I'm Here... Sort Of.... I Think... Maybe....

Snickers, looking at the flood, saying:
"Oh. Hell. No.
I am SO
NOT
Going
Out
There."

Of course, this is not vouching for how punchy I am at the moment, so be warned in advance- this post might wander a tad.

First, a Johnny Reb update. The hills and valleys of his recovery still persist. The actual healing of his surgical site is healing well, and his orthopedic doctor was happy with his check up yesterday. However, the healing of his mind is taking a bit longer. (Paging Dr. House- Dr. House to Command Central, STAT....) The surgery took place three weeks ago yesterday. But something in there has left a "switch" turned to Full ON, and locked it in place. Instead of being under Johnny Reb's control, his brain has set itself to NOT allow him to sleep. For three long weeks now, he has suffered set backs due in part to sheer exhaustion.

Lisa over at Laughing Orca- I read your post to your Dad today, and I have to say girl, I was hard pressed not to start bawling. Johnny Reb too, has a Goldwing (converted with a nice trike kit,) that is his love, his joy, and his freedom. For about three weeks before his surgery, his shoulder was so incredibly painful that riding his baby was out of the question. It set him on the road into a bit of a depression, as he had plans to ride the wheels off his baby this summer. Now, he sits on the porch and stares at his bike. Or he sits on the bike, and starts it up. Not only is he not recovered enough physically to ride, but mentally.... well, let's just skip that part right now, K? Johnny Reb, much like your Dad Lisa, heard the call of the road and was ready to listen to that siren song. One of the hardest things to see is that longing in his eye, as he looks out at the bike.

(Right. Big, big blubbery sigh.... sorry y'all...)

On the equine front, I have pictures which will be included below. We'll play a quick game with this one, and see what everyone can pick up on. There were two things very obvious to me in the shots, and I am interested to see what everyone else sees too. (Mikey, my "Sole Sista", you too!!)


Sonny Bunz had a colic scare last weekend, but recovered well. He is back to looking at me, wondering when the heck I will make time to get him back out and groom him, love him, and let him eat green grass. There is happy news though, as Snickers the Rock Star Pony has been declared more or less a Permanent Resident here at Command Central. His Mom will maintain actual ownership, but Snickers has become such a part of our family that we all sorted out how he can live here with us. Good thing too, 'cause I was sweating how to explain to Sonny Bunz why Snickers left him.... never mind what my Cub- Snickers Little Buddy- would have thought!

Right then. I need to get some shut eye here. I know- it's like not even 6PM right now, and I am already longing for bed. (That's cause I have been up for 48 hours now....)

More as soon as I can folks. And in the meantime,

Happy Hoofin!
~MM

Memorial Day

Heavy gray clouds once again loom on the horizon. The prospect of more rain makes it appealing to spend the day indoors, but that is just not feasible. Instead, as I sit here and sip my morning Bucket O' Joe, I take a few moments to say a silent prayer.

I say a Thank You, to those who have gone on before.

Two hundred thirty three years ago, (or thereabouts,) The First Americans decided that they'd had ENOUGH. Many fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy today- one of those freedoms being this- a Holiday Weekend.

They drew up our Constitution.

They made it possible for AMERICA to become one of the most amazing places in the world to live.

Since then, our Armed Forces have fought and died to protect our rights.
To protect us- The American People.

Those same Servicemen and Women still fight to keep our country safe.

I ask only two small things. They are not even all that big, and will not take up much time from your grilling, your beach excursion, or your precious shopping. These two things will only take a moment.
What are they, you ask?

The first: Take a moment and bow your head. Say a silent (or not so silent) THANK YOU to those who have gone on before.
With out them, America never would have come to be.

The second: If you see a member of our Armed Forces today, reach out, shake their hand, and say a THANK YOU to them, as well.
With out them, America would cease to be.

That's all- two simple things.

For my part, I publicly say a huge, and heartfelt THANK YOU to those who paved the way, who made our country so amazing, who made AMERICA.
To those of today, I'll reach out to you and shake your hand, and thank you. I'll remember your fallen brothers in arms with you. I'll let you know-
We Believe In You.

Now go forth and enjoy your day, AMERICA.

But never forget.

For once we do, AMERICA will be no more.

How Big Is A Cubit?

Seriously- I think we need to be building us an Ark here. These photos show you what the past couple days have been like in some part......

