We think we've got it now... Lottie seems to get a little footie, and particularly on the right fore, about two to three weeks after our trimmer has been.
That's not to say we think it is something the trimmer could prevent but that the right fore seems to struggle more than the others. This is less dramatic each time and only seems to last for a day or so now. About now is when she appears to be at her best... 3-4 weeks after her trim.
Considering the mud both of the girls are doing well. A friend who has recently qualified as a trimmer commented on Lottie's together/clean frogs. Her horse is out 24/7 on a flat field and she was wondering whether our hilly field and being in over night has allowed the frogs to maintain some shape and stay free from bugs. She has another client at the barn across the way from us on the same deal (hilly field/in at night now) and her horses too have good looking frogs. Her other client also feeds Simple Systems so who knows what the difference that makes the difference might be!
We've also kept on with the foot wash and white line balm, although not nearly as regularly as before! Leg washing is soon to become part of the daily routine again so foot washing will be an easy and natural extension of that I suppose!
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Pigeon Toes
What an area of conflicting information the web is!
Lottie has pigeon toes (as do 98% of all horses apparently?!) and this has been the subject of discussion with our trimmer. He feels very strongly that if she'd been kept shod (shod in such a way that created a more aesthetically pleasing straightness in her forelegs) then she'd have a significantly reduced life expectancy. I've also heard another (different branch/system of trimmers) state that the majority of navicular cases he sees occur in incorrectly shod pigeon-toed horses. Neither say shoeing causes the problems perse... More that the pigeon toe encourages us to respond incorrectly by giving in to our desire for straightness, rather than what the foot really needs.
That got me interested in the differing views on pigeon-toes and what it really means for our horses... So off on a research trawl I went! As with so many things equine, I struggle to find research and just get a lot of hearsay so I'm apologising in advance for repeating interesting but unsubstantiated bits and pieces here!
www.americanblacksmith.com "Your farrier should not be trying to correct an adult horse's pigeon toes. Balance and level is the rule here. "Corrective" trimming and shoeing can put stresses all the way up the horse's legs and also cause the foot to land unevenly, thus causing pain in the heel area."
http://farrieritis.care4horses.com "...Most horses and i've approximated 97-98 % of horses have this condition ( pigeon toed )... Fixing this is all about shoe placement and rasping the excess foot at the medial side ( which is basically flare ) and growing new foot... Nothing too serious here but if you're after balance and removing risk of lameness these things need to be adressed."
"There's nothing wrong with shoeing at all providing it's done right . In fact there are actually some serious balance issues that can only be addressed with shoeing such as pigeon toed horses and addressing what to do with flares and load characteristics on the foot and a few other things." (John Silveira)
The last guy does say that the foot shouldn't be shortened on one side to correct (as is taught in 'Old-school'). I have no idea what all this means!
Lottie has pigeon toes (as do 98% of all horses apparently?!) and this has been the subject of discussion with our trimmer. He feels very strongly that if she'd been kept shod (shod in such a way that created a more aesthetically pleasing straightness in her forelegs) then she'd have a significantly reduced life expectancy. I've also heard another (different branch/system of trimmers) state that the majority of navicular cases he sees occur in incorrectly shod pigeon-toed horses. Neither say shoeing causes the problems perse... More that the pigeon toe encourages us to respond incorrectly by giving in to our desire for straightness, rather than what the foot really needs.
That got me interested in the differing views on pigeon-toes and what it really means for our horses... So off on a research trawl I went! As with so many things equine, I struggle to find research and just get a lot of hearsay so I'm apologising in advance for repeating interesting but unsubstantiated bits and pieces here!
www.americanblacksmith.com "Your farrier should not be trying to correct an adult horse's pigeon toes. Balance and level is the rule here. "Corrective" trimming and shoeing can put stresses all the way up the horse's legs and also cause the foot to land unevenly, thus causing pain in the heel area."
http://farrieritis.care4horses.com "...Most horses and i've approximated 97-98 % of horses have this condition ( pigeon toed )... Fixing this is all about shoe placement and rasping the excess foot at the medial side ( which is basically flare ) and growing new foot... Nothing too serious here but if you're after balance and removing risk of lameness these things need to be adressed."
"There's nothing wrong with shoeing at all providing it's done right . In fact there are actually some serious balance issues that can only be addressed with shoeing such as pigeon toed horses and addressing what to do with flares and load characteristics on the foot and a few other things." (John Silveira)
The last guy does say that the foot shouldn't be shortened on one side to correct (as is taught in 'Old-school'). I have no idea what all this means!
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Week Eleven & Twelve!
When it comes to barefooot horses, like everything else, no news is good news! The girls have been progressing slowly and surely with no major incidents, which is great.
We've had pretty dry weather since they started to come in over night a fortnight ago. They are eating an awful lot of hay, Lottie in particular, and have become accustomed to their Simple Systems diet. It has to be said that they are not nearly as enthusiatic about their new feed as I've seen them about previous feeds, but they're still eating it, so we're still serving it up!
Our trimmer came on Sunday and was really pleased with their progress... He gave Lottie a 3 on the fronts and a 3.5 on the backs (last time it was a 2 on the fronts and a 3 on the backs) and said we could start giving her some nice comfortable work/exercise to speed up the process. He also said he couldn't find any Seedy Toe so the foot washing and white line balm has worked a treat. I was quite pleased at the thought of not having to wash her feet all the time but he suggested carrying on to keep nasties at bay while her feet are still getting stronger. Ah well... I'm an expert equine foot washer now so might as well use my skills!
He was also pleased with Jazz and thought she was doing really well (which Chris had an idea was the case as she'd been really comfortable on her ride in the morning, even offering to gallop!). Jazz scored a 4 on her fronts and 4.5 on her backs (last time was a 3 and 3.5) and he said that she should be in pretty good shape to do most things on soft ground but may still need boots for stoney paths etc.
Bothe of them seem to have fairly slow growing feet, although Lotties are moving a little quicker with the new growth being over half way down now. We didn't take pictures but they both have 'prettier feet' now and look right without shoes.
Fingers crossed for a 5+ score on one set of hooves next time!
We've had pretty dry weather since they started to come in over night a fortnight ago. They are eating an awful lot of hay, Lottie in particular, and have become accustomed to their Simple Systems diet. It has to be said that they are not nearly as enthusiatic about their new feed as I've seen them about previous feeds, but they're still eating it, so we're still serving it up!
Our trimmer came on Sunday and was really pleased with their progress... He gave Lottie a 3 on the fronts and a 3.5 on the backs (last time it was a 2 on the fronts and a 3 on the backs) and said we could start giving her some nice comfortable work/exercise to speed up the process. He also said he couldn't find any Seedy Toe so the foot washing and white line balm has worked a treat. I was quite pleased at the thought of not having to wash her feet all the time but he suggested carrying on to keep nasties at bay while her feet are still getting stronger. Ah well... I'm an expert equine foot washer now so might as well use my skills!
He was also pleased with Jazz and thought she was doing really well (which Chris had an idea was the case as she'd been really comfortable on her ride in the morning, even offering to gallop!). Jazz scored a 4 on her fronts and 4.5 on her backs (last time was a 3 and 3.5) and he said that she should be in pretty good shape to do most things on soft ground but may still need boots for stoney paths etc.
Bothe of them seem to have fairly slow growing feet, although Lotties are moving a little quicker with the new growth being over half way down now. We didn't take pictures but they both have 'prettier feet' now and look right without shoes.
Fingers crossed for a 5+ score on one set of hooves next time!
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
A few thoughts
Well I thought it was about time I chimed in as Kerry has been doing all the hard work of keeping this blog going lately...
I thought I'd try and find the (some, any…) positives in the situation - it's so easy to focus on what’s still not good that you lose sight of what might have improved. Kerry posted in week eightish that Lottie was quite sore particularly on the right fore. About this time Lottie had a brief interaction with Dibble (an unfamiliar gelding), walking her carefully along the concrete without boots she stopped to say hello, they did the usual nostril-to-nostril heavy breathing and then Lottie squealed, reared up and landed heavily on her sore feet! Didn’t seem affected at all… I think it was about at that point that I began to wonder just how bad they were… A positive? Sort of…
As Kerry has recounted we had the physio last week. She asked Kerry to take Lottie into the sand school and trot her up. I followed on a minute later to hear the physio say ‘she looks very lame on the right hind’ (oh sh*t), then ‘can you do it again and this time make her trot fast’… ‘OK she’s fine she just couldn’t be bothered to trot properly the fist time’ (Ah)
So we can now say for certainty that at walk and trot in the sand school Lottie is 100% sound, when we first had her shoes off she couldn’t walk comfortably even on sand. A positive!
