whittle whittle whittle at a time....

These are from yesterday (sunday)

 There is still a lot of wedge in the toe area but my goal is to rasp it enough just so it doesn't hit ground when he trots.
I rasped, lunged him (he is sound sound sound right now!!) and trimmed a bit more...

 I'll be so happy when the heel backs up to support the back of his foot.

I rasped the heel wall to allow the tubules to try to stand up vs being crushed/under run...

we'll see if it works.

Saturday morning

This sleepy fluff head stands for 40 minutes like an ANGEL so I can Clean Trax his hoof

Worth his weight in gold

So, what do you do for 40 minutes?!

Selfies....

 You can sheaths (I'll spare you any photographic evidence)...

You trim Tina Turner manes 

PS I'm keeping it long for winter protection 

 A bit cleaner and oh SO nerdy

 "Bored, I'z bored"

Don't let him fool you, he is quite used to and loves his 'spa treatments' and to be doted on 

Such a clown

After the freeze

Happy to report that the Arctic blast was a non issue for our ponies! Last Friday the BO and I met to have a lovely winter trail ride. Weather was 33 degrees (warm!) but as we tacked up, we realized...Uh, we are totally snowed in. No gates would open enough for our horses to get through.

So, we just hacked around their pasture.

I was convinced Laz would be so lazy and tired from working so hard to stay warm...uh no. Firecracker pony, BUT with manners. It did take him a good 20 minutes of warming up and pushing forward to get him to snort out a "OKKKKKK" and starting thinking.

Silly boy

Fuzzy ears in a Topline Leather beaded and crystal browband. Don't mind if we do!

I've be alternating his bitted with bitless just so he's comfortable in each.

Happy to report, he goes along the same in both

I definitely ride different when he's bitted, as I try to avoid hanging on him for balance and try twinkling my reins vs pulling.  I developed bad habits so I'm working on them

We had some lovely bouncing, and lofty trotting through the tall snow!

Pito (the BO's horse) was having a hard time so she was going to cut her ride short. I offered for her to play with Laz, while I sat on Pito so we could both have fun trotting in the snow.

They looked great!

Chubby pony alert! (love that belly)

***

The next day I wante to drive out but waited until Sunday as the roads were a mess!

 Sunday  it was in the low 40's. HEAVENLY!

However, it caused a big melt of a lot (uh a lot) of snow and things got icy and sloppy pretty quick

The dirt road leading to the barn, no road riding for a bit... (total sheet of ice)

I was due to have a lesson to work on Laz's bucking (and overall uncontrolled excitement out in the front pasture) but with the weather, it's hard to pick a day and hope mother nature will cooperate. So, we've kept to having positive, successful rides where he's comfortable to work on a happy partnership again.

I rode him in his bitless and we played in the snow.

He was loose, forward, snorty and awesome

We like to make hearts in the snow

Laz smiled out of no where (oh wait, I DID have cookies in my pocket and he knows it)

I was using treats as a 'good boy' for his forward action with no silliness.

Laz has also learned when I say "gooooood boy" that he thinks it means STOP. So, we'll trot along and I'll praise him "GOOOOD BOYYYY" and he halts proudly. He is too smart!

So, I just shut my mouth and rode him and he was 100000% a team player and awesome. I ended it on a great note without asking/asking/asking until he feels I over ask (which I can do) and it was glorious.

I love those great days of riding with a true giving partnership.

***

Laz is due for a trim towards the end of the month.

His thrush is closing up a bit more and I see some changes in his sole (good changes!!!) on his lateral side...

This has closed even more since photo

After the storm, my feeder pan was BURIED in 2ft of snow, which is I feed Laz his warm, soaked salted hay cube mash.

Guess who dug it out and proudly carried it for an hour

What a bubba

Melted in my lap on the couch later that night

Wrapping up November...

Sunday I had a great ride on Laz. He was SOOOO spirited!! Squealing and arching his neck and curling up, shortening his stride and then taking off like a little race horse. He has some MAJOR zoomies to get out and it took a good 30 minute ride to get his brain back in his head. I was so happy to have my saddle that makes me feel centered and secure on him, especially out in our hilly large pasture. Why is it they always act up at the top of a hill pointing downwards?

He finally started to blow out and relax and stretch down and after I got one good, large figure 8, I ended that pasture ride and cooled off with a road ride. That and it was 22 degrees and windy

Silly pony... I wish I had video of it!!

More updated photos as I see progress in Laz's hoof with Thrush b gone

It just seems that his 'holes' are closing which is fantastic

I basically apply it to his RH after I pick it out, every 3 days now...

This white line disease has been active in there for years and must run deep into his hoof wall, so any improvement is great

Below is to compare fresh after his trim 10/30 to see how the hoof has been changing with the Thrush b Gone application

Today I just hand walked the two boys 

(I was wishing I had time to ride inside as it was a nice day with no wind)

 Photo opt of Mr. Mason. 

My grayed angel face

 And we saw like 6 wild turkeys!!! I haven't seen any in AGES and of all weeks, Thanksgiving?! 

LOL They have some nerve! 

