Interesting developments

My new hoof knife arrived yesterday, so I decided to try it out on Jester first. The bars on his fores needed some tapering, so I did that. The hinds needed some tidying too, check. Great tool. Love that new sharp edge. Whoa!!! what's that red stuff dripping down my arm????? I think I bought a scalpel instead of a hoof knife. I didn't even feel the slice. Forward to today- I KNOW I lowered that bar yesterday, but here it is again! I thought his bars had gotten un-jammed, but not completely yet! I went ahead with a full trim and discovered his sub-solar abscessing had been at both toe pillars and was now being replaced with new sole WOOHOO!!! The right fore, with its higher heel needed more bar work, and I beveled the heels toward the back, to imitate the angle they will have once he grows in a properly concaved front half of the hoof.On the left fore, sole that had accumulated in the middle third of the hoof flaked off easily so I went ahead and cleaned that up. I had been leaving it to see how much wanted to be there. As usual, the fore toes were backed up about 1/4 inch. His hooves are starting to look more and more "normal" :) I thought to myself, pretty soon I won't have to do a therapeutic trim, it will be a regular maintenance trim... Can't wait!! Hinds needed maintenance, I haven't done them for about a month. There is still some weak broken wall, especially the RH toe. I could almost peel the top layer off. Left hind had the most growth, consistent with best blood flow and most use. He still uses it more than the right. I beveled both hind toes and am happy with the overall shape and function they have. They wanted quarter relief so he will have good flexion in them. Thrush has surged again, so NoThrush is back in his daily Tx along with first aid on the proud flesh and his runny eyes. No riding since Tuesday night. We went about 3 moonlit miles with a friend. Jester was a cool cucumber even when the younger gelding had a spook. Such a good boy.

More riding, more jog/trot!

Sunday evening. Jester had been out of boots for a couple of days as I am agressively treating some proud flesh at the lateral heel coronets. LF is dime sized, RF is slightly larger than a quarter, but shrinking. I added moleskin inside the heel captivators on the boots,applied them to his fores and he was happy to go! I rode alone, up a paved street to the nearby irrigation canal. A wide, hard packed dirt path flanks the canal for several miles. We traversed less than one. Squawking blackbirds in mountainous oleanders alarmed Jester some. He was antsy when asked to stand. I tried out some more of his buttons, asking him to collect and extend the walk and jog, and transition to halt and back. He sure knows his stuff! Pivots to the right are good. He resists crossing his right fore over the left on a left pivot. That's his higher heel side, so I expect it will take a while for it to loosen up. The good: only one slight stumble, and no toe stabbing. The bad-I'm impatient to start loping!and he gets dancy and acts a bit barn sour when ridden out alone. The ugly- I can't keep boots on him 24 x 7 to keep him super comfy due to having to treat that proud flesh. This too shall pass.... once said someone wise... After all, a month ago he couldn't be ridden!

Two more rides

Jester was still happy in the boots, so he got another slightly longer walk on Tuesday, and Wednesday I took off the boots to check his heels- the proudflesh on the rub spots is very stubborn. It is frustrating that he moves well in the boots and a few hours after their removal, but the boots are preventing those heel rubs from healing. I am agressively treating the areas. He got a touch up trim Wed. also. Heels lowered and balanced, bars shaped, toe breakover refreshed. RF is still more toe first than flat. No new abscess exits that I can see. One on each fore hoof is enough! New hard sole is growing :). His eyes are doing better since the ivermectin dose- less discharge. I am going to add bermuda pellets (soaked) to his diet. He seems to tire of chewing after chowing through the one flake of alfalfa and his bucket of potions. I really want to see him eating eating eating and regaining condition. Wednesday I rode him in a friend's turnout (somewhat soft footing) without boots. He was on and off favoring the left fore. Still tender on the frog and the abscess exit at the lateral toe pillar. He was sluggish overall. If I can get my hands on some casting material I will try that, as it will give his hoof shape and protection without affecting his heels' healing. The soft foam liner in the heel captivator on the Renegade boots is wonderful for healthy heels, but tends to hold in heat and moisture on Jester's wounded ones. (improper fit on the heels is what caused the problems to begin with- I take the blame). I continue to be thankful for his healing.