Although it sounds like we are 1 step up from horse-abusers by making her walk to the field without boots in fact she manages quite well apart from the last few feet of quite sharp gravel. When we first had her shoes off she couldn’t manage to walk on even a slightly gritty surface. A positive!
As a by-product of all the foot-washing, foot-balming, foot-picking-up-and-staring-at Kerry can do practically anything with Lottie’s feet. A positive!
Jazz is doing pretty well. She isn’t entirely comfortable walking on gravel but she has stopped wincing when she treads on small sharp stones and now just winces when she treads on big sharp ones. She seems pretty sound at walk and trot on the concrete and is completely sound at walk, trot, canter and gallop on grass even when ridden. Another positive!
All in all – I think it’s going as well as can be expected… :-)
I thought I'd try and find the (some, any…) positives in the situation - it's so easy to focus on what’s still not good that you lose sight of what might have improved. Kerry posted in week eightish that Lottie was quite sore particularly on the right fore. About this time Lottie had a brief interaction with Dibble (an unfamiliar gelding), walking her carefully along the concrete without boots she stopped to say hello, they did the usual nostril-to-nostril heavy breathing and then Lottie squealed, reared up and landed heavily on her sore feet! Didn’t seem affected at all… I think it was about at that point that I began to wonder just how bad they were… A positive? Sort of…
As Kerry has recounted we had the physio last week. She asked Kerry to take Lottie into the sand school and trot her up. I followed on a minute later to hear the physio say ‘she looks very lame on the right hind’ (oh sh*t), then ‘can you do it again and this time make her trot fast’… ‘OK she’s fine she just couldn’t be bothered to trot properly the fist time’ (Ah)
So we can now say for certainty that at walk and trot in the sand school Lottie is 100% sound, when we first had her shoes off she couldn’t walk comfortably even on sand. A positive!
Although it sounds like we are 1 step up from horse-abusers by making her walk to the field without boots in fact she manages quite well apart from the last few feet of quite sharp gravel. When we first had her shoes off she couldn’t manage to walk on even a slightly gritty surface. A positive!
As a by-product of all the foot-washing, foot-balming, foot-picking-up-and-staring-at Kerry can do practically anything with Lottie’s feet. A positive!
Jazz is doing pretty well. She isn’t entirely comfortable walking on gravel but she has stopped wincing when she treads on small sharp stones and now just winces when she treads on big sharp ones. She seems pretty sound at walk and trot on the concrete and is completely sound at walk, trot, canter and gallop on grass even when ridden. Another positive!
All in all – I think it’s going as well as can be expected… :-)
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Boots and Winter Turnout
We can't put Lotties boots on in the field to bring her in now the winter is here...
When I try to explain this to our trimmer it sounds so lame... "We can't put boots on all through winter, it's too difficult!" (whinge-whinge, moan-moan!). I know I sound selfish and lazy but it really is borderline impossible! Maybe this is where you find out how committed you are to being barefoot. My thoughts so far...
When I try to explain this to our trimmer it sounds so lame... "We can't put boots on all through winter, it's too difficult!" (whinge-whinge, moan-moan!). I know I sound selfish and lazy but it really is borderline impossible! Maybe this is where you find out how committed you are to being barefoot. My thoughts so far...
- It's too dangerous to boot her in the field, wind and rain, when the horses are literally knocking each other over to get to you.
- The horses come out of the field onto hard/sharp gravel and Lottie won't pick up her feet up on there.
- We thought about taking a pilates mat but the other horses can and will reach over the fenceline to bug her while you're trying to lift her feet. It's also impossible to hold a mat still in the wind while managing the electric fence AND leading a horse.
- She's also been stood knee deep in mud so it's very difficult to apply her boots without cleaning her feet. Idelaly you need to bring a bucket of water and a hoof pick to swill them down and clean them out so they'll even fit in the boots.
- By the time you get her off the mat she's on easier ground and only got about thirty metres to walk to the barn.
- Once in the barn the boots have to come off so that her legs and feet can be washed properly before she can go to her stable and have her white line balm applied.
- This process is impossible on your own in the dark. You can't even carry all the stuff down to the field that you will need, nevermind bring it back again while leading a horse!
Okay so this is not completely impossible, I agree... I guess the truth is I don't want to spend more than half of the time I have with Lottie at the end of a long work-day with my backside in the air, getting frustrated by gates swinging at me and horses fighting over me and the rain pouring down the back of my jeans while I transfer mud from one place to another in an attempt to keep her/the boots/something/anything clean. Meanwhile, poor Lottie has to stand & wait quietly for ages getting impatient and justifiably nervous of the other horses and by the ham-fisted nature of the whole thing.
Right enough ranting! Lottie isn't 100% without her boots on across the yard (and the rant is probably a response to my own guilt about this) but we're just going to have to take it slow and deal with it without the boots for turnout over winter.
Before we took her shoes off I'd have read similar to the above by other owners on forums and things and thought 'god, stop exaggerating and put your horse first'... I apologise for those thoughts :-)
Monday, 4 October 2010
Week Ten - Progress On Operation 'Twinkle Toes'
We’ve been bringing Lottie in without her boots on over the last week and she’s definitely very careful (more careful on the 3ft of sharp gravel she crosses) but doesn’t seem particularly sore. Putting boots on to bring in has become more or less unmanageable. With the mud and the girls fighting at the gate on rainy days, it can mean taking your life in your hands bringing them in on your own, nevermind putting your backside in the air to apply boots (see next post!)
The girls have gone from 24/7 turnout to being in over night this week. The rain has been pretty bad over this last weekend but we're thinking/hoping it may well turn better again before winter hits properly.
We've also introduced Simple Systems to their diet in the hope that this will ensure they're getting all they need for healthy hooves! Jazz suspected we'd added arsenic and it's been a slow process for her to get up to the amounts she's supposed to have. Even Lottie was suspicious for a second or two, but it didn't last!
The Veterinary Physiotherapist came out to see Lottie on Thursday. We haven't seen her since we got Lottie about a year ago and it was a good excuse to see her again (the trimmer recommended an osteo/physio to check nothing else was interferring with normal movement).
There was quite a transformation in Lottie after she’d worked her magic. She didn’t think her feet were causing any referred physical problems specifically and thought her front-end/shoulders were just as before (she saw Lottie when we first got her nearly a year ago, so when she had shoes on). There’s a little development and tension in her neck and shoulders from fighting the bit in her past life but she was more concerned about her hind end. She thinks there may be an old injury there from a fall or similar and she’s given us some special massage things to do to keep out the tension. Lottie was really perky afterwards and is definitely moving better! I trotted her up for the physio a couple of times and she said the odd movement was really apparent in a lazy trot and thought this might have been what the trimmer had seen.
Lottie certainly brightened up afterwards and that (along with the colder weather maybe?) has brought back a horse that's definitely more willing to move (whether asked to or not!)
The girls have gone from 24/7 turnout to being in over night this week. The rain has been pretty bad over this last weekend but we're thinking/hoping it may well turn better again before winter hits properly.
We've also introduced Simple Systems to their diet in the hope that this will ensure they're getting all they need for healthy hooves! Jazz suspected we'd added arsenic and it's been a slow process for her to get up to the amounts she's supposed to have. Even Lottie was suspicious for a second or two, but it didn't last!
The Veterinary Physiotherapist came out to see Lottie on Thursday. We haven't seen her since we got Lottie about a year ago and it was a good excuse to see her again (the trimmer recommended an osteo/physio to check nothing else was interferring with normal movement).
There was quite a transformation in Lottie after she’d worked her magic. She didn’t think her feet were causing any referred physical problems specifically and thought her front-end/shoulders were just as before (she saw Lottie when we first got her nearly a year ago, so when she had shoes on). There’s a little development and tension in her neck and shoulders from fighting the bit in her past life but she was more concerned about her hind end. She thinks there may be an old injury there from a fall or similar and she’s given us some special massage things to do to keep out the tension. Lottie was really perky afterwards and is definitely moving better! I trotted her up for the physio a couple of times and she said the odd movement was really apparent in a lazy trot and thought this might have been what the trimmer had seen.
Lottie certainly brightened up afterwards and that (along with the colder weather maybe?) has brought back a horse that's definitely more willing to move (whether asked to or not!)
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Week Nine on the Barefoot Rollercoaster!
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night she went out without boots. The ground has actually been quite hard but this doesn't seem to have caused a problem. Her feet have chipped quite a bit in the last week but we're guessing they probably need to and boots won't help that.