Snickers The Rock Star Pony: "And Just WHERE Are My Water Wings, Mother?"

The Well Housing. Not a pond normally....(that was this morning.)

This is what the horses have been doing for two days now.
Eating, and hanging out in the shelter.

Look close--- see the fricken DUCKS?? That's on the edge of my TATER PATCH.
Last night, there were DUCKS.
Swimming.
Over my TATERS.

One lonely, water logged, sad little tater plant, that this morning is completely
under
water.

It dawned on me, after I got this post up, that y'all needed
The Rest Of The Story.

I woke this morning to pouring rain.
Again.
And no water here in the house.

Oh Damn. This is bad.
No water inside, means
No
Coffee.

After the past couple weeks of very little sleep,
Worry over Johnny Reb,
and Crazy Insane Children,

I

NEEDED

COFFEE.

The solution came to me as I staggered around outside, feeding the horses in the still pouring rain.

The horse's water tanks are a sacred place to me. They get washed just about everyday.
There was lots of water in there.
Fresh rain water.
Filled to the brim.

I slopped inside.
Got my mug.
And got water from the horse tanks to have coffee.

It worked.

I am almost coherent.

The good news? The Well Man was here and saved us. We now have water inside.
Which means more coffee.
And potty flushing.
Laundry can be started.
And dishes.

And I can shower.

AMEN!

Blog Tour! Guest posting!

I have turned over the reins to a guest poster today, who was kind enough to include Oh HorseFeathers! in a stop on her book tour. Author Heidi M. Thomas is a fascinating woman, with a true, deep passion that shows clearly in her writing. I have enjoyed reading her work, and talking with her tremendously, and thought that passing this gem along was well worth it! Please enjoy!

Cowgirl Grandma’s Horses

My grandmother, Olive May “Toots” Gasser, on whom I based my novel, Cowgirl Dreams, was an avid horsewoman. I have notes that she wrote about some of the horses she owned. She described them as “pals that meant so much to me.”

She wrote, “When I was a little girl about 8 years old, I longed for a horse of my own. We lived 21 miles from town, and as I remember, there was one fence between our ranch and town. There was big grass—hundreds of range horses and cattle ran all around us. I used to watch riders pass by occasionally, and one day a cowboy stopped to visit us. He gave me a ride on his horse and I’ll never forget how important I felt. Later on my dad went to the reservation and bought two dandy horses for my sister and me. I’ll never forget that horse he gave me.”

Her first horse was a sorrel with a blaze face she called Bobby (Toby in the book). She writes: “He loved to run. I took him on some long rides and when I got to school we’d sure do some racing. Dear old Bobby was such a faithful friend and I rode him too hard at times.”
One of the highlights of the week for Grandma, her four brothers and two sisters, was to brush up their ponies and ride to meet the mail stage at the post office, which was on a neighboring rancher’s place. As they waited for the stage to come in, everyone would show off their saddles, riding gear, and horses to the ranch hands. She sounded pleased that “They would take the time to talk to us kids and tell us we sure had some good horses.”

Grandma wrote that, like people, each horse had a different disposition. “Now old Blacky, for instance, was a pacing horse. I used to ride him sometimes for going to town. He sure had an easy gait… He was a big strong horse and sure covered the miles easy.”

A sorrel mare my grandmother owned was Penny, “a thoroughbred and a tall, pretty thing. She was awful independent, but gentle and wise. The thing she most loved to do was run (herd) horses. She would sure get the job done. It was all play to her.”

It seemed that Grandma must have been partial to sorrels. Another “little sorrel I called Flash was cute to ride. He’d move like lightning.”

Then there was Stranger, a part Arabian, “Beautiful and a faster walking horse I never rode. He sure savvied cows, was a great cutting horse.”

Other horses included Old Red who “was just horse, but a good one; Doc, a wonderful horse but had been spoiled. Just let your foot slip a little and he was off! He was always looking for trouble. Paint was a good pony—poor thing got caught in a bunch of wire while crossing water when we trailed horses from the Canadian line to Salmon Idaho in the 30s. He had to be shot. Punch, a short legged bay, was my pal when we lived up in the Missouri Breaks. He knew all the trails and was a good mountain horse.”