Eager under saddle once more

With his Renegade boots fitted on the front hooves, Jester was moving very well today- so I hopped on him bareback and walked him around the pasture for about ten minutes. He was responsive and moved well, though still unevenly. This evening I saddled him and rode him up the road to the canal- he walked with an eager step and took interest in his surroundings. My husband walked along with us and Jester began to follow him. Once back home I asked for a few strides of jog. He evened out the longer we went. Total workout: Walk 20 min, jog 2 min. It felt so good to be up on him again. He wasn't sure he liked my bit, but settled down once we were going places. I was happy to hear his fores strike the ground evenly, without the tell-tale scuffing sound that accompanies a toe-first landing in boots. Most of the uneven feeling I got was from the hinds. My right hip felt pushed up higher than the left. Not surprising, given that his right hindquarter is the atrophied side, which had had the wedge pad and shoe with long toe shape. Today I dosed him with ivermectin. He now eats one flake alfalfa mix hay twice a day plus all he can eat grass hay, and a mixture of beet pulp, black oil sunflower seeds, CA trace supplement, and Devil's Claw Plus. He loves that alfalfa candy.... Prefers it to his bucket! With light exercise I expect he will regain condition within a couple months.

Sole hope

Right fore has been a source of discomfort- and toe first landing more so than left. I kept looking for loose sole around the front half of the frog... a sign that he was ready to lose that retained sole crescent. Yesterday I saw it! I peeled it away and found the area in front of the frog is a little bowl!! And it's holding firmly still today! He doesn't walk as if he has a rock in his foot anymore. :) The sole may look prolapsed but it's the shortened wall through the quarters making an illusion. There is only slight give to the sole all around, just as it should be. With just less than half a new foot grown, I expect more concavity and the apex, or tip of the frog to raise into a more normal position, away from the ground. He has been trying all the samples I got from SmartPak while waiting for the Devils Claw Plus supply to arrive. SmartSox, SmartGain4, SmartFlex Rehab, and Smart TLC... He is happier than ever, even hanging out with the "herd" and moving better and better Honey decided he'd better be put in his place and chomped down on his hamstring- just enough to cause a squeal and loss of hide... not enough to draw blood... She was promptly banished to isolation. Well, just for a few hours. She is not allowed to bully Jester off his food though. I keep them separate long enough for everyone to have at least half of the hay I put out. I like to use the small hole hay nets so they don't inhale the hay. It keeps their guts (and minds) busy longer :)

Trot!!!!!

I added Devil's Claw Plus to Jester's feed potion... And he is definitely feeling better!! Within a couple hours he was much more mobile and within 2 days he was walking around as if never lame! This is on pasture footing. On hard pack he hobbles. He will be getting daily workouts now! (10 minutes of walk and trot, at liberty. With less pain I am hoping he will not burn his calories on stress and can actually pack on some pounds :P and Trots with encouragement!

Deep breaths! Looking good...

August 12 November 1 July 29 in shoes- note toe first on all fours Sept 9- being chased, otherwise did not move much November 1- I'm hoping the tide has turned for good, I am seeing flat and heel first most of the time now on the fores, and even better on the hinds when his fores feel good.

Teeth, check! Spine, check!

Jester is now up to date on his dental work. He was very good for the dentist. Yay!!! And the chiropractor was out for another horse here and kindly did a few adjustments on Jester which he very much appreciated. The chiro's assessment was that his hind leg issues are related to his front end pain, and the weight loss also due to the stress of pain. So we are getting him some more pain relief, Devils Claw Plus is on its way. His appetite is terrific and he is moving consistently, even trotting when urged. Left fore is still the sorest one. He is growing new good sole over the abscessed area, and lands flat on that foot. Even lands flat on the right fore now and then. It had been mostly toe first on the right. He's a trooper and a good boy. Not much winter coat yet, but he is blowing out the summer coat.

New growth :)

Yesterday Jester began to shed his old ancient frog layer on both fores. While I don't like to see frog slough, his old deformed frog really needed to go. It came off in V- just the forward 3/4 of it. The heel area stayed put, to my relief. A few flakes of sole came off the LF, and wonder of wonders, there is an ever so tiny ridge appearing beside the frog crease forward of the widest point/bar termination!! We are going to get concavity :) :) :)!!!! The abscess exit is still tender, but it is regrowing and healthy looking under the loose edge. He will get another trim adjustment today. He walks like an old gimpy man, those hinds have worked overtime with these sore fores. The more he walks the smoother it gets, though, and when I get impatient with his progress I have to look at the old pictures and remind myself of where we started... and that we do have progress Then....note the relative location of the hinds Now... In shoes late July... October 22 The hoof shows a marked change when the shoes were removed. Can you see it? I'm going to address that arched hairline next. Backing up the toe as much as safe was the priority... He likes to stand with these toes buried in the manure pile... takes the pressure off his navicular area. Still no heel first landings. Some flat landings... lots of toe first. :(

Holding steady...