There's been no sign of a particualr problem on the right fore and she's looked even over both fronts.
She looked particularly good on Wednesday night and walked out both on the way in from the field and back out again. She also looked happier in herself and is hanging closer to the rest of the horse group in the field (at her worst times she seems to stand far away from the group and/or hang out with a 30 year old pony)
It rained on and off for the rest of the week but not hard. On Friday she cantered up the field to us barefoot! We took her into the menage and took her boots off for a little trot round. She was pretty desperate to move but definitely still a bit sore so we kept it short. I brushed her down and washed her feet and generally faffed with her for about an hour. She's had her special balm on every day.
On Saturday we played again in the school and she was moving quite nicely with her boots on.
She's had her boots off all week in the field and is definitely standing and walking better as the week has gone on. She's standing higher in her shoulders and has her hind quarters more underneath her.
Apart from the mysterious cold leg incident (see previous post), on balance it's been a positive week for bare feet!
There's been no sign of a particualr problem on the right fore and she's looked even over both fronts.
She looked particularly good on Wednesday night and walked out both on the way in from the field and back out again. She also looked happier in herself and is hanging closer to the rest of the horse group in the field (at her worst times she seems to stand far away from the group and/or hang out with a 30 year old pony)
It rained on and off for the rest of the week but not hard. On Friday she cantered up the field to us barefoot! We took her into the menage and took her boots off for a little trot round. She was pretty desperate to move but definitely still a bit sore so we kept it short. I brushed her down and washed her feet and generally faffed with her for about an hour. She's had her special balm on every day.
On Saturday we played again in the school and she was moving quite nicely with her boots on.
She's had her boots off all week in the field and is definitely standing and walking better as the week has gone on. She's standing higher in her shoulders and has her hind quarters more underneath her.
Apart from the mysterious cold leg incident (see previous post), on balance it's been a positive week for bare feet!
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Mysterious Cold Right Foreleg?!
As I was brushing Lottie, picking out her feet, washing her feet and balming them yesterday, I noticed she'd got one cold leg?!
I assumed she'd been standing on it in a particular way to cut the circulation or standing with her right fore on the cold stone but it stayed cold for a good hour. It was noticeably colder than the others and I even got Chris to feel all her legs and tell me if she could spot a difference between them. She picked the right fore out as cold straight away (like to check that I'm not going nuts and am always glad for this kind of result!) but like me had no idea what might cause it.
We turned her out and the leg was still cold when we took her boots off in the field. We agreed that we'd have to have a feel the next day and take it from there.
Of course I came home and googled 'one cold leg' and couldn't find anything that seemed relevant. I found out about blood clots (of some variety) that can cause both hinds to be cold, but nothing singling out one foreleg.
We spent a good six hours up at the stables today and all four legs remained at the same warm temperature... Maybe I am a little nuts afterall or maybe Lottie was just attention seeking ;-)
I assumed she'd been standing on it in a particular way to cut the circulation or standing with her right fore on the cold stone but it stayed cold for a good hour. It was noticeably colder than the others and I even got Chris to feel all her legs and tell me if she could spot a difference between them. She picked the right fore out as cold straight away (like to check that I'm not going nuts and am always glad for this kind of result!) but like me had no idea what might cause it.
We turned her out and the leg was still cold when we took her boots off in the field. We agreed that we'd have to have a feel the next day and take it from there.
Of course I came home and googled 'one cold leg' and couldn't find anything that seemed relevant. I found out about blood clots (of some variety) that can cause both hinds to be cold, but nothing singling out one foreleg.
We spent a good six hours up at the stables today and all four legs remained at the same warm temperature... Maybe I am a little nuts afterall or maybe Lottie was just attention seeking ;-)
Monday, 20 September 2010
Seedy Toe
When the trimmer came we established that Lottie had a little bit of 'Seedy Toe' in both fronts. After searching the web, and frightening myself silly about it with horror pictures, we bought some fancy soap and balm to hopefully clear it up. The muddy field has made this quite a chore and the process goes something like this...
- Clean out feet and rinse down (soap needs to be applied to a nearly pristine foot otherwise they're still dirty when you're finished!)
- Lather up soap on each foot and leave for a minute.- Pat dry and remove excess soap with cloth/towel
- Apply balm to whole foot and push into cracks and crevices
After doing this daily for a week our backs now have some sympathy with poor trimmers and farriers backs. Why is picking up horses feet so exhausting? Lottie is just about fed-up with having them messed with too and always seems to wriggle when you pick up her right fore. Even so she still trys for us and she practically puts her boots on herself now!
We've finished the daily routine and are washing once a week now but still applying the balm daily.
Cross fingers the effort pays off!
- Clean out feet and rinse down (soap needs to be applied to a nearly pristine foot otherwise they're still dirty when you're finished!)
- Lather up soap on each foot and leave for a minute.- Pat dry and remove excess soap with cloth/towel
- Apply balm to whole foot and push into cracks and crevices
After doing this daily for a week our backs now have some sympathy with poor trimmers and farriers backs. Why is picking up horses feet so exhausting? Lottie is just about fed-up with having them messed with too and always seems to wriggle when you pick up her right fore. Even so she still trys for us and she practically puts her boots on herself now!
We've finished the daily routine and are washing once a week now but still applying the balm daily.
Cross fingers the effort pays off!
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Week Seven & Eight
Progess is so slow and we aren't getting much new information so we're being patient... That means not much to blog!
Lottie was really sore on the right fore again early on in week eight. We walked her on hard smooth ground and she was borderline hopping (we actually stopped 10 metres from the stable and Lottie & I waited while Chris went and got her boots, she looked that sore!). Even with her boots on she was unevenly sore and short-striding on her right fore, toe first landing.
I called the trimmer and he thought it may be an abcess so we set about hammering around her foot in the hope of finding a sensitive spot. We couldn't find anything so we tried again the next day and she was looking better. As the week has gone on she seems to have reverted back to her normal sore. We've hardly had the boots off since as this soreness in her right fore showed up after a night out in the field with naked feet.
However, we'll have to try her again as we're not sure we aren't holding her back with having boots on all the time?!
Lottie was really sore on the right fore again early on in week eight. We walked her on hard smooth ground and she was borderline hopping (we actually stopped 10 metres from the stable and Lottie & I waited while Chris went and got her boots, she looked that sore!). Even with her boots on she was unevenly sore and short-striding on her right fore, toe first landing.
I called the trimmer and he thought it may be an abcess so we set about hammering around her foot in the hope of finding a sensitive spot. We couldn't find anything so we tried again the next day and she was looking better. As the week has gone on she seems to have reverted back to her normal sore. We've hardly had the boots off since as this soreness in her right fore showed up after a night out in the field with naked feet.
However, we'll have to try her again as we're not sure we aren't holding her back with having boots on all the time?!
Monday, 6 September 2010
Week Six - Lottie and Jazz Trimmer Visit
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The link above takes you to before and after pictures from Sunday for both girls. The trimmer came and was very patient while our friend Hannah photographed every possible angle for us!
The news on foot scores wasn't as good as I was hoping for but then maybe my expectations were a little unrealistic. Our footman put Jazz at a 3 out of 10 and Lottie at 2 out of 10 and of course both are doing better on their backs than fronts.
I'll put the main points/things we are dealing with in a follow-up post.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Lottie's Foot Pics - Five Weeks into Transition
Left fore solar view. The purple hue is slight staining from anti-fungal spray.
Left Fore side view. The right fore is just in shot and is interesting from this angle too... Any more curl up and it might need a bell on the end! You can't see the angle change on the left fore here but I think there is a change in colour just about a third of the way down on each hoof? I think this may be the post-shoe growth.
Right fore solar at an angle..JPG)
Right fore solar view
Right fore from the side. The toes have grown quite considerably. All nail holes have gone. It's not clear on these photos but there is a distinct change in angle about a third of the way down on each foot, which I think is where the shoes were taken off? If so there's been quite a good bit of growth.
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Week Five - Taking it A Few Days Together
Tuesday 17th August evening - Called and texted the foot man. Lottie looked sore in the field without her boots when she walked up to greet us. Chris admitted she'd woken up in the night thinking about Lotties feet! We're both a bit worried now that she's been in some pain for some time now and it doesn't seem to be changing.
It rained pretty much all the rest of the week and we kept her boots on until the weekend when she was looking much better. Still tender in boots on very hard surfaces so we're wondering if that's a pressure thing, maybe infection related?! We gave her feet a good clean and spray and turned out without boots for the weekend as the ground is very muddy and slippy with boots.
