Hey all- due to a tecchno problem, I'll be offline fora little bit. Computers.... AGGGHHH!! Be back with more sole info and pictures as soon as my system sorts out!
Meantime, Happy Trails!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Huge Thank You To...
Nuzzling Muzzles, and her lovely Arabian's hoof. Our friend NuzMuz posted recently about hoof questions, and she was kind enough to allow me to copy and "adjust" her photos, in order to point out a couple of things. The hope here is to provide more education for horse owners in general, and N-O-T to bash her farrier.
With out farther ado, we go to several solar views of a front hoof, which had developed issues with the change in the weather. NuzMuz was quite worried about the dry ground, noting that when things dry out, the horse's hooves tend to chip and have issues with cracking and breakage. One thing to remember:
- Drier/ harder ground will *W-I-L-L* act as Nature's "Nail File". Hooves with even slight over-growth and imbalance will attempt to regulate their length by chipping and breaking away quarters and toes. If the foot is too flexible, then you wind up with long, nasty cracks that can potentially allow for invading (and naturally occurring) bacterium to move in and take over. Most often, conditions are just right for a piece here and there to chip up and break off.
Now let's look at some feet, shall we?
First photo: Unadjusted photo, showing the area that broke, and that NuzMuz cleaned away debris from.
Photo Two: We talk alot in the horse world about heels, and this is a GREAT shot showing heel height and orientation of growth (the BLUE lines). It also shows *ROUGHLY* about how far ABOVE the frog those heels are. Since the best way for the frog to do it's job is through passive contact with the ground... well, I don't think this frog is getting to do all of it's job here. The RED lines indicate about (Again, ROUGHLY) how much heel IN TIME might need to come off this horse. Why not be specific? Well, two main reasons: One, I am not there in person seeing the foot, and TWO that foot, with proper trimming and balance restored, will begin to function better, and the frog will once again resume a healthier shape and size.
Photo Three: Remember in my last post, I mentioned "retained sole" and "false sole"? The BLUE circle here shows what may well be some retained sole in this hoof. If you look opposite the circle, to the unmarked bar, look at the depth and length of the bar there. I also see what may well be NuzMuz's next hoof repair job in the quarter there. Can you see the length of wall sticking out? (I did not mark it... Sorry.)
Photo Four: Shows what is known as the seat of the corn. This area can be carefully cleaned by the hoof care provider, to better gauge the amount of heel growth, and if indeed there is retained sole present.
Photo Five: Is a side and solar view of the repair job. It shows a HUGE amount, which we are about to get into.
Photo Six: The adjusted side/ solar view:
BLUE circle. Since it is at the upper most part of the photo, let's go from there. It shows that depth I mentioned above. It also gives a good reference as to the heel length.
The RED arrow: Points out the protruding hoof wall, which I am betting will be the next repair spot.
The funky GREEN rectangle: This shows something that might be of concern. The dark area in the middle of the hoof wall and the sole is most likely hoof wall separation. Often times, areas like this can be trimmed out CAREFULLY, with no worry. However, this is a good opening for invading bacterium to move right on in. Now the "traditional" "fix" for this is to... shoe it. Sure. OK. Put a shoe over top of it, lock in the debris with out cleaning it out, and watch the hoof wall become brittle and progressively weaker, unable to hold the shoes. The alternative approach? Trim more frequently, and possibly treat with one of two products that we have had great luck with. (Those being Clean Trax, and White Lightning. Clean Trax is simply AMAZING stuff, but very time intensive one time treatment. White Lightning works great, and is slightly more user friendly.)
There you have it. This particular horse has a lot of hoof, and the best part is that it wants badly to be truly HEALTHY hoof. I'd suggest a shorter trimming schedule, not only to clear up the wall issue above, but also to prevent any further issues from developing.
Now, one BIG BIG question we get also is:
Does The Sole Need To Bear Any Weight? Or Should The WALL Be Completely Weight Bearing?
Dr. Robert Bowker, of MSU, (one of my hero's) did a study not too terribly long ago on just that. His findings proved what barefoot hoof care providers had strongly suspected all along: Yes, the sole AND the hoof wall BOTH need to bear weight. The hoof will work at optimum performance with both components working together. I need to dig around and find the link to this paper for those interested in reading it.
This horse pictured today is a prime example of what can happen when ONLY the wall is weight bearing. The hoof is working hard at trying to get itself truly healthy here, all the farrier needs to do is help it along properly.
Fire away- I am sure that there will be some good questions on this one.
Oh- TJ and Jackie- I am working on bruising for you. (Boy THAT just did not sound right!!)
With out farther ado, we go to several solar views of a front hoof, which had developed issues with the change in the weather. NuzMuz was quite worried about the dry ground, noting that when things dry out, the horse's hooves tend to chip and have issues with cracking and breakage. One thing to remember:
- Drier/ harder ground will *W-I-L-L* act as Nature's "Nail File". Hooves with even slight over-growth and imbalance will attempt to regulate their length by chipping and breaking away quarters and toes. If the foot is too flexible, then you wind up with long, nasty cracks that can potentially allow for invading (and naturally occurring) bacterium to move in and take over. Most often, conditions are just right for a piece here and there to chip up and break off.
Now let's look at some feet, shall we?
