About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Random Hoof thoughts

So, I have Laz back on grazing
Yikes, I know.
BUT...I needed to try it out to see how he would take to it before moving him.
So far, so great. 
 I have my trimmer coming out Monday so I want her opinion obviously on how she thinks his feet look. 
He's been grazing for about 4 weeks now.  When his test came back as non IR, I listened to Bowker who thought I could get him grazing again. (who also felt he would not be IR as did my vet) 
It's just so good for them IF they can handle it.  The constant eating, feeding their internal instinct TO graze and move about.  I hope it works out.
So, what caused his footiness back in May?
We think it was from the false sole hiding (still hiding) old abscesses that weren't able to come out.  Seedy toe from poor wall structure due to deformed hoof from his laminitis.  Again, his laminitis was from assumed Potomac, so quite different from some other metabolic issues.
 We think it was coincidence that it was around spring time grass time.  More to do with wet grounds and trimming the toe back leaving the seedy area open and me not knowing to zap it with White Lighting.  But, I'm armed with a muzzle in case I need to control it again AND the knowledge of what a seedy toe looks like and what to do for it.
OR, the other reason could be some bone infection going on from the lamina changes that happened in his hoof from original rotation.  This is still a strong thought....so there may be some new methods to his trimming coming up.  Stay tuned...

Older Picture but shows seedy toe exposed from May-July

Note the drizzly line from seedy toe to coffin bone, that may be infection
Xray shot front view on the elfkin flare of coffin bone 

An older post by Lucy at Barefoot Horse Blog, but a GOODIE about footiness
Feet are the source of what is going on in the body..I have to constantly remember that and not dismiss little signs that turn into BIG ones.
The hooves are a barometer of what is going on internally and it's up to us to figure out what that is.

Oh and to prove that I'm TRYING to learn... my trimmer armed me with a rasp to continue to bevel and roll his walls while she was at OSNHC clinic.  I'm trying but jesus am I scared to make Laz sore. Truth be told, I do it so lightly and meekishly that I think I'm fine. 

This morning BEFORE, a little chipping on his lateral wall on his club foot (RF)

After my clean up...eeeeks! I hope I don't get an F
And the weather has been so perfect lately for riding!

7 comments:

  1. You're on the right track girl, keep it up!

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  2. Oh my God that hoof looks so much better than it was ;__;

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  3. If your just bevelling his walls you can't do any damage unless your making him totally unbalanced. Hold the hoof by the cannon bone and let the hoof dangle. Then look down the center of his hoof and see to make sure the sole/wall plane is level. Also putting it on the ground and looking at it you can see if one side is higher than the other. Rememer when measureing hoof wall measure from the hairline to the ground. Although there may be more "wall" when there is a flare you don't count that, just the distance from the hairline to the ground. Looks like your going in the right direction.

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  4. You totally do NOT get an F, girlie! You're doing a very good job. :-) I'm sure Michelle has given you some great lessons.

    Yep, White Lightning is the absolute best for pretty much any kind of hoof funk! It even kills Anthrax, so if your horse has any of that in his hooves, you're covered, lol.

    I've never seen a case of seedy toe (that I know of); geez, there's ALWAYS more to learn about horses!

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  5. Very cool, I think you did great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  6. Gotta start somewhere, right? Don't worry, the fear about rasping will go away after a while- only to be replaced by a new set...

    I'll be tuning in to read about what direction you guys will be going in regarding that infection.

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  7. You did a great job! Don't worry too much about it. You'd have to be really aggressive to do irreparable damage with a rasp. :D Keep up the great work.

    Oh and I'm happy he's doing so well on the grass.

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