Spoke to the Foot Man and he is coming at the beginning of September so not long to go now! He didn't seem too worried about where she's at when we spoke but I asked him to come as soon as he could as her feet have grown quite a bit/need a tidy.
Sunday 22nd August - A friend who knows a little about barefoot and has plenty of boots to let us try came up to the yard. Both Jazz and Lottie fitted the size 4 Old Mac G2's?! Lotties right fore was very tight squeeze but she's got quite a bit of toe on there and at least we know they could definitely be used for Jazz. She didn't have anything aprticularly shocking to say about their feet... Just that they didn't have much hoof but generally looked normal to her for this stage. Chris and I took photos of Lotties fores which I'll post. We also borrowed a couple of KC la Piere DVDs and have agreed there's no avoiding getting a good understanding of hooves work!
It rained pretty much all the rest of the week and we kept her boots on until the weekend when she was looking much better. Still tender in boots on very hard surfaces so we're wondering if that's a pressure thing, maybe infection related?! We gave her feet a good clean and spray and turned out without boots for the weekend as the ground is very muddy and slippy with boots.
Spoke to the Foot Man and he is coming at the beginning of September so not long to go now! He didn't seem too worried about where she's at when we spoke but I asked him to come as soon as he could as her feet have grown quite a bit/need a tidy.
Sunday 22nd August - A friend who knows a little about barefoot and has plenty of boots to let us try came up to the yard. Both Jazz and Lottie fitted the size 4 Old Mac G2's?! Lotties right fore was very tight squeeze but she's got quite a bit of toe on there and at least we know they could definitely be used for Jazz. She didn't have anything aprticularly shocking to say about their feet... Just that they didn't have much hoof but generally looked normal to her for this stage. Chris and I took photos of Lotties fores which I'll post. We also borrowed a couple of KC la Piere DVDs and have agreed there's no avoiding getting a good understanding of hooves work!
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Week Four... Taking it Day by Day
Monday 9th August - Sunday 15th August
Both girls have quite a bit of chipping on their front hooves. We did have a go at them with some sand-paper last week but got pretty much no-where! More rain planned this week and as she looked ok on yard we put Lottie out without boots at the beginning of the week. Jazz is walking down to the field at the moment without hers on at all and is fairly good on them but still choosing the best path.
Both of them could do with a good tidy as they look a bit chipped and messy! However the solar view is looking increasingly 'normal foot' like in my limited opinion. The frogs are more clearly defined and there are a lot less flappy bits and crevices to keep clean than there were.
Both girls have quite a bit of chipping on their front hooves. We did have a go at them with some sand-paper last week but got pretty much no-where! More rain planned this week and as she looked ok on yard we put Lottie out without boots at the beginning of the week. Jazz is walking down to the field at the moment without hers on at all and is fairly good on them but still choosing the best path.
Both of them could do with a good tidy as they look a bit chipped and messy! However the solar view is looking increasingly 'normal foot' like in my limited opinion. The frogs are more clearly defined and there are a lot less flappy bits and crevices to keep clean than there were.
There's been some whispering at the yard but nothing we can't cope with... we walked back into the barn with Lottie one night (after trying her out barefoot on smooth, hard ground) to find a couple of horse-owners on the yard quickly ending a hushed conversation... Wonder what that was about? I shouldn't speculate, I know! :-)
Even though Lottie played some fancy and exhuberant games in the big field on Thursday night we put her boots back on for turnout towards the end of the week. We're a bit stuck/unsure now as she doesn't seem to be improving or deteriorating, and it could be that that's normal?! She still seems pretty sore on occasions, even on smooth ground, and we're not sure if the cause is just the usual transition barefoot stuff or if we're missing something more serious.
They finished the last of their Aloe Vera on Saturday. Holland and Barrett have dried up (the sale stuff at least which worked out at £1.50 per horse, per day) and the cheapest non-sale stuff works out at about £4 per horse per day! We're hoping we've given them a good start with the first four weeks and plan to buy more as soon as we can get some sale stuff!
The plan is to take some more photos this week and to get a date in for the girls next visit with the footman which should be fairly sooon, cross fingers!
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Week Three... Taking it Day by Day
Sunday 1st August
I went up and gave the girls a carrot and a pat. Chris brought them in and had no major things to report about their feet... Just the same.
Monday 2nd August
We took both girls for a walk in the big field and put boots on both of them to get over the gravel on the way. Lottie is walking out in her boots and without in the turnout field. She only looked a littel uncomfortable over the first, rough part of the turnout field but she's very reluctant to leave us at turnout at the moment so it's hard to tell how much of it is that!
Tuesday 3rd August
We considered putting Lottie out in her boots for a rest but actually she's looking pretty good out there. Also the weather is so unpredictable and although the weather forecast says no rain is due, the sky is saying different! Just brought in for a bit of feed and turned them straight back out again.
Wednesday 4th August
I was so glad we didn't bother with boots as it's rained on-and off for the last 24 hours... Until we go to the yard! Lottie limped up after naked trotting up every other night this week. I put her boots on but she was still pretty reluctant on the walk from the field to the barn. Chris and I had a look together and it definitely looks like the right fore but possibly/probably a bit sore on both. We gave her feet a good clean and pressed and prodded but couldn't find a local source of the pain... She stood beautifully. We left her in her stable to rest for an hour or so and then when we turned her out in her boots again she was looking a little better.
We'll see how she is tomorrow :-(
Thursday 5th August
Lottie looked quite a bit better so we took her to the big field to graze and moved her around a bit. I only asked for walk but she was offering trot and looked ok. We took her on the yard to work on taking a couple of steps forward and then a couple back behind me and Chris noticed she looked a bit off again so I walked her forward and she looked really sore, again more significantly on the right fore but probably a bit so in both. We gave her some herbal bute replacement (Alphabute) in her dinner and turned her out... I think she looked the sorest I've seen her and she actually looked a bit depressed about it :-(
If we are honest I think Chris and I are pretty gutted... We knew it would take a while but she's looked so good prior to this that I think we were getting excited a little prematurely. Well I know I was!
Friday 6th August
Lottie looked better again today and was walking well barefoot on flat ground. She looked good enought that we put her out without boots as we are going to be back first thing for a play and rain is expected. She looks good walking around the turnout field again.
Saturday 7th August
I played with Lottie in the big field and she seemed pretty good. We had a 30 min session (boots on obviously) and then another one about an hour later and she stayed looking good. We turned her out in boots to be sure as I was hoping to do some other bits with her tomorrow.
Sunday 8th August
She looked better again today and I had planned to take her in the big field for a roam and graze but the YO was using it. We played on the yard and again she is fine with her boots on and even chose to go over stony ground at points but she looked to me like she could feel it and regretted it a little.
We gave her feet a clean and spray and turned her out with her boots on. Let's hope for a more consistently good week next week!
I went up and gave the girls a carrot and a pat. Chris brought them in and had no major things to report about their feet... Just the same.
Monday 2nd August
We took both girls for a walk in the big field and put boots on both of them to get over the gravel on the way. Lottie is walking out in her boots and without in the turnout field. She only looked a littel uncomfortable over the first, rough part of the turnout field but she's very reluctant to leave us at turnout at the moment so it's hard to tell how much of it is that!
Tuesday 3rd August
We considered putting Lottie out in her boots for a rest but actually she's looking pretty good out there. Also the weather is so unpredictable and although the weather forecast says no rain is due, the sky is saying different! Just brought in for a bit of feed and turned them straight back out again.
Wednesday 4th August
I was so glad we didn't bother with boots as it's rained on-and off for the last 24 hours... Until we go to the yard! Lottie limped up after naked trotting up every other night this week. I put her boots on but she was still pretty reluctant on the walk from the field to the barn. Chris and I had a look together and it definitely looks like the right fore but possibly/probably a bit sore on both. We gave her feet a good clean and pressed and prodded but couldn't find a local source of the pain... She stood beautifully. We left her in her stable to rest for an hour or so and then when we turned her out in her boots again she was looking a little better.
We'll see how she is tomorrow :-(
Thursday 5th August
Lottie looked quite a bit better so we took her to the big field to graze and moved her around a bit. I only asked for walk but she was offering trot and looked ok. We took her on the yard to work on taking a couple of steps forward and then a couple back behind me and Chris noticed she looked a bit off again so I walked her forward and she looked really sore, again more significantly on the right fore but probably a bit so in both. We gave her some herbal bute replacement (Alphabute) in her dinner and turned her out... I think she looked the sorest I've seen her and she actually looked a bit depressed about it :-(
If we are honest I think Chris and I are pretty gutted... We knew it would take a while but she's looked so good prior to this that I think we were getting excited a little prematurely. Well I know I was!
