I don't think I've mentioned that Taffy has not been medicated prior to any of the videos on this blog. She is still slightly tender when she steps on a piece of gravel on hard footing. (only a couple of my horses haven't done this- the TB! and the Rocky x.- funny, it was the geldings...)
Here we go...
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Hot to trot....!
I adjusted Taffy's trim again.... a day later she was eager to kick up her heels and RACE around the perimeter of our property. She didn't take a sore step in 20 minutes of energetic prancing and dancing, bolting and snorting. I love how she is respectful of me on the ground even when she is "Hot". Never pins her ears at me. At one point she was coming toward me, I put up my arms to block her, and she did her best cutting horse impression, bouncing left, right, left, then wheeling around and taking off the opposite direction. She sure loves to play!
Her hooves certainly look awfully short compared to last May... Amazingly, I have only taken off a small amount of flaky sole since the first trim. I just keep the walls and bars down, and tidy the frog as needed... Amazing! Time for new pictures and measurements. Stay tuned!
I still see the toe first thing during a slow walk- but not at a faster walk, and not when she wears boots. Sometimes it's just a small hitch in the fetlock motion.
Her hooves certainly look awfully short compared to last May... Amazingly, I have only taken off a small amount of flaky sole since the first trim. I just keep the walls and bars down, and tidy the frog as needed... Amazing! Time for new pictures and measurements. Stay tuned!
I still see the toe first thing during a slow walk- but not at a faster walk, and not when she wears boots. Sometimes it's just a small hitch in the fetlock motion.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
what a beautiful day
Lovely autumn weather, no nasty wind, just right.... I squeezed in a sunset ride. Decided to try going without the boots.
A little unsteady over the gravel in front of the house, smooth as silk on pavement. Taffy was eager all the way- seemed to really enjoy getting out. I love how she isn't reluctant to leave home. We headed into the wash- deep sandy stretches scattered with stones and small rocks. She picked her way through the rocks nicely, but was steady and energetic- enjoyed a long canter. She was such a good girl and we had a nice time, just about an hour out. I'm not certain if it's my imagination, it's so slight- she seems to hitch on her LF just slightly and only at the walk. It feels almost as if she has a longer leg on that side if that makes sense. It doesn't bother her any- she's not bobbing her head or favoring it at all.
As is my habit, our ride was sprinkled with lateral work and transitions, pivots and backing. I find it helps keep a horse tuned in to me no matter where I'm riding.
As I saw on a T shirt... Life is good... Horses make it better
A little unsteady over the gravel in front of the house, smooth as silk on pavement. Taffy was eager all the way- seemed to really enjoy getting out. I love how she isn't reluctant to leave home. We headed into the wash- deep sandy stretches scattered with stones and small rocks. She picked her way through the rocks nicely, but was steady and energetic- enjoyed a long canter. She was such a good girl and we had a nice time, just about an hour out. I'm not certain if it's my imagination, it's so slight- she seems to hitch on her LF just slightly and only at the walk. It feels almost as if she has a longer leg on that side if that makes sense. It doesn't bother her any- she's not bobbing her head or favoring it at all.
As is my habit, our ride was sprinkled with lateral work and transitions, pivots and backing. I find it helps keep a horse tuned in to me no matter where I'm riding.
As I saw on a T shirt... Life is good... Horses make it better
Monday, October 25, 2010
Chiropractor visits again, thrush fades
I adjusted the trim again a couple days ago- heels were 1/4 inch above sole, so I lowered and beveled those front to back- lower in back, arched the quarters and rolled the toe... same story as last time. I also tidied up her frogs, especially the fores, and added lots of NO Thrush powder. It's working great, even with the mucky footing since all the rains last week. I have done my best to get the NT into her frogs and grooves every day.
Yesterday she had another chiropractic adjustment- much better than first time, and she had a spot out in her neck which released and she was so glad she dropped her head and did the lick and chew "thank you"... She did a bit of teeth clacking before that, but wasn't naughty. Today she is moving comfortably- no toe stabbing- more of a flat landing on the fores. She hadn't been walking that way for a while when the thrush got a toehold (pun intended).
I did get to ride once this past weekend- Poor Taffy got a hoof on the reins, and as I was trying to lift her foot off the reins she lifted her head and bruised her mouth with the bit.. just before I was going to get on... So it was bitless bridle for that ride. We did a bit of canter work- fun! and some flying changes- fun fun fun! She wore front boots.
She isn't rocking back on her haunches to turn now- that seems to come and go.
Yesterday she had another chiropractic adjustment- much better than first time, and she had a spot out in her neck which released and she was so glad she dropped her head and did the lick and chew "thank you"... She did a bit of teeth clacking before that, but wasn't naughty. Today she is moving comfortably- no toe stabbing- more of a flat landing on the fores. She hadn't been walking that way for a while when the thrush got a toehold (pun intended).
I did get to ride once this past weekend- Poor Taffy got a hoof on the reins, and as I was trying to lift her foot off the reins she lifted her head and bruised her mouth with the bit.. just before I was going to get on... So it was bitless bridle for that ride. We did a bit of canter work- fun! and some flying changes- fun fun fun! She wore front boots.
She isn't rocking back on her haunches to turn now- that seems to come and go.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
OOPS The comments disappeared!
