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Post by Einstein on Feb 13, 2003 14:46:44 GMT -5
Here is the left front in question.  See how deep it is by the frog and more normal by the toe? And the right front, which looks normal to me:  It's been 5 weeks, so I know he needs a trim. He's not been lame on either front. I did stop lounging him though, until I figure this out. I need a farrier! Oh, and SMay, he DOES have a ring, I thought it was from his near death expeirence too. The anemia and all that. It's still clost to the coranet band. OK, so what do you all think? Should I worry? I can bring him down to the vet clinic where they have a corrective shoer on call, and have him go to work on it if i need to. OK, I'm already worried! |
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Post by chrisnstar on Feb 13, 2003 14:58:11 GMT -5
It looks to me like his hooves are really, really DRY! that will cause the frog to shring like that and the hooves to look so brittle with the edges funky. He needs a good trim, as you know, with teh correct angle so his frog gets the proper contact it needs. I'll bet a good supplement, like Farrier's Formula, would help him a bunch...
chris
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Post by Linda on Feb 13, 2003 15:08:54 GMT -5
It looks to me as though he is in the process of shedding his soles. In climates that have both summer and winter, this happens about twice a year. It looks really weird when it happens. You can see the raised area on the sole on the right foot--back by the heel. That spot still needs to come off. I suspect that both feet will look the same within a week or so as long as he is out running around on a surface abrasive enough to help slough that sole (not standing in a bedded stall.) If you look closely at that left foot, you can see how the sole is cracked and lumpy--it is most likely in the process of shedding.
He does need a trim, as you mentioned.
If you go to >www.hopeforsoundness.com< you will find one of the very last posts on the bulletin board addressing this very topic. They also have a brand-new video out on trimming. You can print out their trimming instructions--free--by going to their tutorial link.
You have enough critters running around there that you might as well learn to do your own trimming. Even if you choose not to do it, you sure will be able to keep a watchful eye on those you do hire.
Brisco highly recommends Natural Balance--as does little Paco. Paco actually got trimmed by Gene Ovnicek himself.
Linda
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Post by Einstein on Feb 13, 2003 15:11:57 GMT -5
Wow! Thanks! I knew they shed the frogs, but have never seen the sole shed. Wow. I need my own farrier, most people out here don't use one or not one that does corrective/show horses. So I am on the search.
Steve learned to trim in vet school, so I let him trim for me ;D but I'd like to get shoes on him so I can start his training.
BTW is it OK to start up again lounging? He's basically in a stall w/ run, all soft surfaces, no real turn out allowed yet. I would be lounging for 10-15 minutes 3 times a week on a soft dirt/sand surface.
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Post by Linda on Feb 13, 2003 15:35:27 GMT -5
When the soles shed, they can actually be a little ouchy. But, if he isn't limping, then he isn't ouchie. Since the sole cracks to seperate, you can imagine that it wouldn't be as comfortable as when it is a solid surface. Think about wearing a pair of shoes with a cracked sole.
I would at least round the edges of his hoof walls before I did anything with him. You can't go far wrong with this, and it will keep him from breaking out a big chunk of hoof wall.
If you send an e-mail to the administrator of >www.hopeforsoundness.com< they will send you a list of farriers they recommend in your area. And, when you call those farriers and tell them that "Gene" recommended you, suddenly they will have space in their shoeing schedule for you.
Once you learn to trim him up using the Natural Balance principles (all free on their website) you just might find that he doesn't need shoes at all. You could always buy him a pair of Old Mac's >www.yourhorsecare.com< to wear anytime you were going to take him out on abrasive, hard ground, and leave him barefoot and trimmed the rest of the time. I did that all last year and it was wonderful. I ride in horribly rocky areas--my mare loves her boots. If you and/or Steve can handle the trimming, then you would be free of having to deal with farriers completely. Since it sounds like you have a hard time getting good farrier services, it might be the way to go. These boots also provide excellent shock-absorption to help spare the legs of the horse. Think of them as hiking boots. They protect the entire hoof and the coronary band.