Despite some solar separation on the LF at the toe, Jester continues to amble around, eat as much hay as I can give him, and be very protective of the LF. I have to get creative just to pick up that hoof. He does NOT like me probing the sole with my thumbs. No leg swelling :) a little heat- around the coronet in the caudal half. No heat in the sole or frog :). Frog pads and a boot shell taped on the LF seem to keep him comfortable enough to meander the pasture looking for the good stuff. Some days he scarfs the beet pulp mix and about once a week he snubs the bucket. Summer sores are subsiding finally, Jester and Taffy were such magnets. I haven't seen as many deerflies either. Wicked things. I backed up his fore toes again this week, and lowered the heels to live sole at seat of corn... I measure that we have over one inch new wall growth and it's looking good. By the time we have 2 inches (another 2 months) I expect him to be a lot more comfortable. Keeping the lever force off the toe wall is critical to growing in new, well connected hoof wall. The connection is the velcro-like laminae that hold the wall and the coffin bone together. Here's a pic of the LF sole- the orange is iodine.

Not out of the woods yet

Jester seems to be 3 legged sound one day, fine the next, and 2 leg lame the next. Today I soaked the LF (the one that popped the abscess at the toe whiteline/sole juncture) with ClO2 (Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide). When I took his hoof out, there appeared a crack in the sole where I least wanted to see it... in an arc on the sole following the toe wall- from quarter to quarter around the toe, extending from the abscess exit. I am praying we don't see it get worse!!! He wants to stand on that foot, and rest the right fore more. I am keeping it disinfected and booted. The apex of the frog is close to equal with the wall at the whiteline, so I am suspecting his sole is paper thin under P3, also known as the coffin bone. Over the week, he ate well, especially the hay. A couple times I shut him up in the stall so he could stuff his face in peace. I do NOT like seeing his ribs. He is not losing, I think he is putting the weight back on. One day last week he refused his beet pulp bucket. By the next day his appetite for it returned. He never lost interest in hay, fortunately! Good signs- no patchy sweating, no heat in the legs, increased comfort when I backed up his RF toe to whiteline with a vertical cut, a full inch of new growth from coronet in 8 weeks, hind legs moving well, hair coat still gleams in the sun, he likes getting attention, both hinds in acceptable balance,especially proximal/caudal aspects, he still sends up a bugle when I take one of the mares out. This Thursday he will have his teeth done. Current hoof pics as soon as photobucket and my phone cooperate RH LH RF LF

Here we go again...but wait..!

A frustrating but relieving week... The day after Jester walked smoothly on the street (just 30 yards!, he was hobbling worse than ever. He was down often, and did not want to weight the left fore. Out came Kim's herbal clay poultice to coat both fore soles... No problems with the appetite, however, as he is now gobbling more beet pulp and black oil sunflower seeds with his Integrity Lite and CA Trace minerals. At long last... Thursday Jester blew an abcess in the left fore, just off center of the toe. There is a spot between the toe pillar and the frog apex that has a bit of give, as if there's an empty pocket underneath. Not much coming out of that hole, the size of my pinky tip. He is SO much more comfortable and happy. I'm keeping a renegade boot on that hoof with some powders to draw out and prevent infection. No swollen leg yet!! Honey the boss mare was allowed back into the pasture with him and Taffy for the day, since he could move well enough to avoid Honey's piranha teeth :P When he is in with the other gelding who's staying with us, the gelding keeps him moving too. Poor Jester, he's the biggest horse out there by far yet the bottom of the pecking order. 8 weeks and I am hoping and praying he's turned a BIG corner in the healing process. He has nearly 2/3 inch new growth at the top of the fores, and I am keeping those toes backed up and a breakover (Gene Ovnicek style-web search if you're not familiar) in the laminar wedge area of the toe sole. When viewed from the side, the fore-most weight bearing part of the hoof is in line with the line of the growth at the upper portion of the hoof. A picture will help. Stay tuned.

No more pesky ads....

The idea was to put ads on the blog and that would generate some hay money for Jester... Apparently people actually have to click those ads (but Google doesn't allow me to hint or suggest you do so) in order for any "earnings" to be realized, and it takes forever to rack up the minimum to get paid. So I gave that idea the ole heave-ho. We aren't out of hay yet!

smooth walking on pavement :)

Flash back to August 23- Jester had gotten a chiro therapy treatment, and within a couple of hours could not walk on anything but soft grass. Today, October 1, while two trash trucks and a bobcat picked up the street-side piles of residential debris (a lovely service Phoenix provides quarterly), Jester calmly strode down the unyielding pavement. Pausing at the front lawn, his nimble lips found succulent tendrils of bermuda. He paid attention but did not jig, dance or panic as the collectors passed within a few yards of us. Last night I detected NO heat in his hooves, and just a gentle digital pulse at the fore pasterns. No wonder there is a sparkle in his eye, to match the frequent bugle that escapes his flaring nostrils. There is an answering sigh and grateful prayer in my heart.