Friday 6th August
Lottie looked better again today and was walking well barefoot on flat ground. She looked good enought that we put her out without boots as we are going to be back first thing for a play and rain is expected. She looks good walking around the turnout field again.
Saturday 7th August
I played with Lottie in the big field and she seemed pretty good. We had a 30 min session (boots on obviously) and then another one about an hour later and she stayed looking good. We turned her out in boots to be sure as I was hoping to do some other bits with her tomorrow.
Sunday 8th August
She looked better again today and I had planned to take her in the big field for a roam and graze but the YO was using it. We played on the yard and again she is fine with her boots on and even chose to go over stony ground at points but she looked to me like she could feel it and regretted it a little.
We gave her feet a clean and spray and turned her out with her boots on. Let's hope for a more consistently good week next week!
Friday, 6 August 2010
Really Sore on Right Fore!
The last two days Lottie has been sore on both front feet but particularly her right fore. Sufficient to say we're very sad about it, particularly as she was doing so well but 'what to do?' is the focus of this post. I might come back to the worry and angst on another post!
Ok so here's my best description of her lameness with boots on...
1) It's partly intermittent (you could think she'd just caught a stone) but seems to last when it comes on (20 mins+).
2) I think it might be worse on hard ground (rough or not) even with boots on
3) She's possibly a little toe-first in her footfall, although this is harder to see in boots
What could it be?
No 1 Suspect = An abcess brewing
No 2 Suspect = Soreness due to a long and unevenly chipped toe
It could be a number of other things and any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!
What to do?
Assuming it's one of the above then we're trying the following. Firstly, we're giving a low dose of a herbal anti-inflammatory and going to sand-paper a bit of the toe back. If that doesn't work then I guess it's farrier/vet time. The farrier is great but obviously we'd rather not have to persuade him she's better off without shoes on, just at the moment!
Any advice or comments please!
Ok so here's my best description of her lameness with boots on...
1) It's partly intermittent (you could think she'd just caught a stone) but seems to last when it comes on (20 mins+).
2) I think it might be worse on hard ground (rough or not) even with boots on
3) She's possibly a little toe-first in her footfall, although this is harder to see in boots
What could it be?
No 1 Suspect = An abcess brewing
No 2 Suspect = Soreness due to a long and unevenly chipped toe
It could be a number of other things and any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!
What to do?
Assuming it's one of the above then we're trying the following. Firstly, we're giving a low dose of a herbal anti-inflammatory and going to sand-paper a bit of the toe back. If that doesn't work then I guess it's farrier/vet time. The farrier is great but obviously we'd rather not have to persuade him she's better off without shoes on, just at the moment!
Any advice or comments please!
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Week Two... Taking it Day by Day
Week two progress in detail...
Day Eight - Sunday 25th July 2010
I was off up North so didn’t see the girls! Chris reported that they were doing pretty well and she had a ride on Jazz in her new boots and Jazz seemed pretty comfortable. The left fore boot is pretty tight though and Chris was a bit worried about them rubbing. Still they’re fine for the walk across the gravel to turn out but another/better solution will be needed in the long term... in particular for exercise and ridden work.
Lottie kept her boots on for turnout and Jazz went bootless.
Day Nine - Monday 26th July 2010
Both girls are looking pretty good. I used the new purple spray that I picked up at the weekend in a massive well known saddlery store. Thank god I had the foresight not to read the benefits of any more hoof care products (there were literally hundreds!) as I’m sure I’d have bought them all. This seemed sensible stuff... Talked about ‘challenging’ rather than ‘nuking’ and, I know it’s lazy but, a spray is making life so much simpler on busy evenings!
There’s been a bit of rain over the last couple of days so we walked both girls out in boots and took them off in the field so they could go properly barefoot!
Day Ten - Tuesday 27th July 2010
Chris has been desperately pursuing some better fitting boots for Jazz but with no joy so far. She got some advice that suggested it was a thoroughbred-type hooves issue but could be due to flare. We don’t think she’s got a particular flare and that the ‘being down to type’ suggestion sounds more likely. Easyboots-Why we can't get any to fit
We took some photos of Jazz’s feet tonight to keep track on their progress all the same. They look pretty good to me, considering the short amount of time that has passed since her shoes were removed, but any suggestions/comments on their progress would be most welcome! Jazz's foot pics today
We walked both girls out in boots and took them off in the field.
Day Eleven - Wednesday 28th July 2010
Lottie was out without boots and looked a bit sore in the field when we went to fetch her. We put her boots on to take her for a play in the big field and she was definitely moving better than last Friday when we did the same and she was up for it! She’s been a bit bored with all this obsessing about her feet and forgetting about the rest of her. We turned her out in her boots to give her a rest from the hard ground.
Jazz seemed pretty good and Chris put her boots on for a ride. She had one very smelly foot tonight but Chris wasn’t sure if it was thrush so she gave it a pick out and spray with the purple stuff. Thrush?
Day Twelve - Thursday 29th July 2010
Jazz came in without boots on and seemed pretty good! Chris thought she had seemed more hesitant on the way back out without boots on and we wondered whether it was a downhill thing, as we ascend on the way in and descend on the way out. The smelly foot was not nearly as smelly so we’re hoping it was a rotting bit of rubbish stuck in there, rather than actual rotting foot, that was causing the stench!
We played with Lottie in the field and she was very happy to move in her boots. The temperature has dropped over the last couple of days. Chris and Jazz went out for a ride and Jazz was apparently very comfortable going forward and was up for some fun too!
Meanwhile I picked out and washed Lottie’s feet. I used a very dilute hibiscrub and water solution and rinsed each thoroughly. My rationale being that this would hold back the bacteria production in the crevices without giving them an extremely sterile and perfectly Ph balanced area to go wild in... We’ll see! I purple sprayed them too just to be on the safe side and managed to dye myself and the yard owner’s aisle floor too... ooops!
In terms of progress then there’s quite a bit of flappy and undefined frog on both Lottie’s fores and I’m able to just pull a few bits off without any difficulty. If she is at all tender it is on her right fore - she’s more reluctant to pick the left fore up and is more fidgety when having the right fore picked out. Also, the right fore frog is all over the shop and the hoof pick goes quite deep under it.
Her feet didn’t smell at all even though she’d been out in boots all day so I’m hoping that means we’re winning the battle against microbes! Turned Lottie out in boots and Jazz without.
Day Thirteen - Friday 30th July 2010
Jazz is looking really good and came in without boots on beautifully. Her feet are pretty flat and hard/well-formed at the front. Between that and the dry ground there was nothing much to pick out. She was just a little tender on the way back out when she caught a stone but is looking great in the field.
Lottie is looking 100% in her boots and I gave her feet a quick pick out. There was quite a bit of rain forecast so both girls were barefoot for turnout.
Day Fourteen - Saturday 31st July 2010
Both girls are looking good in the field without their boots on. Lottie played in the big field with her boots on like an old pro! She did a little slip and managed to turn her left fore boot but keep the gel pad in-line with her hoof. Her hooves have started to chip and the new hoof growth seems considerably straighter/more upright so we're guessing she may actually need smaller boots in the long run. The Cavallo boots have definitely given quite a bit too, so I can sense a new boots purchase in the near future!
We took photos of her feet and we tried to snip a bit of the flappy frog off the left fore. They've grown a phenomenal amount in two weeks and you can see how low the nail marks are in the photos Lotties foot pics
Day Eight - Sunday 25th July 2010
I was off up North so didn’t see the girls! Chris reported that they were doing pretty well and she had a ride on Jazz in her new boots and Jazz seemed pretty comfortable. The left fore boot is pretty tight though and Chris was a bit worried about them rubbing. Still they’re fine for the walk across the gravel to turn out but another/better solution will be needed in the long term... in particular for exercise and ridden work.
Lottie kept her boots on for turnout and Jazz went bootless.
Day Nine - Monday 26th July 2010
Both girls are looking pretty good. I used the new purple spray that I picked up at the weekend in a massive well known saddlery store. Thank god I had the foresight not to read the benefits of any more hoof care products (there were literally hundreds!) as I’m sure I’d have bought them all. This seemed sensible stuff... Talked about ‘challenging’ rather than ‘nuking’ and, I know it’s lazy but, a spray is making life so much simpler on busy evenings!
There’s been a bit of rain over the last couple of days so we walked both girls out in boots and took them off in the field so they could go properly barefoot!