Thanks to all who stop by- if you have commented in the past, for some reason (likely my technological ignorance), they all were swallowed into a black cyber hole. I changed some settings so hopefully when you comment now I can actually see them and approve them to show up on the page! I have this page set to not be found by search engines, so only people I have sent the link to will know about it. (Less than 50 people).
I'm eager to read your comments! Hope they work now :)
p.s. I rode Taffy barehoof in the neighborhood yesterday- ouchy on rocks but fine otherwise :) comfy on smooth surfaces and plowed fields. Her central sulci on the fores are widening up and getting shallower and shallower since I started using "no Thrush" most every day. I had to lower the heels and arch the quarters on the fores yesterday before riding- didn't want to crack anything (hinds were chippped and peely after the trail ride&I don't like chips and peels). No more boots for turnout for now. She's happy :) I love how she likes to be scratched and loved on. She's learning to trust me with her udder area too. (if she ever has a foal, she'll have to let them nurse!!-not that that's anytime soon...)
I'm eager to read your comments! Hope they work now :)
p.s. I rode Taffy barehoof in the neighborhood yesterday- ouchy on rocks but fine otherwise :) comfy on smooth surfaces and plowed fields. Her central sulci on the fores are widening up and getting shallower and shallower since I started using "no Thrush" most every day. I had to lower the heels and arch the quarters on the fores yesterday before riding- didn't want to crack anything (hinds were chippped and peely after the trail ride&I don't like chips and peels). No more boots for turnout for now. She's happy :) I love how she likes to be scratched and loved on. She's learning to trust me with her udder area too. (if she ever has a foal, she'll have to let them nurse!!-not that that's anytime soon...)
Monday, October 11, 2010
First LOONG Trail ride- 10-11-10
Time for Taffy to show what she can do out in the desert mts. Today we rode 5+ hours at a walk mostly- short canters and lots of jiggy trots when she wasn't with her buddy horses. The Renegades did great- one did come off in the boggy soggy mushy sucking mud at the springs. It was not adjusted right to begin with. It was a hind boot.
She wore all 4 boots for most of the ride- made a huge difference. We wouldn't have made it up the first rocky steep grade without them. She wore the fronts for the entire ride, and I put on the hinds once we got into the rocks.
She did great- crossed the water (jumping over whenever possible), through sandy wash, around cactus and up and down rocky hills. She got a lot more careful where she put her feet by the end of the ride. Nine horses started, two turned back before the springs due to time constraints, and two went on ahead when one balked at the water. So 5 of us straggled down and split up as we neared town. Taffy was glad for some water at the trailer! She wouldn't drink at the spring. She had a nice snack while we were waiting for the balky horse to come through the water. She never did seem tired- just winded going up the steep rocky grade toward the beginning of the ride. I led her the last 100 yards of that. She is definitely learning to trust me :P
Funny thing- of the 9 horses that went- NOT ONE had shoes. This was a challenging trail! 3 horses were booted, the others fully bare. Only one had a sore shoulder at the end. Not one sore hoof.
She wore all 4 boots for most of the ride- made a huge difference. We wouldn't have made it up the first rocky steep grade without them. She wore the fronts for the entire ride, and I put on the hinds once we got into the rocks.
She did great- crossed the water (jumping over whenever possible), through sandy wash, around cactus and up and down rocky hills. She got a lot more careful where she put her feet by the end of the ride. Nine horses started, two turned back before the springs due to time constraints, and two went on ahead when one balked at the water. So 5 of us straggled down and split up as we neared town. Taffy was glad for some water at the trailer! She wouldn't drink at the spring. She had a nice snack while we were waiting for the balky horse to come through the water. She never did seem tired- just winded going up the steep rocky grade toward the beginning of the ride. I led her the last 100 yards of that. She is definitely learning to trust me :P
Funny thing- of the 9 horses that went- NOT ONE had shoes. This was a challenging trail! 3 horses were booted, the others fully bare. Only one had a sore shoulder at the end. Not one sore hoof.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Not much new here
Life is going on... Taffy is off and on... I started using "No Thrush"- a DRY thrush treatment powder- on her pinchy little frog slits. Already they are more shallow than they were. We have all the right ingredients for soundness now- Performance trim, Low NSC diet, Thrush control, movement- just add TIME and shake well... Not really, more like Ride More!
Taffy loves to go places and see things, and loves to eat. She has picked up some pounds in the last month, doing well on Integrity Feed's adult/senior no molasses twice a day along with her Bermuda hay. She gets a pound of soaked plain alfalfa pellets occasionally.
We had rain! The softer ground agrees with Taffy. We are practicing our arcs and counterarcs- we opened and closed gates 3 times yesterday with no troubles ::):) I gave her a copper mouthed bit yesterday and she was much quieter with it. Still pinching myself that I own such a well bred bundle of personality. Thank you SS.
Taffy loves to go places and see things, and loves to eat. She has picked up some pounds in the last month, doing well on Integrity Feed's adult/senior no molasses twice a day along with her Bermuda hay. She gets a pound of soaked plain alfalfa pellets occasionally.
We had rain! The softer ground agrees with Taffy. We are practicing our arcs and counterarcs- we opened and closed gates 3 times yesterday with no troubles ::):) I gave her a copper mouthed bit yesterday and she was much quieter with it. Still pinching myself that I own such a well bred bundle of personality. Thank you SS.
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