It's hot
Super hot
Stupid super hot
No riding since the last update. I did buy a watermelon for the boys, and that was a hoot to watch. I've got some pictures I'll work on getting posted - Ransom devoured his, while Romeo took a little nibble & left the rest go uninterested. Ransom was delightful to watch, pushing his whole mouth into the melon quarter, juice & slobber running out his mouth. :) Cute!
Went out to feed last night, and found Rans lost front left shoe. Not a surprise - they're a few days over due. Both are scheduled for trims (Rans reset) on Friday. With the heat, it's not heartbreaking we'll have to take it light.
Monday night, R and I went to a church-group house rebuild project, and helped out. He framed out a window & got the window set. I did light lifting, a little hammering, and some clean up of scraps & demo trash. Nice to "get out there & feel a little useful" in the community.
Showing posts with label Hooves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hooves. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, October 12, 2009
10/12/09 Ransom
Ransom got his front shoe back during the day. I saddled him up dressage, and told him, "Listen, sweetie. A real quick soundness check in the arena, and I'll hop on. You be good, and I won't ride you 'til we're blue in the face. A nice easy work out. You stay on the bit, and I'll stay out of your way."
He agreed. His free go warmup looked good. I hopped on pretty promptly, and we got moving. Worked on walk to halt, collected to free walk, more halt, a few trots to walk, which were stickie but good. Picked up a canter, and as I expected, he was strong. Lots of good groceries, a little time off. Rough transition down to trot. Yuckie, in fact. Down-right yuckie.
So I tried something different. I would move into trot, and when he was staying decently collected, I'd sit a few strides. When he'd settle into that, I'd ask for canter. About six to eight strides, ask for trot. Lather, rinse, repeat. The first few were beyond horrendous. After about three each way, he settled real nice. I think he quickly realized there was no point in running off into a big canter, no reason to avoid the transition, and it was just going to be easier if he'd stay light.
A few more trot to walks, walks to halt, and I was pretty satisfied. Given the time off we'd had, he moved along nicely. One advantage to all the rain we've had - soft damp dirt. Makes for easy hoof-print recognition. At the walk, most certainly, I could see his hooves were tracking up. At a lot of the trot, much of the same. Pretty cool!
He agreed. His free go warmup looked good. I hopped on pretty promptly, and we got moving. Worked on walk to halt, collected to free walk, more halt, a few trots to walk, which were stickie but good. Picked up a canter, and as I expected, he was strong. Lots of good groceries, a little time off. Rough transition down to trot. Yuckie, in fact. Down-right yuckie.
So I tried something different. I would move into trot, and when he was staying decently collected, I'd sit a few strides. When he'd settle into that, I'd ask for canter. About six to eight strides, ask for trot. Lather, rinse, repeat. The first few were beyond horrendous. After about three each way, he settled real nice. I think he quickly realized there was no point in running off into a big canter, no reason to avoid the transition, and it was just going to be easier if he'd stay light.
A few more trot to walks, walks to halt, and I was pretty satisfied. Given the time off we'd had, he moved along nicely. One advantage to all the rain we've had - soft damp dirt. Makes for easy hoof-print recognition. At the walk, most certainly, I could see his hooves were tracking up. At a lot of the trot, much of the same. Pretty cool!
Friday, October 9, 2009
10/8/09 Rans-eo?
I got home after work. Changed clothes, watered the dogs, ate most of an apple, and went Ransom hunting. Found him, gave him the rest of the apple, and took him to saddle up.
I brushed him off, and prepared to clean hooves. CRAP! Shoe missing, right front. Dang-It! I gave him a cookie, apologized, and turned him loose.
Grabbed Romeo, said, "Sorry buddy. It ain't your day off, after all." Saddled Western, french link bit. We got right to business in the arena.
Played for about 40 minutes, walk, trot, canter. Worked on a handful of transitions. I found him to be antsy after the canter warm-ups. All he wanted to do was run, run, run. He would either stiffen his whole body and refuse to walk on, or try to pick up a speedy trot. Better yet if I'd just let him canter.
We rode through dressage tests Intro B, and Training 1. I think I did both in the opposite "order" though, starting out heading right instead of left, or left instead of right. I got a good giggle out when we came from trot to walk at "A" one time - I let out a little too much air in my transition, and he halted solid & square. I squeezed him back to a walk, and he let out a huge sigh. Goober.
Romeo was covered in white frothy sweat after our ride, so I walked him out until he wasn't puffing hard, and hosed him down. Gave him a handful of cookies as payment for his last-minute service request, and turned him out for supper.
It was an incredibly warm, windy, humid evening. There's a cold front coming on Friday, and usually for the first few of the fall season, the wind whips hard out of the south trying to fight it. Makes for sweltering conditions. Mucho Yucko!
I brushed him off, and prepared to clean hooves. CRAP! Shoe missing, right front. Dang-It! I gave him a cookie, apologized, and turned him loose.
Grabbed Romeo, said, "Sorry buddy. It ain't your day off, after all." Saddled Western, french link bit. We got right to business in the arena.
Played for about 40 minutes, walk, trot, canter. Worked on a handful of transitions. I found him to be antsy after the canter warm-ups. All he wanted to do was run, run, run. He would either stiffen his whole body and refuse to walk on, or try to pick up a speedy trot. Better yet if I'd just let him canter.
We rode through dressage tests Intro B, and Training 1. I think I did both in the opposite "order" though, starting out heading right instead of left, or left instead of right. I got a good giggle out when we came from trot to walk at "A" one time - I let out a little too much air in my transition, and he halted solid & square. I squeezed him back to a walk, and he let out a huge sigh. Goober.
Romeo was covered in white frothy sweat after our ride, so I walked him out until he wasn't puffing hard, and hosed him down. Gave him a handful of cookies as payment for his last-minute service request, and turned him out for supper.
It was an incredibly warm, windy, humid evening. There's a cold front coming on Friday, and usually for the first few of the fall season, the wind whips hard out of the south trying to fight it. Makes for sweltering conditions. Mucho Yucko!
Monday, October 5, 2009
10/4/09 So Here it is Sunday
And church was over. I went on home, grabbed a snack I called "lunch", and changed clothes.
Jeans that were too long, teeshirt, and my rubber boots. There were (and still are) puddles all over my place. This was the perfect time to fetch my little trail-horse, and get in the goof-off session we were so needing.
Saddled him up Western, then grabbed his french link bit, figuring if I needed any emergency stops, he'd be a little less unhappy with a loose ring bit.
We took off down the road to the right, and as I approached the mailboxes, I said to him, "Well, buddy, where do you want to go? Left or right?" He meandered towards the right, so we kept on walking. This is the farthest I've gone to the right away from home down the paved road on my own. We rode past two pastures of horses, one "spooky spot", and as we approached a cow pasture with a whirring windmill well, Romeo's ears perked up. He paused, pooped, took about another four feet work of walking steps, and paused again. I looked at my watch. 40 minutes already?! Seriously?! Goodness,, I need to get him back home, or we'll both be too tired to cross the water-ditches getting home.
