C'mon Baby, Do The Locomotion With Me!

Nope, this is not a whining-ouch-it-hurts post. But it stems from that.

I've noticed over the past couple days worth of impared locomotion that there are things that hurt that well, maybe shouldn't hurt since they did not bear the direct impact.

Ah-HA!! Can we apply this to our horses somehow? (In case you are wondering, sleep has been an issue of late as well. Last night was the worst, as Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog was utterly convinced we were about to DIE because of STORMS outside. She did her best to keep me awake- all night- watching for tornadoes. Have I mentioned I really do love Jo?)

Right- so as I was struggling to find a happy thought instead of, "If I chunk her old ass outside and leave it there, would she die of a myocardial infarction? And if she did die, where would we bury her?" it dawned on me that my smashed hoof is not unlike a damaged hoof on a horse. And the resulting aches and pains in other areas might just be what our horses experience when they suffer with a stride alteration/ abnormality.

For example- my stride has been altered quite a bit. Flexing my foot during "breakover" is quite painful. To protect the affected area, I am rolling my foot to the outside. Not unlike a horse who is suffering pain in the toe would alter his gait. So, if we are going with the my foot = horse hoof analogy, the compensatory pain I'm feeling ( calf muscles in both legs, radiating to left thigh and left lower back in particular,) what muscles are affected in our horses when they have to alter gait?

Hmm.... seems to me that I've seen issues arise in supporting limbs (kind of a no-brainer there,) but that pain has also radiated to backs, necks, shoulders, hips, hocks and knees too. And that resulting compensatory pain can cause serious secondary issues, only adding to the strain of the initial injury and overall healing time.

Now this is a sticking point with me. I'll dig in my heels (surely not my TOES right now,) and argue till we are blue in the face that a horse who is even slightly off needs to be carefully observed and proper exercise provided. When you have a horse who starts out slightly "off", and ends up landing say, toe first, you are compounding the physical effects to the initial lameness throughout the entire body. If you continue to use the horse, say an intensive lesson with a less than well balanced rider, what do you think is going to happen?

If you want a solid horse, you have to have a solid base that is pain-free. Even a small amount of pain will alter their gait, and create issues through the rest of the body. This argument also points out why *proper, balanced, timely* hoof care is critical--- if you don't have proper balance in the hooves, how can you ever expect your horse's body to remain balanced and comfortable, able to work to it's fullest potential?

Thoughts anyone?
~MM

Commercially Available Thrush Treatments

A new Valley Vet catalog arrived in the mail the other day. Paging through it was a no-brainer since there is now a very valid reason *to* look at loads of equine goodies. (Lutin agrees. He has already put in very specific orders for cookies, fly spray, brushes and a new halter. Rotten pony.) Back to the topic though. Since Lutin has wonderful feet, I had planned on skipping over the hoof supplement/ thrush treatment/ hoof goo sections. It proved impossible though, as the pages of the catalog fell open on their own to the hoof care section. Pages of goop, goo, and additives filled my view. A confusing array of colors, whose product descriptions all promised incredible amazing indescribable results in no time.

Because I can not be up and doing for more than short amounts of time, sitting down and looking over the available options seemed like a good way to avoid some boredom and gain some education. What I found from the descriptions was confusion more than education. How can these things make promises to treat all these maladies and provide your horse with amazing feet?

Now- none of the companies have contacted me to do reviews of their products. The information you are about to read is purely my own observation, questions and supposition. Just sayin'.

First- lets look at the thrush treatments.

Appearing at the top of the page is "Thrushbuster", made by Mustad. First thing I liked? They were the ONLY ones who addressed the fact that yes, thrush can be cripplingly painful.

I have used this in the past. Was less than impressed with the results- that tiny 2 ounce bottle promised the world, but fell short of delivering for my needs.

I had to look online for a list of ingredients: water, isopropanel formalin, PVP, iodine complex, Gentain Violet. (Hey-- formalin.. as in formaldehyde?)


Directly to the right on the page:
A relatively new product that I'd actually like to be able to test.called "NO THRUSH", it is a powder form with a puff nozzle. It took a bit of digging to get the ingredients list, and I only managed to score a partial one at that. The partial list: copper salts, oregano powder, diatomaceous earth. I know I like oregano on my pizza, but had no idea of the natural astringent properties. What I do know of and a tiny bit about was the DE. As a drying agent alone, I can see where that would be hugely helpful in wet cases of nastiness.