First photo: Unadjusted photo, showing the area that broke, and that NuzMuz cleaned away debris from.
Photo Two: We talk alot in the horse world about heels, and this is a GREAT shot showing heel height and orientation of growth (the BLUE lines). It also shows *ROUGHLY* about how far ABOVE the frog those heels are. Since the best way for the frog to do it's job is through passive contact with the ground... well, I don't think this frog is getting to do all of it's job here. The RED lines indicate about (Again, ROUGHLY) how much heel IN TIME might need to come off this horse. Why not be specific? Well, two main reasons: One, I am not there in person seeing the foot, and TWO that foot, with proper trimming and balance restored, will begin to function better, and the frog will once again resume a healthier shape and size.
Photo Three: Remember in my last post, I mentioned "retained sole" and "false sole"? The BLUE circle here shows what may well be some retained sole in this hoof. If you look opposite the circle, to the unmarked bar, look at the depth and length of the bar there. I also see what may well be NuzMuz's next hoof repair job in the quarter there. Can you see the length of wall sticking out? (I did not mark it... Sorry.)
Photo Four: Shows what is known as the seat of the corn. This area can be carefully cleaned by the hoof care provider, to better gauge the amount of heel growth, and if indeed there is retained sole present.
Photo Five: Is a side and solar view of the repair job. It shows a HUGE amount, which we are about to get into.
Photo Six: The adjusted side/ solar view:BLUE circle. Since it is at the upper most part of the photo, let's go from there. It shows that depth I mentioned above. It also gives a good reference as to the heel length.
The RED arrow: Points out the protruding hoof wall, which I am betting will be the next repair spot.
The funky GREEN rectangle: This shows something that might be of concern. The dark area in the middle of the hoof wall and the sole is most likely hoof wall separation. Often times, areas like this can be trimmed out CAREFULLY, with no worry. However, this is a good opening for invading bacterium to move right on in. Now the "traditional" "fix" for this is to... shoe it. Sure. OK. Put a shoe over top of it, lock in the debris with out cleaning it out, and watch the hoof wall become brittle and progressively weaker, unable to hold the shoes. The alternative approach? Trim more frequently, and possibly treat with one of two products that we have had great luck with. (Those being Clean Trax, and White Lightning. Clean Trax is simply AMAZING stuff, but very time intensive one time treatment. White Lightning works great, and is slightly more user friendly.)
There you have it. This particular horse has a lot of hoof, and the best part is that it wants badly to be truly HEALTHY hoof. I'd suggest a shorter trimming schedule, not only to clear up the wall issue above, but also to prevent any further issues from developing.
Now, one BIG BIG question we get also is:
Does The Sole Need To Bear Any Weight? Or Should The WALL Be Completely Weight Bearing?
Dr. Robert Bowker, of MSU, (one of my hero's) did a study not too terribly long ago on just that. His findings proved what barefoot hoof care providers had strongly suspected all along: Yes, the sole AND the hoof wall BOTH need to bear weight. The hoof will work at optimum performance with both components working together. I need to dig around and find the link to this paper for those interested in reading it.
This horse pictured today is a prime example of what can happen when ONLY the wall is weight bearing. The hoof is working hard at trying to get itself truly healthy here, all the farrier needs to do is help it along properly.
Fire away- I am sure that there will be some good questions on this one.
Oh- TJ and Jackie- I am working on bruising for you. (Boy THAT just did not sound right!!)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
A "Sole"ful Story
Yes, this post has been in the works for too long. Rest Assured, here it is though!
There is a lot of talk about the soul of the horse, and yes, I for one believe that they do indeed have souls. Today though, let's take a look at the SOLE. The sole is a marvelous thing, and can tell you a tremendous amount about the health of your horse, and the health of his hooves.
Looking at the bottom of the foot, the average owner sees the wall, the frog, and the hard area around the frog and behind the wall- the sole. Most times, they only worry if the sole is flaking off, something is oozing from the sole, or God Forbid, something is sticking out of the sole that does NOT need to be there.All good things to be aware of, but let's delve a bit deeper into the sole, and see what it reveals to us.
Below, I adjusted an old file photo to try and point out some areas that we horse owners need to be aware of. Once again, things are color coded, which really is a huge help to us all!
First, lets take a look at the arrows inside the pink circle.
RED is pointing to what is known as "Outer Hoof Wall".
BLUE is pointing to what is known as "Inner Hoof Wall"
YELLOW shows us the "White Line".
The RED arrow at the Outer Hoof Wall, shows us what most folks see in their minds eye when someone says "Hoof Wall". Which *very basically* is a pigmented section of the hoof capsule. It is the outer layer of said capsule, containing within the mechanisms that make the equine hoof the amazing structure it is. Outer Wall can come in different colors- known as pigment. Lack of pigment, or the proverbial "white hoof", means just that- there is a lack of pigment in the wall.
The BLUE arrow at the Inner Hoof Wall- Inner Hoof Wall (very basically) is the connection between the white line, and the outer hoof wall. The same material creates it as the rest of the hoof, it simply does not get the pigmentation mentioned above.