He went through the water ditches, through muddy puddles (depth unknown to him until he realized he was in it over his ankles), passed other horses, a few yarping dogs, over the gravel road, on the asphalt (after being reminded on foot that black asphalt hole-patch does NOT eat ponies LOL), through some tree-limb cluttered pathways, and for nearly an hour. No hard warmup, just a brief lunge at trot to tighten up the saddle girth. One spooky spot that was almost nothing (caught me off guard in fact).
When I got all his tack off, I turned him loose with cookies & praise. Later I remembered we had walked on a lot of gravel, barefoot. I grabbed my hoofpick and went a pickin'. Imagine my surprsie when I found his frogs longer than the rest of his hoof. The shoe-nails from his last shoe job have led to hoof wall being all tore up & chipped. As it turns out, there was only one ittie bittie rock to remove, which I took care of. I was a bit surprised to see that, on each step he took, his frog hit first. I ran my brain on wondering if there was something I should do for him. Should I call Mr Dale to come fix? Should I switch him & Ransom, move dirt around in Ransom's stall, wrap Romeo's hooves & let him stand in the driest spots I have? Should I grab my two hoof boots & force those on? So, I did the next best thing. I called Mrs. Mom, in a bit of a panic. Um, I know it's Sunday afternoon, but can you help me?! I'm a little bit worried I just put Romeo through a mess and might've hurt him. She quickly reassured me that, if he hadn't been taking lame steps, despite the terrain we worked over, he was fine. No need to call Mr Dale out, nothing needs doing at all.
So I will keep a watchful eye on him for a few days, try to find a decently dry spot to work on a brief lunge before supper every day and watch for signs of sore feets. He's a steady boy, and I'd hate for him to be uncomfortable. Otherwise, talk about super hooves! That hard work, on frogs and heels, and he was incredibly sound the entire ride. Good Boy!
Jeans that were too long, teeshirt, and my rubber boots. There were (and still are) puddles all over my place. This was the perfect time to fetch my little trail-horse, and get in the goof-off session we were so needing.
Saddled him up Western, then grabbed his french link bit, figuring if I needed any emergency stops, he'd be a little less unhappy with a loose ring bit.
We took off down the road to the right, and as I approached the mailboxes, I said to him, "Well, buddy, where do you want to go? Left or right?" He meandered towards the right, so we kept on walking. This is the farthest I've gone to the right away from home down the paved road on my own. We rode past two pastures of horses, one "spooky spot", and as we approached a cow pasture with a whirring windmill well, Romeo's ears perked up. He paused, pooped, took about another four feet work of walking steps, and paused again. I looked at my watch. 40 minutes already?! Seriously?! Goodness,, I need to get him back home, or we'll both be too tired to cross the water-ditches getting home.
He went through the water ditches, through muddy puddles (depth unknown to him until he realized he was in it over his ankles), passed other horses, a few yarping dogs, over the gravel road, on the asphalt (after being reminded on foot that black asphalt hole-patch does NOT eat ponies LOL), through some tree-limb cluttered pathways, and for nearly an hour. No hard warmup, just a brief lunge at trot to tighten up the saddle girth. One spooky spot that was almost nothing (caught me off guard in fact).
When I got all his tack off, I turned him loose with cookies & praise. Later I remembered we had walked on a lot of gravel, barefoot. I grabbed my hoofpick and went a pickin'. Imagine my surprsie when I found his frogs longer than the rest of his hoof. The shoe-nails from his last shoe job have led to hoof wall being all tore up & chipped. As it turns out, there was only one ittie bittie rock to remove, which I took care of. I was a bit surprised to see that, on each step he took, his frog hit first. I ran my brain on wondering if there was something I should do for him. Should I call Mr Dale to come fix? Should I switch him & Ransom, move dirt around in Ransom's stall, wrap Romeo's hooves & let him stand in the driest spots I have? Should I grab my two hoof boots & force those on? So, I did the next best thing. I called Mrs. Mom, in a bit of a panic. Um, I know it's Sunday afternoon, but can you help me?! I'm a little bit worried I just put Romeo through a mess and might've hurt him. She quickly reassured me that, if he hadn't been taking lame steps, despite the terrain we worked over, he was fine. No need to call Mr Dale out, nothing needs doing at all.
So I will keep a watchful eye on him for a few days, try to find a decently dry spot to work on a brief lunge before supper every day and watch for signs of sore feets. He's a steady boy, and I'd hate for him to be uncomfortable. Otherwise, talk about super hooves! That hard work, on frogs and heels, and he was incredibly sound the entire ride. Good Boy!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
09/02 Through 09/07 Updates
Where have I been? Geez whiz, I know folks. I'm entirely sorry. I had a few moments here & there in front of a pc where I could have updated & let everybody know I was alive.
Plain & Simple, the boys were dealing with loose shoes & over reaching (Romeo) or missing shoes (Ransom), so unfortunately there aren't many pony-stories to tell. Nevertheless, updates it is!
09/02 - Choir rehearsal. Back in the swing of things. We've got a pretty full room this year, and it's nice to see all the happy faces.
09/03 -Nothing much. A stressful week at work came to a relaxing end, with four days of time off scheduled.
09/04 - Again, with Ransom missing a shoe, I took the opportunity to haul him to the vet in town. Coggins and a brief exam. Vet saw nothing major wrong, though attributes the slightly runny nose & raspy breathing to allergies.
09/05 - Again, not much. I spent a good deal of time running here & there in town. Jen and I fetched breakfast together, and she tells the story pretty good here. Diaper Party. Hmm... Yes, it's double-dipping for gifts. Redneck ways of acquiring baby supplies for free, I suppose.
09/06 - Church choir is back in full season. The message was good, though the opening ten minutes or so left a foul taste in my heart I couldn't shake. Spent a good part of the afternoon at BBQ at Jen's place. I like it when she blogs before me - makes my typing less. *giggle* R and I enjoyed a late evening at his place - *hiccup* An entirely good evening, with just a speedbump or two.
09/07 - Mr Dale came to the house, Romeo barefoot now, Ransom a trim & four new shoes. Happy horses. R and I watched an afternoon movie together (HAH! I figured out "WhoDunIt"! HAH!). I grabbed Ransom outta his pasture, hoping I'd get to ride Tuesday, for a Monday night lunge. He was fabulous. A little frisky-fresh to start, but quickly settled into those side reins & really paid good attention. About 40 minutes total work for the big monster. Fun to be back in the equine-swing.
Plain & Simple, the boys were dealing with loose shoes & over reaching (Romeo) or missing shoes (Ransom), so unfortunately there aren't many pony-stories to tell. Nevertheless, updates it is!
09/02 - Choir rehearsal. Back in the swing of things. We've got a pretty full room this year, and it's nice to see all the happy faces.