Next on the page was a product by Absorbine. I think Mikey might be using some of this: Hooflex Thrush Remedy. The ad did not really say much about the product, other than it won't stain, and it will kill the bacteria for thrush and white line disease. (Note: Any product that claims they can kill WLD bugs topically makes me wonder a bit. WLD tends to penetrate the hoof deeply- most topicals I've seen simply can not get far enough into the hoof wall to do much good. They don't do harm, other than to your wallet, but they don't really do much GOOD either.) Listed active ingredients: Chloroxylenol 5.0%; Aluminum Chlorhydroxy Allantoinate 0.25%.


Next on the list:
Thrush Magic Paste. This caught my eye making more investigation a priority. Would it be along the lines of any of the mastitis treatments? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not, too. All I could find for a list of ingredients was "Contains 2 anti-fungal, anti-bacterial ingredients. Contains a safe, persistent, thorough drying agent." Priced at $8.25 per tube, with an expected 15 to 30 treatments per tube, I might just stick to the cattle mastitis treatments- much more affordable price, quality treatment for owners and horses alike.


Up next:
Huuf Magic Thrush Treatment, by Healing Horse.
(OK- I'm sorry for this next bit in advance. But when I read "Magic" in the name, I had to wonder- does it come complete with a magician to apply the product? You know what I mean-- top hat, cape, cheesy mustache, assistant in a slinky costume and too much make up...)

*coughcough* Right. Back to business:
Apparently, this solution combines naturopathic ingredients with pharmaceutical ingredients to treat mild to moderate cases of thrush. A blend of tea tree oil, benzethonium chloride and jojoba oil, it is supposed to penetrate, not stain and treat all kinds of issues (that honestly can mostly be attributed to the nasty little bacterium that cause thrush initially.) It also claims to treat white line disease. Now, I know tea tree oil is good stuff. I've used it as a mild antiseptic in the past and quite by accident, I found that it repelled ticks off of a colt I owned a few years back. Using it to treat thrush simply did not cross my mind, but since it is readily available at local mega marts, I might have to try it.


Up next: Thrush Off, by Well Horse.
In 2009, Well Horse was happy. Horse Journal awarded them the coveted Editor's Choice Award. Claiming to be all natural and incredibly effective against severe thrush infestations, it's ingredients are listed as: Tincture of pyoctanin, sdd-37, spring water, ethylic alcohol, propylene glycol. Would I try it? Maybe.


Moving along, we next have:
Horseshoer's Secret Thrush Treatment.
I've never used any of the Horseshoer's Secret line of products, so attesting to their effectiveness is out of my realm. The ad did not say if this was a dry treatment, or a liquid one. Active ingredient listed is Copper Naphthenate (at 37.5%) with 62.5% inert ingredients. Would I try it? My gut reaction was no- probably not. Why not? Mostly because I am a stubborn old fart, set in my ways who prefers to stick with the tried and true that I KNOW work.

Wow- there are six more products listed on this page:
Thrush Stop (by SBS)
Koppertox (by Ft. Dodge)
Thrush-XX Aerosol (by Farnam)
Pritox
Podi-Cl 02 Green (Hey now that looks like fun-- except for the price tag. Looks like a form of White Lightening Gel to me.....)
and last but not least,
Sav-A-Hoof Gel (also by SBS). This last one also looks like something I'd like to test out.

Overall, I'm going to say one thing that I see ALL of these companies have in common:
They saw a need, and are doing their best to fill it.
Wait-- there is something else:
They ALL claim to cure thrush. Many of them claim to cure WLD.


Thrush is big business. Shoot- anything horse related- supplements, treats, tack, brushes, tools-- it's ALL big business. It seems that we horse folks like to part with our hard earned dollars to purchase gizmos, gadgets, hoobie-dos, whatzits and potential cure alls for our much adored and spoiled rotten equid companions. Whether we actually NEED to do that or not is an entirely different subject, and not one we are going to explore today.

In the meantime, think about things before you jump up and hit the buy button. Consider all possibilities for treatments. Improvise, adapt and overcome, and possibly save yourself some dough.

Thoughts anyone? (By the way- the main promoter of the No Thrush is on Facebook. I left a comment inviting him to contact me to discuss thrush, treatments AND No Thrush. However, I did not hear back from him.)

~MM

Sooo... Anyone Up For Teaching Me To Walk?

