Tuesday, September 17, 2013

On A Brighter Note

Even though if kinda felt like everyone was just falling apart here lately...

On a brighter note;

Frosty is getting better. Still need to get shoes on his front feet. He's still pretty tender on them. I picked up some iodine sole hardener and that seems to be helping him a little. I've been using the Back On Track sheet on him and that definitely helps loosen up his muscles before working him. He's starting to get some good flex in his back and is lifting through his ribcage. Finally, some progress for this horse. Yay!

Buddy is waiting for his shoes as well, but is filling out quit rapidly and perking up. Cleaned the sole out of his feet, found a few more bloody spots under there (they came out with the old sole thankfully), and coated them with the iodine sole hardener. Get shoes on him to help take the stress off of his stretched out toes and he'll be ready to start a light work program.

And I finally have a new (lightly used!) saddle on order for Moon. I have been wanting one of those Double J's every since I tried my neighbor's on and loved it. It fit Moon and it fit me. Finally going to splurge! He needs a new saddle pad too, but will wait 'til the saddle gets here to see what size and thickness he needs. And I picked up a new bit for him. About the same style as I use, just has a chain mouthpiece. Less control of his mouth should help lessen some of his rate and get us flowing through those turns again.

Bugs, the little sorrel is a little tender on his front feet too, but I'm holding off on shoes for him for just a little bit. His feet are growing so fast right now that I am having to trim a significant amount off every two weeks, like a fourth to a half an inch. No exaggeration. This horse's feet grow fast anyway, right now it's just unreal. Since the vet thought that he might be having some navicular inflammation going on in his left front, I don't want to have to pay the farrier to reset his shoes every 2/3 weeks to keep his angles right.

Right now, with all of the moisture we have had...everyone is a showing a little bit of tenderness in their feet. Most of it is just due to me cleaning out their hardened soles, trimming feet and with the moisture, the newer sole is staying a little too soft. I'm hitting everyone with the iodine and that should help.

One thing I have realized is...I have GOT to learn how to shape, set and nail a shoe on. This is just silly paying other people do that when I am actually the one who does all of the work getting the feet right before I ever take them to a farrier anyway. I mean, cases like Buddy, when we first got him...Dang right I'm willing to pay someone. But setting shoes on horses like Jet and Frosty and Bugs...I should be doing that myself. They are easy peasy. Well, time to look into a basic shoeing course I guess. :-)

5 comments:

Madeline C. said...

I wish they had a basic course around here. I'd take it in a heart beat! Or I could just take a vacation and go out there.

Shirley said...

You can do it! Glad to hear your program is working for Frosty.

Crystal said...

Does sound like good news there, specially with Frosty. And sure nice you can at least trim Bugs feet without using a farrier, but with all you do you should learn to shoe them as well

Equine Mum said...

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kestrel said...

Sounds like it's coming together well. It's a never ending learning cycle, isn't it?! Maintenance of performance horses requires an eye and feel for the horse that most recreational riders never have to develop, but all horses benefit from an educated health evaluation and maintenance program. Good for you for considering shoing!