09/03 -Nothing much. A stressful week at work came to a relaxing end, with four days of time off scheduled.
09/04 - Again, with Ransom missing a shoe, I took the opportunity to haul him to the vet in town. Coggins and a brief exam. Vet saw nothing major wrong, though attributes the slightly runny nose & raspy breathing to allergies.
09/05 - Again, not much. I spent a good deal of time running here & there in town. Jen and I fetched breakfast together, and she tells the story pretty good here. Diaper Party. Hmm... Yes, it's double-dipping for gifts. Redneck ways of acquiring baby supplies for free, I suppose.
09/06 - Church choir is back in full season. The message was good, though the opening ten minutes or so left a foul taste in my heart I couldn't shake. Spent a good part of the afternoon at BBQ at Jen's place. I like it when she blogs before me - makes my typing less. *giggle* R and I enjoyed a late evening at his place - *hiccup* An entirely good evening, with just a speedbump or two.
09/07 - Mr Dale came to the house, Romeo barefoot now, Ransom a trim & four new shoes. Happy horses. R and I watched an afternoon movie together (HAH! I figured out "WhoDunIt"! HAH!). I grabbed Ransom outta his pasture, hoping I'd get to ride Tuesday, for a Monday night lunge. He was fabulous. A little frisky-fresh to start, but quickly settled into those side reins & really paid good attention. About 40 minutes total work for the big monster. Fun to be back in the equine-swing.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
07/31 - 08/02 The Weekend
Friday, boys got new feet, right on schedule. Thanks, Mr D for rearranging a few other clients - Ransom sure appreciates having all four shoes again!!
Friday party was fun. Miss Connie was mucho surprised, which was great! When I got home, there was time to feed, change, and clean up just a bit. Then R and I went to dinner, and enjoyed a little time together before arriving at the party.
We got Connie one darn funny card. On the cover, was one butt-ugly-nasty-looking-middle aged fella. UGLY! Inside said, "See, there are things worse than birthdays." LOL The party was My Little Pony themed, a very fun idea for a 50yr birthday party. =) Much fun had by all. Had more than double the legal limit of sugar consumption, something almost needed since I didn't get much sleep Thursday night. The sugar crash was just enough that I slept like a dead weight Friday night.
Saturday morning my phone alarm went off super early. R had a work day, and Jen's R had a workday of sorts, so off we girls went. By 7:40am, we were pulling out of the WallyWorld parking lot, and on our way to Houston.
We went to Charlotte's, tried on plenty of things, and bought a few others. Then we wandered closer to the city, and went to the Galleria Mall. Much fun. Lots of window shopping, people watching and a bit of real shopping. A few CD's, Godiva chocolate, new pair of shoes... but lots of window browsing & overwhelming crowds. From the mall, we made one more browsing store pit stop headed towards home. Met up with my R at the same Buc-ees for a drink stop & check-in.
When I arrived home, I was greeted by happy horses. I ran inside, changed clothes, and headed for the barn.
Friday party was fun. Miss Connie was mucho surprised, which was great! When I got home, there was time to feed, change, and clean up just a bit. Then R and I went to dinner, and enjoyed a little time together before arriving at the party.
We got Connie one darn funny card. On the cover, was one butt-ugly-nasty-looking-middle aged fella. UGLY! Inside said, "See, there are things worse than birthdays." LOL The party was My Little Pony themed, a very fun idea for a 50yr birthday party. =) Much fun had by all. Had more than double the legal limit of sugar consumption, something almost needed since I didn't get much sleep Thursday night. The sugar crash was just enough that I slept like a dead weight Friday night.
Saturday morning my phone alarm went off super early. R had a work day, and Jen's R had a workday of sorts, so off we girls went. By 7:40am, we were pulling out of the WallyWorld parking lot, and on our way to Houston.
We went to Charlotte's, tried on plenty of things, and bought a few others. Then we wandered closer to the city, and went to the Galleria Mall. Much fun. Lots of window shopping, people watching and a bit of real shopping. A few CD's, Godiva chocolate, new pair of shoes... but lots of window browsing & overwhelming crowds. From the mall, we made one more browsing store pit stop headed towards home. Met up with my R at the same Buc-ees for a drink stop & check-in.
When I arrived home, I was greeted by happy horses. I ran inside, changed clothes, and headed for the barn.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
06/30 Ending June
Finished up the month in the hot, hot, sun, with Romeo.
Western saddle, french link bit. Ran through the basics - walk, trot, canter, a few turns, backing up straight. All good. I didn't push for much collection, because I know the Little Man is way out of shape, and hadn't been worked hard in quite a while.
We played for about 45 minutes, finishing up on WHOAs on verbal cue only from walk to halt.
I guess I should mention that, last week, Romeo got new feet (reset) on June 25th, and Ransom on June 28th. My regular farrier, Mr Dale, is having some medical stuff taken care of, and is out-of-service for a few more days. Jen and her DH came and finished up the work getting Ransom done on Sunday. Thank you!
Western saddle, french link bit. Ran through the basics - walk, trot, canter, a few turns, backing up straight. All good. I didn't push for much collection, because I know the Little Man is way out of shape, and hadn't been worked hard in quite a while.
We played for about 45 minutes, finishing up on WHOAs on verbal cue only from walk to halt.
I guess I should mention that, last week, Romeo got new feet (reset) on June 25th, and Ransom on June 28th. My regular farrier, Mr Dale, is having some medical stuff taken care of, and is out-of-service for a few more days. Jen and her DH came and finished up the work getting Ransom done on Sunday. Thank you!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
5/13/09 New Feet, Haircut
Both boys got new hooves last night. Romeo trim & reset, Ransom trim & new shoes! Cool!! He'll be fantastic Friday now! =) Thanks to Mr D for rearranging his calendar to fit the boys in before our trip.
Borrowed a pair of thinning shears from Jen, and I went to town on Ransom's mane last night while he ate supper. He stood perfectly quiet, didn't throw his head around, didn't argue with me at all. I not only got it thinned out considerably, I also got it shortened quite a bit. It's not super super short, but a bit less than half what it was. Fantastic!
Tonight, we ride, bathe, and pack for the trip. Much to accomplish, so at least enough hours of daylight to get the jobs done.
Countdown to BRM - 1 day! :)
Borrowed a pair of thinning shears from Jen, and I went to town on Ransom's mane last night while he ate supper. He stood perfectly quiet, didn't throw his head around, didn't argue with me at all. I not only got it thinned out considerably, I also got it shortened quite a bit. It's not super super short, but a bit less than half what it was. Fantastic!
Tonight, we ride, bathe, and pack for the trip. Much to accomplish, so at least enough hours of daylight to get the jobs done.