Ok, so it wasn't a locomotion incident. I *was* walking just fine. Fine enough that the Locust Brothers and I were busy today -- the peas went in the garden, we contemplated where to put some taters, and we had a nice hour and a half long session of "pony time". It was *after* all of that fun stuff.

And by the way-- I wish I had my camera with me this morning while in the garden-- DAT was a fantastic helper. She pounced my hand while pulling grass and weeds out of the way in the garden, and she even took the time to lay on the massively sprouting radishes to quality check them. Nothing like a stealth boop from DAT to keep the day lively..

On to the locomotion issue. It wasn't a locomotion issue THEN. Sure as hell is NOW though, since *after* pony time, we headed into the house. There are stairs leading into the back door. I wanted to save myself a bit of cleaning time (WHY is beyond me, as the children, dog and DAT don't bother to wipe THEIR paws or knock the dust off,) and I decided that *I* would knock the dust off.

Stomped my left foot, dust went flying, and all was peachy. I could see a clean-ish sneaker. Stomped my right foot once- twice- thrice and SLAMMED my big toe into the support under the damn stairs. WHA---BAM.

Guess what.


I know lots of wirty dords that I can say all to myself. What came out was a lot of "FOXTROT!" and "Holy Mother of Freaking Foxtrotting Misery!" and the like. That was about 6pm. By 7:30, the swelling was impressive, and bruising is already setting in up along the top of my foot. Now, I bruise, but it takes a good bit these days to leave a mark. Swelling.. meh.. I can deal with that. Bruise? Yeah. We got an issue, especially when one pops up that quickly.

No, I am not going to a doctor, and no I will not be complaining about it too much. Walking funny yes. Skipping some trims, yes. Kicking the kids... well, I wouldn't do that anyways, cause the little buggers A) are too damn fast these days for me to connect with and B) they are now big enough to kick BACK. (Yes-- that last bit? J-O-K-E. There is no kicking in the house.)

So, as a Note To Self and note to you, faithful readers, don't go jamming your toes into solid objects. I'll save you the lesson, and tell you it is dastardly painful and honestly not all that amusing.

~MM

Book Review

I really should be getting up, going outside to check the garden and peep at the tender shoots working their way up in the herb boxes. The hose is running and poor DAT just came slinking in, sopping wet, so it's a safe bet that the Locust Brothers are up to no good. The Wonder Pony just nickered making me wonder if he too has been a victim of The Hose.

*sigh*

But I can't. All that can wait for just a few moments while I take a Mom break, and do a long overdue book review.

IF WISHES WERE HORSES arrived in the mail several weeks back. Actually, it arrived about the time that things with Johnny Reb started to go drastically downhill, and I had literally no time for myself and day to day chores much less reading.

Then things started to break- just a bit- and I could take ten minutes here, five minutes there to read and not feel guilty about it.

I'm not going to lie. When the part arrived where the author skillfully reveals the father of the leading man has Alzheimer's Disease, I had to put the book down, walk away ... and cry.

A bit of time passed though. I calmed down and picked the book back up again. The author, Robert Barclay, is a fantastic writer. While I might pick apart tiny equine technical issues, overall it is a very well written book. Overlooking those small technical issues was easy enough, as the overall story drew me in.

The story... its a good one. Love, loss, pain, disease, new love, life struggles- yes. All skillfully combined into a very good book, that I would give the thumbs up to for reading.


Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for doing a review. No monies changed hands and neither did any requests for "favorable reviews". My deepest apologies to the publisher for the amount of time that has passed between our contacts.

Deep Tissue Thrush

We cover thrush a lot on here. A. Lot. But I don't think we've ever really gone into WHY it is important to treat thrush, and what it will eventually do to your horse's hoof if left unchecked. To start, let's take a look at treatment options once more.

Treatments I've Used:
White Lightening Gel (LOVE IT)
Clean Trax (Also LOVE IT)
Dish soap and warm water
Plain water flushes (higher pressure than just the hose)
Povodine scrub mixed with water (as a scrub and flush)
Listerene Mouthwash
PenG
Mastitis treatments (Alba Dry, etc)
Mild bleach/ water mix (about a 70 / 30 ratio)


There are probably a few more that I am overlooking, but you get the idea.

Treatments I Have HEARD Of and NOT Used (and would NOT USE):
Formaldehyde
Straight bleach


The list of treatment suggestions I have heard of and would consider is lengthy, and frankly I'm pressed for time at the moment.


