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!  :-) 

Happy Birthday, Gem!

Gem celebrated his 10th birthday on October 17th. Today, we went on a celebratory trail ride. Five of us braved the cold and rain. He was well behaved and I relaxed enough to let him do what he needed; I didn't interfere with him as he wound our way through stony trails and shrubs. I am trusting him more and more. After he was back in his stall, I gave him a carrot and then went to the lounge to have some carrot cake with my riding buddies.

Birthdays and anniversaries make me reflect. I have been thinking about Gem's first life, pre-Wolfie. Ellen, his first owner, had wished for her own horse for a long time. She researched what she wanted: something unique, brave, strong, solid, an easy keeper that could withstand our cold Canadian winters and keep her safe out on the trails. Her breed search came up with the Canadian, or La Cheval Canadien as the breed is known in Quebec. The history of the Canadian breed can be found here. My dream horse wish list included the same things.

Gem started his life at a breeder's facility not far from where I live. When Ellen purchased him as a 3-year old, she had him transported to Guelph, Ontario and Gem lived on her property for five years. Ellen's wish had come true and Gem was to be her forever horse. She had his name tattooed on her back. Over that 5 year period, he lived outside and she rode him on the trails on her property. He was the only horse and I believe he had a dog as a companion. I get the impression that Gem was more of a pet than a riding companion. He was spoiled.

Over that 5 year period, Ellen's circumstances changed dramatically. The business that her husband and she owned was suffering, they had to sell their property to pay bills, the business eventually went under, her marriage broke up. She had a friend that owned a boarding/lesson facility about an hour away from where she was living and asked if Gem could be housed there until she found a job and her financial troubles were sorted out. Gem moved and shared a field with other horses. It didn't work out very well. Having no real herd manners and being a big guy, he bossed everyone around and took to herding the mares so aggressively, he was separated and Ellen had his blood tested to make sure he was a true gelding (he is). Gem just didn't know how to play nice, so he was kept alone in the front paddock while the herd was kept at the back of the property. He was used in some lessons to "pay" for his board. Time passed. He got fat.

Eventually, Ellen had to make a decision. Her friend was downsizing to a small hobby farm that could house her two personal horses and her 4 dogs, but that was it. The facility had been sold. Ellen could not afford to board Gem anywhere. She was still unemployed. Gem was put up for sale.

While Ellen's life with Gem was unraveling, I was surfing the Internet looking for my dream horse. I actually found a 15.0hh Fjord (LOVE Fjords!) that seemed perfect and was being offered at the top end of my budget. Jean and I drove for hours to see him. We both rode that sweet guy and loved him. Unfortunately, when I had the vet exam done, he came up sensitive on his right front leg after being lunged in a circle for a while. In fairness, the owner did say that he had been sensitive before when being lunged, but had never had a problem with him out on the trails. I needed a horse that could do circles in lessons, so I had to walk away.

Then, I found Gem. When STA and I went to see him, I also met Ellen. Initially, she was a bit hostile to me. But, once we started talking about Gem and his history, she broke down and started crying. I actually got teary-eyed myself; it was obvious how much she loved this horse and now one more thing in her life was disappearing.

Megan, STA and myself rode Gem, and I was smitten. When we all sat down to negotiate - Ellen with her friend and STA and I - I started off by asking Ellen if she was OK with this, if she was OK with me. I was prepared to walk away if she was not comfortable with this situation. I would accept her decision. She said she liked me and was absolutely fine with Gem going with me.

Ellen sold Gem to me for the same amount she paid when she purchased him from the breeder. As I shook her hand to seal the deal, she grabbed me and hugged me. I reassured her that everything would be OK. The next Friday, Gem had his vet check and STA and I picked him up. The adventure began on April 18/09.

Initially, Ellen emailed me about once a month to see how he was doing. I would give her a light update on how he was adjusting to his new environment and being in a stall at night, about his new roommates and how he was doing in lessons. On his birthday, she asked if I could give him an extra apple for her. I did not hear from her over the winter months. Then, this past spring, on the anniversary of me becoming his companion, Ellen contacted me to see how Gem was doing. In her email, she indicated that her situation was much better. She had found a job over the winter and moved into an apartment closer to friends and family and was much happier. I was pleased for her and gave her an update which included a recent picture of Gem. She responded that she was grateful that he looked so good and content. He looked loved and she knew I was the right person for Gem. She thanked me for helping him become the horse she knew he could be and told me that she could finally let go. I have not heard from her since.

Sadly, what happened to Ellen is not uncommon. In a heartbeat, circumstances can change. The closing of one door in Ellen's life, opened another for me and another for Gem. Having him in my life has had such a positive effect on my well-being. I hope he feels the same. Gem started his life not 20 miles from where he is now; I brought him "home". Strange how these things happen. Was it meant to be?? Here's something even stranger. The second or third time Gem was getting his feet done, The Farrier, who recognized him as a Canadian, asked me where he was from. I explained the story. The Farrier broke out into a big smile. It turns out that, for the last 15 years, he has been doing all the farrier work for the breeders where Gem was born. He did Gem's feet for the first 3 years of his life!! Cool, eh? Yes...I think that Gem has really come home...