Countdown to BRM - 1 day! :)
Friday, February 20, 2009
The New Shoe Dude D
Mr D was supposed to be at my house "in the morning". So I sat around the house, waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and .... did I mention I'm IMPATIENT? I had a half dozen other errands to run in town, and realized by 10am, I didn't know if he was coming or not.
I planned to catch & tie Romeo, and stick Ransom in a stall, and head out. Walked out the front door, and "OH! Hello Mr HorseShoe Dude!" His truck was back by the barn, Romeo was up & tied, and he was out catching Ransom. OOPS! We exchanged formal greetings, and I left him to complete his job.
I left anyways, ran my errands, and came home to two happy horses with eight good feets! New shoes for all!
I planned to catch & tie Romeo, and stick Ransom in a stall, and head out. Walked out the front door, and "OH! Hello Mr HorseShoe Dude!" His truck was back by the barn, Romeo was up & tied, and he was out catching Ransom. OOPS! We exchanged formal greetings, and I left him to complete his job.
I left anyways, ran my errands, and came home to two happy horses with eight good feets! New shoes for all!
Monday, January 12, 2009
1/8/09 New feet 1/9/09 Ransom Vet
Thursday, both boys got their shoes re-done. Romeo is good as new, and the word is Ransom behaved like a true giant gentleman, and needs only a trim or two's worth of rebalancing. From everything I've seen of Mr Dale's work, I think the result will be great. Of the four horses that live at Les' house, I haven't seen one take a lame step following a farrier appointment. They all perform great, no matter how recent or how long it's been from an appointment.
Friday, Ransom and I went to see Dr. M for a full evaluation, shots, the works. I believe Dr M was a bit intimidated by Ransom, and Ransom felt it. He was apprehensive about going into the stocks and getting "tied in". He looked all around, listening to barking dogs, squealing cats, cows in the next door pasture, cars whipping down the highway outside. He was certainly a bit nervous to start the appointment.
Ransom got all his shots (Rabies, Tetanus, VEWT, Flu, West Nile)... Sheath cleaning (nasty large silver-dollar size bean removed.. YUCK-O!), and dental float (all good, though canines had been ground down pretty short, and when Doc removed the tartar, we expected a tooth to be revealed, only to see not much was there... they should come back over time). He got a mostly clean bill of health, though Doc recommended XRays "if and when I start jumping him". Doc pointed out his front left knee and back hind ankle, and said they looked like "old injuries that are probably nothing, but worth a better exam by someone more trained in performance horse evaluation." I was a little troubled by the whole appointment - Doc wasn't nearly that sensitive when he did the evaluation on Romeo, and I was pretty honest that I had high expectations for Romeo, and knew he had old scars and weird leg conformation. Overall, though, the appointment was good, and when Ransom's appointment was done (after Demosodan (Sp?) was given via shot for the float & sheath), I was a little worried how he might load-up to go home. Ransom took it all as if he'd done it a million times, and loaded up on the trailer like a baby doll. When we got home, he unloaded the best he's ever done, waiting patiently until the trailer door was open and I was holding the lead.
He seemed to be moving quite a bit better Saturday morning, and really good on Sunday. With all of his "appointments" out of the way for a while, we're set to play and ride, no worries ahead.
Friday, Ransom and I went to see Dr. M for a full evaluation, shots, the works. I believe Dr M was a bit intimidated by Ransom, and Ransom felt it. He was apprehensive about going into the stocks and getting "tied in". He looked all around, listening to barking dogs, squealing cats, cows in the next door pasture, cars whipping down the highway outside. He was certainly a bit nervous to start the appointment.
Ransom got all his shots (Rabies, Tetanus, VEWT, Flu, West Nile)... Sheath cleaning (nasty large silver-dollar size bean removed.. YUCK-O!), and dental float (all good, though canines had been ground down pretty short, and when Doc removed the tartar, we expected a tooth to be revealed, only to see not much was there... they should come back over time). He got a mostly clean bill of health, though Doc recommended XRays "if and when I start jumping him". Doc pointed out his front left knee and back hind ankle, and said they looked like "old injuries that are probably nothing, but worth a better exam by someone more trained in performance horse evaluation." I was a little troubled by the whole appointment - Doc wasn't nearly that sensitive when he did the evaluation on Romeo, and I was pretty honest that I had high expectations for Romeo, and knew he had old scars and weird leg conformation. Overall, though, the appointment was good, and when Ransom's appointment was done (after Demosodan (Sp?) was given via shot for the float & sheath), I was a little worried how he might load-up to go home. Ransom took it all as if he'd done it a million times, and loaded up on the trailer like a baby doll. When we got home, he unloaded the best he's ever done, waiting patiently until the trailer door was open and I was holding the lead.
He seemed to be moving quite a bit better Saturday morning, and really good on Sunday. With all of his "appointments" out of the way for a while, we're set to play and ride, no worries ahead.
Monday, November 17, 2008
11/16 Ride Away!
After we settled Shorty at the vet's, we drove back home, made supper plans, and took off to my house.
Les tacked up Chewie, and they headed to the round pen. Les pushed him pretty hard at canter & gallop around the pen, and then added a lunge line to teach Chewie at Whoa to stop & come to the pen center. It looked harsh, but knowing what he did with Romeo, I assumed it would be okay. Les got on Chewie to ride, and immediately said to me, "He's lame, something's wrong." He said it was on the front left hoof. He got off, and I got on (in his saddle & bit). Chewie to me felt stiff, but there was no head-swinging at all at trot, either way.
Les said he "didn't want to torture or punish him", and abandoned the notion of work at canter. They walked & trotted a bit in the round pen, then went to the arena for more of the same. Work was solely on neck reining. I noticed Les was asking for neck rein much higher towards his head than I have. He got off, I got on, and while hew as a bit stiff, he still seemed to respond a bit better to me. Worked on circles & figure-8s walk & trot in the arena. Les unsaddled him at the house, and poked & pushed on Chewie all over, certain he'd find lameness in the left hoof. No such luck. The sore-spot was on his right shoulder...
I don't know what happened... Maybe the pushed warmup was too hard on him, and he over-extended trying to get out of Les' way... maybe he just wasn't physically fit enough for what was asked of him. Perhaps the strain occurred because he thought he could do more with the right leg & hoof than he can yet. Either way, Chewie stood tied while we caught & rode Romeo.
Les rode Romeo first, took him to his pasture, and immediately asked him to canter out. Romeo obeyed cheerfully. He was a saint... demonstrating I've worked very hard on him, and I guess I've done okay. I crawled on him , and worked a bit on canter up & down transitions. Romeo wanted to toss his head straight upwards for both transitions. I initiated about a dozen transitions, and he started to get it right. He'd drop his head for both, and seemed to glide in and out of the canter a bit more. It's something to work on until the lesson Sunday.
