note hairline high on medial side- both fores
Friday, July 9, 2010
PICS from June 25
This is the day before I applied the hoofprint ring method of hoof mapping and backed up the toes to the white line. Comments anyone?
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 8th....6 weeks out of shoes- amazing progress
Taffy has worn her Renegades 24 hrs a day the last few days, and the last two days without frog pads (not in the plan-just ran out of time). The duct tape I had put over her heels to avoid abrasion (boots are slightly too big so they rub a little), was off too.
I pulled off the boots last night, to check on the feet. Some warmth in the hooves. But significantly less tenderness au naturel! I left the boots off overnight, since the LF had some rubbing on the medial hairline at the heel.
This morning she was still moving without tenderness, no limp!! Landing flat, not heel first, but comfortable, nevertheless. Woo hoo!
Our corral is fairly firm clay type dirt- with various sizes of gravel strewn about (came with the property). All the horses stumble over the larger gravel now and then, when they step on a single chunk. Taffy only slightly did so this morning!
I pulled off the boots last night, to check on the feet. Some warmth in the hooves. But significantly less tenderness au naturel! I left the boots off overnight, since the LF had some rubbing on the medial hairline at the heel.
This morning she was still moving without tenderness, no limp!! Landing flat, not heel first, but comfortable, nevertheless. Woo hoo!
Our corral is fairly firm clay type dirt- with various sizes of gravel strewn about (came with the property). All the horses stumble over the larger gravel now and then, when they step on a single chunk. Taffy only slightly did so this morning!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 3- Morning exercise- WOW
I ponied Taffy out early (front boots still on)- she was 'rarin' to go! There is some stiffness in the L F shoulder, but no head bob or limp at the walk, jog, trot, extended trot, and she even volunteered to canter. What a happy camper, what a happy mama.
I will continue with boots and frog pads 24x7 for now- they make it comfortable for her to move freely- which in turn will foster increased blood flow and development of the digital cushion and lateral cartilages. This week I plan to pony her to the mountains again, perhaps even take her out under saddle. Guess I'll have to get some OO renegades for riding. the Os are really too big.
woo hooo. Thank you God!
Honey was funny in heat- wuffling at Taffy during our ride- as if she was hoping Taff was a boy...First time I've seen her do that. She quit when I took her away from nose to nose- good girl.
I will continue with boots and frog pads 24x7 for now- they make it comfortable for her to move freely- which in turn will foster increased blood flow and development of the digital cushion and lateral cartilages. This week I plan to pony her to the mountains again, perhaps even take her out under saddle. Guess I'll have to get some OO renegades for riding. the Os are really too big.
woo hooo. Thank you God!
Honey was funny in heat- wuffling at Taffy during our ride- as if she was hoping Taff was a boy...First time I've seen her do that. She quit when I took her away from nose to nose- good girl.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Hooray hooray
Taffy has her "tude" back... that means she's feeling better! I put the frog pads under her boots this morning and by this afternoon she was cheerfully trotting away from me and my evil fly spray bottle. Her limp is barely noticeable at the walk- LF, still. RF is steady again. I'm stoked! (Even if she was naughty about the fly spray). There were some nasty biting flies in town today, and I got the spray on just a few hours too late. All 3 in the corral have welts :(
Hopefully they won't get all nasty and make their fur fall out (happened a couple years ago to Honey- her belly and chest lost lots of fur from insect bites)
Might pony Taffy out in the morning... Pete Ramey (hoof rehab dot com) says the pads are magic. Boots are good, but to really see a difference, pad up. Just padding her frogs she is FAR more comfy. I think she'll feel well enough for a good long walk.
Hopefully they won't get all nasty and make their fur fall out (happened a couple years ago to Honey- her belly and chest lost lots of fur from insect bites)
Might pony Taffy out in the morning... Pete Ramey (hoof rehab dot com) says the pads are magic. Boots are good, but to really see a difference, pad up. Just padding her frogs she is FAR more comfy. I think she'll feel well enough for a good long walk.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
VIDEOS @4 weeks-bare vs. booted
Here are the June 25 comparisons- first- barefoot
And now with the boots on
thoughts on progress
I was considering a few things today, as I had Taffy standing in mud to eat her morning snack of beet pulp, sunflower seeds, rice bran, diatomaceous earth, salt, and AZ Regional mix supplement from HorseTech...
1- Taffy stands firmly- no pastern wobble or knee buckling. She shows discomfort in the last half of the stride, and when turning. No more hitch in the pasterns on landing. She does move- but no hurrying, seems relaxed (perhaps just not feeling good enough to be cheerful?)
2- lateral cartilages and digital cushion don't have much room yet. There is evidence in the hoof wall just forward of the heel bulbs that a wider caudal region is growing in. She really doesn't have much there yet.
3- without shoes she's just 14.3 hh. I kinda like getting off closer to the ground. Not so hard getting on either!
4-Taffy's food agression has subsided substantially. Spreading the hay out in many piles seems to help. She's #2 in the herd now. I feed snack buckets in order of herd dominance- wow does that make things easier! Boss mare gets hers first, Taffy next, Glory last (and by herself since she's a slow poke eater).
5- Taffy's forequarter musculature looks different- the hoof balance and chiropractic is showing results all over.
6- I'm going to put the frog pads back on- at least 12 hrs a day.
7- that's a good number to stop on.... I am stewing up an improved plan for the "track" aka "paddock paradise"
1- Taffy stands firmly- no pastern wobble or knee buckling. She shows discomfort in the last half of the stride, and when turning. No more hitch in the pasterns on landing. She does move- but no hurrying, seems relaxed (perhaps just not feeling good enough to be cheerful?)
2- lateral cartilages and digital cushion don't have much room yet. There is evidence in the hoof wall just forward of the heel bulbs that a wider caudal region is growing in. She really doesn't have much there yet.
3- without shoes she's just 14.3 hh. I kinda like getting off closer to the ground. Not so hard getting on either!
4-Taffy's food agression has subsided substantially. Spreading the hay out in many piles seems to help. She's #2 in the herd now. I feed snack buckets in order of herd dominance- wow does that make things easier! Boss mare gets hers first, Taffy next, Glory last (and by herself since she's a slow poke eater).
5- Taffy's forequarter musculature looks different- the hoof balance and chiropractic is showing results all over.
6- I'm going to put the frog pads back on- at least 12 hrs a day.
7- that's a good number to stop on.... I am stewing up an improved plan for the "track" aka "paddock paradise"
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