So- WHY treat thrush?

Because eventually, it WILL work its way up into the central sulcus of the frog, up into the hoof capsule, into the heels, and eat away at the connective tissue there. In a healthy frog, the forces exerted upon movement cause the frog NOT to just compress as so many of us were taught growing up, but to stretch to the left and right (side to side), acting as a wide rubber band. Think about your fingers for a moment. You have a split in the index finger on your primary hand, and you *have* to work with your hands. Period. The split lies right along your nail, and every time you move your finger, dig into something, go to wash dishes, wash your hair, or cook your supper, that split is forced open more and more. And it HURTS, right?

Now, take a look at your horse's hoof. Look at the way the frog blends into the heel. Remember our hypothetical finger split? Well, think about how every time your horse takes a step, that frog is supposed to flex and stretch. If your horse has a skinny, weak looking frog, he is not going to be comfortable moving out. If your horse has deep cracks and crevices in the middle of the frog, running up into the heels or beyond into the hairline, think about the pressure applied there. Every. Time. Your. Horse. Takes. A. Step. The force applied has the foot moving and essentially adding to the damage already done by the thrush. Forces are applied laterally:

<--------(gap from thrush)--------->

Ouch, right?

Right.


When you notice your horse moving not quite right, take a good, hard look at those frogs and heels. Watch to see if he is moving landing toe first, protecting the heels. Wash the foot THOROUGHLY with a scrub brush and dish soap if need be, and really LOOK. Probe- if there is a soft spot in the frog or heels, I advise treating for thrush in any method you may wish EXCEPT formaldehyde or straight bleach. (Why not those? For one, formaldehyde is a carcinogen. It is used to preserve dead flesh. Dead. Flesh. What can it possibly do to LIVING flesh? And Bleach-- ever spilled bleach on an open cut? Burns. Like. HELL, right? Imagine that in the highly sensitive tissue. Can we say PAIN for your horse? Also bleach creates more necrotic tissue - by burning- than it helps. Don't. Use. It.)


Scrub the feet. Don't bother trying for the smell- there is a good portion of time where there isn't any aroma. (It's either none or it will invade your sinus cavity and stay for WEEKS.) Treat daily at the very least. Do NOT expect this to resolve overnight- it did not get this way overnight, you can not FIX it overnight. Tissue regenerates quickly, but give your horse a break and do all you can to help healthy tissue grow.

Happy St. Patricks Day too. For more on what we've been up to at The Asylum, pop on over to NOTE TO SELF. There is soon to be a pretty intense post up there.
~MM

Hi. I'm Lutin. Newest addition to what I'm told is
The Asylum.

At first, I wondered what the heck THAT was all about,
But it soon became apparent-
If the shoe fits and all...
(Just sayin'... It's crazy around here.)

I've got some weird new roomies.
Still have yet to figure out what the deal is with the dog.
She tries really hard to pretend I'm NOT there, sniffing her.
Ever see 75# of dog freeze and pray that a horse can't see her?
Funny. As. All. Get. Out.

And this thing. My new Mom says that is the
DAT.

What the hell is a DAT?
Looks and acts like a dingbat cat to me.
I mean, come on- how many cats are going to tag along after a person
like a dog would?
And how many cats try to attack gently swishing horse tails?
Puh-leeze.
The DAT is a DINGBAT.
She is kinda cute though...

The best part of The Asylum?
I have my Very Own Kids now.
Two of them!
I love to hug the littlest one. He smells wonderful.
I don't know what he eats all the time,
but whatever it is makes him yummy to me!

This kid is pretty cool too.
He spends a lot of time brushing me,
combing out my mane and tail,
talking with me,
and just making me feel like a Very Special Pony.
All that extra love makes me a Very Happy Pony.


Life seems to be pretty interesting around here, and I am looking forward to getting to know everyone. As long as Mom and Dad keep the carrot supply well filled, we should get along famously.
And as long as they keep the kids brushing, scratching, rubbing and cooing to me.. well, the carrots might be secondary.

Now if you'll excuse me, I hear some more green grass calling my name. And I'm pretty sure one of the kids promised me some more brushing too.
Have a wonderful day y'all, and remember:
Love YOUR Pony!
Lutin

Spring In The South....

The days weather forecast for yesterday did not fill me with too terribly much joy. That line of red leading the edge of the storm headed east? Yeah. There was some bad bad stuff in there.