Les saddled Chewie again, and we went on a walk/trot trail ride up & down the road. One of my neighbors was driving aggressively down the road, came around a blind turn, and spooked both of the horses. We got them back calmed down, walked some more, and turned back for home. Walked the pasture fenceline a few times through the trees, and one time I looked back, I saw Chewie buck a bit with Les. He thought Chewie was being mean, I think he was just saying "Get that curb chain off my chin, and let up some rein pressure so I can just walk calmly."
The day was not as I expected, at all. I thought Chewie would be ready for the workout, and I guess I somehow thought Les wouldn't ask for the world from him. Neither was the case. I've considered leaving Chewie in my own lacking training abilities a while, just riding him myself. Then I fear he'll get bored with my round-pen canter, and my figure-9s trot in the arena. I am worried he's going to be this fussy for much longer, and fear that his feet aren't ever going to be right... I've thought about selling him, buy I don't exactly want to give him away, either. I have invested a lot of time and money, and I still can't do everything I want to with him.
Ahh.. stress... I hate it. But I will make no decisions today, but instead wait a while longer, let him rest from yesterday, and maybe it was a fluke, and he'll be sound & sane again soon.
Les tacked up Chewie, and they headed to the round pen. Les pushed him pretty hard at canter & gallop around the pen, and then added a lunge line to teach Chewie at Whoa to stop & come to the pen center. It looked harsh, but knowing what he did with Romeo, I assumed it would be okay. Les got on Chewie to ride, and immediately said to me, "He's lame, something's wrong." He said it was on the front left hoof. He got off, and I got on (in his saddle & bit). Chewie to me felt stiff, but there was no head-swinging at all at trot, either way.
Les said he "didn't want to torture or punish him", and abandoned the notion of work at canter. They walked & trotted a bit in the round pen, then went to the arena for more of the same. Work was solely on neck reining. I noticed Les was asking for neck rein much higher towards his head than I have. He got off, I got on, and while hew as a bit stiff, he still seemed to respond a bit better to me. Worked on circles & figure-8s walk & trot in the arena. Les unsaddled him at the house, and poked & pushed on Chewie all over, certain he'd find lameness in the left hoof. No such luck. The sore-spot was on his right shoulder...
I don't know what happened... Maybe the pushed warmup was too hard on him, and he over-extended trying to get out of Les' way... maybe he just wasn't physically fit enough for what was asked of him. Perhaps the strain occurred because he thought he could do more with the right leg & hoof than he can yet. Either way, Chewie stood tied while we caught & rode Romeo.
Les rode Romeo first, took him to his pasture, and immediately asked him to canter out. Romeo obeyed cheerfully. He was a saint... demonstrating I've worked very hard on him, and I guess I've done okay. I crawled on him , and worked a bit on canter up & down transitions. Romeo wanted to toss his head straight upwards for both transitions. I initiated about a dozen transitions, and he started to get it right. He'd drop his head for both, and seemed to glide in and out of the canter a bit more. It's something to work on until the lesson Sunday.
Les saddled Chewie again, and we went on a walk/trot trail ride up & down the road. One of my neighbors was driving aggressively down the road, came around a blind turn, and spooked both of the horses. We got them back calmed down, walked some more, and turned back for home. Walked the pasture fenceline a few times through the trees, and one time I looked back, I saw Chewie buck a bit with Les. He thought Chewie was being mean, I think he was just saying "Get that curb chain off my chin, and let up some rein pressure so I can just walk calmly."
The day was not as I expected, at all. I thought Chewie would be ready for the workout, and I guess I somehow thought Les wouldn't ask for the world from him. Neither was the case. I've considered leaving Chewie in my own lacking training abilities a while, just riding him myself. Then I fear he'll get bored with my round-pen canter, and my figure-9s trot in the arena. I am worried he's going to be this fussy for much longer, and fear that his feet aren't ever going to be right... I've thought about selling him, buy I don't exactly want to give him away, either. I have invested a lot of time and money, and I still can't do everything I want to with him.
Ahh.. stress... I hate it. But I will make no decisions today, but instead wait a while longer, let him rest from yesterday, and maybe it was a fluke, and he'll be sound & sane again soon.
11/15/08 New Feet & Romeo-Ride
Loaded Chewie up at dark-thirty, and headed out for Mr. Don's house. I really do need to get pictures this time... The appointment went great! Don was happy to see some of the progress Chewie has made in growth & balance. He commented in his trimming of the right front "This looks a lot better than it has. The bruising is getting trimmed out, he's not so sensitive on it. We're clearing up whatever was causing that laminitis-looking mess. He's not 100%, but it's getting better."
It was a pleasant appointment. We talked a bit about Romeo, and he mentioned a product to me designed for easy-keepers. It's called "Barn Bag", and it's from a company in Al. Supposed to have all the vitamins & minerals horses need in it, and then calories and starches are to come from whole oats and hay. Interesting concept, and something I will check into.
Took Chewie home in the windy cool weather. It was a snappy windy morning, northern front blustering through the area.
Caught Romeo, rode him about a while. I free lunged him in the round pen for about 15 minutes, out of complete curiosity 1)what he'd do in the round pen, if he'd still blow-up & be goofy, which he didn't, and 2)get the goobers out from not being ridden, then being asked to work in cool weather. He was great. Rode him for about a half hour, walk, trot, canter. Great ride, lots of easy transitions, cantered left & right without issue. I have learned if I ask for canter now on the straight-aways, he gets his lead, no head-leaning necessary. Don't even really have to concentrate on squeeze with my outside leg. It was a pleasant 45 minutes with him. I stayed in the pasture this ride, and didn't wander down the roadways.
It was a pleasant appointment. We talked a bit about Romeo, and he mentioned a product to me designed for easy-keepers. It's called "Barn Bag", and it's from a company in Al. Supposed to have all the vitamins & minerals horses need in it, and then calories and starches are to come from whole oats and hay. Interesting concept, and something I will check into.
Took Chewie home in the windy cool weather. It was a snappy windy morning, northern front blustering through the area.
Caught Romeo, rode him about a while. I free lunged him in the round pen for about 15 minutes, out of complete curiosity 1)what he'd do in the round pen, if he'd still blow-up & be goofy, which he didn't, and 2)get the goobers out from not being ridden, then being asked to work in cool weather. He was great. Rode him for about a half hour, walk, trot, canter. Great ride, lots of easy transitions, cantered left & right without issue. I have learned if I ask for canter now on the straight-aways, he gets his lead, no head-leaning necessary. Don't even really have to concentrate on squeeze with my outside leg. It was a pleasant 45 minutes with him. I stayed in the pasture this ride, and didn't wander down the roadways.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Chewie Is Back to Work
I haven't got the pictures yet. I unfortunately didn't start snapping up shots before Mr Don started work. Here's the quick word summary.
- Took as much off the front right as he could, but it's still a tad longer than the front left
- Rear toes were chipped up - wall seperation, rounded off toes to try to prevent reoccurence
- Thrush still lurking front left, rear right. Other two cases are clear. Took out some of the frog around those thrushy cracks so I can get the Durasole in better this time
- Hoof shape & angles are improving, but not there yet.
