Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Pedicures

I had a pedicure on Saturday.  My toes are a nice shade of black cherry and I love looking down at my feet when they are freshly done.  Sandal weather makes me very happy.

In the winter Gem gets his pedicure every 8 weeks.  His large feet look beautiful and shiny and strong.   I love how clean the snow keeps his feet and when I see his big hoof prints in snow it makes me smile.  The summer is a different story.  His feet remain pristine for a week or so after a trim and then the chips start.  Last year seemed particularly bad. How could it be that his feet were so beautiful in the winter but so awful in the summer.  Was it the food?  His diet had not changed, with the exception of the addition of limited grass.  Was it because he was getting older (he's only 11)?  Was it the extreme heat and humidity?  Does he need supplements?

So, last summer Shannon over at It's Quarters for Me offered some excellent advice and information (thank you!).  I took time off work to speak with my Farrier and as he was trimming Gem he pointed out a little bruise on Gem's back hoof - I would never have seen it to be quite honest.   Then he pointed to Gem's turnout area and mentioned how bad the flies were.  I stared at him, not getting it.  He said that Gem was probably stamping his feet on the rocky terrain of his turnout out area, trying to get the flies off of him, which was causing the chipping; 1300 lbs of horse  stamping his feet on rocks pretty much guarantees it.  Geez, that made so much sense!   I brought a spade and started digging up some of the rocks.  I got into the routine of the Farrier tidying up Gem's feet every 3 weeks as damage control.

If rocks were a crop, LA's property would have a bumper crop each and every year.  The back field
Gate leading into the back field.




where the herd is currently waiting to be turned out to pasture is full of rocks.  During the spring, it is a sea of mud, so the rocks aren't of too much concern because the horses don't move around much; they stay glued to the huge pile of hay.  But as things dry out, the rocks become more of an issue.  They stick out of the earth,  laying in wait to trip their next victim or chip their feet.  Little dainty quarter horse feet seem to manage their way in between the edges and damage isn't too bad.  It appears that horses that have shoes on fair much better than those that don't, I am assuming because the metal takes the brunt of the impact with the rocks. 

So far, the bugs aren't bad (knock on wood!).  This could be because we had 25C weather the beginning of April allowing mosquitoes and flies to hatch, followed by snow the end of April killing anything that hatched.  There has also been a constant breeze the last few weeks.  Will he get a reprieve this year?  Will his feet be saved?  His feet were looking pretty good......

Last year I didn't start really going out regularly on the trails until late summer.  The trails offer other challenges when it comes to Gem's feet.  The rocks are embedded in the pathways leading from one field to another and the hills in the forest and bush.  Tripping, stumbling and sliding are to be expected when you go out.  Even the dainty feet of a 900 lb. QH can take a beating when out on the trails.  Sometimes, Gem and I actually go off the beaten path a bit because I don't want to risk him walking on the protruding rocks; this means that we may be picking our way through fallen branches if we are in the forest. 

On the way to the trails

DH and his mom.  Can you see the rocks?
DH's Mom and I went out on the trails Friday and Sunday afternoons.  I noticed on Friday after our ride that Gem had some chunks missing from his front feet.  Sigh.  I wasn't too concerned - he's scheduled to see the Farrier on Thursday.  However, after I dismounted on Sunday and I saw his left hind, my stomach started to flip and not in a good way.


Left hind
It wasn't until I put him in the cross-ties and went to take a closer look that I realized that his right hind hoof was missing.  That's when the bottom of my stomach fell out.   OK, OK... I know I am being a bit of a drama queen, but I started to freak out when I saw two big chips on his right hind, peeled back and sticking straight out.  I checked for blood or bruising - nothing.  What to do?!  The thickness of these chips precluded using scissors.  There was no way I could leave them like that.  The father of two of the Young Ladies was working on repairing  stall and I asked if he had anything that could cut off the chips.  Fortunately for me, this guy's father was a farrier and he used to help his dad.  He went and got LA's snips and hoof file (sorry, I don't know what the professional name is!) and clipped off the chips from both feet and lightly filed the rough edges. 

Right hind after removal of chips.  Half his friggin' hoof is missing!!!



