deal. Were their hooves very tall and this is just infilling? I'm just curious by the way... Smile

hobnob

We are sole shedding with lgl girl at the moment. Its the front of her foot where the sole callous should be and its all chalky and flaky !!

Have never really had to trim alot in front of the frog (length I mean not sole Shocked

) as she wears this herself, so maybe her foot is ready to be even shorter ?!?!? Dont want to pick at it too much so just having a bit of a scrape daily with the hoofpick !

Moved track fence out again this morning as it is just SO green. You can see where it was moved a week ago and how much it has grown in a week. Twisted Evil

Bloomin stuff !!

sarahh

Combination of both- 3/4 inch measure taken at hoof wall where walls too long and lots of sole exfoliating & peeling away. Took the measureement with my thumb so must be right ;-D. Although come to think of it I have stumpy thumbs. So in all likelyhood is 1/2 inch, being half and half of sole shed and hoof wall. Silly Sarah can't guesstimmate correctly!

Terry

Just arrived back from 120km race on Izaak, clients horse who I train and is bare, he was superb leading from the start, unfortunately we were spun after 43 miles as he had pulled his upper quad muscle, probably when he did a major spook at a giant haylage bale which isn't so good when you are travelling at 20km/per/hr!! Thought I would share a little pic of us re-fueling at the vet gate, yes that is red bull!! sugar free of course!

Terry

evie

We have renegades! In front, anyway - still G2s behind. Very impressed, easy peasy to get on and H very comfy in them at all paces including flying trot, and up/down hills.

We're going everywhere at bouncejiggle at the moment, she has far too much energy and I have to be careful where I let her go as she really wants to runnnn. Rode out for an hour this morning, and going to go back for another hour this evening I think - probably bareback in halter cos I haven't done that for ages!

She is back in her winter paddock with another laminitic ginger mare and as much hay as they can eat. Few teeny weeny shoots of grass poking through but it's more effort than it's worth, most of the time she just eats from the bale cos that's much easier! She looks really really well and feels it too. Very shiny, well muscled and goes around with happy ears.

Domino is out of action after getting well and truly stuck in a gate, as is my mum cos he broke her wrist while struggling before the vet sedated him. Sad

Not sure what damage he's done yet, dont think anything broken but will go for scintigraphy and x-rays once vet's been back on weds, on box rest til then.

Helen N

Rooster has come back from 'The Dukeries' endurance ride having done his first EGB 50k completely barefoot Very Happy

The terrain was forestry tracks rangeing from soft and muddy, through to hard and stony. We kept up a steady pace of trot and canter all the way round. The weather became very warm and we stopped to help a lady back on to her recalcitrant young horse, but still finished with a decent time and heart rate and got a grade four. Very pleased with his and his hoooves performance. Will still boot up though for rides with lots of hard stoney as it does slow us down Wink

Helen N

Rooster is the chestnut on the right!

SueH

Fab pics Helen and Terry Very Happy

Very inspiring to hear of barefoot performance horses such as yours.

Navicular TB Jake now coping well with longer rides (10 - 12 miles) over the mountains no boots. Not at great speed but keeping active pace. Most are sheep grazed mossy tracks, or quarry roads with the odd challenging surface which I play by ear - if severe I will get off or choose alternative route so I can keep boots off. Think I overdid it at weekend as did 10 miles one day and 12 miles the next and the sun came out in force on way back which didnt help - didnt intend to do much on day 2, but got carried away exploring the miles and miles of off road riding so we ended up miles from home and both knackered on way back BUT good to see great heel first landing as we headed for home. I am so tempted by endurance now but must tackle stranger danger pony problem first.

and now we have trailer so next stop the beach ........... Very Happy

Nic

Well done all, sounds like a busy weekend - lovely pics, as well, Helen Smile

N

Sarah

I had a busy weekend too, Sunday a funride with Morris, his first ever. It was the most beautiful ride on the hills above Denbigh. The weather was stunning, blue sky and views over Snowdonia, the Peak District, Liverpool and beyond.

I have to say I was slightly bricking it before the ride. Morris is not the easiest of horses, very sharp and very quick to react but I had an excellent nanny in a large Cleveland Bay mare ridden by a friend who for the first few miles blocked us with the mares ample bottom every time things looked dodgy. Morris thought this was most irritating as he was quite prepared to race ahead Shocked

The going was a mixture of fields, roads, tracks etc. and the ride probably between 10 and 12 miles. At the end there were a few jumps so I had a go at popping a few. The first two were like launching into space but the third he did very nicely, not bad considering they were his first ever jumps with a person on board. He dragged me into the first one even though I was trying to steer him around it coz I was bottling Mad

It was a large step, too large my brain said for my first jump on him but he thought it a splendid idea and launched himself up it. The girl behind went 'Oh God well sat Sarah Shocked

' He seems I think to like the idea of jumping so perhaps he will be a braver version of Fari who loves jumping as long as it isn't too big.