- The pad on front right is working! All the signals indicate it helped
- Front right has blood hemmorage on the sole near the toe, old bruise growing out, probably from Chewie's barefoot five weeks standing around & being grumpy
- Front hooves blood still flowing - pulse is still evident on both - although not good, indications that P3 is creeping back up where it belongs by soundness
So I asked Mr Don "Okay, the question of the day.. What can he do now?" I love his answer, "Sweat! Get him back in work, get the muscles back where they were before this mess started and you met me. If he gets sore, get off, hose him down, give him a treat, and apologize to him for over-doing it. Take the following day off, and then get back after it. Don't linger every day at trot - hard on the hooves, hard on the legs." He also told me to give him some patience if he gets fussy or grouchy. He said, "If that head isn't bobbing, he's sound, but if he is a real grump one day, it's probably because something hurts, and he doesn't know how else to tell you. If he's like that many days in a row, call me. We'll talk about what you need to do next. If it sounds like he's just avoiding working, we'll talk him through that, too."
And Sweat it is! We're ready to get back at it. I hope to get a couple canter circles today. Mr Don also confirmed something I've been thinking for a while now - Chewie swinging his head to the outside for canter right, wasn't defiance, wasn't bad balance, wasn't him being a snot. He's trying to get that 50lb head off the right front hoof. Poor kid. And to think Robin was forcing weight on it, shorter inside rein, putting more strain on an already painful situation. I only feel kind of like a snot for pushing him despite the bad foot.
I've decided to put the chiropractor for him on hold a bit longer - I want him sound & muscled before I waste the effort. It's a long drive, and I don't feel like hauling him now, and then hauling him again in a few months for the same thing. He hasn't been fussing about being brushed, and doesn't seem to be particularly bucky one direction or the other.
Cheers all... have a great day. I've got too much to do, so I better get the engine oiled (with coffee), and get my rump moving.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
It's Finally Fall
And I couldn't be happier. I'll find a way to get a link up to my local weather somewhere's on here... But anyways, let me summarize it for you. It's supposed to go down near 45F tonight, and near 40F on the weekend. Hallelujah! God remembered this little Yankee and gave me the fall I want!!!
How excellent! I will be able to ride without sweaty miserable horses, I can put on a long sleeved shirt again, feeding in the evening will not be overrun with nasty rank mosquitoes. I feel so blessed to live where it never snows and almost never freezes.. until around September, when it's still bloody 90F hot during the days, sometimes humid in the mornings. It's unbearably hot here too many months of the year.
And I'm finally blessed with at least one sweet weekend! Can't wait to pick up turnouts at the cleaners tonight, and be able to cover Chewie in a clean turnout sheet. :) keep the winter fuzzies away.
Tomorrow, we go for new feet. I will take pictures before, and after, and put them up on the picture site with links. I am going to drive Mr Don the Farrier absolutely nuts, I'm sure. I want pictures of each trip before & after, and I won't stop taking pictures until I see marked progress. I want my old horse back - I want my cantering hunter trotting over ground poles, easy going Chewie back. And when he gets happy feet again, I will have that horse.
Tonight, I'm planning on at least free in the round pen. I am also considering a really quick warmup, followed by about 30 minutes of ground driving. Dig out the surcingle, and get him in the long lines.
I will post tomorrow, at some point, with at least a recap of what Don tells me during the visit. What is getting better, and what if anything is getting worse.
If ya'll are of the praying nature, please remember me and my parents. I don't know who reads this and doesn't tell me they do, but I'll summarize - things suck. It's not good, there's been a lot of immature hollering, and I'm my parents' child, for certain. Just pray for peace, and resolution. Can't ask for much more yet. GMail me if you want to pray for specifics.
Pessimist blood type? B-negative
How excellent! I will be able to ride without sweaty miserable horses, I can put on a long sleeved shirt again, feeding in the evening will not be overrun with nasty rank mosquitoes. I feel so blessed to live where it never snows and almost never freezes.. until around September, when it's still bloody 90F hot during the days, sometimes humid in the mornings. It's unbearably hot here too many months of the year.
And I'm finally blessed with at least one sweet weekend! Can't wait to pick up turnouts at the cleaners tonight, and be able to cover Chewie in a clean turnout sheet. :) keep the winter fuzzies away.
Tomorrow, we go for new feet. I will take pictures before, and after, and put them up on the picture site with links. I am going to drive Mr Don the Farrier absolutely nuts, I'm sure. I want pictures of each trip before & after, and I won't stop taking pictures until I see marked progress. I want my old horse back - I want my cantering hunter trotting over ground poles, easy going Chewie back. And when he gets happy feet again, I will have that horse.
Tonight, I'm planning on at least free in the round pen. I am also considering a really quick warmup, followed by about 30 minutes of ground driving. Dig out the surcingle, and get him in the long lines.
I will post tomorrow, at some point, with at least a recap of what Don tells me during the visit. What is getting better, and what if anything is getting worse.
If ya'll are of the praying nature, please remember me and my parents. I don't know who reads this and doesn't tell me they do, but I'll summarize - things suck. It's not good, there's been a lot of immature hollering, and I'm my parents' child, for certain. Just pray for peace, and resolution. Can't ask for much more yet. GMail me if you want to pray for specifics.
Pessimist blood type? B-negative
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Chewie Round Pen 09/02/08
After I dropped Romeo off at Les's house, and arrived back home, Chewie was pretty happy to see me. So, I took my hoofpick, Durasole, and halter, and headed with him to the round pen. I really only intended to clean his feets, apply the gorilla-killer solution, and ask for a little trot, expecting the limp to persist.
When I set Chewie loose in the round pen, he took off, like the happy race horse he is. He ran and ran and ran... I left the round pen briefly enough to get his attention. After about 5 minutes of this silly running nonsense, bucking, farting, twisting mid-air, rearing, he finally calmed down.
I asked for walk-left, he was sound.
I asked for walk-right, he was sound.
I asked for trot-left, I got about 6 strides, then canter left (slow)
I asked again, and got trot-left, he was sound.
I asked for walk-right again, he was still sound.
I asked for trot-right, again, a few strides, then canter right (fast)
Asked again, for trot-right, he was sound!
Asked for brief canter-right, he was sound. Slow, easy, head to the inside!
Things I noticed...
Chewie was sound, trot, canter, left & right.
Knee action! Rather than dragging his toes, kicking up dust in the front, and not giving a floaty trot, he was lifting his legs, bending his knees with every step, and hitting the ground whole-hoof at once. Beautiful movement!
I didn't have to push him at trot to get a nice stride. I clucked, and he was tracking.
No shoe clicking in the full tracking trot. No rear hoof hitting front hoof.
No tripping! He was picking up all four hooves.
Total work, about 20 minutes, some because of Chewie's flip-out. I turned him loose, and he followed me up to the trailer for a pat & cookie.