Best yet- @ 7 weeks

Friday Jester got a full set of acupressure point therapy magnets. By Saturday morning he practically chased me down as I carried his feed bucket into the pasture. Wow! He wore a full pad on the left fore, frog pad on the right, and none on the hinds. The more he moves the better and more fluidly. True, he isn't moving completely soundly, but the improvement is so encouraging. He now has another gelding to keep him moving buy isn't vicious about it. My Honey mare takes fur off everyone at least once, which explains her banishment from the pasture. Taffy joins the geldings, but not at feeding time. She's a piggie, and Jester needs all the food he can eat to make up for not having much of an appetite for a couple weeks. He's putting the weight back on already, much to my relief.

Are you ever at a loss for words?

It seldom happens to me- I find myself with more words than I have time to write. A post about Jester's skin and coat, his eyes, his digestive and elimination system, his behaviors, to name a few... But what is it that you dear reader would like to know? I'd love your comments too. I am learning so much through this experience. I sometimes wonder how technical I should be in my posts. I wish I had Like buttons on the posts as Facebook does, for moral support. I won't publish your comment if you include "don't post" in your message. Eager to hear from y'all, I am!

Steady improvement and new growth visible :)

For seven days Jester has been able to move willingly. Padding the frogs and treating with NO Thrush powder has improved his comfort to the point that he jogged automatically along with me in the pasture showmanship style! I put him through walk, stop, set up, back (that's tough still) and pivot (slowmotion- he is not ready for much lateral movement). He cheerfully did it all! I ponied him out one morning to the neighbor's plowed field and he moved with energy and enthusiasm over there!! Even completely barefoot!!! I continue to pad his frogs and sometimes his entire sole on the fores. Hinds have good concavity and seem comfortable without boots or pads at this point. Here he is with the gelding who's here for hoof TLC-Jester really likes him. My excitement faded a bit when, midweek, his fores warmed up at the coronets. "Here we go again," I thought, but he did not worsen to the point of not moving. It was a day after I adjusted his trim, so I can tell that he is responding to every little adjustment I do. The hind toes are ready to go shorter, since the concavity is there, and the walls extend more than 1/16th" past the sole. By shorter I mean I bevel the wall from white line down and outward from center, when the hoof is viewed from the sole. The right fore heel came down a smidge, and both fores got a backed up toe. It's paying off, as half to a quarter inch of new growth is showing at the top of each hoof, and it's coming in at a new steeper angle! I'm glad I didn't cut more to begin with, even with Xrays available, taking toe back severely as some barehoof rehab trimmers advocate would have compromised the support for his bony column, and the tip of P3, aka the coffin bone or distal phalanx. I cut vertically at the white line, but no farther. Keeping the weight off the toe wall will allow that dorsal wall to grow in where it belongs, and well connected by strong laminae to P3 (a major goal!) His heel abscesses and abrasions are nearly healed. His opinion is back, and it's nice to know he has one-I wouldn't call it an attitude though. It's a fine dance, watching his NSC intake (sugary grass) but knowing he can more comfortably move on the pasture than on the dirt. So as long as he's moving and the heat in the feet doesn't engulf the hooves, he will stay on the pasture. The grass is slowing way down with the shorter days and lower temps. California Trace supplement and Black Oil Sunflower seeds have been added to his diet, and I split his feed into two snacks per day. Now he finishes it all every time, so I am gradually increasing beet pulp and BOSS to put the weight back on. He's still gleamy and gorgeous, but the ribs have got to GO! With his jaw moving in a more natural side to side chewing motion he is eating more hours of the day, bermuda hay and grass is always available to him. I learned that horses fed pellets tend to chew in an up and down motion that is not natural for them and causes tooth imbalances. I am looking forward to having an equine dentist do a check up. Tomorrow he will see the bodyworker for a checkup. Absorbine liniment gel is working wonders on the summer sores on Jester and Taffy both- glad I finally remembered that!