On Monday it was my turn to nanny my friends young horse who managed fantastically on a funride where there must have been 400 riders. Fari was completely baffled by the fact that we were going slowly and not jumping and pretended to be a cross between a Vienna riding school horse and a cowboy's rodeo mount on a couple of occasions. In fact the young horse's first canter was quite a lot more sensible than his. Good to feel him so alive and perky under me though.

S x

Nic

The boys look very posh - what a great weekend Cool

Sadly my pony fun was curtailed as we had friends down for the weekend, so we only managed to exercise. Still, Ghost (aka Rockley Endurance Horse 2009) loved his trips out and bizarrely is the nicest ride I have ever known him to be...Lets hope it continues Shocked

He and Bailey were out on a long-ish ride on Friday, and I got lost and took us down a horrendous track, where they both very nearly got bogged - Bailey was floundering to get her legs back underneath her and they both went in very deep, but remained unfazed, scrambled out and carried on quite happily. On Sunday G and I had a great blast in the sunshine and I must say he is feeling marvellous. One bonus - I checked his passport last week and he is younger than I thought - a mere 24 yrs old Cool

horsesfirst

Due to complete lack of concavity and escalation of work load from 10 hours to 16 hours a week we decided to get little QH some boots. Am trying out the gloves. First 30 minutes were so awful I nearly took them off. Then she suddenly got the hang and after that became turbo charged. Slight problem with differential slippage between booted fronts and bare hinds but so long as we stayed in a low gear it wasn't too bad.

Gloves did well, although they were full of water when I took them off. Very easy to fit, wonder how they will cope with more difficult and faster work.

Terry

A very proud day Sarah, Morris's first step on the ladder, sounds like he loved it,

catch up soon,

Terry

SueH

Not as much as snogging me this morning Very Happy

Terry but then he's only a fella...no, I jest. he's such a babe of a horse. Really chuffed for Sarah: Morris has come so far its a credit to all her hard work ..............and well done to Fari for looking so dastardly posh in the photo !!

Hearing how such a flightly horse like Morris has progressed has really been the nudge I needed to get Jake out and about. We've been working toward this and Jake's first Fun ride will be in Mostyn next week. I will be bricking it as it will be first time I trailer him myself to event (just started towing and I'm a wuss) and first time he'll be with stranger danger ponies en mass and all moving so should be fun to say the least.

Nic

Helen N

I'll see you there then Sue, not sure if yet if taking worldly-wise but keen Carly or the ginger monster Rooster Wink

I will look out for you Very Happy

Nic, I agree, it's no fun introducing the 'youngsters' to new experiences they might not take to straight away, but it is very satisifying when you finally make them into the horse that you have always wanted even if that can take many years Rolling Eyes

Terry

SueH"]ot as much as snogging me this morning Very Happy

Terry but then he's only a fella...no, I jest. he's such a babe of a horse. Really chuffed for Sarah: Morris has come so far its a credit to all her hard work ..............and well done to Fari for looking so dastardly posh in the photo !!

Your right Sue, Sarah's hard work has paid off, despite on occassions I am sure wondering how long it would take the Morris Minor to move up to a convertable Razz

Now your flying Ms Brathwaite, literally!!

Hope you're out playing again this weekend in the sun, out at Frolic ride both days with 3 of minet his weekend.

Enjoy the sun everyone Razz

Terry

brucea

Even WE have sun up here in the North Very Happy

SueH

thanks for support everyone, just hoping to stay on board really ! I think any ideas of looking in any way composed are out the window. Nic if Icould sell tickets I would tee hee - the thelwell experience live. [i'm seriously thinking of using VTOL as part of his posh name ]

Have VERY understanding friend who is coming with me on her barefoot mare who is young but Jake knows her and she luckily has ample bottom as used by Mrs B with Morris.

Hi Helen I will look out for you too Very Happy

.....I think you will easily spot me. I will be the ginger commotion !!

I will keep him away from this is prob daft question but forgive a newbie....Seriously should I wear a red tail guard/ribbon to ward off riders thinking of coming too close ??