Talked to Mr Don. He was happy with the good news, and suggested the following path forward:
Lunge & Round pen for two more weeks
Light to moderate work only
In two weeks, ride bareback, at the walk, 5 minutes for one day
Next day, 5 minutes, if sound, add 2-3 minutes
Next day, add a few more
Repeat Repeat
Only at the walk, bareback, for at least one week, perhaps two
Then, call again, give him an update on soundness, and he'll suggest when he can carry bareback at trot, or saddled.
When I set Chewie loose in the round pen, he took off, like the happy race horse he is. He ran and ran and ran... I left the round pen briefly enough to get his attention. After about 5 minutes of this silly running nonsense, bucking, farting, twisting mid-air, rearing, he finally calmed down.
I asked for walk-left, he was sound.
I asked for walk-right, he was sound.
I asked for trot-left, I got about 6 strides, then canter left (slow)
I asked again, and got trot-left, he was sound.
I asked for walk-right again, he was still sound.
I asked for trot-right, again, a few strides, then canter right (fast)
Asked again, for trot-right, he was sound!
Asked for brief canter-right, he was sound. Slow, easy, head to the inside!
Things I noticed...
Chewie was sound, trot, canter, left & right.
Knee action! Rather than dragging his toes, kicking up dust in the front, and not giving a floaty trot, he was lifting his legs, bending his knees with every step, and hitting the ground whole-hoof at once. Beautiful movement!
I didn't have to push him at trot to get a nice stride. I clucked, and he was tracking.
No shoe clicking in the full tracking trot. No rear hoof hitting front hoof.
No tripping! He was picking up all four hooves.
Total work, about 20 minutes, some because of Chewie's flip-out. I turned him loose, and he followed me up to the trailer for a pat & cookie.
Talked to Mr Don. He was happy with the good news, and suggested the following path forward:
Lunge & Round pen for two more weeks
Light to moderate work only
In two weeks, ride bareback, at the walk, 5 minutes for one day
Next day, 5 minutes, if sound, add 2-3 minutes
Next day, add a few more
Repeat Repeat
Only at the walk, bareback, for at least one week, perhaps two
Then, call again, give him an update on soundness, and he'll suggest when he can carry bareback at trot, or saddled.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
It's an Award!
Folks that look forward to my little ditty updates.
Nifty good!
Thanks to fssunnysd for sharing in the magic. The ones I like already have this little gadget for the most part, but I will try to find somebody I read up on and share it.
I do have a detailed update, but will keep it general for this minute.. update more when I can..
Chewie . Round pen. Last night. sound walk & trot both directions! :) Very brief work, but good.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Status Quo
No new changes with Chewie. Nothing will improve overnight, and I'm aware of that. Took Romeo on a few walks around the neighborhood without incident. He met up with the neighbors dogs again, and behaved nicely. As one dog sniffed his back leg, he didn't even pin his ears... much improved.
Happy Labor Day! It's hard to be happy... I have friends in LA that are getting pounded by Gustav. Stupid storm! Shoo!! Go Away! Other than the dumb weather, it's been a good three day weekend.
Got some weed killer down around the house, but I ran out before making it out to fence line. Hope to get more today, and finish it out this weekend.
Happy day to all of you outside of the Gulf Coast. Hoping the weather has fared well for the majority of you.
Happy Labor Day! It's hard to be happy... I have friends in LA that are getting pounded by Gustav. Stupid storm! Shoo!! Go Away! Other than the dumb weather, it's been a good three day weekend.
Got some weed killer down around the house, but I ran out before making it out to fence line. Hope to get more today, and finish it out this weekend.
Happy day to all of you outside of the Gulf Coast. Hoping the weather has fared well for the majority of you.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Took a SnookerLoad of Photos Last Night
http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn41/c20h10n2/Chewie%2008%2029%2008/
And they all live up there. Enjoy, ya'll. In the one conformation (I think it's left) shot, can anybody else see that cute face looking at me? I almost hear him, "Momma, what're you doing?!? Can I go back to munching on the lawn, now??"
Pulse last night was still evident in both fronts. The left was pounding, and the right was weaker. I was a bit shocked by that, but I'll take it.
Lunged briefly in both directions. Sound left, sound straight in-hand. Still a wobble head-bob or three headed right. If I left him lead his head out of the circle, he limped less. Durasole on all frogs, and sent him back out to pasture.
Hurricane Gustav - GET! Scram! ShoO! Get outta the sea, and float back where's you came from! You ain't welcome here! Now, if that red-neck fussing doesn't chase him off, we're screwed... :)
And they all live up there. Enjoy, ya'll. In the one conformation (I think it's left) shot, can anybody else see that cute face looking at me? I almost hear him, "Momma, what're you doing?!? Can I go back to munching on the lawn, now??"
Pulse last night was still evident in both fronts. The left was pounding, and the right was weaker. I was a bit shocked by that, but I'll take it.
Lunged briefly in both directions. Sound left, sound straight in-hand. Still a wobble head-bob or three headed right. If I left him lead his head out of the circle, he limped less. Durasole on all frogs, and sent him back out to pasture.
Hurricane Gustav - GET! Scram! ShoO! Get outta the sea, and float back where's you came from! You ain't welcome here! Now, if that red-neck fussing doesn't chase him off, we're screwed... :)
Friday, August 29, 2008
I Wish I Understood
I wish I was rich enough to pay for all the xrays I could ever dream of to figure out what's going on with Chewie. I've been trying so terribly hard to get credit cards under control, and a huge vet bill based on curiosity just isn't in the plans.
I also wish I understood a heckuva lot more about the whole hoof problem(s). I am a scientist by trade - I study things in an attempt to understand not just how things happen, but why they happen the way they do. I don't settle for "just because I'm a farrier and I'm smarter than you about hooves.. this is how it is... the hoof told me it belongs there".
I'm going to add more Durasole tonight to the thrushy frogs. (That's a whole other debate worth discussing, by the way.) I will check the pulses. I did run my fingers down Romeo's legs to the hooves, and noticed not near the indent that exists on Chewie. Kind of surprising how different they are.
The thrush debate. Mr Don says that thrush is caused by bad hoof balance, not horse's environment. He says thrush is evident by a "crack" line where the heels meet up. I'm not 100% convinced thrush is only balance. My reason? If hoof balance is the cause of thrush, why did he point to a "crack" line on a rear hoof, saying it is thrush, and to treat it? I asked him as he trimmed each rear hoof, "How do they look?", and he thought they were in good condition. Good balance, good size & shape.
I also wish I understood a heckuva lot more about the whole hoof problem(s). I am a scientist by trade - I study things in an attempt to understand not just how things happen, but why they happen the way they do. I don't settle for "just because I'm a farrier and I'm smarter than you about hooves.. this is how it is... the hoof told me it belongs there".