The YELLOW shows the white line, which as you can see, is not really all that WHITE, but more of a buttery color in a healthy hoof. The white line is VERY important, and knowing what a healthy one looks like can tell you a tremendous amount about the hoof. Ideally, it should be fairly thin, consistent in it's size all the way around the hoof wall, and "tight" looking. The horse in the photo has a good white line. In a horse that has rotation of the coffin bones (also known as Founder,) the white line can be SIGNIFICANTLY different. A wide, or stretched, white line is a bad thing as it indicates the stress and strain placed upon the entire hoof capsule. Very (very) basically, you can look at the white line as a "binder" of sorts, being a different consistency from the rest of the hoof, allowing for proper bonding of the structure. (By the way, with proper trimming, this *CAN* be repaired, with the coffin bone being carefully returned to a ground parallel position. I suppose that's another post entirely though.)
The BLUE CIRCLE shows us a section of sole that is ready to exfoliate, or shed. Why is this horse having a tough time shedding sole? Frankly, this horse does not have the healthiest feet around. He is barefoot, and getting better, but... he has a ways to go. (This shot was taken last Spring- progress has been made, but it has been quite slow. I don't have an updated shot yet, but will work on getting one to share.)
The single biggest question we get, hands (or hooves) down, is "What is this white stuff flaking off of my horse's hoof? Should I be worried?"
To ease any worries, the white stuff is naturally exfoliating sole material. This is a normal process. If your horse is shod, you will see more of it for a few reasons, the two primary reasons are:
Reason One: The sole is held up off the ground, which acts as a natural "scrubbing" agent.
Reason Two: The hoof is more or less "locked" into one position, keeping the sole from flexing as much as needed to "clean" away the material.
In a barefoot horse, you have to look at where most of the weight is being borne. Is it on the wall, as traditional farriers have trimmed for eons? Does the horse have a (genetic) tendency to be club footed? What are the living conditions of the horse- turn out, over different terrain? Stall bound, on straw? Shavings? Sawdust? Muddy turn out conditions? Dry turn out conditions? Overall health of the horse?
All of the above are factors in how the hoof will work, and how much, if any, of the sole will exfoliate.
There is also another term that is used by we hoof care providers: "retained sole" or "false sole". Which is simply put, sole material that has NOT, for whatever reason, been able to exfoliate. (Sonny Bunz with his tendency to be clubby in one hoof has to be monitored carefully for retained sole.) That sole can build up and create health problems for your horse's hooves. A hoof care provider who does NOT carefully (C-A-R-E-F-U-L-L-Y!!) remove exfoliating sole is inviting "garbage" to become "trapped" up against the sole, allowing for the strong possibility of an abscess developing. There is a rule in our practice: Take ONLY what the hoof is willing to give you! (In The Bunz Boys case, it means I am out there quite often working on one hoof, taking what the foot will give me at the time.)
There are so many other places this post could wander off to right now, but I think we need to stop here and field questions. Then we can wander more into things like dropped soles, concave soles and what it means, flat soles, how a sub-solar abscess can affect the hoof care provider as we initiate knife work (read: Heart Attack as the knife slips under a section of sole and WAY MORE comes out than we were expecting. Stacey at Behind The Bit with her handsome Riley might just get to see that for herself!) What bruises in the sole mean, how does the sole protect a rotated coffin bone, what is a "sinker"- or coffin bone protruding through the sole, white line disease, is the sole meant to be weight bearing ... oh boy, that list could get mighty long here!
Fire away y'all, and let's see what we can come up with to help you out!
There is a lot of talk about the soul of the horse, and yes, I for one believe that they do indeed have souls. Today though, let's take a look at the SOLE. The sole is a marvelous thing, and can tell you a tremendous amount about the health of your horse, and the health of his hooves.
Looking at the bottom of the foot, the average owner sees the wall, the frog, and the hard area around the frog and behind the wall- the sole. Most times, they only worry if the sole is flaking off, something is oozing from the sole, or God Forbid, something is sticking out of the sole that does NOT need to be there.All good things to be aware of, but let's delve a bit deeper into the sole, and see what it reveals to us.
Below, I adjusted an old file photo to try and point out some areas that we horse owners need to be aware of. Once again, things are color coded, which really is a huge help to us all!
First, lets take a look at the arrows inside the pink circle.
RED is pointing to what is known as "Outer Hoof Wall".
BLUE is pointing to what is known as "Inner Hoof Wall"
YELLOW shows us the "White Line".
The RED arrow at the Outer Hoof Wall, shows us what most folks see in their minds eye when someone says "Hoof Wall". Which *very basically* is a pigmented section of the hoof capsule. It is the outer layer of said capsule, containing within the mechanisms that make the equine hoof the amazing structure it is. Outer Wall can come in different colors- known as pigment. Lack of pigment, or the proverbial "white hoof", means just that- there is a lack of pigment in the wall.
The BLUE arrow at the Inner Hoof Wall- Inner Hoof Wall (very basically) is the connection between the white line, and the outer hoof wall. The same material creates it as the rest of the hoof, it simply does not get the pigmentation mentioned above.