Day Ten - Tuesday 27th July 2010
Chris has been desperately pursuing some better fitting boots for Jazz but with no joy so far. She got some advice that suggested it was a thoroughbred-type hooves issue but could be due to flare. We don’t think she’s got a particular flare and that the ‘being down to type’ suggestion sounds more likely. Easyboots-Why we can't get any to fit
We took some photos of Jazz’s feet tonight to keep track on their progress all the same. They look pretty good to me, considering the short amount of time that has passed since her shoes were removed, but any suggestions/comments on their progress would be most welcome! Jazz's foot pics today
We walked both girls out in boots and took them off in the field.
Day Eleven - Wednesday 28th July 2010
Lottie was out without boots and looked a bit sore in the field when we went to fetch her. We put her boots on to take her for a play in the big field and she was definitely moving better than last Friday when we did the same and she was up for it! She’s been a bit bored with all this obsessing about her feet and forgetting about the rest of her. We turned her out in her boots to give her a rest from the hard ground.
Jazz seemed pretty good and Chris put her boots on for a ride. She had one very smelly foot tonight but Chris wasn’t sure if it was thrush so she gave it a pick out and spray with the purple stuff. Thrush?
Day Twelve - Thursday 29th July 2010
Jazz came in without boots on and seemed pretty good! Chris thought she had seemed more hesitant on the way back out without boots on and we wondered whether it was a downhill thing, as we ascend on the way in and descend on the way out. The smelly foot was not nearly as smelly so we’re hoping it was a rotting bit of rubbish stuck in there, rather than actual rotting foot, that was causing the stench!
We played with Lottie in the field and she was very happy to move in her boots. The temperature has dropped over the last couple of days. Chris and Jazz went out for a ride and Jazz was apparently very comfortable going forward and was up for some fun too!
Meanwhile I picked out and washed Lottie’s feet. I used a very dilute hibiscrub and water solution and rinsed each thoroughly. My rationale being that this would hold back the bacteria production in the crevices without giving them an extremely sterile and perfectly Ph balanced area to go wild in... We’ll see! I purple sprayed them too just to be on the safe side and managed to dye myself and the yard owner’s aisle floor too... ooops!
In terms of progress then there’s quite a bit of flappy and undefined frog on both Lottie’s fores and I’m able to just pull a few bits off without any difficulty. If she is at all tender it is on her right fore - she’s more reluctant to pick the left fore up and is more fidgety when having the right fore picked out. Also, the right fore frog is all over the shop and the hoof pick goes quite deep under it.
Her feet didn’t smell at all even though she’d been out in boots all day so I’m hoping that means we’re winning the battle against microbes! Turned Lottie out in boots and Jazz without.
Day Thirteen - Friday 30th July 2010
Jazz is looking really good and came in without boots on beautifully. Her feet are pretty flat and hard/well-formed at the front. Between that and the dry ground there was nothing much to pick out. She was just a little tender on the way back out when she caught a stone but is looking great in the field.
Lottie is looking 100% in her boots and I gave her feet a quick pick out. There was quite a bit of rain forecast so both girls were barefoot for turnout.
Day Fourteen - Saturday 31st July 2010
Both girls are looking good in the field without their boots on. Lottie played in the big field with her boots on like an old pro! She did a little slip and managed to turn her left fore boot but keep the gel pad in-line with her hoof. Her hooves have started to chip and the new hoof growth seems considerably straighter/more upright so we're guessing she may actually need smaller boots in the long run. The Cavallo boots have definitely given quite a bit too, so I can sense a new boots purchase in the near future!
We took photos of her feet and we tried to snip a bit of the flappy frog off the left fore. They've grown a phenomenal amount in two weeks and you can see how low the nail marks are in the photos Lotties foot pics
Lottie's Foot Pics - Two Weeks into Transition
Left Fore - some good chipping and nail holes nearly out!
Left Fore from the side
Left Fore Soul - A bit of a cauliflower edge... Looks pretty like a flower!
Right Fore - Nail holes pretty much gone on this side
Right Fore side view
The camera deleted my right fore soul shot, which is a shame as the frog is a bit messier on this side and so quite interesting to look at. I'll get another photo in the next day or so and post it up here.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Thrush?
The night before last I was picking out Jazz's front feet when I noticed that the collateral grooves looked a bit darker than usual on one hoof, it didn't smell very pleasant either, is this thrush? I think it must be. Anyway fortunately Kerry had just bought some kind of spray which inhibits thrush without removing all the natural anti-infection properties of the hoof (in preference to hibiscrub which is not recommended apparently - see earlier post!) so I sprayed some on. Tonight it was better but not completely gone so I sprayed a bit more on. It's great stuff -bright purple so it's easy to see where it goes.
I don't think Jazz has ever had thrush before so I am stumped that she's got it 10 days after the removal of the shoe. Why might this be? Anyone care to enlighten me? Is it just a coincidence?
I found this info helpful but it didn't answer my question: http://successful-natural-horsecare.com/health-problems/horse-thrush/
I don't think Jazz has ever had thrush before so I am stumped that she's got it 10 days after the removal of the shoe. Why might this be? Anyone care to enlighten me? Is it just a coincidence?
I found this info helpful but it didn't answer my question: http://successful-natural-horsecare.com/health-problems/horse-thrush/
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Jazz's Foot Pics - Today
Jazz's forefeet today! The left has been shoeless for 9 days the right lost a shoe before the barefoot man came so has been naked for about 15 days.
Left fore soul
Left fore on the ground
Left fore Up
Right Fore soul
Right fore on the ground
Right fore up
Easyboots - why we can't get any to fit!
A very kind person sent me this information when I emailed and asked why we can't get any easyboots to fit:
There is an 'issue' with wider than long hooves I'm afraid! Easycare is a US company and the biggest manufacturer of hoof boots in the world. Unfortunately the wider than long hoof seems to be something that is only really a problem in the UK (roughly 20-25%) mainly due to our TB and draft types.
She goes on to say:
The good news though is that Easycare are working on a wider fit glove (a lot of horses have a round front foot) which should solve the problem for most.
Well - at least we know now!
There is an 'issue' with wider than long hooves I'm afraid! Easycare is a US company and the biggest manufacturer of hoof boots in the world. Unfortunately the wider than long hoof seems to be something that is only really a problem in the UK (roughly 20-25%) mainly due to our TB and draft types.
She goes on to say:
The good news though is that Easycare are working on a wider fit glove (a lot of horses have a round front foot) which should solve the problem for most.
Well - at least we know now!
Monday, 26 July 2010
Barefoot Success- You Hold the Keys!
Barefoot Success- You Hold the Keys!
So it's down to us... Gulp!
So it's down to us... Gulp!
Transitioning to Barefoot- What to Expect
Transitioning to Barefoot- What to Expect
This has made me feel a bit better about the whole thing and given hints on what to look out for. We need to get some piccies of feet so we can watch the changes...
This has made me feel a bit better about the whole thing and given hints on what to look out for. We need to get some piccies of feet so we can watch the changes...
Sunday, 25 July 2010
The (possibly) miraculous benefits of Aloe Vera
Unexpected advice from the barefoot man was that Aloe Vera juice is the 'in' thing to give newly barefoot horses, it makes the hooves grow quicker or something. [Edited to add in Kerry's more grown-up explanation that it is 'highly recommended for tissue/hoof recovery'] However, the amount we need to feed and the subsequent expense this will incur makes me feel quite faint. The day after we get this advice and are mulling it over we have a stroke of luck, some bottles of Aloe Vera juice on sale in the shops have apparently been contaminated by Ketamine (of all things) which results in Holland and Barrett (and possibly everyone else) reducing the price of their current stock by half.
After we've done a bit of internet searching to find out if there is any 'real' research showing that Aloe Vera juice is benficial for hooves (there is) Kerry rushes off to buy some. She says she will try and pick out the ones with Ketamine and I say yes, good idea - at least it will keep the horses quiet...
We keep our fingers crossed that they will both like the juice and they do, they eat up their feed as usual without apparently noticing any difference. This amazes me, Jazz is notorious for being able to spot, and instantly reject, any suspicious additions to her feed.
We are feeding one bottle between them every day and there is slightly more juice in one bottle than we need so each night Kerry and I have a swig as well. Ah well, can't do any harm. I keep looking at my nails to see if they're growing any quicker but I haven't noticed anything yet.
After we've done a bit of internet searching to find out if there is any 'real' research showing that Aloe Vera juice is benficial for hooves (there is) Kerry rushes off to buy some. She says she will try and pick out the ones with Ketamine and I say yes, good idea - at least it will keep the horses quiet...
We keep our fingers crossed that they will both like the juice and they do, they eat up their feed as usual without apparently noticing any difference. This amazes me, Jazz is notorious for being able to spot, and instantly reject, any suspicious additions to her feed.
