Equine Podiatry Clinic at Morrie Waud / Jimmy Schools Easy / Meet Diesel

Saturday this weekend I went up to Morrie Waud Equine Clinic for a "Podiatry Solutions to Improve Equine Performance". I have to say the educational portion for horse owners was unbelievably interesting. The second half of the day was more geared toward farriers, so when they started getting really into it, they kind of lost me and I kept catching myself day dreaming.

Here are some of my notes of the things I learned from the day:

• Bad feet = muscular deformity = saddle fitting issues
• Sore heels typically take 4 shoeings (every 4 weeks) to show improvement
• Always get Xrays to show foot formation - ask your vet to check the balance of coffin bone to the ground
• Big hind feet typically means the horse is more athletic, more to "push" with
• Wedge pads help alignment
• Once a horse is "cured" of lameness through proper shoeing techniques, KEEP IT UP. Going back to your old ways will make your horse's lameness return
• The goal is to always have the frog on the ground. Strong frog = strong foot
• Dont pick hooves before riding (unless the horse has been on stones) - The mud/manure that's naturally packed it's way into the frog is comfortable for how the horse walks & this way horses won't sink all the way into the sand & grind it up into their hooves.

Pretty interesting!! Basically, every single thing they mentioned in problem/solution for sore heels was like they had been just watching Jimmy and documenting every moment. If they have sore heels, they compensate on their toes, causing lameness. The lameness then goes up into their shoulder, and into their back. With proper shoeing & padding in the feet after regular, consistent sessions the horse will regain strength in their hooves & their shoulders & backs will reshape, potentially causing saddle fitting problems because their backs are finally relaxed and building muscle from comfortable, natural movement....

IS THIS LIKE DEJA VU OR WHAT!?!? Jimmy had ouchy heels. He went REALLY lame. We found Tim. He got sound. I had to get my saddle fixed. Oh. My. Goodness. Every word the farrier & vet team were saying to the crowd I felt like they just directed straight at me. Light bulb. Light bulb. Light bulb. It was pretty amazing. I text Tim and let him know that according to UW, he's the perfect farrier :-) God bless the team of vet/farrier that I have for Jimmy!!! Unreal.

In other news - we schooled a gymnastic today a few times and a little vertical off many different turns and Jimmy was quiet, easy & pleasant. No complaints, just good Jimmy. All is well in our world.

Horse show season is coming up so the pressure to perform is on & I've got a new project to work on that hopefully won't stick around too long, even though I'm kind of digging him a lot right now :-) His name is Diesel and he's a very, very cool dude. Here he is:

Diesel is a 16.3hh 2002 OTTB. He never raced, but he is tattooed so he was definitely brought up on the track. Based on his body and coordination (or currently...lackthereof??) he DEFINITELY was too slow for the track. He's just HUGE, everywhere. Big head, big legs, huge feet, and a belly you can't begin to wrap yourself around. He's as sweet and gentle as can be, just desperately in need of an education and consistent riding. He's learning, slowly but surely, and I'm really having a riot of a time with him. Every time I work with a new green horse I think, "Oh gosh. I really, really love this." and I seriously do. I have a passion for green horses that radiates through my core. I just love teaching their stupid little brains and making them smart little brains :-)

Diesel has impeccable movement and even though he's far from coordinated right now, he's definitely going to make a beautiful hunter. We're just riding walk/trot and he and I work on the ground so he has the cardio workout of cantering as well. In the field all day, he just stands and eats. He isn't active in the least so he needs someone to rev his engine a little bit (and work off a little of that BELLY!!!) He's learning steering and stopping. He steers pretty well, I can't say the same for stopping, yet. He's learning "HO" and improving every day.

Thankfully, I have the motivation of my November wedding keeping me going while he is tugging and leaning against me in the bridle and when I get home and lay on the couch with my muscles throbbing I remember "It's worth it. He's awesome....." and "....I'm going to have such nice arms for the wedding!" HAHA What kind of bride would I be if I didn't think of that as a reason to ride more?!

