Just had to ride-Saturday evening June 26

Taffy was moving ok in her boots, and I wanted to try out my new CorrecTor on her. I bridled her up in the sweet iron low port curb, and saddled with the CorrecTor. It's a western large, and works better with my 15.5 Circle Y than the other CorrecTor I had. They work great- thecorrector dot net. website is very busy and wordy, but product is terrific.

We did some neck flexes, nice! walk, whoa, repeat... walk around the corral, so far so good. walk near the gate out into the track... uh oh... Taffy begins to hop and half rear. I said go right. She said no- I'm gonna go left and hop and act like I'm gonna rear. I wasn't gonna argue... but being the left brain extrovert she is, I expected her to respond well if we repeated the task until she obeyed. So I hopped off, asked for a hind quarters yield- a FAST one--- and reinforced it with the ends of the reins (just enough to make my point). Remounted, circled back, and approached that area again, asking her to pass the gate without going through. Same thing. I hopped off the off side and repeated my correction- opposite direction. After about 3 vigorous yields, she seemed to get it. I remounted and she was FINE- no fuss, no hop, no head toss or bit chomp, just walked by the gate obediently. We did walk through the gate after that, and down the track. After practicing leg and seat cues for pivot, side pass, back, whoa, we tried a few strides of jog. She favored the left fore, so I quit and our 20 minute stroll around the corral ended. I let her lick my hand as a reward. Just briefly! She licks less now that she has DE and loose salt free choice.
Sigh, it was awfully nice to ride her again (third time I think). I am re-learning my leg cues for her, since some of them are opposite of Honey's. I love how she responds to my seat- it helps me be more aware of what I'm doing. I am hoping I can show her at the county fair in Sept. Not going to get my hopes up too high.

A nice moment

I went out in the late evening last week, in the full moonlight, and discovered Honey and Taffy lying down together, in the soft old manure area on the track. Glory did not join them. She stood watch (or stayed safe?) I startled them, unfortunately. and ruined their nap. It was a pleasant sight to see them there.

Taffy likes to roll in the pea gravel (now I need some sand so she will shine her coat herself :) )

for 2 wks she has not been ridden, ponied, or exercised beyond walking around to eat. That should change in the near future.

PIC-Cl O2 soak at last June 24- 4 wks out of shoes

Last Thursday (the day after my last post), I soaked Honey and Taffy both with Podi- Cl O2 Green Liquid anti microbial (Chlorine Dioxide). I got it from Valley vet dot com. It is the same active ingredient as Oxine and Clean Trax. I used a big tall soaking boot- put out by Clean Trax. Honey took it well, and is moving better on the fores which had been slightly ouchy on uneven ground. I think she had greeblies in the frog sulci.

Taffy was a good girl for the soaking- as long as I stayed with her. If I went around the corner to do something, she moved and the boot fell half off. I did about 15 minutes each fore hoof, then wrapped with plastic to extend the effectiveness of the treatment (another 15 min. or so) as directed on package.

Hooves smelled so clean afterwards, I believe the greeblies are well on their way OUT. We'll soak again if there's any foul odor or frog soreness.

Since the hooves were slightly softened from soaking, I eased off a bit of her bars on the fores, tidied up the frogs a bit more, and refreshed the bevel. She moved off with slight discomfort on the LF, as before, but less. In boots without pads, improved, and with frog pads she only slightly favors the LF. Hinds seem to be tracking straight.

4 weeks

After a week without boots, Taffy has not improved. It wasn't the best timing for her to be without my direct care, but at least there isn't any regression. Her L fore still shows significant caudal pain on loading, and I suspect dorsal laminar stress, as she would hop to other fore upon breakover.

About 4 mm of growth in 8 days, enough to work with to balance. I suspect the contraction beyond the vertical on the RF medial heel is due to caudal pain- she is avoiding weighting it, therefore not enough stimulation to grow it straight yet. I am keeping the lateral wall well beveled through the quarters and toe pillar area, that preserves the alignment of the bony column.

LF is slightly sore in caudal region as well. I trimmed back some shrively frog slivers and uncovered some black ick, so likely we have deep sulcus infection (ie thrush)which is now spreading (deep sulcus crack is another red flag). Soaking will do it. I just have to do the soaking! I suspect much of her caudal pain will subside with the greeblies gone.

I am seeing some trimming down- she has less fat across the withers and crest. I knew we would see a change in the shoulders and wither area just transitioning out of shoes. Now the diet is making a difference, and being turned out 24x7 with two other horses who keep her moving.

Sigh... the good news is- she is still comfy in boots, not quite totally comfortable without pads. After soaking and more bar shaping I will add the frog pads back, maybe full pads.
I haven't gone after the false sole and bars since returning. Tomorrow morning looks good. Her bars come right back when I lower them, so it appears they were quite jammed up. Once they slow down I'll know they are where they belong. She continues to have nice concavity.

Not sure yet what the knot in the center of heel bulbs (digital cushion area) on LF is.

She is a real trooper- watches what I'm doing, lets me trim her without a halter now (hand tools), licks my hand and loves her shoulder scratches. What a sweet mare. She is even bossing Glory (the pony) around now. Poor Glory- always ends up at the bottom of the herd. She does put up a stink first though! Not sure who's leaving teeth marks on Taffy. Probably Honey. No fur lost fortunately, just some ruffled feathers on the butt.

Day 16-time for a week without boots

Now that pea gravel is installed in the favorite corner, and Taffy likes to stand in it, she will go without boots in turnout for a time.

Chiropractic adjustment #2 this morning- from withers back only withers needed adjusting. Predictable, since they are above the area of greatest kinetic change right now!
She was a bit uncooperative with the neck adjustment, still tender to the right. Doc was very pleased with the withers adjustment. She thanked him with a lick and chew.

Breakover and mustang roll adjustment. Heels lowered and balanced just a couple mmm. Lateral/dorsal wall on LF relieved , and lateral heel lowered more than medial. coronet on medial side was more pushed up and slight separation in WL, so more arch added in quarter. Front view much better- vertical pastern :)

No limping or gimping over smooth ground or pea gravel. sensitivity over rocks on hard ground. Must soak with ClO2 soooon.

Another bareback ride around the corral

Taffy is comfy in her boots so I worked with send cues over a tire in the corral. She wants to come to me and go around it. We try again... She figures out what I want and hops over. Good girl. I pet and praise her. A few successful goes and I hop on bareback. she is so sensitive that my slight shifts change her direction. She gets sassy at the gate- doesn't want to turn and tosses her nose when I jiggle the reins. So it's back to groundwork, get her attention back, and some mounted leg yields, pivots, backs and sidepasses. She wants so much to be good. Lots more trail miles to come! Wait till she meets the wading pool in the backyard --- my training tool for trail class water crossings. (and the dog's water dish/splashing pool- he's a lab after all)

Pea gravel was delivered today. Now it's up to me to move it to their favorite loafing areas and around the water and gate. 14 wheelbarrow loads down... not sure how many to go- I've dented the pile about 30 percent.

Taffy will have a week off to loaf starting tomorrow. I expect her to stand in the gravel a lot, since she won't have her boots on all the time. In boots with frog pads I see slight hitch in LF pastern on landing, none in RF. Happy happy...Will tweak the balance today.

Day 13- first mountain climb

Booted up with full pads, Taffy followed on the pony ride for a 4 hour trek into the Cerbat Mts. She sure does like to GO! She was comfortable over rocky roads, up and down hills and in sandy washes on the fores. She did have occasional sensitivity on the LH, consistent with the spot which is beginning to callous over. Happy day.