The YELLOW shows the white line, which as you can see, is not really all that WHITE, but more of a buttery color in a healthy hoof. The white line is VERY important, and knowing what a healthy one looks like can tell you a tremendous amount about the hoof. Ideally, it should be fairly thin, consistent in it's size all the way around the hoof wall, and "tight" looking. The horse in the photo has a good white line. In a horse that has rotation of the coffin bones (also known as Founder,) the white line can be SIGNIFICANTLY different. A wide, or stretched, white line is a bad thing as it indicates the stress and strain placed upon the entire hoof capsule. Very (very) basically, you can look at the white line as a "binder" of sorts, being a different consistency from the rest of the hoof, allowing for proper bonding of the structure. (By the way, with proper trimming, this *CAN* be repaired, with the coffin bone being carefully returned to a ground parallel position. I suppose that's another post entirely though.)
The BLUE CIRCLE shows us a section of sole that is ready to exfoliate, or shed. Why is this horse having a tough time shedding sole? Frankly, this horse does not have the healthiest feet around. He is barefoot, and getting better, but... he has a ways to go. (This shot was taken last Spring- progress has been made, but it has been quite slow. I don't have an updated shot yet, but will work on getting one to share.)
The single biggest question we get, hands (or hooves) down, is "What is this white stuff flaking off of my horse's hoof? Should I be worried?"
To ease any worries, the white stuff is naturally exfoliating sole material. This is a normal process. If your horse is shod, you will see more of it for a few reasons, the two primary reasons are:
Reason One: The sole is held up off the ground, which acts as a natural "scrubbing" agent.
Reason Two: The hoof is more or less "locked" into one position, keeping the sole from flexing as much as needed to "clean" away the material.
In a barefoot horse, you have to look at where most of the weight is being borne. Is it on the wall, as traditional farriers have trimmed for eons? Does the horse have a (genetic) tendency to be club footed? What are the living conditions of the horse- turn out, over different terrain? Stall bound, on straw? Shavings? Sawdust? Muddy turn out conditions? Dry turn out conditions? Overall health of the horse?
All of the above are factors in how the hoof will work, and how much, if any, of the sole will exfoliate.
There is also another term that is used by we hoof care providers: "retained sole" or "false sole". Which is simply put, sole material that has NOT, for whatever reason, been able to exfoliate. (Sonny Bunz with his tendency to be clubby in one hoof has to be monitored carefully for retained sole.) That sole can build up and create health problems for your horse's hooves. A hoof care provider who does NOT carefully (C-A-R-E-F-U-L-L-Y!!) remove exfoliating sole is inviting "garbage" to become "trapped" up against the sole, allowing for the strong possibility of an abscess developing. There is a rule in our practice: Take ONLY what the hoof is willing to give you! (In The Bunz Boys case, it means I am out there quite often working on one hoof, taking what the foot will give me at the time.)
There are so many other places this post could wander off to right now, but I think we need to stop here and field questions. Then we can wander more into things like dropped soles, concave soles and what it means, flat soles, how a sub-solar abscess can affect the hoof care provider as we initiate knife work (read: Heart Attack as the knife slips under a section of sole and WAY MORE comes out than we were expecting. Stacey at Behind The Bit with her handsome Riley might just get to see that for herself!) What bruises in the sole mean, how does the sole protect a rotated coffin bone, what is a "sinker"- or coffin bone protruding through the sole, white line disease, is the sole meant to be weight bearing ... oh boy, that list could get mighty long here!
Fire away y'all, and let's see what we can come up with to help you out!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Reverse Thought
Right- I still owe you all a "sole"ful post, and I do promise- it IS in the works. Slowly, since two days ago my back had a hiccup (again) and bending/ moving much right now is a bit of a joke. I'll be using recycled sole shots from the files, unless anyone out there would like to offer up some other views. (Maybe a good one of the sole flaking that so many ask about? I don't have anything like that on file.)
Now- the Reverse Thought.
Madame Jennifer (and SunnySD, BECG), I have a challenge for you, and for all of us who participate(d) in the Bucking Off session. It sure is easy to find the negative, the Pet Peeves, and Things That REALLY "BUCK US OFF".... My challenge for all who participate, is to look back over your post on Bucking Off, and using what you wrote, post about the polar opposite. Tell us what has made you extremely happy about your given situation.
For mine, I wrote that I am not ready to share my horse with just "any" Joe Schmo, and I also vented about rude children (and their even ruder parents.)
But I can honestly say that nothing makes me HAPPIER than:
- A child, with stars in their eyes, absorbing every tiny detail about the pony. A child who listens to every word uttered about horses, ponies, donkeys- any equid. A child who pitches in, and helps do horse chores with out being asked. A child who is willing to just sit for hours on end, and watch the pony move about.
THAT is what makes me happy- because that child is the future of horsemanship. THAT child will go places, and be a benefit to the equine world and industry. Feeding that love, that deep, everlasting PASSION is a responsibility I gladly take on.
The same holds true for older folks, who stare in wonder at a horse. The ones who ask intelligent questions. The ones who pitch in and help out with day to day (non-glamorous) upkeep issues. The ones who are not afraid to get dirty, help fix fence, help move hay, and help clean paddocks/ stalls.
The teens and adults who ask intelligent questions- not like, "Well, how fast can he run? And how do I make him run?" But the questions of, "Does he like this?" or "Will this help him be more comfortable, while I am mounted?" or "Is this horse fit/ healthy enough to carry me?"