Almost all good news @ almost 6 weeks

Jester is moving better and better! Good- right hind shows near normal concavity!! Left hind needs exfoliation but the depth at tip of frog is good! Left fore is still shallow in the collateral grooves (less than 1") at the rear and I am seeing slight exfoliation at the frog/sole crease from the halfway point forward!!! Feet are all cool! No Thrush is keeping his frogs healthy- no rotting, no deep heel crevices, less pain! He wears his frog pads and duct tape every day still.Right fore has depth-but the abrasion/abscess exit on his heel has gotten nasty and is granulating. I am treating it with a "tried and true" rancher remedy. I expect it to be shrunken and hardened off within 2 days. I had great results with this same recipe when my mare Honey had proudflesh on her hock. Only a flat scar remains. The best is- he is walking with some rhythm again! and moving further around the pasture than he has for a couple weeks. When I took Taffy out for a ride yesterday evening he walked all the way to the bottom of the pasture (around 150 feet), whinnying the whole way that he did not want her to abandon him! Honey stayed behind but apparently there is no bond between those two. It's Taffy that I trust out in the pasture with him- Honey chews hide off other horses, it's her alpha mare instinct :( Jester is very excited to see me come with a bucket. Now that he's stablilizing, I am adding concentrated feed back to his diet. He currently eats free choice Bermuda grass hay, Integrity Lite low starch feed, beet pulp, Black oil Sunflower seeds and salt. I will be starting him on CA Trace also- my delivery should be here today! His coat still gleams in the sun, but it's time to put some weight (back) on. I hated watching him lose condition, but until I knew what might be triggering his pain, he had just hay. Then I added pasture, and now the concentrates. I do not think his pain was caused by a single factor, and diet was not the main issue. I have not seen radiographs of his navicular area on the fores, but I can tell he had severely underdeveloped digital cushions and contracted hooves. Barefoot rehab makes rapid expansion of the hooves a reality, and now he has to develop those digital (palmar) cushions.

Encouraging progress

The last two days Jester has not wanted to move much at all. He did eat and all the essentials but was hurting. I iced his fores all day, and applied poultice to chest, loins, legs...A fellow hoof nut took a look at the pics and reminded me to pad his frogs since his soles were prolapsing, resulting in excess pressure on the circumflex artery (which runs through the coffin bone). I cut triangles from gardening kneeling pads and slipped them on his frogs, secured by a single strip of duct tape across and up each side of his hoof. Quickly jamming the boots into position was tricky and took a couple tries to get them on while maintaining the position of the frog pad. Not long after, I found him down in the stall, getting some relief. He accepted my petting him while completely flat on his side. He did get up soon after, and went back to eating. He has a small mesh hay net for his bermuda hay. This morning..... He moved around a bit as I took the mares out for exercise. His lonely whinny is worse than a rooster according to my husband ;)... When we returned I led him out into the pasture and he began moving willingly on his own woo hoo!!! He had Taffy for company for a while, then I moved her in with Honey so he could eat in peace. He has covered more ground today than the last 4 days combined. Boots will stay on. Digital pulse weaker than before :) Heel bulb abrasion from boots #1 mostly healed. #2 still raw but getting topical treatment. I will switch to my heel-less boot shell and tape it on that foot tonight. I noted that his hooves show signs of previous laminitis- ridges which have been rasped off by a farrier. Hoping to regrow those hooves with no new ridges!!

Two weeks plus :(

Healing hurry up!!! Jester's coronets on the fores are finally bulging a bit across the front. Will those abscesses never come out?!?! In boots on all fours he walked slowly to the park last Saturday, even across the scary noisy metal bridges, but once on the soft lawns at the park his stride picked up and he walked with energy and not pain. Wow!! Hard ground is still tough. I don't like looking out and seeing this when he goes to take a step. When he stands still he looks better but he has lost some weight- I am watching that- making sure he has round the clock access to grass hay. Hoping the hay isn't high sugar. I continue to do whatever seems to help the most- icebags taped to the feet, thick padding on the soles, hoof boots with thin pads, charcoal poultices and internal charcoal to counteract gut toxins (though he does not seem to have gut pain- activated charcoal is a powerful toxin adsorbent and has no side effects and I soak it in water with chia seed to make a gel in case it were to make him a little constipated.) etc etc. Flies have subsided some- they were really bad for a few days and Jester had to be "bathed" in poison spray (fly spray). Now the mosquitoes are back after the rains. The good news- he eats well, whinnies when he sees me, and seems to appreciate his therapy. He no longer has pussy discharge from the right eye. Massage to the nasolacrimal duct helped. Fly mask too!