All I could see was having to medicate Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog.

And having to postpone a long awaited event....


The skies were heavy, promising rain and high winds at the very least. The clouds sent chills down my spine, even though I was having some serious hot flashes.

Ever been roasting hot and still have a chill? Yeah- weirdest feeling on the planet.


Winds were picking up, making us keep looking up to ensure no ginormous pine cones would come crashing down on our heads.

But we carried out our plans anyways, and yesterday this arrived at The Asylum.

For Keeps. As the Locust Brothers very seriously and very earnestly pointed out I-don't-know-HOW-many-times in the past week or so, this is FOR KEEPS. FOREVER AND EVER.

Yep. That cute little red headed pony we had been stealing away to visit and ride some? He moved in yesterday. For keeps.

Even though things are still touch and go with Johnny Reb, life does indeed need to move ahead. Part of that is being able to find our daily happies, and yesterday those happies were delivered in a 700 pound package of shedding sweetness. His name is Lutin (pronounced Lew-tan). Roughly ten years old, and just THE Sweetest Fellow on four equine legs.

How happy is everyone here? Well, true to form, the weather was not far wrong- we did not get the thunder, lightening or tornadoes but we DID get torrential rains. Dear Husband was so excited that when he got home last night, he came in long enough to drop his duty belt, get carrots and he headed out into the pouring rain to get some pony loves. Pouring rain, poor Lutin is confused and not sure of where he is or what the heck is going on, and he STILL came up and gave Dear Husband kisses and cuddled with him.

Yep. Life is good.

And there is a pony in my paddock!

I Wanna Be In PICTURES!

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to who the red horse is above??

Here's a hint:
He always was a bit of a boy DIVA.....


And now the Boy Diva is in a MOVIE! (The movie: SAVANNAH. Filming downtown currently.)

*Hi* I'm Alive!

Yep. The stiffness from yesterday SURELY lets me know that I am indeed very much alive.

But before we get into any horse talk, I need to give an update on the general health and well being of those of us from The Asylum.

The rest of us are alive too.

OK OK .. all kidding aside..

The Locust Brothers are eating their weight each day and growing faster than I can keep up. Plans are being made now to secure a cow (or three) to put in the freezer, along with a large garden.

Johnny Reb is in a specialized facility for some... long term rehab. No, he is not going to come home again.

Which leads me to the following- which is what we have learned from this entire experience:
- Have A Plan

It is apparently human nature to want to live in denial as a loved one slips farther and farther away. Fighting that impulse- to deny what is going on- is incredibly hard. No lie, it WILL BE one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life. If you notice signs and symptoms of change setting in, please- for your sake, the sake of your loved one, the sake of your family- sit down with a GOOD Doctor and discuss what you have seen. Go over things: tests, treatments, plans for events to come and have them in place. Research the signs and symptoms THOROUGHLY.

Ask. For. Help.

Help researching.
Help providing care.
Help from patient advocates, social services, doctors and nursing staff.

Expect to grieve.
Expect to mourn, doubt decisions, second guess every single move you made.

For the most part, Johnny Reb is slowly adjusting to his new routine. Granny is setting a new routine for herself. It isn't easy by any means, and not a day has gone by with out shedding tears for all of us.

Finding joy has to come in small steps. The biggest thing we are all falling back on is that Johnny Reb is safe and getting the tender care he needs that was just too much for us to provide at home. Knowing he is safe is a load off ALL our shoulders.

Joy comes on days when the Locusts and I can visit. Seeing him play with the boys and hearing him tell me I am still his favorite Yankee makes up for the rest of the time, when he is lost to us. We'll take the good, the joy that brings.

There are happies at The Asylum. Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog is still smiling, DAT is ever entertaining, life blooms in the yard and soon there will be a garden as well.

Life must move forward. We are not leaving our favorite Rebel behind, yet we are moving forward and living FOR him as well as ourselves. Each day, I try to do something with a nod to my favorite reb- be it a walk, a bite of a home baked goodie, or picking on the Locust Brothers.


I do have other news, a thrush post that if I *don't* get up soon Mikey is going to come and get me for, events and general happenings to share.

But for right now I must quit pecking away at this keyboard. The chicken on the grill is beckoning for attention and I need to NOT burn supper.

More soon y'all, as we struggle with finding out what a "return to normal (whatever the hell NORMAL is)" is all about. So far, it's been damn confusing and somewhat stressful...

~MM