It made me giggle as to 'oh, maybe that's why we eat Turkey...because they were out and about.'

It still shocks me to see them flap and fly away.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I know I feel thankful for so so much...

Thrush B Gone-Review #3 and Riding

This past Monday evening, I visited Laz due to the two days of HIGH winds we had here in Midwest.
A couple years ago, during a storm like that, he ended up bashed on his forehead so I was nervous but thank god, he was totally fat and fine.

I groomed him, fed him, and decided to treat both his rain rot with listerine again and treat his hooves with Thrush B Gone  It typically only should take 1-2 treatments but with his aggressive white line disease they recommended dosing a few more times to help.

Here is his RH before the 3rd treatment (which you just squeeze onto a clean hoof)

 The hoof wall before treatment.

I think the results will show more as his hoof grows out and hopefully more connected

The toe was shortened a bit more at his last trim to help with heel height and overall comfort

 Now, below is his LH which is after 3rd dose. I probably didn't need to treat again, but I did!

Here is what I noticed; his central sulcus (the valley in the middle of his frog) prior was stinky and he was sore when I put my hoof pick in it. On Monday, no foul smell and he wasn't at all sensitive, and I wiggled my pick around a bit. I treated it again for safety reasons but as far as I can tell---FIXED. 

No more thrush there as well as in his club foot. I'm anxious to see how those hoof cracks grow out as well

I'm really excited about this product...the proof will be better in RH as time goes

Now, as Laz has filled out (ahem not just fat) I've been really thinking his Crosby is too narrow on him.
I feel really pitched down forward when I ride and I feel that I'm needing to pick him up to balance him.

He seems so short strided and has been super choppy in that saddle. I switched to my Barefoot treeless which seems to fit him OK, but for me, the seat is way too big and I feel sloppy in it. GRRRR

BUT...J9 had a dream saddle that I sat in that I just fell in love with last month. 

Fast forward to within two weeks I had found a STEAL for almost brand new version of what I wanted.

Meet my new saddle 

 I had my Parelli trainer out to fit it to Laz and it's perfect.

I got to ride in it for an hour to really test it out and it's dreammmmmmmy and I feel centered in it and Laz really moves out and stretches in it. WIN WIN!! 

and like I said, I stole it ;)

This past Saturday, it was so beautiful out that I was determined to ride.

I got to the barn and these two had other ideas

zzzzzzzzzzz

 

Look at sweet Pito's face and lips...aww he's like a little baby pegasunicorn

 Laz was all "Yous wantz to do whatz?? Ima seepin"

I tacked him up and we rode. Mr. Sleepyface went into a fiesty mood of "OK let's RIDESSS" and did not want to trot, but wanted to canter canter canter canter. So, instead of having to fight him, I decided "GREAT IDEA" and we cantered and circled and used transitions to bring it down to a trot, then back up and down to a walk, etc. He loved it. After about 20 minutes of that and a lot of snorting and blowing out, he was re-connected.

Here a little video--no GoPro darn it, just  my iphone in right hand while I ride with left:

and then after playing in the field for a bit, I wanted to 'reward' him with walking away from the barn area and onto the road with our steady eddie, Mason

Here's a video of that:

Love this saddle!! I felt so secure in it and Laz was offering such great strides. I really want to get it on video--I'll need to get Hubby out to the barn soon before mega winter hits.

OOFff that belly!!! I really want to lose it and build up his top line this winter if possible.

Below is our mid week workouts, usually after work or on my lunch breaks, 2x to 3x a week

I'm literally RUNNING behind him as fast as I can, lol

Both boys with their tongues hanging out

 And I'll leave you with this at IKEA

Are you kidding me?! 

A bin of starred Lazs' for sale?! YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Thrush B Gone--part 2 review

Continuing on with my review for Thrush B Gone;

After Sunday's application, I came out today (Tuesday) to check on Laz

These photos are before the 2nd application that I chose to do

Front Right Club

 Front Right Club

 Front Right Club (frog at center sulcus is where I treated as well as around white line and hoof cracks)

***

 Left Hind

 Left Hind (frog was what I treated)

***

The star of the show:
Right Hind 

(Treat entire hoof and specifically in crevices) 

 RH

 RH, it's minimal BUT (and honestly this is a HUGE BUT) I do see an improvement.

It just seems less cheesy in texture (harder for sure) and a bit more sealed...
I literally squealed with the thought of improvement.

Below image is right after I applied 1st treatment for a reference photo

 Prior to 2nd application, this is the amount that I've used for 1st treatment on 3 hooves.

AMPLE dosing. The solution is very watery, like a saline solution to give you an idea.
And it didn't freeze in my unheated barn and won't change the PH to solution (bonus for cold weather states like MI)

I'll continue to do follow up photos and thoughts...

Rain rot seemed better, I followed with a spray of Original yellow Listerine (per my vet-don't think I'm crazy because I was shocked too!) but my stinky ponyface smells like a peppermint delight!

I cleaned/disinfected all tack, brushes, curries and hoof picks for preventing rain rot from spreading.

I also cleaned his man pocket (a' la sheath) GAG with just wet diaper wipes (organic of course)