Fun pics

Some eye candy to encourage me to hang in there

Progress photos left hind

I picked this foot since it has progressed the fastest- in trimming on 9/9, I discovered a layer of exfoliating sole- flaky crumbly stuff yeah! Along with the tip of the frog nicely tucked into the sole, indicating healthy concavity, I am very encouraged with the transition of this hoof. Aug 12 still in shoes Sept - less bulge in the dorsal wall, standing more comfortably and broken pastern/hoof angle improved. Aug 12 Sept 9 curved lines on the right side of hoof as viewed from front are relaxing, hairline is more level. Toe abrasion absent (no more dragging the toe) Approximately Aug 15 first trim Sept 9

Abscessing....

A couple days ago I had a light bulb moment. ABSCESSES! Jester stands straight up, and only struggles to place weight on the front feet when moving over hard ground. On soft ground he can move fine, and in boots he can walk fairly evenly. So I've aimed therapy at getting those abcesses to pop through or resorb, and let him back on the pasture a little. Progress is slow....but there is progress :)

Slowwww Progress

It's been a tough week... Jester has been up and down, literally. He discovered the bank at the rear of the property made a nice bed, finally stretching out flat and getting some much needed REM sleep and rest for his aches and pains. I wanted my next post to contain some smidgen of good news, so it's taken this long. Here's a list of the strategies he is enduring. (not all at the same time of course) Renegade Boots, boots with pads, boots with pads and crushed fresh cabbage, baby diaper booties, baby diaper booties with apple cider vinegar, ice bags taped to his pasterns, hand walks with boots, massage, poulticing, liniment, activated charcoal hidden in apples, activated charcoal mixed with water and chia seed to make a gel which can be administered orally with a mouth syringe, mud soaks for his hooves, more wall shaping, including fore toe breakover. He walks with great difficulty- unless he has the boots on. With boots I can hand walk him slowly at first, then faster as he loosens up. He much prefers soft footing. The exaggerated forward hind leg motion on the right hind is now more bilateral. I am hopeful it will subside as his fores gain comfort. Left fore is now the most painful hoof. I am concentrating my attention on the fore hooves, as they are the sorest. Check back soon for photos. And thank you for reading and praying and sending healing thoughts.

Ahhh magicpoultice :-)

Jester was standing in the soft wet manure pile most of yesterday, and again this morning- so he could bury his toes, as I have seen sore footed horses do in pea gravel. Unfortunately, he can ill afford a thrush infection, so I blocked him out of that area. Backing up his toes to the white line again- vertically, took some more pressure off, and those bars keep dropping down so I took them down again. Taffy did this too- her bars were impacted and it took a while for them to relax into natural position. Jester did lots of lick and chew and sigh when I gave him back his feet, in turn. Still unwilling to move, I applied Kim's amazing herbal clay poultice to his soles and reapplied boots and pads. I am using size 2 Renegades, with pads cut from a 3/8" anti-fatigue floor matting cut to fit. He is already moving willingly, just a couple hours after I put them on. The right fore was the worst- he walked as if he had a rock stuck in the foot. Getting all the lever force off the toe-though I did second guess the vertical cut, seems to be just the thing. He is moseying around nibbling hay. I also did a vertical back-up on the right hind. Just that small adjustment and he is again willing to stand with that foot further back than the left. I have reduced his diet to 100% free-fed bermuda hay. Some is in small mesh hay nets and some is scattered in small piles. Neck, chest and flanks are really sweaty today. He will get a small amount of feed with salt. A slow hand walk or pony this evening may be possible. I could not find my camera to video his hobbling around. It's the kind of thing I'd rather put side by side with the "After" video.

At long last... I found a soft place to rest

Ever since I got here, I was wondering, "Where does a horse get to lie down around here? I don't see any soft cushy bedding, just hard dirt and green pasture!" Ah, but today I discovered the poop pile under the tree.... and just had to take a load off.

Now that I can't go out to the green (poisonous says Rebecca) pasture... I have all the bermuda hay I can munch all day long. My front feet are tender, but I'm starting to feel like moving around again.

Heat=pain

Ugh, with the rise in temperature Jester's pain level has risen. He is in boots and pads on the fores, still moves like a laminitic horse. His hooves are cool though, so I am looking elsewhere for his pain. He started this Thursday night after his adjustment. I sure hope it was a coincidence. Regardless, he is restricted to hay and no pasture until he's comfortable. I ponied him a couple miles on Sunday morning and the further we went the looser he got. That was with boots on fores only, no pads. I hate the detox stage.