My grandparents also owned a “beautiful sorrel thoroughbred stallion, Silent Judge. He was a good traveler.” Others she mentions include Pigeon, Concho, Skeeter, and Windy River.
Windy, as she called him, was “beautiful, tough, and had lots of life, but was real touchy.” She tells that one day while riding him, she got off to open a gate. When she remounted, Windy suddenly shied to the right. “Having only one stirrup, I was all over him and he sure went wild.” Grandma was thrown off and as she fell she “heard my shoulder pop.” She walked home and had to go to the hospital 40 miles away. “I don’t think he meant to unload me,” she wrote. “I always figure the bit pinched his mouth and that set him off.”

My grandmother also had a beautiful dark chestnut mare, a hambletonian she described as “high strung and the fastest trotting horse I ever rode. She sometimes took a notion to stampede, but never did buck. I rode her in lots of races in town celebrations. She was tops, and had endurance.”

Now, here’s the fun part. My grandmother’s nickname was “Toots” or “Tootsie” and she named this mare “Nettie.” I’m sure I must have heard about this horse before I started to write my book, but I didn’t remember it until much later. I was surprised to discover I had named my main character “Nettie.” So, naturally I had to name her horse “Tootsie.”

I did have the opportunity to go riding with my grandmother on several occasions. My grandparents found my first horse for me, a Welsh-Shetland cross named “Money.” But he was a stubborn little cuss, and being only eight years old, I couldn’t make him do anything. When Grandma jumped on his back one day, he started bucking. That was the last I saw of Money. My next horse was a beautiful roan, Strawberry, an older, very gentle horse just perfect for a little girl who didn’t have that “old-time rodeo cowgirl” disposition.

Join me tomorrow on Carol Buchanan’s blog http://www.swanrange.blogspot.com/ Please leave a comment of substance and after my tour concludes, I’ll put your name in a drawing for some nifty prizes. For a complete list of my tour stops, go to
http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/my-blog-tour/

Many Thanks to Heidi for her article, and the fantastic pictures she included! I highly endorse her book. I had a tough time tearing myself away from it!

Johnny Reb Update

I might be MIA for a bit, as last night Johnny Reb took a bad turn for the worse, and had to be taken back to the hospital. He has been admitted, and will be under observation in the Neurological Unit for the time being.

Y'all prayers for him are needed, but also for Granny. She has some pressing health issues of her own, and we are all quite worried about her as well.

I'll be back with updates as soon as I have them. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers! It means more than we can express.
~MM

Questions, Questions!

First though, a quick Johnny Reb update! He is HOME now, and settling in. The first night was tough, and he did some sleep walking, but he is gaining ground every day. I gave him a hug the other night, and said how great it was to have him home, and he said "You ought to see it from this end, girl." Amen to that!

Now, onto some of those questions!

CDNCowgirl has a good one: Are some horses more prone to abscessing than others?

CDN, this is a great question. The answer however, has a lot of variables. First, we need to take a look at the overall health of the horse in question, find out if it is shod or barefoot, and if there are any underlying pathologies that may be causing health problems within the hoof capsule.

I'll try to break things down here, and offer up some hypothetical situations that might answer your question.

First, we'll look at a moderately healthy, horse, in acceptable weight and condition, who is shod. The obvious answer to this is that a poor shoe job allowed for excess infective material penetration, OR there was a "hot nail" (a nail driven into living tissue, generally inside the white line), which causes pain, inflammation, and discomfort on it's own, AND introduces pathogens into sensitive tissue. Chronic abscessing from those issues could very well be the end result.

Next, let's look at an unshod horse (notice I did not say BAREFOOT here... hold tight and you'll see why!) This horse is again, moderately healthy, acceptable weight, and gets routine traditional pasture trims. But he also has problems with recurring abscesses. In THIS instance, the chances are the sole has been improperly trimmed (if at all,) which allows for sole growth to trap material against the sole, causing health issues with in the hoof, resulting in an abscess.

Third, we'll take a look at a horse who has been trimmed in a barefoot style. The first thing you want to look at is: Where Did The Trimmer Study/ What "Style" of Trim Has Been Applied? There is a school of thought with one barefoot sect that abscessing is a normal happening during the transition from un-healthy hooves to their definition of a healthy hoof. They EXPECT the horse to abscess, and abscess often, for an extended period of time.

Most barefoot trimmers however, have issue with this. TIME is our friend, and in TIME we can make the transition easier and smoother for the horse. Abscessing is not a common happening.