If you have anyone interested in a guy like him (even though I'm not exactly ready to part with him just yet...) you can see his online advertisement here. Oh, and we also have a really really cute pony for sale right now too. She's seriously adorable. Check her out here. 

Podiatry Clinic – Morrie Waud

Click here to download the flyer.

I'm thinking I'd like to go to this, any takers? I'd love some company in the car ride up there so if you'd like to meet me in Palatine, I'll drive (my new Honda Fit!!!!!!!). It's $39 if we register before 3/7/11. Let me know :-D Dr. Jacob Goodin is the surgeon who performed JC's OCD removal surgery, so I'd love to go see him speak!

Fancy Dancy Shoes

Jim got "Big Boy" shoes last night :-D I got the number of a farrier who does some other horses at my barn weeks ago and I had called him a few times, we just kept seeming to play phone tag, so I ended up sticking with Jimmy's original farrier, Trent. Now as we all recall, Jimmy left Trent's shoes on for 6 days and when I called to ask about it I was told to "let him grow for 8 or so weeks and see where we are...just be patient" Hmm...Patience is NOT my forte.

So I studied Jim's feet these last four weeks and tried to be "patient" but the walls started to crumble...the soles got softer....and soon as I know it, there just wasn't any hoof left. So I called Tim Lesko. He called me back immediately and talked to me about my options for 10 minutes on the phone. 10 points, Team Tim. Also: He's through McHenry every Monday or Tuesday, and said if I had any questions or problems, he wouldn't mind stopping out to check on Jimmy's feet. Okay, okay, this is sounding too good to be true.... So I ask "What are your rates?" *gulp* Surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all and since I've seen his trim jobs and liked his vocabulary on the phone, I was willing to spring for him.

BOY am I glad I did!!! John has been telling me "He needs pads, he has no hoof. He needs pads. PUT PADS ON HIM IF YOU CAN" and I have been trying to take the easy way out. What did we learn last April from taking the easy way out for months? OH YEAH. That when you pay the money for diagnostic work, it comes back with stuff you should've fixed months ago. Ooops.

Tim told me what John had been telling me - VERBATIM. Soft sole, too sensitive, would definitely benefit from pads. Tim ALSO told me that Jimmy has no wall, his hoof is crumbling out from under him, and just from TOUCHING his toes with his fingers, he can tell that "this horse is so lame, I don't even have to put a tester on him."

Jimmy was terrified of Tim. He had fancy tools, a truck/trailer that made a lot of noise (propane to heat up the shoes) and most of all....he put a FAN BEHIND JIMMY'S BUTT. I thought that'd be the end-all right there. Jimmy's eyeballs just about popped all the way out of his head the entire hour+ that Tim was there. But, I'm extremely pleased with the workmanship, and John is too (I sent him a pic).
Jimmy has his feet packed with Hawthorne Sole Pack, a super-duty (and stylish!) orange rubber pad, and steel shoes put on the fronts. His hinds just got a trim.

Tim also let me know the things I can do to help Jimmy out - like putting him on biotin (Farrier's Friend or Horseshoer's Secret is what he suggested) and sealing his feet with something EVERY FEW DAYS to keep them nice and strong and hard when it's wet and moisturize them when it's dry.

The limestone area is currently under construction, so Thursday when it's ready, Jimmy will start to go back outside. Meanwhile, it's storming anyway, so he's stuck inside. Tough toots, Jim. His attitude is monumentally better already just from being inside a few days. I can't wait until he's better - I know it will be soon!!

Foot Update

Today I stopped by John's house (man, I love my vet) and chatted with him for a while about what I need to do to make Jimmy better. I told him I am packing his feet with poultice to help the heat and was looking into easy boots. He said based on the footing at my barn, easy boots won't do a dang thing to help. It's a very muddy barn and I realized "if Jimmy pulled two shoes clean off himself that were NAILED on his foot....how would he leave the boots on...????"