People who have that same true fiery passion running through their blood, the ones who dream of horses, who think of horses, who glory in being NEAR a horse-- those are the ones I want to be around. Those are the ones that I'll bring my horse in out of the paddock for. Those children, the ones with stars in their eyes, who look upon the pony with wonder and awe, and the ones I'll spend all day long with, teaching them about horses and ponies.
Nothing brings me greater joy than being able to help someone else achieve their dream, and watch their passion grow.
Now, let's hear from YOU guys about the Good Galloping Glorious Stuff!
Now- the Reverse Thought.
Madame Jennifer (and SunnySD, BECG), I have a challenge for you, and for all of us who participate(d) in the Bucking Off session. It sure is easy to find the negative, the Pet Peeves, and Things That REALLY "BUCK US OFF".... My challenge for all who participate, is to look back over your post on Bucking Off, and using what you wrote, post about the polar opposite. Tell us what has made you extremely happy about your given situation.
For mine, I wrote that I am not ready to share my horse with just "any" Joe Schmo, and I also vented about rude children (and their even ruder parents.)
But I can honestly say that nothing makes me HAPPIER than:
- A child, with stars in their eyes, absorbing every tiny detail about the pony. A child who listens to every word uttered about horses, ponies, donkeys- any equid. A child who pitches in, and helps do horse chores with out being asked. A child who is willing to just sit for hours on end, and watch the pony move about.
THAT is what makes me happy- because that child is the future of horsemanship. THAT child will go places, and be a benefit to the equine world and industry. Feeding that love, that deep, everlasting PASSION is a responsibility I gladly take on.
The same holds true for older folks, who stare in wonder at a horse. The ones who ask intelligent questions. The ones who pitch in and help out with day to day (non-glamorous) upkeep issues. The ones who are not afraid to get dirty, help fix fence, help move hay, and help clean paddocks/ stalls.
The teens and adults who ask intelligent questions- not like, "Well, how fast can he run? And how do I make him run?" But the questions of, "Does he like this?" or "Will this help him be more comfortable, while I am mounted?" or "Is this horse fit/ healthy enough to carry me?"
People who have that same true fiery passion running through their blood, the ones who dream of horses, who think of horses, who glory in being NEAR a horse-- those are the ones I want to be around. Those are the ones that I'll bring my horse in out of the paddock for. Those children, the ones with stars in their eyes, who look upon the pony with wonder and awe, and the ones I'll spend all day long with, teaching them about horses and ponies.
Nothing brings me greater joy than being able to help someone else achieve their dream, and watch their passion grow.
Now, let's hear from YOU guys about the Good Galloping Glorious Stuff!
Friday, April 17, 2009
A.W.O.L.
Yes, yes, I have been AWOL. In a BIG way. But rest assured, I'll return shortly, with discussion over Sole questions...
A "Sole"ful Story?
Or... The True Window To The "Sole"?
We shall see...
In the meantime, It's Sunny In SD kicked me with a tag... and it looks like a bit of fun! She listed two pet peeves in her Bucking Off post, and they were gooood. While I have really vented my spleen quite a bit with similar posts, I see that there may be two more left in the bucket to toss out here. (Hmmm... therapy time?)
For Buck Off Number One:
- Just because I own a horse, does NOT... N-O-T!!... mean that Joe Schmo who watched two John Wayne movies can invite themselves over to ride him.
See, I have this *thing* about training. I busted a$$ (and wallets, backs, arms, legs, etc) to learn what a truly well trained horse IS. And I am quite particular about the training my horse is getting. Having someone up there, who has no clue about balance, hands, or timing makes my eye twitch and my stomach turn knotty. For example, a WHOA on The Big Red One is accomplished NOT by pulling way back on the reins. Oh no. The Big Red One will WHOA off my seat. If need be, ONE rein will be used to get his brain back on track, and my seat does the rest.
I've had my share of horses in the past that I would put someone who has never ridden before on. (Or someone who only THINKS they know how to ride.) But this particular horse now,...... well... Call me greedy, call me selfish, but I am not into sharing my horse right now.
Buck Off Number TWO:
Please do not automatically assume that because there is an absolutely adorable and friendly pony out in my paddock that I am willing to bring him out for your screaming, snotty, rude, obnoxious, demanding, LOUD, uncaring, and generally just rotten child to "ride".
Yeah, I know. Somewhat in line with the not sharing MY horse bit from above. But this really bothers me. Seriously- it really bugs the snot out of me. People have walked down the road, and more or less invited themselves over to see the pony and next thing you know they are telling Rotten Little Johnny that the nice lady will SURELY get the pony out for him to sit on! Um- yeah- I Think NOT.
Why not? Because I am NOT giving lessons here. And because should something happen to your spawn, You Would Sue. And frankly, if your child (or you- the PARENT) can not have a sense of decency and show genuine interest, and listen when I ask you to not run at the pony, and listen when I ask you not to bang on his nose, and listen when I ask you not to throw hay/ grass/ dirt/ toys into the paddock, then you don't really NEED to be around a living, breathing, reactive animal that could hurt you or your child seriously.
*cough cough*
Now, I am ALL FOR teaching someone to ride. I'll do everything I can to help someone learn as much as possible about horses. I have knowledge- knowledge and skills that I have spent my entire life learning. I love to teach, and am more than willing to share what I have learned over the years.