Now, if this horse is not trimmed in an overly aggressive and invasive style, and still develops chronic abscesses, you have to look deeper into the health of the horse, his feeding, turnout, and work regimen, and consider a set of comprehensive radiographs. This horse may well be dealing with an internal pathology in the hoof, OR systemically. There are certain health conditions that will express themselves through the feet, with an abscess being the result. (Cushings and Insulin Resistant horses come to mind...)

Yes, yes, I hear you- why the distinction between a traditionally trimmed, shoeless horse, over a Barefoot horse? Neither one wears a shoe, correct?

Right- neither wears a shoe BUT! That is where the similarities end. A traditionally trimmed horse (think Pasture Trim,) bears weight on the wall. Period. There is no involvement of the sole at all. (Hey! You in the back! Quit hyperventilating over the thought that the sole of the horse is meant to be somewhat weight bearing!) A horse who has been trimmed for the correct physiology of each hoof, to reach optimum growth and performance of each hoof, does NOT have the wall doing all of the weight bearing. The hoof is trimmed so that the wall AND the sole work together to bear weight, distribute energy created upon movement, and provide maximum healthy growth and performance.

Dr. Robert Bowker is one of the leading researchers into the hoof. If you Google his name, you will find a whole slew of information to study. Starting here though, is a good spot. Another name to read (if you love techno-speak, which I do NOT,) is Dr. Christopher Pollit.

Wow- that said a mouthful, for what seemed to be a "simple" question eh?

Now for Jackie, who asked what the difference is between an abscess coming through the sole or the hairline, or if it is just where an abscess is typically cut out?

GENERALLY speaking, Jackie, an abscess will take the path of least resistance. A small pocket may work it's way up the tubules of the laminae, and erupt at the hairline. This is commonly referred to as a "gravel". Why does it decide to go against gravity, and go UP? That's the $69,000 question, and as soon as I can find an answer that feels RIGHT, I'll let y'all know.

Cutting out an abscess.... man my stomach rolls at that thought. There are people out there who are all too happy to go digging around in the hoof, creating craters for an abscess to open up and drain. I think it is way, way, WAY overdone, and that the horse- with proper care from the owner or handler, will be able to expel the abscess in good time, by himself, with minimal damage. Is there ever a time to cut an abscess out? Yes- but they are very far and few between. The risk of causing incredible damage and adding pain to the horse is not one I am willing to bear.

Jackie also asked about red/ pink spots in the white line, found during trimming. First, old bruises need to grow out, and this may very well be what you saw with Ace during his last trim. Also, you have changed his diet, his hoof care routine, and his work routine within the past six months. I don't think these spots are anything to worry about, and would bet that they will rasp out and be completely gone with no problems at all. Any of the changes that you have made (for the better!) to Ace's lifestyle since he declared his ownership of you can cause these spots to appear.

Right then- bring on the next round of questions!

Happy Hoofin' Y'all!
~MM

Off To See The Wizard

Update:
(Nope, there won't be one mention of a horse in this post... sorry y'all...)
Well Now. What A DAY! The Little Mens and I went to see Papa Johnny Reb, and y'all, all I could do was stand and grin like a jackass eatin' briers. Johnny Reb probably thinks I am totally daft, but shoot- it was either smile like there was no tomorrow, or bawl my eyes out at getting to see him, looking tired and weak but with great color and an awesome smile on his face once again. Instead of having hysterics now, (which would serve NO point what so ever, right?) I spent the afternoon cooking, cleaning, and in general having a great day. The Little Mens Uncle Bam Bam took us fishing tonight before bed time, and I'll tell you what- Wrecking Crew must be a "Fish Whisperer". No kidding. The child has never held a pole before tonight, and he could not put his line in the water with out getting hit. Know how many he caught? SEVEN. His first one?? A Huge Freaking Bass. I kid you not- that sucker had to be close to a foot long. (Yes, I have a picture, and yes, I'll load it and share it tomorrow.) Cub was fishing his little heart out, and the silly swimmers stole his crickets. He did however, get himself a really big brim (yep, I got pictures of that too!)
(Here's a secret: I have never been fishing before tonight either....!)

Back to Johnny Reb: there is a chance, given he does not relapse, that HE CAN COME HOME SOON! Now how cool is THAT?? We'll know more tomorrow, and I'll update everyone as soon as I can.