Basically my vet told me that without fronts on, Jimmy will never get sound. Not only will he not get sound, he will probably develop pedalosteoitis(...?) and ruin his coffin bones and shrivel up and die... Wuh oh!! So!! The search for a farrier who can keep shoes on Jimmy's feet is on. If I can find an affordable farrier for silicone and pads AND can keep shoes on JCs feet, thats the dream. So dream with me, people!!! John said a front shoe will help, a pour in and pad would be ideal. Also, Jimmy needs to go out in the nice perfect dry lot again for 2-3 months, so he is ALWAYS on solid, perfect footing and he's got time to grow out a bit. This way he gets all the possibility in the world to heal. And thats what is most important :-)


He will be living in the dry lot most likely with one of the farms newest members, a miniature horse named Jeezie :-)

Call from Trent

Just got a call from Trent this morning. He was out at the farm and looked at Jimmy for me (it's so unbelievably reassuring to have built a good re pour with my farrier in the last few weeks that he is comfortable enough calling me to chat about my horse's feet).

He hoof tested the left front and said he looks totally fine - no reaction! WOOO!!! Then he tested the right front for good measure and found a hairline abscess along the bulb of his heel. "WHAT?! I was just there YESTERDAY!" I said. He said "It's so minor, I'm not surprised you didn't see it, it's just along the hairline and it's a different color. I know because I know where to look - don't feel bad that you didn't see it" WHEW! Sigh of relief, I'm not a terrible mother. LOL. So, he will instruct the barn owner what to do with it today, if it needs anything. By the sound of it, Jimmy is fine and can go right back outside this morning to play.

I feel like this is the final straw....that we really are truly in the clear now. I anticipate very awesome things in our near future! Back to work, back to building muscle, and eventually.....BACK TO RIDING!!!!!!!! Happy Monday everyone!!!!

Consistency Proves the Winner

Yesterday I went out alone and spent some time mono a mono with the Choo. He was very perky and upbeat while I brushed him, pretty animated and happy....until the Bute came out. I dosed him up with a gram before even looking at how he moved in the round pen so I wouldn't forget later.

Once the bute happened a carrot followed so he would swallow it all down...and one carrot went down, then he suddenly realized at the second carrot (while we were stretching) "AHH! THIS CARROT TASTES LIKE BUTE!! WTH?!?" and BLEH! out it went all over the aisle. From that point I tried and tried to get him to stretch, and he just looked at me out of the corner of his eye in the saddest, poutiest, mopiest way. Like a little toddler who folds his arms across his chest as the giant tears roll down his cheeks, feeling betrayed as ever that Mom put cough medicine in his apple sauce and he didn't notice until it was too late. Poor little Jimmy.

Somehow, taking out peppermint snacks that Lucy brought him changed his tune, and he was more than willing to show me 'what he's got' in his flexibility department. Thank goodness, I was starting to worry that now he's so stiff he can't even touch his elbow. Not the case, just needed a different flavor ;-) Yay.

After stretches we booted up and went to the round pen for the pain diagnosis. Since he can't answer "On a level of 1-10, how severe is your pain?" by stomping his hoof, I resort to lunging. His first few steps in the over reach boots were straight out of a comic strip, I swear. I was almost crying from laughing so hard. The whole walk down to the pen, he picked his toes up to his chest trying to figure out what the heck is on his feet. It. Was. Hilarious.

We got into the pen and he walked right out to the end of the line, put his head down, and went into a working trot. .....wait, what?! My horse, Jimmy Choo, hasn't 1. Gone to the end of the line willingly in months because 2. That means work, something that is a foreign concept and foul word to him entirely. So at this point I took a second and went, "Who are you?!"....then I saw what I had to blink a few times to comprehend. Sound?!.....my horse.....is sound?!?

He isn't quite 100%, but he's at least 85% improved. He is on the right path!! HE IS GETTING BETTER! In the videos below, you'll see that to the right he looks wonderful and the left he's still taking a short step every so often, as though he's "sore". I will take "Sore" over "LAME" any day!!!!

I think the consistency of bute daily, poultice, and wrapping the bulb of that left front heel has proved to be the best thing for him. Shoes were just a minor hiccup in the process, and he's proving MUCH happier without them. The over reach boots he will be wearing all the time. I'm going to watch to be sure they don't irritate his precious little hairs and skin over time, but this all seems to be the winning combination. Once he is really feeling all the way better for a few days I will wean him off the bute and the poultice. HOORAY! PROGRESS!!!!! Here's a snapshot of him from one of the videos. *drool* I love him.