Nic

SueH

Thanks Nic - green is a better idea Very Happy

I am full of admiration for people who manage to bring on nutter 'youngster' horses to the point where they can cope with hunting, endurance, fun rides in the broader sense. All inspirational stuff for those off us doing it for the first time Very Happy

Took Jake out last night with mare who will accompany him round the fun ride. Only a few bucks as she cantered up behind him; tried quick calvary lift then release then moved him forward + release prevented it escalating and off we went. Been riding out at faster pace more recently to prepare him for neddies moving at speed around him. My friend is v understanding, she said lets give it a go, and if we have turn around and go home at the start fine, but we've made a start with Jake then. I'm hoping he copes with it and gets round - or, more precisely, I can do what I've done at the fizzy showjumping event and manage him so he copes. but HOW cool can some friends be eh ?? Very Happy

Funny though...barefoot Jake is much keener to go faster, and he's now fitter than he ever was in shoes BUT which means we dont get to the "too tired to pi$$ about" stage for HOURS ......... Rolling Eyes

brucea

Good luck SueH...enjoy yourself ...and going faster is so much smoother and less jarring for everyone without shoes - especially the rider!

I had one of the emergency "can you get to the yard" calls today - one of the dafter horses twisted a shoe and couldn't stand - pretty amazing really - almost tied the shoe in a half hitch! Was on really tight because of the bend in the metal so took time to get off without causing even more damage.

Boy - I sure don't miss that! She's jumping this weekend as well so that's out. I resisted the temptation to state the obvious... Rolling Eyes

Nic

F and I had lots of fun yesterday, at the EFH hunter trial Cool

We took the bakhu head cam and the clips are up here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NicBarkerRockleyFarm

I'd forgotten how much he LOVES jumping Very Happy

Photos are on www.rockleyfarm.blogspot.com as they are too big to post here. Wasn't planning to event this summer but think I now feel an unaff one day beckoning...

Off to catch racehorses today Cool

N

hobnob

Another great video Nic !!

End of May report:

Had to make my track around field just a lane down to the bottom and back this week !! Made myself late for work in the process. We have had heavy rain now followed by really hot sunshine and we had a pulse on NSF one morning. Pulse went by the time I got home form work but I feel that I should have prevented it. Not rocket science really - wet followed by hot = evil green gets eviler !!

Still on same amount of soaked hay and they dont seem starving with 3 sides of the track not in use so I guess they are still getting enough to eat.

brucea

Went out with Link for 5 hours today! All round the roads and woods - what I notice now is that his feet no longer get worn down at the heels the way they used to - and I have to reapply his roll after extensive roadwork because it gets worn slightly - but the capability of his feet to withstand wear has really improved this year.

Also took Bramble out for a long drive in his gig today - about 10 miles and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. He was bare - no boots and handled the tarmac really well - no hint of a problem and trotted in a nice forward going. BUT when we get back to the yard onto the rough stony surface (scattered gravel on hard packed ground) he struggles with it quite a bit. It's frustrating - on the one hand we're making great progress, but he's still strugling on the stones. No grass, so it's not that... Confused

Sarah

Sue!!!!! - Coool I'll be there on Ferrari, shame that I can't ride two horses at once!

Terry - I knew that in private you were saying what the f is taking that woman so long? Very Happy

Truth is I am just a wimp at the thought of bouncing and at times Morris has been a potential disaster in the making. When Dave Stewart backed him his advice was to be very careful and I have.

The change in Morris this year is remarkable and I put that down not just to me being patient and careful with him but also the techniques I have learnt from Martha Lindsell. I always used to snigger at the rope wagglers at the local rides, now I am one in my halter Shocked

These techniques used correctly just make for such a balanced horse both physically and emotionally. I thought I got good results from my horses before but that was nothing compared to the way I feel now. I truly feel, and this is slightly hippie dippy, that my horses now see me as the captain of their team. Before I would have described myself as the captain of an often bossy and sometimes nervous dictatorship Rolling Eyes

It wasn't a team and it certainly wasn't their team.

To ride round yesterday on my sparky arab, who looked at everything but took it all in his stride and was not fazed even once, was terrific but it has taken two years to get there.

To finish a picture of him with his team, sporting hooves which are truly, truly rock crunching as evidenced at the end when he had to trot up before a vet over sharp boulders without batting an eye. She didn't say anything but her eyes were on the hooves so you knew she was thinking Wink

S x

SueH

Sarah - brill news. be good see magical Ferrari !!! yes it is a shame you cant ride the boy morris too and show 'em both off.

Really looking forward to Sunday, and trailering heebeegeebees on their way out.

As a practice for him I trailered Jake to see local showjumping event. As expected he got pretty excited when ridden near all the very fizzy jumping ponies (enormous bucks Rolling Eyes

) but I'd parked in a quiet spot so I just got off and did my rope twirling ( yes Martha is amazing - glad I followed your recommendation! I'm only at the beginning but already helped me loads) . J came round very quickly and was soon chilling out munching haylage and watching everything. Nicely into the trailer and off we came home for hack over the mountain. Still no boots for this route as I can sidestep the worst stones and keep to kind surfaces at speed.