Linda
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Post by ClaireLV on Feb 13, 2003 18:55:47 GMT -5
When can we see the rest of new-look Porter? C'mon MSH no fair :horsie:
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Post by Big Tee© on Feb 13, 2003 19:55:23 GMT -5
I agree with Linda. If you catch that shedding process at the right time, you can grab the edge of a piece of sole and just pop the whole piece out. You can also hasten the process by paring that loose stuff out, right down to live sole. If it was me, I would be at that with a knife, and clean it up; then proceed as normal with the rest of the trim
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Post by Einstein on Feb 13, 2003 19:56:00 GMT -5
Thanks I'm going to let Steve par away and trim him tomorrow. I'm not strong enough to even rasp. I mean it, I stink at it! I'm glad it's not as bad as I thought, I was worried all the stress was going to make him lose a hoof or something! I can tell a big difference in his weight, but it's not night and day yet. I'll take more pics tomorrow. Right now he's bundled up in his Rambo and eating dinner ;D I just lounged him again, all walking and we worked on keeping walking and staying in a circle. Oh what I wouldn't do for an arena!! Anyway, he was great. Once he gets muscled he'll look awesome, well, that and more weight  But his back no longer sinks in at the withers, and his hip bones don't stick out quite as far, and you can't see every vertebra or rib bone. He has a nicer neck now, and no longer looks like an alien ;D Poor Porter. He's got a ways to go, but I'm no longer going to stay up all night worried about his weight. Can you tell I'm excited he started to gain instead of keep losing weight?! He started on Athele (25% fat) a month ago, and I added Ultimate Finish (25% fat as well) about 2 weeks ago. He's on a probiotic (Forco) and free choice hay. [glow=red,2,300]FINALLY[/glow] it made a difference ;D |
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Post by ClaireLV on Feb 13, 2003 22:31:58 GMT -5
Awww can I still call ya MSH??? I don't think it sounds like a joint supplement, rotten ol' Brian!
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Post by ZenRider on Feb 14, 2003 0:20:54 GMT -5
Definitely in need of a trim, but doesn't look like anything really wrong. So hard to tell from pictures though. Though you will probably notice the new growth to be healthier than the old.
Good luck finding a farrier, really good ones are hard to fine. Ones that think they are good are a dime a dozen. :curse:
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Post by Bara on Feb 14, 2003 6:15:17 GMT -5
.. I'd say that their feet are SOOO important, you shouldn't even attempt anything yourself. Edgie's farrier has spent two years re-building a heel for him (including a period when the poor baby was in such 'high heels' that he looked like a 'tart-on'tour'. Walked like a drunk - and was on Bute and stuck on 'box-rest' for 6 weeks. If we hadn't had a really good (caring!) farrier, I dread to think what state his poor feet would be in now. He's now in egg-bar shoes, still steps out like a Hackney pony, but is not in discomfort, is off the Bute - and the prognosis is sooooo much better than it was two years ago. All down to the farrier. Edgie will be 14 in April. And when we bought him (4-5?? years ago - he was 9!) we had him vetted and knew there was a tendancy to Navicular. But such is love - we bought him anyway! We were lucky - our yard has two farriers who call, one of whom (Edgie's) is a specialist in 'problem-solving'. Edgie's feet (and Forry's back!) are the reasons for my introduction to the world of Horse Forums ('Fora'  Forae???) (Amo, Amas, Amat ...) So every Frog has a silver lining .... Good luck Michelle - Porter's my godson, remember!! |
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Post by Bara on Feb 14, 2003 6:18:54 GMT -5
Christi? Keely? I want him court-martialled! Drummed out! Stripped of his rank! Ridiculed, mocked and made to understand that he can't just 'butt in' whenever he feels like it.
Miffed-of-no-fixed-abode.
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Post by Linda on Feb 14, 2003 15:09:37 GMT -5
You probably just need to go buy a new rasp. Unless it is August, a new rasp goes through that hoof with no pressure at all (wear heavy gloves, the rasp cuts through hands even easier.) The same goes for hoof knifes. They are hard to sharpen well, but if you have a sharp one, there is no trouble helping the horse shed the extra sole as Big Tee suggested. Good tools make all the difference.
Linda
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But his back no longer sinks in at the withers, and his hip bones don't stick out quite as far, and you can't see every vertebra or rib bone. He has a nicer neck now, and no longer looks like an alien ;D Poor Porter. He's got a ways to go, but I'm no longer going to stay up all night worried about his weight. 
Forae???) (Amo, Amas, Amat ...) So every Frog has a silver lining ....