The Barefoot Wonder

Well today I was filling up his new spray bottle with a fresh batch of fly spray while squatting on the ground and looked over to see how his feet looked today and noticed something.....

...He was barefoot. Left front (lame foot) he ripped off his shoe, clean. Just holes in his hoof wall where the nails once were. Oh Joy. What's miraculous is that his hoof last night was packed with poultice, wrapped in magazine papers, wrapped in duct tape...and wrapped in duct tape again. Yet, somehow he clean ripped off the whole shoe.

Upon further investigation I did not find the shoe in the field, but DID find that his right front shoe was loose enough that it was shifting sideways, which was enough for me to say "enough" and make him stay in the rest of tonight & tomorrow.

Soon as I got home I saw my amazing brother Dan was home and I went in to blubber to him about it, and his response was "How far is the barn? Let's go. I'll take the shoe off myself". Dan knows a little bit about absolutely everything there is to know about horses. He's incredible. So in the car we jumped, onward to Farm & Fleet in search of bell boots. We didn't find any, but we did get to the farm and pull off the shoe. Well, Dan did. I held Jimmy.

When Dan "pulled off the shoe" really all he had to do was wiggle out the nails. They were so loose, Dan just plucked them out like eyebrows. One by one. Pluck. Pluck. Pluck. Pluck. Pluck. Pluck...until the last one. He tried to wiggle the shoe a bit to loosen the nail and when he put any pressure on the hoof wall, Jimmy wiggled. He was obviously 1. Very uncomfortable from the get-go to have all of that weight on his left front and 2. Not at all happy having his hoof pinched at. Dan said he barely had any pressure on the "nippers" and Jimmy flinched at that. So, he's foot sore. Really foot sore.

I put him in the round pen to distinguish how sore really foot sore is....and found that he is, in fact, really body sore.

So here is my conclusion:

• Jimmy over-reaches and nicks himself in the heels with the front of his back hooves - leaving no scratches, scrapes or marks to the eye, but sufficiently bruising past the point of reasonable pain.
  
• This is what's made him foot sore in the left front, and from compensating with the right, consequently he is sore in both in the heels....from over reaching.
  
• The shoes only added to the whole "OUCH MY FEET ARE KILLING ME" thing, and he's got such a solid wall, he really doesn't need them for support. He's got it naturally.
  
• While playing today (which I'm thrilled he felt well enough to do) he probably torqued himself so hard while he got that shoe off, that his entire body is just aching. Not to mention the rest of the however-long he was out there, he was one-shoed and lopsided.
  
• I will not put shoes back on him.
  
• I will get over-reach boots (the nice Professional's Choice ones that don't flip around and have lots of support in the bulbs)
• I will pack and wrap his hooves/heels with poultice while I need to since he is so foot sore it hurts and he needs the soothing comfort to heal.
• I will give him a little swallow of bute at night before bedtime if he is hurting.
  
• I will wait 8 weeks until he needs another trim and have Trent or whomever come and take a look at his hooves, see how he's doing with the growth.
  
• Pending severity of discomfort throughout this process, I will talk to John. Really, regardless, I will talk to John.
  
• I will continue to search for abscesses and any degree of discomfort in his hooves, legs, shoulders, back.
  
• I will be the best damn mom I can possibly be - within reason. I love him, and I want him to feel better. And I'll do what I need to (again, within reason) to make that happen.
  

How's that for a plan?!? Please jump in with thoughts/experiences/opinions!

Still Ouchy

Tonight I brushed him & took him into the round pen. Equipped with a 22' line, the 'carrot stick' and his rope halter, Jimmy was ready for some work.

He walked out the the end of the line very nicely and walked a time around me until I signaled to trot. And....WHAM. Limp. Gimp. Limp. Gimp. Limp. Still left front, to the left. Gimp gimp gimpy.