I'm going to add more Durasole tonight to the thrushy frogs. (That's a whole other debate worth discussing, by the way.) I will check the pulses. I did run my fingers down Romeo's legs to the hooves, and noticed not near the indent that exists on Chewie. Kind of surprising how different they are.
The thrush debate. Mr Don says that thrush is caused by bad hoof balance, not horse's environment. He says thrush is evident by a "crack" line where the heels meet up. I'm not 100% convinced thrush is only balance. My reason? If hoof balance is the cause of thrush, why did he point to a "crack" line on a rear hoof, saying it is thrush, and to treat it? I asked him as he trimmed each rear hoof, "How do they look?", and he thought they were in good condition. Good balance, good size & shape.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Holy Hooves
Took Chewie to a new farrier this morning. Mr Don is a "friend of a friend". We spoke on the phone yesterday afternoon. He said a few things I liked - questions about Chewie's diet, weight, riding habits, ground manners, when do the shoes fly off. He said a few things I didn't like - riders cause shoes to fall off, and pastures cause shoes to fall off, but farriers aren't to blame, and it's nearly impossible for a horse to remove a shoe on his own, most horses in the area are overfed, and Chewie is probably fatter than I say he is.
So, I agreed to take Chewie to him today, a little apprehensive about the whole thing. Chewie loaded up like an angel, almost telling me he was okay. The trip was foggy as pea soup, but we made it. Arrived about ten minutes early - I thought I'd be there earlier, but I didn't plan on driving through soup.
Mr Don was very serious, and very firm. He watched Chewie walk just a little before starting. I asked him to explain everything he was doing, and he wasn't so much able to do that. I do wish I'd thought to take pictures before, during, and after. Perhaps ya'll farrier folks that read the blog could've explained more for my little scientist brain to understand. Mr Don set the left shoe on about 1/2" behind his toe, and after hot-setting it, nailed it right in place. I was a little puzzled, but when I asked any question like, "Why are you doing it that way?", he would respond, "Because that's where the foot is telling me it needs to be."
From what I saw, he set the shoe back 1/2", rasped the front down, set the shoes a little wider than the hooves on both (front right inside more than any of the other three side edges). He added a nifty pad to the right front, it was thin around the outside, and had an oval-shaped pad squishy part in the middle. Good thing, because Chewie's sole was soft & tender on that hoof.
Essentially, I did learn a few things. Well, let me rephrase. Mr Don said a few things, and some of them I understood, some of them I need to learn & study more.
1) Chewie's P2 & P3 are separating from the laminae, evidenced by the inner sag just above his hoof. I need to read more .... But, Mr Don said this has been caused by the lack of balance on his hoof, and the bones have been pushed down further & further. We're hoping the trim he did today will begin the rebalancing process, and when the coronary band "sees" the extra shoe, it'll start to stretch out, and the laminae will reattach their little selves to P2 & P3, bringing them back up where they belong.
2) Chewie was quicked three times at his last shoe-ing. Once on right front, twice on left front. I was shocked. Saw it with my own two eyes - the nail holes were inside the hoof wall, set on the sole. OUCH!
3) When the shoes were set, but toes not rasped down, Mr Don asked me to lunge him briefly at trot. Chewie was sound headed left, lame headed right. Right front inside still brought pain. Later, after all four hooves were trimmed, he had me lunge again. Chewie was better... still a bit lame going right, but better. When we got home, I tried again, with a little bit more improvement.
4) Found a pulse above the heel, but above all the ankle bones. Found the right front to have a heavier pulse than the left front. Mr Don asked that I keep checking it, and we're hoping the left front will go away completely (i.e. won't be able to detect it), and the right will decrease a little every day. Right front pulse won't go away for a long time, due to the shape the hoof is in.
I am going to take some pictures this weekend & post them up. Any farrier folks reading the blog, please feel free to email me (address found in the profile), and any advice you can offer, or explanations, I'm all-ears. This is something I've left to somebody else for too long, and it's high-time I start knowing enough to be aware of what questions to ask.
Oh! And, Mr Don is "CLF certified"... whatever that means. Need to study up on that, too.
So, I agreed to take Chewie to him today, a little apprehensive about the whole thing. Chewie loaded up like an angel, almost telling me he was okay. The trip was foggy as pea soup, but we made it. Arrived about ten minutes early - I thought I'd be there earlier, but I didn't plan on driving through soup.
Mr Don was very serious, and very firm. He watched Chewie walk just a little before starting. I asked him to explain everything he was doing, and he wasn't so much able to do that. I do wish I'd thought to take pictures before, during, and after. Perhaps ya'll farrier folks that read the blog could've explained more for my little scientist brain to understand. Mr Don set the left shoe on about 1/2" behind his toe, and after hot-setting it, nailed it right in place. I was a little puzzled, but when I asked any question like, "Why are you doing it that way?", he would respond, "Because that's where the foot is telling me it needs to be."
From what I saw, he set the shoe back 1/2", rasped the front down, set the shoes a little wider than the hooves on both (front right inside more than any of the other three side edges). He added a nifty pad to the right front, it was thin around the outside, and had an oval-shaped pad squishy part in the middle. Good thing, because Chewie's sole was soft & tender on that hoof.
Essentially, I did learn a few things. Well, let me rephrase. Mr Don said a few things, and some of them I understood, some of them I need to learn & study more.
1) Chewie's P2 & P3 are separating from the laminae, evidenced by the inner sag just above his hoof. I need to read more .... But, Mr Don said this has been caused by the lack of balance on his hoof, and the bones have been pushed down further & further. We're hoping the trim he did today will begin the rebalancing process, and when the coronary band "sees" the extra shoe, it'll start to stretch out, and the laminae will reattach their little selves to P2 & P3, bringing them back up where they belong.
2) Chewie was quicked three times at his last shoe-ing. Once on right front, twice on left front. I was shocked. Saw it with my own two eyes - the nail holes were inside the hoof wall, set on the sole. OUCH!
3) When the shoes were set, but toes not rasped down, Mr Don asked me to lunge him briefly at trot. Chewie was sound headed left, lame headed right. Right front inside still brought pain. Later, after all four hooves were trimmed, he had me lunge again. Chewie was better... still a bit lame going right, but better. When we got home, I tried again, with a little bit more improvement.
4) Found a pulse above the heel, but above all the ankle bones. Found the right front to have a heavier pulse than the left front. Mr Don asked that I keep checking it, and we're hoping the left front will go away completely (i.e. won't be able to detect it), and the right will decrease a little every day. Right front pulse won't go away for a long time, due to the shape the hoof is in.
I am going to take some pictures this weekend & post them up. Any farrier folks reading the blog, please feel free to email me (address found in the profile), and any advice you can offer, or explanations, I'm all-ears. This is something I've left to somebody else for too long, and it's high-time I start knowing enough to be aware of what questions to ask.
Oh! And, Mr Don is "CLF certified"... whatever that means. Need to study up on that, too.
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