BUT.
If you simply want to "ride" the horse, then you need to go elsewhere. There is more to horses than just having someone else groom and tack the horse for you, so you can just crawl up, yank and kick your way around for as long as you wish, and then turn the horse back over to the handler while you head elsewhere. Oh no. If you don't want to pitch poop, move hay, scrub water buckets, clean tack, groom, and learn ABOUT horses, you will not be allowed here.
Well. Looks like that should wrap this edition of Bucked Off.... anyone else want to join in?
A "Sole"ful Story?
Or... The True Window To The "Sole"?
We shall see...
In the meantime, It's Sunny In SD kicked me with a tag... and it looks like a bit of fun! She listed two pet peeves in her Bucking Off post, and they were gooood. While I have really vented my spleen quite a bit with similar posts, I see that there may be two more left in the bucket to toss out here. (Hmmm... therapy time?)
For Buck Off Number One:
- Just because I own a horse, does NOT... N-O-T!!... mean that Joe Schmo who watched two John Wayne movies can invite themselves over to ride him.
See, I have this *thing* about training. I busted a$$ (and wallets, backs, arms, legs, etc) to learn what a truly well trained horse IS. And I am quite particular about the training my horse is getting. Having someone up there, who has no clue about balance, hands, or timing makes my eye twitch and my stomach turn knotty. For example, a WHOA on The Big Red One is accomplished NOT by pulling way back on the reins. Oh no. The Big Red One will WHOA off my seat. If need be, ONE rein will be used to get his brain back on track, and my seat does the rest.
I've had my share of horses in the past that I would put someone who has never ridden before on. (Or someone who only THINKS they know how to ride.) But this particular horse now,...... well... Call me greedy, call me selfish, but I am not into sharing my horse right now.
Buck Off Number TWO:
Please do not automatically assume that because there is an absolutely adorable and friendly pony out in my paddock that I am willing to bring him out for your screaming, snotty, rude, obnoxious, demanding, LOUD, uncaring, and generally just rotten child to "ride".
Yeah, I know. Somewhat in line with the not sharing MY horse bit from above. But this really bothers me. Seriously- it really bugs the snot out of me. People have walked down the road, and more or less invited themselves over to see the pony and next thing you know they are telling Rotten Little Johnny that the nice lady will SURELY get the pony out for him to sit on! Um- yeah- I Think NOT.
Why not? Because I am NOT giving lessons here. And because should something happen to your spawn, You Would Sue. And frankly, if your child (or you- the PARENT) can not have a sense of decency and show genuine interest, and listen when I ask you to not run at the pony, and listen when I ask you not to bang on his nose, and listen when I ask you not to throw hay/ grass/ dirt/ toys into the paddock, then you don't really NEED to be around a living, breathing, reactive animal that could hurt you or your child seriously.
*cough cough*
Now, I am ALL FOR teaching someone to ride. I'll do everything I can to help someone learn as much as possible about horses. I have knowledge- knowledge and skills that I have spent my entire life learning. I love to teach, and am more than willing to share what I have learned over the years.
BUT.
If you simply want to "ride" the horse, then you need to go elsewhere. There is more to horses than just having someone else groom and tack the horse for you, so you can just crawl up, yank and kick your way around for as long as you wish, and then turn the horse back over to the handler while you head elsewhere. Oh no. If you don't want to pitch poop, move hay, scrub water buckets, clean tack, groom, and learn ABOUT horses, you will not be allowed here.
Well. Looks like that should wrap this edition of Bucked Off.... anyone else want to join in?
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Horse Walks Into A Bar....
And the Barkeep says, "Why the long face?"
Oh. Wait. That is *not* the "bars" y'all were asking about.
Sorry 'bout that y'all.. been one helluva a week here!
Bars. What are they? Why is attention to them so important in hoof care? What do they DO, exactly?
Location, Location, Location!
In Photo One, the bars have been boxed off in blue boxes. The BLUE arrow shows precise location. The RED arrow shows orientation of growth.
In Photo Two, the bars have been trimmed to the level of the existing sole.
What Do The Bars DO?
Bars, in a nutshell, help provide stability to the hoof. Think of them similar to this:
Two I-Beams, in place to provide stability and strength, yet also limited flexion.
If the bars are left untreated during hoof care, several things are liable to happen.
One: the bar material itself can fold over, mashing onto the sole, trapping material up against the sole and creating a potential abscess issue.
Two: The bar material can "migrate" towards the apex of the frog, again, trapping materials under it, up against the sole.
Three: The bars may also break partially off, and wind up folding into the frog, trapping even more material down alongside the frog, creating a pocket of thrush which invades the surrounding tissue, creating a pretty sore horse.
Four: The bars may stick up away from the sole, and create too much pressure on the internal structures of the hoof, making the horse travel "differently".
Now, in our practice- bars are trimmed to the level of the existing sole. Period. There is no digging them out. When you dig out bars, you take those "I-Beams" and make them into 1 x 2s. Would you rather have your building built on strong yet flexible study beams, or flimsy 1" x 2" weak boards?
That is the story of the bars-- in a nutshell. Make sure they are trimmed carefully, and not left alone.