So, I read somewhere that exercise on good footing helps hooves heal (at least I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere...) so I let him work himself out. To the right he looks pretty good, probably 75%. Left is a solid 10% sound. LOL. Lame-as-heck. He cantered for what seemed like forever, both directions & then I took him off the line and we "played" together a little at liberty. He seemed very mopey before his work out, but after he was in very high spirits and rather bright-eyed.

I'm going to do some more reading on the healing bruised hooves topic, since John's in Alaska for two weeks. Jimmy will continue going outside as usual. I have a feeling the bruises just need time to heal and in a few weeks he'll be good as new :-)

Big Steps

Well Saturday I judged in Peotone, which was wonderful. The drive down was a breeze, and the drive home was even faster. I was completely exhausted by days end, the horse show ran for a solid 8.5 hours. I definitely worked for my check that day!!! Loved every second of it too. Didn't love the outrageous sunburn I got all over my left side - the judges stand was in the sun all morning until the sun went over the roof about 11am. My left side proves it. Saturday night my leg was purple...it still hurts from the burn!!!!

Since I was judging, Bill went out and took care of Jimmy for me, and stood with him while the farrier put on his new 'kicks'. Bill photo-documented for me :-)
(image before the nails were taken care of) Bill said Jimmy stood like a champion and didn't mind the hammering and banging on his hooves on bit. He said Jimmy was a saint. My favorite part was when Bill said: "[Trent] wasn't very nice with Jim's legs though. He was pretty rough, actually. I tried to let him know that Jim's had a rough couple of months, but he didn't seem to care. I didn't like that. I wish he was more gentle with Jim's legs." God Bless my beau!!!! He is just the most incredible guy a girl could ever have :-) He said he enjoyed being out with "Jim" and thought watching the farrier (Trent) work was pretty interesting.

Yesterday I went out and met Lucy and Anne at the farm. We took care of Jimmy first and did his stretches, which are now his favorite thing, since there are carrots involved (and lots of them). Lucy is getting really good at doing everything herself and Jimmy loves her. He's very well behaved. He was upset when we put him back in his stall and the barn owner had a sign on his stall "BOO HOO HOO. I HAVE TO STAY INSIDE FRI/SAT/SUN" which I thought was adorable - that's exactly how he acts. Sad and pathetic because he's inside all by himself!!!

Lucy took her first lesson on Smiley yesterday. He is the perfect walk-trot horse. When I "test drove" him last week, I bounced on him a little to make sure that wouldn't phase him, and it didn't at all. Then I clucked and kicked and threw my reins at him and pretty much the most he had in him was to canter/lope for 3 or 4 strides max. He does NOT like to use any more energy than absolutely necessary. How do you spell perfect? "S-M-I-L-E-Y" hahaha. Lucy loved her lesson on him and she was off the lunge line by the end of her lesson. I see big improvements happening fast as soon as she gets more time in the saddle!! Looking forward to our Sunday 2PM lessons :-)

Tomorrow I'll go out and put JC on a line and see how the soundness looks!

Farriers

So, I am in desperate need of a farrier who can come to McHenry and do pour-ins & pads on Jimmy's two fronts.

Got a call back from a friend's farrier - Jeremy Carpenter. Heard he has a great rep and does a lot of the show barns up here & in Ocala. HOORAY! However, it's going to be $200 every 6-8 weeks. Right now I pay $30. Gulp.

Is this kind of the....normal now for pour-ins/pads???


UPDATE
Trent Hinkle - my original farrier called me back. I made the executive decision (as John told me I might need to) to only have Jimmy put in front shoes, no pads. This will give him significant relief. Pour-ins & pads just aren't in the budget...or anywhere near the budget at this point. I'm hoping the steels alone will be enough support that Jimmy feels better :-) As much as I wish I could do everything 100% the way Jimmy should have it done, I've reached the end of my money train, and there's nothing left to give right now. God Bless having a full-time job that I love and the skills to have freelance clients!!! Front shoes with Trent will be $85 and he will be out tomorrow at 1PM. I told him I will have a helper there and ready, with a check in-hand for him :-)

Tomorrow I will be judging in Peotone.