Crickety Crackety Ahhhhh

Jester got a physical therapy session yesterday-acupressure, vertebral re-alignment, a whole new body! He responded well to everything, though he did cow-kick during a couple adjustments. There ensued much licking, chewing, sighing and head lowering. I'll continue to work on his jaw and stifle acupressure points, and do hip and stifle muscle building exercises. When it was over I took him out for a walk- he was fine in the grass but OUCH not on pavement without his fore boots!! I think that was our shortest walk ever. I began adding sunflower seeds to his feed-hoping that helps take away his itchiness.

Exciting!!!

He's beginning to stand with the right hind further back than the left! This is a huge improvement-previously he always brought the right hind under his body, and the right fore would be behind the left- compensating and growing more heel as a result. Looking at xray angles alone will not tell you what the whole horse will. I am guessing that injury to the hindquarters caused him to favor the right hind, which he kept forward to compensate, which allowed more toe to grow which made it harder for him to land heel first which caused a snap in the fetlock on every stride and heel pain, probably navicular area.... and repeat the cycle. Then the foreleg compensates on the same side, causing what could be called a low grade club foot, with its corresponding increase in palmar angle of the coffin bone... Just shoeing for angles can seem to help, but for long term soundness, I believe removing the opposing forces and allowing the body God gave the horse to heal itself is superior.

Progress photos-Left fore

I'm going to take this one foot per day... Here's the left fore August 12 Notice the hairline- it curves up toward the heel area. August 22 Compare hairline angle to the above photo- essentially the same angle, but it has relaxed to a straight line, and this is without the shoes and wedge pads he wore in the preceding photo. Looks like his foot is really short but he's moving well and I have not invaded live sole!! The capsule is displaced forward- meaning that the angle of growth is slanted more forward than it should. The breakover on the bottom of the foot is lined up with where it will be when the dorsal wall grows down. The end result is that the pastern and dorsal wall will line up, with well connected laminae all the way down! Here's Honey's fores- she is 10, my first barefoot teacher. Her tubules grow mostly parallel to the dorsal wall, which has only a minimum of forward flare. Her heels always look a little pulled forward- I'm addressing the bars to keep them from pulling the heels under. Note the pastern and dorsal wall line up, with no need for an agressive breakover on the bottom of the toe wall. Here is Jester's left fore- look closely- orange lines are the current direction of growth, blue lines approximate the desired angle of growth, and green line shows how the pastern lines up with the blue lines (close anyway-I'm not great at using Paint) Heels August 12 Left fore heels August 22- hairline still jammed up on the medial (right/inside), able to stand with heels on the ground, lateral cartilages are showing relaxation since I relieved the bars. In lay terms- the bulbous ridges on either side of the rear of the leg- above the hoof, no longer protrude, but are regaining a rounded appearance.

First ride on Easy Street

My daughter wanted to ride, and since she's not into speed, I decided to fit Jester with his new-to-him Red Renegades and ride with her. Saddled fine- no problems (he had been a cinchy boy, my guess is it was the ulcers). I use the CorrecTor under my saddle. Bridled easy. He showed nerves as we left the property- leaping over an eight inch brick border, and reluctantly passing through the breezeway and down the driveway. It was good to see how he acted in unfamiliar territory! Definitely a show-me horse. Show me what you want, show me it's not scary, etc. Once in the saddle, I wiggled the split reins on the copper-mouth argentine bit, and was rewarded with a show slow walk. My husband and son walked along with us, and wondered why such a big horse was so poky slow! Jester: What's that? Oh, just a Rottweiler, no big deal...What? step up on a sidewalk? I don't know- looks really high. Hmmm... I like this wide path next to the stream. (you can call it a canal if you want, but it's a stream to me) Wait, Honey horse, don't leave- I don't know what to do all by myself! Jog? ok, but it isn't symmetrical. My hindquarters still feel funny. Whoa? sure. Move off your leg? of course! Ohhhhh I think we're headed home... I want to walk faster! I think my creaky bones are loosening up! Can we go again?

Great Strides

Tackling the hinds Taking it slow and easy, wiggling the leg and talking to Jester as he munched his bermuda hay in a sloppy stall, I was able to remove excess bar on BOTH hinds today! I could see why he's been so uncomfortable on the right hind- he was walking on bars which protruded above the sole down to even with the frog tip. Nip-nip, scrape-scrape, easy boy.... let him rest the leg. Again and again, then I saw a bit of sole at the toe flaking off... just a thin layer, so I took a few swipes with the knife and let it be. The toe is now backed up properly and I feel I have finally given him a proper start. Repeat all steps on left hind. Jester was a good boy- but still hurts in the hindquarters. Watch for photos!

Happy Trimmer!

