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
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