Some of what was removed.
I sent an email to LA the next morning, saying that I was uncomfortable riding Gem when his feet were in such bad shape.  I think I could feel her eyes rolling, but she kindly offered to check his soundness and informed me later that he was fine; there was no "ouchiness".  Whew!

I am anxious for the Farrier to do Gem's feet this week.  I will once again set up the 3-week schedule to have his feet done to help with damage control and I have started looking at trail boot options for him.  I will also be soaking his foot in Oxine AH as recommended by Shannon as I think he may have a bit of funkiness going on with this right hind.  

I sent Jean an email telling her what happened and she agreed that she will probably have the same foot issues with Stu once he starts going out on the trails. It's so great to have a riding friend that has a large horse and understands some of the challenges.   We have agreed to take an afternoon and walk the trails and remove any rocks that we can.  Hope my regular manicure holds up to this activity!!  Yep.....have pick, will travel!  :-) 





29 comments:

  1. Be easy, Wolfie, it looks worse than it is. Truly. Fortunately he doesn't need all that hoof wall to bear his weight, it's just there to protect the inside of the hoof- which it did.

    Upping the trim to every 3 weeks is a good idea (I trim mine every 3 weeks) and getting him some boots wouldn't hurt him any.

    He'll be fine, don't beat yourself up :)

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  2. Thanks for being a sanity check. Honestly, I just about threw up when I saw his right hind I am EasyBoot Trail boots. Once again Gem and I will be a trend setter at our barn. :-)

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    1. That should read "I am looking at EasyBoot Trail boots."

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  3. I am seeing a lot of chipping in the hooves at my barn. I think some of it has to do with the muddy winter we had and the ground forming very uneven, so when the horses get to stomping the flies, that is what is causing the damage. Luckily, no soundness issues and Shy does not seem affected (although she is a itty bitty haffie and not so big as your guy!).

    I always freak out at hoof issues. I am sure Gem will be fine, he has you to take care of him!

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    1. You may be on to something there, Allison. The uneven ground doesn't help. Glad that Shy is healthy and sound. :-)

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  4. It probably looks worse to you than it feels to him. There really are a lot of rocks in the ground by looking at those pictures. We don't usually have those chipping problems here even though half of the horses have shoes and half don't. For the summer months our guys wear fly masks with ears and we do fly spray them to help with the bugs on the way out in the morning so that might be an option for Gem if you don't already do it. I know most people are very opposed to shoes but if his feet continue to chip maybe a set of shoes for the summer might help too and then take them off again in the cooler less buggy weather. Just a thought, I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're a good horse mom. Nice that you got to ride this weekend.

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    1. With all of the rocks, I can understand why this farm was used for grazing, personal consumption garden and apples when it was a working farm 100 years ago. There would have been no way they could have cleared it properly! I am seriously looking into boots for him....if I can find some in XL! :-)

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  5. This was an excellent heads up! We bought land with a TON of rocks in our pasture, and while I am worried about twisting an ankle, I never thought about all the chipping! And considering how bad the horses hooves were last year on a different, non-rocky property just from how hard packed the dirt was, I'm not looking forward to seeing more chips!

    I too would have almost thrown-up at the sight of those hooves. Not as bad as they look, sure, but still! Ouchie! I would totally recommend trail boots! I really like mine (when they fit), and 3-week trims will keep them fitting longer! Hope you can keep hitting the trails...without catastrophic results!

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    1. Oh, I hope you don't have much of a problem on your new property...Congratulations, btw! Gem and I love the trails now that we are getting used to them and there's no way we would stop going out. What brand of trail boots do you use and do you have any issues or recommendations??

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  6. I can understand you freaking out about that, it looks scary! Glad to hear that it looks worse than it actually is *phew* But there certainly are loads of rocks in that area! Looks like you and Jean have your work cut out -- good luck! And fingers crossed your pedicure doesn't take a beating ... how's about a pix of your pretty nails then?

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    1. I am sure that the other boarders will roll their eyes at me (and now Jean) once again as we walk into the fields with our pick and spade over our shoulders like two of the seven dwarfs in Snow White...hi ho hi ho! LOL!

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  7. I would ask your farrier what he thinks is the best course of action. He's the expert, after all. I think you have to weigh a number of factors; how much you ride, how buggy it is, how rocky the paddock is, etc.