Now, for a spot of FUN! Meet Baby April, a mini filly foal who graced her proud Papa with her presence last Saturday. Her Papa said Miss April weighs all of about 15 pounds right now. I know, the picture is not doing her justice in all her glorious cuteness, but by the time she was up and poking around, I had my hands full of a horse who was not so sure he *really* wanted attention.
We were also able to snuggle up with Baby Jan, the sweetest Donkey baby on the face of the PLANET for a while today. That little lady spotted Cub and the Wrecking Crew and came trotting up to the fence, so that they could rub those beautiful ears of hers. She apparently even forgave Dear Husband and I for her pedicure last time, as she snuggled with us too, and showered us with baby donkey kisses and love.
*HAPPY sigh*
Nothing in the world like being able to live your dream, in the direction of your choosing, chasing after ponies. Y'all need to pop over to Mugwump's place too, and read her thoughts on her one year anniversary as well. Mugs, here's to many years to come for you.
Happy Hoofin Folks....
Oh. Wait. That is *not* the "bars" y'all were asking about.
Sorry 'bout that y'all.. been one helluva a week here!
Bars. What are they? Why is attention to them so important in hoof care? What do they DO, exactly?
Photo One: Pre-trim
Location, Location, Location!
In Photo One, the bars have been boxed off in blue boxes. The BLUE arrow shows precise location. The RED arrow shows orientation of growth.
Photo Two: Post- Trim
In Photo Two, the bars have been trimmed to the level of the existing sole. What Do The Bars DO?
Bars, in a nutshell, help provide stability to the hoof. Think of them similar to this:
Two I-Beams, in place to provide stability and strength, yet also limited flexion.
If the bars are left untreated during hoof care, several things are liable to happen.
One: the bar material itself can fold over, mashing onto the sole, trapping material up against the sole and creating a potential abscess issue.
Two: The bar material can "migrate" towards the apex of the frog, again, trapping materials under it, up against the sole.
Three: The bars may also break partially off, and wind up folding into the frog, trapping even more material down alongside the frog, creating a pocket of thrush which invades the surrounding tissue, creating a pretty sore horse.
Four: The bars may stick up away from the sole, and create too much pressure on the internal structures of the hoof, making the horse travel "differently".
Now, in our practice- bars are trimmed to the level of the existing sole. Period. There is no digging them out. When you dig out bars, you take those "I-Beams" and make them into 1 x 2s. Would you rather have your building built on strong yet flexible study beams, or flimsy 1" x 2" weak boards?
That is the story of the bars-- in a nutshell. Make sure they are trimmed carefully, and not left alone.
Now, for a spot of FUN! Meet Baby April, a mini filly foal who graced her proud Papa with her presence last Saturday. Her Papa said Miss April weighs all of about 15 pounds right now. I know, the picture is not doing her justice in all her glorious cuteness, but by the time she was up and poking around, I had my hands full of a horse who was not so sure he *really* wanted attention.
We were also able to snuggle up with Baby Jan, the sweetest Donkey baby on the face of the PLANET for a while today. That little lady spotted Cub and the Wrecking Crew and came trotting up to the fence, so that they could rub those beautiful ears of hers. She apparently even forgave Dear Husband and I for her pedicure last time, as she snuggled with us too, and showered us with baby donkey kisses and love.
*HAPPY sigh*
Nothing in the world like being able to live your dream, in the direction of your choosing, chasing after ponies. Y'all need to pop over to Mugwump's place too, and read her thoughts on her one year anniversary as well. Mugs, here's to many years to come for you.
Happy Hoofin Folks....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
How Do You Tell If It IS A Healthy Hoof?
Healthy Pony hoof, ready for a trim.
There is a lot of talk out in the equiblogosphere lately about hoof issues. For The Love Of A Horse tells the tale of a iron hanger deciding that he had Super Hoof Abilities, and cutting away the support systems Miss Star had put in place. Pat Wagoner shares the story of a tragic accident that happened during a hauling incident. Now Thats A Trot! has abscess issues. Callie's Kola has a deep tissue invasion with thrush going on.
The old adage, "No Hoof = No Horse" is still true today. Even with the advances in technology available, that make prosthetic limbs available for horses, with out the most basic of good quality hoof care, we don't have a horse to ride to town on.
So how do you, The Owner, tell if your horse has a healthy hoof?
First up- Motion. Watch how your horse places each hoof as he walks around the paddock, pasture, arena, or round pen.
- Is he landing heel first in all four feet?
- Are all strides long and flowing, and of equal length?
- Move to a trot and repeat.
Next up- Feel. Your hands are a valuable tool, and can tell you so very much about the health of a hoof, and the leg it is attached to. (Which, by the way, is one of the reasons I despise gloves. Gloves just get in the way for me to feel the subtle differences in shape, temperature, and tone.)
- Run your hands down all four legs, top to bottom.
- Make note of the following:
- Temperature: warm or cool? Or downright hot?
- Any lumps, bumps, or puffy areas? What temp are they?
Lift the leg, and feel the hooves.
- Again, temperature all the way around the hair line, heels, heel bulbs, and outer hoof wall.
- At the same time, feel along the hair line for "soft" or mushy areas. These are usually accompanied by heat as well.
