Inspired by SueH to add piccy from Newmarket ride at the start of September; 20 miles, trot and canter (not to mention GALLLLLLOPPPPPP!!!!!) much of the way.
He did this trot for about 20-odd minutes at a time; we were caught up by a couple of polo ponies in their lollop-canter, so Poglet trotted alongside in lanky-mode. Polo pony riders said they'd never seen anything like it. It's not warmblood-expressive by any stretch of the imagination, but my golly it covers the turf!
Only time I touched the bit reins was coming up behind other horses in canter (Pog says cantering slowly is just rubbish, and there's no point listening to requests for whoa until he's overtaken everybody... and we didn't want to offend other folks!).
And when we hit the all-weather gallop and pressed the "go" button, oh.....my.....goodness...... had to grab a piece of mane he bounded off so fast. Awesome!!!
Sorry; not adding anything constructive about management or feeding, as we're only approaching our first anniversary barefoot and I'm only just beginning to grasp that I need to look further into his diet for further foot fantasticness!!!
Little QH has had her ups and downs; feet not as good as they were (by a long chalk) but she is still enthusiastic in her work. Unfortunately 'expert' help and LT recommended chaff have done her feet a mischief, flares, bruising and loss of concavity. But hopefully that little local difficulty has been addressed. Owner still struggling a bit with concept of grass/bare paddock etc but is definitely on the way.
Grace is struggling on arena surfaces but is ok on grass and concrete. Infection seems to be gone and her feet are starting to resemble 'proper' barefoot feet, albeit very immature ones that need lots of work.
Well - getting much colder in the mornings up here and the lads are slightly sharper. Wondered yesterday if the first ground frost might not be too far away.
Bramble has been a bit footy on his right fore with an abscess at the rear of his central sulcus - just keeping it clean and open. The new pea gravel is helping enormously and the hooves are much drier and free of thrush than they were.
Apollo is hairy happy air-fern cob.
Link has the odd pulse in that right foot that caused problems earlier in the year so I'm sticking with my routine of having him in the dry lot for 12 hours of the day. There's nothing obvious happening with the foot, but he is slightly sensitive over rough stones (he has been all summer) and he occasionally limps when he is turning to the right. There seemed to be a pocket of old necrotic stuff at the white line very near the heel - so I do wonder if we are just seeing the long term clearing of a deep seated abscess.
I'm much better now too - still a bit tender round the middle - but was in the saddle for a few minutes last night and it was OK. Wouldn't want to canter yet. The big square dressing is now off so I don't have to endure statements being prefixed by "My Dad, the former TellyTubby..." from my daughter. Kids are cruel really... _________________ http://www.4hooves.co.uk http://4hoovesblog.spaces.live.com/default.aspx
Thought I would make a start on my performance journal, as it were, by saying that I took Roobarb for his first taste of Endurance riding on Sunday - only led him to the venue for a look round but he walked over some really sharp stones, on tarmac with gritty bits and concrete without a flinch
He even managed a few, ok, quite a lot of, steps of piaffe along some really stony parts which even the shod horses were slowing down on and got lots of amazed looks at the fact he was barefoot.
I'm hoping to keep him barefoot and do the magical 160km so , fingers crossed, if I can manage the diet and the grass intake we should have a decent chance of acheiving it.
Just a quick update to say that I am really impressed with Repsol's behaviour at the moment.
I went out on a hack lastnight, just a short one but he felt so much happier, up for it and much more forward going. When he was in the lesson on Saturday, he was very forward going too.
I think that the main reason that this sudden change in behaviour has happened is because he has lost around 30kgs. He's on his new good diet which includes MgO and his crest has gone down a lot and isn't as rock solid and his fat pads on his rump have really gone down a lot.
He seems much happier in general - in the stable he is rarely even slightly grumpy (he used to dislike being groomed and swish his tail a lot if you bothered him when he was quiet in the stable!) and always looks bright eyed. Also, I have never seen him look so shiny! I think it is the linseed meal.
On the footiness front - we aren't really getting any further with it, still pretty hobbly on the stony ground ... but we are still having to turn out for a few hours in the day.
I cant believe I will say this but ... roll on winter!
I'm not looking forward to wearing 10 layers (literally ... ) and getting chilblains on my toes but I am looking forward to not constantly studying the grass growth on our lawn!!
I think that the main reason that this sudden change in behaviour has happened is because he has lost around 30kgs. He's on his new good diet which includes MgO and his crest has gone down a lot and isn't as rock solid and his fat pads on his rump have really gone down a lot.
He seems much happier in general - in the stable he is rarely even slightly grumpy (he used to dislike being groomed and swish his tail a lot if you bothered him when he was quiet in the stable!) and always looks bright eyed. Also, I have never seen him look so shiny! I think it is the linseed meal.
What a good start though - you must be well pleased!
I am so pleased ... I keep a mini diary of everything that happens with him and he's been having the MgO for 4 weeks on Friday and they're really starting to go down.
Amazing stuff!
I dont know if it's coincidence too ... but (fingers crossed) the white line separation/flare is nowhere near as bad as it was last month before I changed his diet. Also - since I started - I've only had to do one lot of white lightning on his front hooves and there's been no signs of thrush since!
And to lose 30kgs! Although ... I found out the ingredients in Baileys Lo-Cal balancer (what Reps had before) yesterday:
Grass Meal, Distillers Grains, Wheatfeed, Micronised Soya, Dicalcium
Phosphate, Molasses, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins and Minerals, Yea-Sacc®1026 Yeast Culture
AND:
Starch 10%
Sugar 2%
Glad we got away from that ... !
I found out the ingredients in Baileys Lo-Cal balancer
I love it when people start reading labels Funny old thing that they don't put "Barley, syrup, wheat, oil and a small amount of mineral pre-mix" on the bag in big colourful letters...
Sadly the same is true of every feed company, so the small print is our best friend
Pie and I had a classical riding lesson on Saturday with Kamini Aga (was Ferdi Eilberg's yard manager and first rider for 5 years) no boots and his feet and performance were perfect. He was also quite well behaved despite being below a field of mares who were trying to play with him (the arena is cut into the field and so the horses who are in that field are above you... very bizarre experience!.
Went on on 20mile pleasure ride on Sunday from Haworth to Grainwater Bridge and back... boots all round and glad of it... proper stoney limestone tracks!!! Lovely views, lovely weather, fantastic canters on top of the moors.. Although we were both exhausted when we got home... you rise up and out of 3 valley's both there and back, the hills are all about 15 degree's going up and down!
Showjumping all over for the summer.. may go on a day ticket to some indoor events at the Yorkshire Riding Centre over winter if I get my act together and time permits,
Feet on all the horses looking really good, maybe due to me having been given a yearling gelding who is making everyone move around much more... Pie definitely seems to think they all need to chase about much more... and the land is lovely and dry.
Got one more Trec event booked for 11th October at Cartmel Racecourse in Cumbria then it's just hacking for winter and some lessons..
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) and getting chilblains on my toes but I am looking forward to not constantly studying the grass growth on our lawn!! 