We are feeding one bottle between them every day and there is slightly more juice in one bottle than we need so each night Kerry and I have a swig as well. Ah well, can't do any harm. I keep looking at my nails to see if they're growing any quicker but I haven't noticed anything yet.
One week after shoe removal
Today Lottie has been barefoot for a week and a day. We've had to keep the Cavallo's on all the time as the ground is like concrete. One evening she cantered off down the hill in them - foot perfect. Amazingly they not only stay on but she appears to be perfectly happy and comfortable in them. Each day we bring her in for an hour or two, wipe the inside of the boots with milton and spray her soles with a solution of hibiscrub. I've no idea if this is the 'right' thing to do but it seems to be working so far. No sign of thrush and everything looks healthy. The boots always smell when we take them off - very similar to human feet! There is a very slight dampness where her the bottom of her hoof rests on the boot, just natural moisture I guess.
So far we are thrilled with the Cavallos for Lottie. The size three is a bit big for Jazz so I order a size 2. Typically when they arrive they fit one foot perfectly but are a bit of a squeeze on her bigger foot! I am not sure that they will be ok, I ride her in them and they ruffle the hair on the larger hoof though she goes fine in them and I'm pleased with the grip, the bigger foot is too tight for a pastern wrap so I don't think they're a long terms solution. Fortunately her feet seem to be doing well, she is trotting sound on grass and concrete and is completely sound in the sand school. This is just as well as she is fat and needs exercise. I may order some Old Mac G2s on trial. Why did I think going barefoot would be a cheap option!?
So far we are thrilled with the Cavallos for Lottie. The size three is a bit big for Jazz so I order a size 2. Typically when they arrive they fit one foot perfectly but are a bit of a squeeze on her bigger foot! I am not sure that they will be ok, I ride her in them and they ruffle the hair on the larger hoof though she goes fine in them and I'm pleased with the grip, the bigger foot is too tight for a pastern wrap so I don't think they're a long terms solution. Fortunately her feet seem to be doing well, she is trotting sound on grass and concrete and is completely sound in the sand school. This is just as well as she is fat and needs exercise. I may order some Old Mac G2s on trial. Why did I think going barefoot would be a cheap option!?
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Week One... Taking it Day by Day
Day One - Sunday 18th July 2010
Barefoot man came riding in on his trusty white steed (err sparkly mushroom coloured 4x4), took their shoes off and we were in love! Our horses have been liberated from the oppression of metal shoes... They're free, finally free!
We rush out and get a pair of Cavallos and use them for the walk to turnout. Neither horse looks too bad, just freshly trimmed and feeling their way in new feet.
Day Two - Monday 19th July 2010
I went up to the yard on my own just to give them a carrot and check them over. Horses looking a little sorry for themselves in the field and emergency boots application definitely required for Lottie. However, this is quite difficult with only one pair of hands in the field, particularly given said horse’s reluctance to pick any feet up now they’re sore!
Ring Chris and arrange a zero seven hundred hours rendezvous the next morning... Have already fallen out of love with hoof man!
Day Three - Tuesday 20th July 2010
7am Down to the field armed with two purple pilates mats, new boots, pastern wraps, halter, vet wrap and big stick to discourage other horses. No hoof pick... Ooops! Chris ended up using fingers and an old towel to clean feet while Lottie used the Pilates mats as chew toy. We put bright orange vet wrap around the boot straps in the hope of holding them down and left the field wondering what we'd find at our evening visit.
6.30pm Both horses looking good! Lottie kept her boots on and even kept the vet wrap completely on one hoof boot. She is sporting the other band of wrap as a bright orange anklet... Very eighties/retro!
The routine with one pair of boots is - Bring Lottie in take boots and pastern wraps off, give boots a quick wipe and take back down to the field to get Jazz. Put boots on Jazz in field bring her in and take the boots off. Give food. Put boots back on Jazz to turn her out and then take them off in field. Clean boots and Lotties feet thoroughly before putting boots back on to turn Lottie out. I'm sure we'll get quicker but it's 8.00pm before we leave the yard!
Called barefoot man at around 9pm from home in blind panic at the level of management and footy-ness already (not sure what I was expecting?!). He said to give low level anti-inflammatory and to bring in if Lottie is out in boots and it starts to rain. I look out the window at home (circa one hour’s drive from yard) and the heavens open. He agrees to my request and will come back on Thursday (Not sure what I’m expecting him to do exactly!.. Other than some reassurance!)
Day Four - Wednesday 21st July 2010
Lottie kept her boots on again and have to say I'm pretty impressed! She's never worn them before and was initially sure it was 'another new game that these weirdo humans have devised for me'. You could see her considering what we might want her to do with them as she stuck her forefoot out in front and checked the boot out, one eye at a time (left eye first and then the right!). This is the potential problem with teaching your horse to be a puzzle solver that the NH gurus never warn you about!
We had to walk both horses in past the farrier... Cringe! We tried to look small and to convince the girls to cover up their footiness and be nonchalant but I’m sure they only exaggerated it more whilst giving him the “save me” look!
We did the boots routine and Jazz still looking a bit sore on harder ground but seems fairly even on both feet. You can definitely see when she's stood on a stone though... Ouch!
Day Five - Thursday 22nd July 2010
Get up to the yard early (about 4pm) and bring in before we have to go out to dinner and in anticipation of Mr Barefoot returning. It also means Lottie gets some time without the boots on as we've been warned about the damp in the boot potentially being a problem. The boots do smell like old trainers already, in spite of the milton and hibiscrub treatment. Jazz trotted up to greet us and Lottie did a lovely floaty canter, which was impressive in clumpy boots!
Get back to the yard after dinner and barefoot man calls to say he can’t make it and is very apologetic. I’m stumped when he asks whether he can help over the phone... As the weeks gone on I think we’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s going to be challenging and just take some time.
Day Six - Friday 23rd July 2010
No work, so morning meet-up at the yard. After a quick tail wash we took Lottie out into the big field (long grass, pretty smooth although still quite hard ground) and moved her about a bit without the boots on. Definite reluctance to trot so we didn’t push it, let her graze and brought her back in with boots on.
Brought Jazz in and she seemed the same as before... Little sore in the field but not reluctant to move and ok with boots, even though pretty big boots on her!
There’s been quite a bit of rain and the field was softer than it had been for some time so we turned both horses out without boots on in the field.
Day Seven - Saturday 24th July 2010
Jazz’s boots arrived! We brought them both in and one boot seems a little pinchy on Jazz but hoping they’ll stretch?! Lottie was uncomfortable and we agreed to keep the boots on in the field for the next few days, unless we get enough rain to soften the ground a bit more!
Turned them both back out together for the first time this week! Lottie kept her boots on and Jazz took her new boots off in the field (saving them for best J)
We’ve got two pairs of boots and a routine now... Who knows, we might even be able to do something non-foot related with them next week!
Hoof boots!
I was looking forward to choosing hoof boots for the girls. The only kind of shopping for myself that I like is shoe shopping - and I'd kind of imagined it would be a bit similar. It was at first - I drooled over the wide range available on the internet. But reality soon hit...
The boots that I found information on all included: all types of easyboots, old mac original and G2, marquis supergrip, renegades, cavallos and boas, my farrier also told me about hoofwings. It soon became apparent though that it wasn't a case of just choosing some you fancy, different types are more or less suitable for different shaped feet and some are difficult to get in the UK. At least, we found it so. From our rough and ready measurings we came to the conclusion that we could probably rule out all types of easyboots as they are only suitable for hooves that are longer than they are wide. This was disappointing as the easyboot gloves were the ones I was really starting to fancy.
We decided that we would have their feet measured by 'the barefoot man' when we had the front shoes removed as neither of us were confident that we could measure them correctly. So... we waited for the barefoot man to come and remove the front shoes. Some of you may be able to spot the small flaw in this plan.
Once the feet had been measured properly by someone competent with a ruler we sat down to work out which boots would be best. Result - very few. Both horses do have feet wider than they are long and Jazz also has one foot bigger than the other, great.
So this was the list:
All types of easyboots: No (don't fit wider than long hooves)
Boas: No (I used to ride Jazz in these and found them lethal on wet grass)
Renegades: (A possibility but we can't currently find a UK supplier and feel we need advice for these)
Old mac: No - too wide!
Old mac G2: A possiblity for Jazz, advice from a supplier of boots was that these would be best
Cavallos: A possiblity
Marquis supergrip: Decided against after reading negative posts on internet
Hoofwings: The best bet as custom made BUT take six weeks to arrive and in Jazz's case she would have to have 'special moulds' for her odd sized feet which would double the price!