Clean the hoof, and use a brush of some sort to clean away all debris. The very first thing that will hit you is the aroma. If it's funky, things will be punky, and you have a thrush issue. (More on that later. This is not a "treatment" post, but an identification post.)
Note the following:
- Size of frog. Ideally, your horse should have a nice, wide, thick, fat, tough, fibrous frog. The job of the frog is important, as it provides a stabilizing influence on the entire hoof when the horse is moving, allowing the hoof capsule to move medially/ laterally, dissipating energy created by movement. A small, narrow, weak frog is going to have a darn tough job doing that.
- Length of bars, and position of bar growth. The bars should be trimmed LEVEL with the existing sole. Not left sticking up, not carved out deeply, not left to grow forward and pool all the way around the tip (or apex) of the frog. When bars are left like that, they overgrow, fold over, and trap material up against the sole. Often times, this is a leading cause of lameness and of abscessing. Bars are also a support system, aiding in support for the internal structures, as well as helping to control just how much flexion upon weight bearing, working in conjunction with the frog.
Next- Sole Health.
- Look closely at the sole itself. Is it smooth? Flaking off white stuff? Lumpy? Are there any "spots" in it that feel spongy? (Abscess for sure there.) Are there any reddish bruises visible, and if so WHERE? Is it a small bruise or does it seem to follow a crescent shape around the frog? Check for heat in the sole as well.
Heels are next up. You are looking for a wide, LEVEL, BALANCED and smooth heel "purchase". This is important because that is where your horse needs to land when he is moving. This landing sets everything up to function properly for energy dissipation. Think about it for a moment: try repeatedly landing your 150 to 200 or so pounds on your toes as you walk and trot around the room a bit. How do your feet, legs, and lower back feel? Now, try it again, this time landing on your heel. Compare how the two feel, and where it feels better.
There should be NO evidence of cracking in the heels. AT ALL.
While you are there, check the heel bulbs. Are they wide, with no deep cracks in them? No spongy spots?
Note the crevice in the heel bulbs, and into the frog.
And keep in mind-- "An Ounce Of Prevention, Is Worth A Pound Of Cure".
Happy Hoofin' Y'all....
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I Know I Am Sleep Deprived.... BUUUUTTTT....
Does this make ANY sense to any of y'all? In my stuporous state (of NOWHERE NEAR enough coffee, nor strong enough toothpicks to hold my eyes open,) I came across the below ad, of course, on Craigslist.
"Clover is a 3y/o[march 16th] filly who is bay and green broke.
can be ridden on trails but if sehs with another horse he will do perfectly fine
she is a mix between quarter morgan and apploosa
stands about 14.2 hh but will probably mature to be about 14.6
we just dont have the time to work with her since i started up barrels
will take 400 or better offer. ..."
A quarter morgan apploosa? Do what? Is it 1/4 Morgan Horse, the rest this new and exciting apploosa? (That sounds like a computer program gone way, WAY wrong.... "app"loosa- mean a loose application of sorts?)
And SOMEONE please tell me just how tall is "14.6"?
Ahhhh ignorance... Bliss for the ignorant, and pure amusement for the rest of us when we don't get enough sleep for a couple weeks or so...
Edit: There was a picture attached with this ad, which showed a bit of a trainwreck conformation wise (what you could see of the horse that is,) BUT both horses in the picture were in good shape and had really good weight on them. So I don't think this is a "rescue" situation, as much as it is a chance to marvel at someone -- once again -- who does not care to take the time to educate themselves even a tiny bit on how to write a decent sale ad, use spell check, or even just look around at other sale ads, to see how to present a good sale picture. I have some other thoughts on this, that will be held for a bit, until we see the discussion that comes from this...
Stay tuned!!
One More EDIT:
PLEASE people- FARRIER. It is spelled FARRIER.
NOT.
FERRIER or any other variation you can think of.
Thank you.
"Clover is a 3y/o[march 16th] filly who is bay and green broke.
can be ridden on trails but if sehs with another horse he will do perfectly fine
she is a mix between quarter morgan and apploosa
stands about 14.2 hh but will probably mature to be about 14.6
we just dont have the time to work with her since i started up barrels
will take 400 or better offer. ..."
A quarter morgan apploosa? Do what? Is it 1/4 Morgan Horse, the rest this new and exciting apploosa? (That sounds like a computer program gone way, WAY wrong.... "app"loosa- mean a loose application of sorts?)
And SOMEONE please tell me just how tall is "14.6"?
Ahhhh ignorance... Bliss for the ignorant, and pure amusement for the rest of us when we don't get enough sleep for a couple weeks or so...
Edit: There was a picture attached with this ad, which showed a bit of a trainwreck conformation wise (what you could see of the horse that is,) BUT both horses in the picture were in good shape and had really good weight on them. So I don't think this is a "rescue" situation, as much as it is a chance to marvel at someone -- once again -- who does not care to take the time to educate themselves even a tiny bit on how to write a decent sale ad, use spell check, or even just look around at other sale ads, to see how to present a good sale picture. I have some other thoughts on this, that will be held for a bit, until we see the discussion that comes from this...
Stay tuned!!
One More EDIT:
PLEASE people- FARRIER. It is spelled FARRIER.
NOT.
FERRIER or any other variation you can think of.
Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)