About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Friday, July 20, 2012

Impatiently patient

Part of the fun getting to the barn EARLY to feed is the quite time
It's actually quite busy with wildlife
Bunny!
Woodchucker!
So fat and cute. He ate all the grain left on the ground.
Here's Red, who is back. He was up for sale but sadly no one is interested. He's a small but adorable OTTB. We are on 'mission get him back fat' because he lost A LOT of weight while he was gone.
He's got time and plenty of good hay now
 Pito reminds me why I'm sooo happy to have a Bay horse.
But he's so cute, I'd still be OK with a dirty grey
This two roll together all the time!
Pito was stretched out like this for a few minutes that I actually walked over to make sure all was OK
"No issues on my watch Pito!!!"
"Cuit talken aboutz Peetoe!!!"
Checking on the back tank (we have two 100 gallon tanks for the horses) I found this poor dead soul.
I felt soooo bad for him! 
It's been HOT and dry and I don't know why he drowned but I know he must have been thirsty.
I've since then, left a bucket filled with water in back of barn by the wild life for any tinys to be able to drink without having to commit suicide.
That's why it's SO important to have at least two water options, and to check not only daily, several times!
After SCRUBBBBING it, I got it back to clean
Eeesh

And now let's talk HOOVES
I'm literally tapping my finger waiting for this VET to call me back to reschedule.
Appointment was set for Sat, he had to cancel (two minutes before we were set to meet-grrrr). He came Wed but without any equipment (what?!!!) so he offered to come back and do the xrays and ultrasounds for free (Wha?? Uh, OK!!) BUT meanwhile, I had to push back my trimmer's appointment which I was sooooo looking forward to, and now I'm still WAITING to get him back out to do the xrays, etc.
If I don't hear back, I'll have to settle on regular xrays because I want answers um..NOW!
So, here are Laz's feets
They haven't been **touched in 6 weeks.
That is officially the LONGEST I've ever gone. I'm uber uncomfortable but also *trying* to allow his hoof to grow so we can have more material to work with.
I always hope for 'great' things in a new plan, so I'm trying to be patient. 
(I'm literally itching to rasp, roll and pare things back!!)
Now, I just need that VET AND HIS MACHINERY!!! so we can get trimmmming!
I digress...wasn't I saying here are his feet?
So, below;
LF aka plaidypus foot
This foot wants to hold thrush in that central sulcus probably for a couple of reasons. It bears a lot of weight (being the diagonal hoof from RH) and it's not functioning 100% correctly
I see lots of false sole, but I think his sole is actually getting better, and concave looking.
View from above;
(side note; see that scar on his heel bulb? I believe that to be why he stopped racing. OUCH)
Now, RF
This is his worst toe landing first foot, aka Club
Lots o heel
 Like LOTS! 
And that hairline?!
YUCK
And that vaulted toe that when I look at it, wants to pare away from hoof wall, so it's bearing too much weight on toe.
**True or False, I measured the heel when I returned from vaca and rasped it down?
True-I just COULD not wait and it did help him walk better, so 'whew'
We also walked a few minutes on gravel with no ouchiness (yay!)
 Quick shot of LH
 And the RH (the celebrity)
 I'm putting my finger across so you can see how 'crushed' his heels are. He's literally walking on the back on his heel. What's so odd; he lands perfectly heel first on this foot. 
 The goal is to keep the toe back-way back to help bring heels back-waaaay back.
And I've been using my new thrush goo in his hoof wall to help keep clean
It goes so deep though...which makes me NERVOUS for these xrays...which is why I hate waiting longer than I have to. 
Boo.

This boarding barn has such a great set up that keeps the horses MOVING which helps with Laz's hoof condition (actually with everything)
If it were mine, I'd fill that track the horses are about to turn (left) on with pea gravel to help stimulate their hooves
It's one of the nicest laid out facilities I've ever been to. 
I make so many mental notes for if/when I have my own backyard barn

13 comments:

  1. This is the BIGGEST thing giving me hope in waiting; http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/

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  2. I am biting my nails in anticipation!! I know this drawn out rehab phase of Laz may seem never-ending, but I have so much confidence that you and he will get through it! He is seriously the most adorable guy, his eyes and that MANE kill me.

    I am an acupuncturist, and I wonder about having your vet (does he do acup?) just needle the jing well points (Beginning or ending meridian points)around where his pastern meets the coronet band. I think the vets call them the "ting" points. This can stimulate qi (chi) and blood flow to the hoof.

    Anyway, your L.A. cheering person can't wait for the xrays :-)

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    1. My Chiro does and has done accu on Laz :) It's been a few months and I need him to come back, I'll make mention of having him focus on his lower leg areas-thanks!

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  3. Have you seen this? (Horse cadaver hoof anatomy)
    http://www.hoofrehab.com/coronet.htm

    http://www.hoofrehab.com/jessica.htm

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    1. Yes very familiar w/ this site, I wish they did more recent updates-nothing for several years.

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  4. I always wonder when making a vet appt. if the vet is actually going to make it. Emergency calls take precedence- and rightly so. That being said, what was up with him coming back with no equipment? Geez.

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    1. Grr, he has until tomorrow to call me back to resched otherwise I'm moving on to a different Vet. Young and disorganized in my opinion. The word "free" had me for a moment but that only lasts so long.

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  5. Something I had to learn: Not all horses will have a "D-cup" when it comes to concavity of their hoof. A horse on a harder, dryer surface will have a flatter foot. Since the more a horse uses it's hoof and the more varied surface a horse is on the more hoof it will grow, just like you using your hands and a callous developing. Now on the opposite end of the spectrum the softer more forgiving a surface is the more concavity a hoof will have because the hoof has to be more flexible to allow soft material to move under the foot instead of bunch up and create pressure. Make sense?

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    1. LOL on "D" cup. That is an interesting point though Syd, thanks for reminding me. That is another reason why I lust after pea gravel for him to walk through, a large section like a track, so he can stimulate his hooves differently vs just on grass, dirt and sand. The hand walks every other day on gravel road help but I try to gauge his comfort level on that too.

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  6. I hope that you get some information soon. Laz is looking good despite the pathologies you mentioned.

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    1. Thanks..lately I'm loosing faith in getting him back sound on that hoof. :(

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  7. I totally agree with Sydney K. Concavity doesn't always happen. Lax does look good! And I'll mention it again, please PLEASE please take a look at "Formula 4 Feet"... Two vets and my hoof trimmer are blown away by the changes in my horses feet and a farrier for another horse is floored by what he has seen after only 4 weeks.

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    1. Hi Lisa-thanks for the info. I'm glad that is working great for your horse. I'm not 100% into the ingredients though; Alfalfa meal and soy are a couple things I try best to avoid for Laz's hooves as both have shown up as 'issues' for him. xo

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