Riding fun

Wow, did August just FLY by?!

Summer seems to last a minute and winter...ugh, I can't even go there mentally now.

So a bit of a catch up.

Minor toe rolling to prevent cracks and flares. 

I want a hoof jack so badly...my back wants a hoof jack so badly...maybe one day.

Laz in pony dream land after I massaged him a couple of weeks ago..

He was actually DROOLING...ahhhh pony spa brain.

This boy LOVES to be pampered.

Labor Day weekend, lots of fun!

We went back to school shopping for my Teaching Husband, and since we were driving RIGHT BY the pony, of course we had to stop

A quick bareback hack

Here is Sir WonderPony standing still as a fat statue to allow me to open gate.

(((sigh)))

I love my OTTB 

I also love how he doesn't seem to mind that my leg is NEVER giving the 'correct' cue

LORD! I'm in need of some lessons...maybe one day. When that money tree grows and my horse has a new RH hoof. Yea, then.

Playing out in the field and working on hill work

Yay Laz

Sometimes we walk it, trot it or canter it

Who DOESN'T have dirty ass pants like this and goes back to school shopping in public?!

Then, Labor day Monday I got a text from the Barn owner; let's trail ride!!

Me: "Um..YEAAA"

Laz checking out the rig

"Ok, less go!"

"Do I goes in heres wif my saddlez?"

Um, No Laz. 

Actually, you are staying behind buddy.

Instead the BO rode her gorgeous grey OTTB Pito, and I rode her 2nd OTTB Red

Red has been off the track I believe a couple of years and is super sensitive but sweet and willing.

This is probably his 3rd or 5th trail ride out.

He is a TINY 15 hand deer like OTTB

We had a nice evening ride with only a minor water crossing issue.

Both horses decided they would make us dismount to walk over the raging river puddle and work themselves up in a lather.

Terrible picture BUT we ended the ride with a nice canter/gallop out in one of the BIG HUGE fields.
This huge riding park is so awesome! We saw deer everywhere 

Enjoying summer's last Michigan sunset over the lake from the trail

And..adding to my side little biz-now featuring the "OFF THE TRACK JACKET"

Tomorrow the heart horse gets a new cast on

Cast #3!!! :)

PS I just discovered this app which lets you put 13 yr old girl hearts on EVERYTHING, fair warning....first pony+ now=gets LOTS of teenage love hearts all a glow his angelic face.

You may puke now.

Hoof thoughts -toe first landings, angles and promoting proper new growth

The more I learn about hooves, barefoot, rehab and lameness, I more I feel confused and exhilarated with new thoughts, concepts.

The hoof is complex, or is it?
The less we mess with it the better.  But if we create areas where our horses live on soft ground, how do they self trim? They can't so we need to help, if we can't offer that kind of footing.

There is a lot I know, a lot I don't, and much more that I'm learning...but sometimes, it's a daunting thought process wheeling through all the information, trials, successes and misinformation and helpful information that is out there.

I read about hoof pastern angles the other day over at Rockley, and thought, hmmm, what are Laz's like????

I am a designer for work and deal with angles all the time. 

It's such a delicate thing to compare angles. What line to what line? What degree?  I'm not sure that is always 100% clear for us barefoot owners, to go by. I feel that way, anyway. What is your horse's hoof has a flare? Are you drawing an angle from the ground up or ground down-where is the starting point to ending point? What if you are taking the picture at a crooked angle? Is your horse standing on a level ground? PERFECTLY level???

You see my point??

Well, anyway; here is our 'lines' and remember, I'm a "lucky" one; my horse has 4 different feet.

So, LF

RF (the club)

(ps I HATE how long his RF heel is, but when I screwed with it and lowered it, he was OUCHIE OUCHIE McGee)

**update since I started drafting this; I have lowered his heel a bit, just a bit and he was good-whew

Why did I? Because it seemed too long, too pitched forward and in looking at this toe, it seemed it needed a different relief.

 LH

 RH

 

The RH, when I took the picture, that leg was pitched back. It's very broken back according to angles and I actually agree with that.

But his LH, seems to be broken back according to angle, and I always thought that was one of his better hooves/angles

Actually, when I see all of these hooves with the lines; they all appear broken back which may explain why Laz continues to land toe first on his fronts (and hinds? Yes most time, heel first sometimes..see stills below). Under run heels but when I pull them back, and back up toe-he walks worse. When I pull heels back and leave toe long, he stumbles. WTF
So, now I'm experimenting and going with my trimmer's advice; leave his feet alone for a bit other than minimal rasping.
I still rasp at a crack/flare. some heel, I must admit but that's all and instead of weekly, I'm stretching it out a bit more...I go by watching my horse move. If I feel he needs a rasp, I do it.

So-what do you see?

Is there an easier method to use to view my horse's hooves to see proper angles?

Maybe I'm missing something extremely simple?

SlowPro video from same day as photos above

and stills:

Hover shot of LH

 Hover shot of RH

 STAB of LF

 Stab toe first of LF

 One more second later....

And those who wonder what shoes would do for Laz?

Here is Laz shod PRIOR to his laminitis, a year off the track-in SHOES (fronts only)

I've never seen this horse land heel first.

See toe first's below, all in 2009

 Laz is the big Bay below, you know, the non Polish Arab ;)
Toe first sans rider/saddle

Thoughts?! 

Now, let's talk hoof casts.

We are on our 2nd hoof cast. This one has lasted(ish) for almost 3 weeks

As you can see, Laz busted out the back of it-it split open about 4 days ago

I'm not surprised as he's moving around tons and running/playing

So, instead of duct taping it and having it rub oddly, I opted to leave it be.

That was good for a few days. 

I checked on him daily to make sure he was moving comfortably.

Saturday, I looked and saw a crack/sore so I cracked off the back of the cast.

Currently it's just around toe and parts of sole/white line area.

 Below, no more cast at back of hoof

 See that crack just below his heel bulb?

 Ouch but he didn't react 'ouchie' to it, but I wanted to remove that cast there and treat it, so I did.

Photo is obviously before I cleaned it

 Still loads more laterally, and I'm wondering if I see positive changes??

 You can see frog and parts of sole are/were exposed from cast.

He's worn through at the heel of his lateral side and at toe

 Below, RH before his 2nd cast was put on...

.

Above hoof, today, with 2nd cast (at week 2.5) about to fall off any day.

I think I see new good growth?!! Do you?

 It's slight but it's only been about 4 weeks total of casting him

I see a better growth angle-different than in his past!

 And I feel his back is bulking up a bit

My concern will be when next cast goes on, to watch out for the heel, heel bulb fitting so he is not in any discomfort and the new growth will hopefully continue at the correct angle.

Exhausted with hoof thoughts yet? ;)