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    1. Good advice. I already did and even though he has good feet, I am just going to have to keep up with the 3-week trim. The terrain is brutal.

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  8. I have one word for you.

    Boots.

    They will help on trail rides - not in the pasture, but you'd be amazed how they will avoid rocks on their own. We live in the rock capital of Texas, but keep horses shod only on the front. Chippers get boots and it makes a huge difference. I like cavellos, but there are lots of options. Plus some come in colors. Which is fun! Just let him wear them for 15 minutes or so as ou lunge him because they will feel wierd till he adjusts to them.

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    1. I had never really given boots much thought, but now I am!

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  9. Fly boots would help keep him from stomping at flies when he's turned out. I like the Roma brand because they're so light the leg doesn't heat with them on.
    http://www.smartpakequine.com/roma-fly-boots--3535p.aspx?cm_vc=Search

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    1. I have never heard of fly boots. I will definitely take a look. Thanks!!

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  10. Ha ha! I laugh because I freaked out the first time Miles lost a huge chip in his hoof...I couldn't believe it didn't affect his gait at all, but it didn't:) I too am suspicious of the lack of bugs thus far this year. They were so horrid last year, fly masks were on in late April. I hope this is a good sign for the rest of the summer!

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    1. I know! I figured for sure that he would be lame. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that this year the bugs are not bad!

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  11. Hey Wolfie I would ask your farrier what he recommends (boots might be a good option if you want to leave him barefoot). I would recommend you try him on the Greenhawk Biotin supplement. Its not very expensive and its improved Lucas' feet BIG time. We were able to finally keep his hind shoes off this summer and just keep plain front shoes on in front. Hope Gem keeps the rest of his feet intact!

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    1. My farrier mentioned biotin, but he felt that Gem's feet weren't really that bad. I think boots may be the answer but I will swing by Greenhawk and check out the biotin. Appreciate the info!

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  12. Oh poor Gem, I would have panicked if I'd seen that. But like the others said, it probably looks a lot worse than it actually is. Its crazy how rocky it is there.

    I was thinking about getting boots for Socks. I wont this summer anymore but I think its a great idea if you do a lot of trails.

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    1. I will let you know about the boots. Hope you are feeling better!!

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  13. Oh hey! L is 11 years old :)

    It looks worse than it is.

    L has always been barefoot. I sometimes think the mud draws the moisture out of their hooves and leaves them brittle. I use hoof dressing on her feet now and then but I'm not sure how much it helps. Besides she likes to lick the hoof dressing off and that can't be good for her!

    She gets some huge chips in her feet this time of year. More in her front than her hind. She's had chips where I was sure I was going find exposed laminae underneath!

    This has gone on for many years now she's never had any sign of discomfort. I just twist them off when I can. My farrier consistently says she has just about the best feet he's ever seen.

    I think it's just a barefoot horse thing.

    I actually worry more about her soles. I'd rather she catch the edge of her hoof and have it chip than land square on big piece of rock.

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    1. My farrier likes Gem's feet too and commends me for taking care of them. The other barefoot horses don't seem to have the same damage and I think it's because they are turned out in pasture and not in the rocky areas and trails that Gem is exposed to. Good point about the soles!

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  14. Heya Wolfie, you know we once had a farrier that recommended edible gelatin to be fed, apparently it makes the hooves more malleable, more able to absorb shock etc. I am not sure, so ask your farrier or vet about it - but I happily admit we were desperate at the time so we tried it and we did notice that the gelding's feet did better. Maybe it was pot luck? I know there are hoof supplements around, with mixed opinions about whether they do more harm than good.

    I can say that the chip looks worse than it is, to me. That is just my opinion. Our farrier visits every 5 weeks like clockwork, and I know I have him to thank for so much.

    Good luck Wolfie :)

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    1. Thanks, Landers! I am going to check into biotin. The issue may be that it needs to be administered every day. I only see Gem 2-3 times a week.

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  15. Yikes, poor Gem, although I think you must be more freaked out than he is.
    Hope it grows back fast :)

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    1. His feet actually grow fairly quickly. He was trimmed on Thursday. I just hope they don't chip too much before his next trim! And you are right....I was more freaked out then he was. :-)

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