Now my friends, it is off to the Land Of Nod for me.

Happy Hoofin-
~MM
PS- I'll have more sole info tomorrow. If you have yet to do so, you might want to pop in to Fran Jurga's Hoofblog, and read up on WHY your neighbors and other friendly folks do not really need to be feeding lawn clippings to your trusty steed. (ooops... that's a horse reference! HA~)

Good News! Johnny Reb is awake, alert, and HUNGRY!

I am off to see him in a few moments. Wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. It means more than you know.

Updates when we get home!

Puzzle Pieces

Things slowly continue to click into place, in the puzzle that has swooped down and settled on Johnny Reb. The MRI results showed a Meningioma, located in the frontal cortex area. It is believed that the two surgeries he has had on this shoulder have encouraged growth/ expansion of this Thing, and it is now exerting pressure in the frontal lobe area. Which explains a wholeeee lot of stuff.

Treatment is being decided upon. A second neurologist has been called in, more tests are on the way, and a neuro-surgeon will also be brought into the mix. What the end result will be, no one knows right now. Johnny Reb continues to stay in the ICU, and to put it mildly, he ain't impressed one tiny lil bit with that plan. (Can you blame him??? I sure don't!!!)

Everyone is taking things one day at a time, one visitation at a time. Johnny Reb knows that there is a huge world out there, praying away for him, his Doctors and Nurses, and the family, and we are ALL grateful.

Now to try- try, mind you- to "normalize" things a tad here, I'll slip in a horse answer for you all too. Jackie, TJ, and a few others asked about how sole bruises can turn into an abscess, and the best way that I can come up with to answer that is this:

The sole, unlike the hoof wall, is a bit more prone to insult and infection. It is covering layers of extremely sensitive and vascular tissue, and unfortunately, that tissue at times can be damaged easily. When you have a deep sole bruise, that damages the very vascular tissue under the layer of sole you can see, causes pressure to build. Much like when Dobbin stomps on your toe, and grinds down on it, really. The tissue damage/ bleeding that occurs must come out somewhere, right? Only the result in people is, we loose the nail. Problem solved for us, aside from a tender digit for a while. Horses though, do not quite have that option. That damaged tissue has to clear itself some how, and an abscess will form. The resulting infection (necrotic tissue, damaged tissue, however you choose to view it,) will fester, seek the path of least resistance (IN MOST CASES) and erupt. Viola- instant pressure release for the horse, and expulsion of infected material. This CAN indeed at times become quite serious, should the infection "decide" that the path of least resistance is to become a systemic infection in your horse. (And before you panic, That Is Not Overly Common!!) The abscess eruption itself can be a royal pain in the rump, depending on the severity of the infection, location, how much of the sole is involved, and of course, the overall disposition of your patient. Happy news though, is that while they look horrible and smell even worse, the vast majority of times an abscess with proper treatment and cleaning will clear up quickly.

This is NOT though, the end all-be all on abscessing. The causes of them are as varied as horse breeds. (No- seriously. Injury is the most common factor, but when you get down to brass tacks and attempt to sort through all the possible causes of an abscess you would be there for a considerable amount of time.) The above explanation sounds like it got over-simplified a tad. That was not the intent- but it was the best way that I could come up with to explain what happens inside the hoof, in a user friendly manner.

Now, since I hear nothing but silence from the Little Mens (which is NEVER a good thing,) I am going to scoot now, and seek them out.

Happy Healthy Hoofin' Y'all-
~MM

Remember Cinderelli?

A big grey Thoroughbred filly, purchased from a dealer in Virginia last year?

Y'all might want to mosey over to Holy Racehorse! and see the ending to her story. (Don't worry- it's a good one!)

Insanity at Command Central

Johnny Reb, Spoiling Snickers Pony

Hey Folks-
I know- it's been even quieter than usual around here. There is a reason though- Our dear Johnny Reb, (my Father in law pictured above with his pal,) went in for some surgery on this past Thursday. (Shoulder replacement.) Unfortunately, he had some pretty severe adverse reactions to the anesthesia and post-op meds, and the Dr.'s decided they had to move him into the ICU for closer monitoring. Other tests were run, and they discovered some another (potential) issue in his brain. The extent of the issue is not known just yet, and more testing is in the works in a bit. As of last night, he was ready to moved from ICU to the Neuro unit. When he reaches the Neuro unit, someone from the family is going to have to stay with him round the clock, since the nursing staff can not tend to him like the ICU folks.