The Farrier and the Horse Whisperer

Gem's got really good feet. He is barefoot. Even as a newbie owner and horse person, I can recognize that he has strong feet. They are not perfectly shaped, but they are big and hard, with a healthy frog. I give Gem's feet a good clean every time I see him, before and after I ride him. I will run salt water (I use salt water for everything!) in the crevices of his frog if I think there is something funky going on in there and then use the pick brush. If you are thinking of going barefoot, you may find Sophie's blog, Barefoot Horse a great reference.

The terrain that Gem lives and works on is sand (arena), sand with some fine stone (paddock) and pasture. I sometimes walk him up and down the lane which is dirt and gravel. I walk him up and down the lane because it's a harder and rockier surface and I like the idea that his feet are experiencing all kinds of surfaces. I am a little obsessive about his feet. :-)

Today Gem got his feet done. I haven't actually seen The Farrier since last year. He comes every few weeks to the stables. You put your name down, he does your horse's feet and the bill is left with LA. Gem chips his feet all the time. When he is let out in the morning, he generally expresses himself through loping around his field and kicking up his heels. I am sure the rocks that are in his field take a beating from his antics. :-) While most of his chips are minor, in the early summer, Gem had two huge chunks out of his hooves from expressing himself while experiencing spring fever. It took three visits, three weeks apart for The Farrier to smooth them out.

I am having my stay-cation this week and decided to help LA out at the stables today. Ten horses had their feet done and 12 young riders were registered for riding camp. It was busy! But, it was a great opportunity to get re-acquainted with The Farrier. While LA helped the riding camp attendees, I held horses for him.

I am one of those people that puts The Farrier at the same importance level as my vet. They both play an essential role in the health and well-being of Gem. I am very fortunate that in my neck of the woods, I have the cream of the crop in both areas looking after Gem.

The Farrier always has a smile and enjoys company as he works. LA has 40 horses that need to be looked after and will not work with anyone but The Farrier. That reference in itself is good enough for me. But, I did take this opportunity to ask The Farrier if he attended any educational conferences. He attends two a year in Canada. I like the fact that he keeps current. On top of everything else, he is a kind man. Some horses he worked on outside (they like the distraction and it helps them not to feel trapped) and others he worked on inside. Some of the horses were fidgety, but he was patient. He spoke calmly and did not force anything. I once saw an old timer at another barn hit the horse in the belly with his hammer when the horse got fidgety....I didn't like this and was worried that this was the norm....and was relieved that it wasn't, when I met The Farrier. Whew.

I enjoyed being with The Farrier and handling horses that I wouldn't normally be around. It was cool to see how other horses behaved and I think it was good for my confidence. I also heard some great stories today. Most events happened when The Farrier was a newbie...he's much smarter now. :-) Here are a few:

Young stallion lunged at him as he was walking in front of him and bit his face! The top of the horse's mouth connected with his forehead and the bottom set of teeth under his nostrils. He had to go to the hospital and have the base of his nose stitched up. He still has a scar on his forehead....he was thankful that he still had a nose!

A gelding reared and struck out at him, hitting him in the chest so hard that it knocked him to the ground and left a horse shoe bruise on his chest.

Reining horses have long tails and a lot of owners braid them to keep them clean and pristine. Unfortunately, The Farrier once got hit so hard in the eye with a braided tail that it caused blurry vision for a few days. He now requests that all tails be unbraided prior to his visit.

He got body slammed by a scared horse. Ouch.

There is one horse that purposely whips his very long, very thick wiry tail in The Farrier's face. It hurts and makes it difficult to work. Smart horse. :-) Now someone has to hold the tail while he works.

Most of horses that I held were well behaved, including my Gem. There were two that had issues. The first was Gem's next door stall neighbour, an ex-halter Arabian, who over the last year has had mood swings and exhibited some aggressive behaviour. I think he may still be having back issues. I spoke softly to K. and gave him scratches on his withers and in his mane. "Is that a good spot? Oh yeah...you like that, don't you? How about here...?" It worked. K.'s anxiety melted away and he stopped fidgeting.

The other horse was DH. DH is just not a very nice horse and has something in him that makes him resent everything. He was giving The Farrier a hard time by pulling his feet away from him. As DH wildly swung his head up and down in the cross-ties, I tried to calm him down the same way I did K. It was hit and miss, but in general he would have short periods of calmness that would allow The Farrier to nail on his shoes.

The Farrier thanked me for all my help. I thanked him for the stories. So I didn't ride today. Instead, I spent the first day of my stay-cation at the stables, holding and whispering to horses and walking them either back to their stalls or putting them out in the pastures. My stay-cation is great, so far. :-)


What was I thinking....?