Friday, 23 July 2010
A few of my misconceptions!
I've never wanted to be an expert on barefoot but I have read around the subject a bit. Here are a few things I've learned over the past week!
1. Newly barefoot horses need lots of walking on hard surfaces, no pain no gain - WRONG! Horses must be comfortable at all times, so it's boots on any surface that makes them even slightly uncomfortable. In our case this means booting Lottie's friend Jazz each time she has to walk the short distance from field to stable.
2. Gravel and pea gravel mean the same thing - WRONG! I kept reading about 'pea gravel' being good for barefoot horses but in my head I had missed off the 'pea' and replaced it with just 'gravel'. I knew what pea gravel was but I hadn't joined the dots... In case you don't know what pea gravel is, it is a very small and round type of gravel with no sharp edges. You could look at it and know that you could walk over it barefoot. Plain old 'gravel' is completely different. We couldn't walk on it barefoot and neither can the horses - not without a lot of preparation. It's important to know the difference.
3. You can spend time happily selecting from a wide range of hoof boots - WRONG! Oh how I was looking forward to choosing from the myriad of types now available. What a disappointment to discover that there are few boots that will fit our horses... both have front hooves that are roundish and slightly wider than they are long.
1. Newly barefoot horses need lots of walking on hard surfaces, no pain no gain - WRONG! Horses must be comfortable at all times, so it's boots on any surface that makes them even slightly uncomfortable. In our case this means booting Lottie's friend Jazz each time she has to walk the short distance from field to stable.
2. Gravel and pea gravel mean the same thing - WRONG! I kept reading about 'pea gravel' being good for barefoot horses but in my head I had missed off the 'pea' and replaced it with just 'gravel'. I knew what pea gravel was but I hadn't joined the dots... In case you don't know what pea gravel is, it is a very small and round type of gravel with no sharp edges. You could look at it and know that you could walk over it barefoot. Plain old 'gravel' is completely different. We couldn't walk on it barefoot and neither can the horses - not without a lot of preparation. It's important to know the difference.
3. You can spend time happily selecting from a wide range of hoof boots - WRONG! Oh how I was looking forward to choosing from the myriad of types now available. What a disappointment to discover that there are few boots that will fit our horses... both have front hooves that are roundish and slightly wider than they are long.
Barefoot Essentials
This is a list of things we've needed, used, acquired or are trying to acquire in the first week of having both horses front shoes removed... This list assumes the tack cupboard is bare and includes everything we've used!
1) Knowledgeable and patient barefoot professional/trimmer - Got!
2) Some patience of your own - Got some, think we'll need a bit more yet!
3) Horses that will pick their feet up easily(sounds obvious but both our girls are fab at this yet still found it difficult when sore and on rough ground and bootless) - Got!
4) Pilate's/Yoga Mat to make picking feet up easier in emergency rough-ground booting situations - Got!
5) A horse that won't freak out at the idea of standing on a Pilate's mat - Got!
6) Boots that fit - Kind of got but the full discussion deserves it's own post!
7) Antibacterial and anti fungal foot wash, in a spray gun makes life 100 times easier - got by putting half hibiscrub and half water in an old spray bottle.
8) Gaffer tape, sticking down bits of sticky-out/flappy boot - Got! (thanks Ian!)
9) Understanding neighbours, who at least suspect you wouldn't intentionally let your horse suffer without having excellent intentions and good reasons - Got!
10) A tough skin and faith/belief for when number 9 fails - Working on.
11) Baby wipes and Milton to clean out smelly boots - Got!
12) Two pairs of hands and/or horses that will safely stand to have boots put on at liberty in the field with their mates - Got by organising a bit of both
13) Some kind of low-level anti-inflammatory to reduce the risk of abcessing when bruises happen - On order!
14) Access to a very cheap supply of Aloe Vera juice (Ketamine free preferably!) as highly recommended for tissue/hoof recovery - Got but not that cheap at £1.50 per horse per day
1) Knowledgeable and patient barefoot professional/trimmer - Got!
2) Some patience of your own - Got some, think we'll need a bit more yet!
3) Horses that will pick their feet up easily(sounds obvious but both our girls are fab at this yet still found it difficult when sore and on rough ground and bootless) - Got!
4) Pilate's/Yoga Mat to make picking feet up easier in emergency rough-ground booting situations - Got!
5) A horse that won't freak out at the idea of standing on a Pilate's mat - Got!
6) Boots that fit - Kind of got but the full discussion deserves it's own post!
7) Antibacterial and anti fungal foot wash, in a spray gun makes life 100 times easier - got by putting half hibiscrub and half water in an old spray bottle.
8) Gaffer tape, sticking down bits of sticky-out/flappy boot - Got! (thanks Ian!)
9) Understanding neighbours, who at least suspect you wouldn't intentionally let your horse suffer without having excellent intentions and good reasons - Got!
10) A tough skin and faith/belief for when number 9 fails - Working on.
11) Baby wipes and Milton to clean out smelly boots - Got!
12) Two pairs of hands and/or horses that will safely stand to have boots put on at liberty in the field with their mates - Got by organising a bit of both
13) Some kind of low-level anti-inflammatory to reduce the risk of abcessing when bruises happen - On order!
14) Access to a very cheap supply of Aloe Vera juice (Ketamine free preferably!) as highly recommended for tissue/hoof recovery - Got but not that cheap at £1.50 per horse per day
The Flat Racing Champion's History... ahem!
I keep hearing 'It's all about being in the moment' but we all have a past that shaped us so this is a brief synopsis of Lottie the horse's history. She had her feet with her through every step of this so I'm thinking it may be relevant?! We'll see...
Lottie (aka 'Violets Pride') was first sprinted as a two year old in 2005 and ran the last of her 27 flat races in August 2008. The great thing about her being a racer is that excellent records are kept meaning we can track her history on the Internet. We know who owned her, who trained her, when she was bought and sold and we can even watch her race but no where will you find a blog about her feet (funny that?!) until RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE! :-)
These are the assumptions we're carrying about her and her past...
1) She was shod by the time she was two and could have been shod as early as at one year old.
2) Thoroughbreds are inherently physically rubbish at being barefoot
3) She's never been without shoes on the front feet since that first visit from the blacksmith
In the year between retiring from racing and ending up with us she spent six months more or less turned away and then had six months having her first go at a bit of dressage and jumping, seemingly preferring the former to the latter.
We've had her since November 2009 and have spent a lot of time 'hanging out' (google it, it's a new training technique :-) and generally playing about with a natural horsemanship type feel. She's healthy and happy and we've had romantic visions of her running around barefoot pretty much since day one! So this is what we did...
21st May 2010 - Her back shoes were removed. There's no doubt she was pretty sore at first and she was still showing occasional signs of soreness until the end of June. At this point, she hasn't been noticeably footy on her backs since the beginning of July.
18th July 2010 - Her front shoes were removed and the reality struck. Our thoughts about the process, our assumptions and our convictions are moving on a daily basis. Hopefully tracking the journey like this will keep us focussed and may offer some insight to others considering the same trip!
Lottie (aka 'Violets Pride') was first sprinted as a two year old in 2005 and ran the last of her 27 flat races in August 2008. The great thing about her being a racer is that excellent records are kept meaning we can track her history on the Internet. We know who owned her, who trained her, when she was bought and sold and we can even watch her race but no where will you find a blog about her feet (funny that?!) until RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE! :-)
These are the assumptions we're carrying about her and her past...
1) She was shod by the time she was two and could have been shod as early as at one year old.
2) Thoroughbreds are inherently physically rubbish at being barefoot
3) She's never been without shoes on the front feet since that first visit from the blacksmith
In the year between retiring from racing and ending up with us she spent six months more or less turned away and then had six months having her first go at a bit of dressage and jumping, seemingly preferring the former to the latter.
We've had her since November 2009 and have spent a lot of time 'hanging out' (google it, it's a new training technique :-) and generally playing about with a natural horsemanship type feel. She's healthy and happy and we've had romantic visions of her running around barefoot pretty much since day one! So this is what we did...
21st May 2010 - Her back shoes were removed. There's no doubt she was pretty sore at first and she was still showing occasional signs of soreness until the end of June. At this point, she hasn't been noticeably footy on her backs since the beginning of July.
18th July 2010 - Her front shoes were removed and the reality struck. Our thoughts about the process, our assumptions and our convictions are moving on a daily basis. Hopefully tracking the journey like this will keep us focussed and may offer some insight to others considering the same trip!
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