So if'n y'all wouldn't mind, we sure could use a few prayers sent this way for Johnny Reb, Mom, and the rest of the family. I'll be back as soon as I can, and try to keep folks updated here as news comes in.

In the meantime, to all my Momma pals out here in the blogosphere, I hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day!! (Yeah, I know... day late and a dollar short, but hey... it's all good right?)

Happy Hoofin' Everyone- I'll be back as soon as I know more.
~MM

**UPDATED- 2pm Monday
Johnny Reb had an MRI and we are waiting the results of the scan on his brain. He continues to stay in the ICU, as overnight things took a turn for the worse. Moving him to Neuro is currently out of the question, as he needs round the clock nursing care at the moment. Keep the prayers coming y'all- it looks like we're all going to need the extra strength.

Part Two: Pop Quiz

Y'all did good. This is the perfect example of a stretched white line (outlined in blue box), and most everyone saw exactly that. The cause? Hard to say, really, with out definitive x-rays, but suspecting a past Laminitic Incident is reasonable.




The difference between a Laminitic Incident, and Founder- *FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS BLOG TODAY:

Laminitic Incident: The hoof is composed entirely of laminaie- hoof walls, sole, frog, etc. in various depths and forms. In this post/ on this blog, a Laminitic Incident is an indicator of inflammation of the laminaie. This can be caused by any number of things: your horse kicks the stall wall and bruises a bit of wall = a "laminitic incident".

Founder: Is when the laminitic incident extends into some severe damage inside the hoof capsule, causing rotation (downwards) of the coffin bone.

I would bet that this tiny lady has minimal if any rotation, but due to the length of the toe, it added to the stretching of the white line via a leverage effect. There is still a significant amount of toe to come off this filly, which will happen the next trim. (Follow up shots to be provided as I have them.)

The black spot: nothing major, just a small amount of invading opportunistic bacterium. It was just about completely gone with this first trim session, and we expect it to be gone with the next trim.


Now about those changes. No, I am not leaving. (Sorry- to the few who wish I would just Go Away, you aren't getting rid of me that easy...) However, due to the increased demands here at Command Central, I won't be posting daily. I am shooting for at least once a week. Finding time to sit here at the computer lately has been a challenge and a half, and I have to keep up with everything here. Commenting on others blogs has been suffering lately as well- but please know I am reading y'all.

Oh- Jackie and TJ: I've been trying to get pictures of some sole bruises, but I'm not having much luck with that. The one horse we saw with bruising that would have been perfect to show you guys was such a handful there was no way to get a picture of her, and the other one the pictures just did not come out.

The causes of bruises are different: GENERALLY there is nothing to worry about. Some horses bruise quite a bit more, and it is very obvious. With those horses, I'd check the balance of their trim, watch them move, and check their nutrition to be on the safe side. If the bruises are on the hoof wall, consistently in the same spot, I'd REALLY watch them move closely and then be extra careful about their trims and balance.

For sole bruises: Again, GENERALLY this is nothing to worry about. You'll see bruising now and then, indicating the horse probably stepped on something. BUT!! (Jackie, this is a BIG BUT!!) If you see a bruise that is semi-circular, and wraps around the frog, I would advise calling in your vet for some x-rays. This is usually an indication that there has been rotation in the coffin bone, and a plan of action needs to be formed and followed PDQ.

A bruise, much like in a human, is the result of trauma in one form or another. The tissue is damaged, it swells, and characteristic discoloration appears. In horses, that color is red. (In us peoples, well, as our dear friend Lisa is finding out, we turn every color in an Arizona sunset! Heal up quick Lisa!!) Nine times out of ten, a bruise is shocking to look at but nothing to worry about. Check to see if there is heat, watch your horse move to make sure he is comfortable, and move on. Watch sole bruises, as they may lead to an abscess down the road, but please do not panic over them UNLESS they are large and wrap around the frog, have heat, or your horse is lame.

Happy Hoofin'! (I am hoping for RAIN here so I can catch up with y'all!)

"Pop" Quiz!

Ok everyone, who out there can tell me what might be wrong with this tiny little foot?


(Oh, yeah, I am back! Might be some changes here though....)