Yesterday Jester allowed me to gently wiggle his right hind to relax it then pick it up to have a look. I was appalled. The bars on that foot had been allowed to run amok! Both hinds had bars grown out and run over the sole all the way down to the tip of the frog. Not wanting to push him, I let him have it back and just did some rasping of the heels and toe with his foot on a brick. then I turned my attention to the fores. With the hoof in hand, I probed the digital cushion in the dip between the heel bulbs. Whoa! The frog moved! This would indicate a weak and very undeveloped digital cushion consistent with the lack of caudal (rear) development of the foot and the contraction present. The good news- I lowered his heels another 5 mm on both fores- as the sole in the seat of corn (hairpin at the heels) is loosening up. This is great! the sole (and bony column) is migrating upward within the capsule. Since I have him completely off his walls except for the heel buttresses, I expect concavity to appear quickly. I finished off with attention to the bars, making sure they were passive and trimming them to end at the frog/sole junction at the widest part of the hoof. No sole trimming except around the tip of the frog and at the bars. He doesn't have any flaky crumbly sole to take anyway! Now for Today... Next post!

First walk around the neighborhood

The sky was menacing, mile high plumes of deep graphite edged in fading crimson flashed forked-tongues of liquid white fire as 16 hands of buckskin sinew and muscle joined me for a sunset stroll through the torrid Phoenix August evening. Jester followed lightly on the pale lime lead, ears slanted forward, head raised slightly in anticipation. Booted and bare hooves whispered a soft cadence on the ebony street. The wheet-wheet of a tawny thrasher punctuated the sky's distant rumble. A familiar whiff tickled Jester's flared nostrils, and he trumpeted a melodious greeting. Two whinnies floated back through fluttering mesquite branches. Rain would wait for another day. It was our night for a stroll.

No more TriHist!

Hives, hives and more hives! Yesterday Jester's neck and some of the rest of his body was broken out in one inch hives, some larger, some smaller. I thought he was reacting to mosquito bites but there were just too many. He ate his morning feed with gusto-including BugChek,Legacy pellets, salt and TriHist. Within an hour he was panting. (No more TriHist for him!) Hosing him off seemed to help slightly. (Did I mention it was 105F in the shade?) He refused the salt block but did drink willingly, and is moving the liquids through just fine. In fact, he is now able to stretch out a bit to pee. I think his lumbars are feeling better now that the ulcers are going going gone! By evening his hives had not improved, he continued to huff and puff... So his evening feed included 150mg of benedryl. He appreciated the Liniment I put on his hives and all the scratching, but didn't have much appetite. This morning he is grazing and the hives have gone way down. He isn't stomping his hind legs and swishing his tail angrily now. Sigh of relief!

My pasturemate has a blog too...

Taffy is 8 this year, and has been barefoot sound for nearly 2 years since coming out of Navicular eggbars at age 6. Here's the address to her story myhappyhooves.blogspot.com

HIVES ugh!

EWWWWW Jester has broken out in hives all over his neck and shoulders. I thought it was just mosquito bites as he had a few over the last few days, but today he looked awful- so I mixed in some antihistamine with his morning low starch non-grain based feed. He was a good boy and ate it all. He's been wearing the Renegades on the forehooves since yesterday-so I am now seeing just how much the pectoral strain affects his movement. Also- the since he stands with the right hind ahead of the left, he balances by having his right fore further back than the left fore. This explains why the heel on that right front wants to be higher than the left, something like a very low grade club foot. I am going to investigate the patella/stifle area as a potential cause for the toe first landing with that right hind. He still gets stretches and rubs every day, over 20 hours a day turnout. His pasture boss has taken some hair off him here and there, and he found a way to slice a superficial cut into his hip- likely the grapefruit tree he loves to back up to. I continue to use Schreiner's herbal spray on his scabby legs and other scrapes, and SWAT or Corona on any broken skin. I keep reminding myself it's only been a week!

Jester here, again...

Wow I am really loving this new place! I get to walk around on cushy styrofoam on my fore hooves all fancied up with silvery tape! My legs are feeling better with the Schreiner's Rebecca sprays on them, and I even felt good enough to stand on my right hind and rest my left! I think it's been a long time since I could do that. My chest had a spasm on the right side but with some cool clay shmear and massage I am on the mend. Rebecca keeps doing funny things with my tail- pulling it one way and the other, and running her fingernail up my ticklish strip on my rump- it makes me lift up my spine and stretch- wow! I felt good enough to trot around telling her and Honey not to go for a ride and to welcome them home. I got a big surprise a short while later... I discovered what that white line around the pasture was. WoWza that was a big ShOcK! I didn't know I could jump back that fast! Now I know and I will stay AWAY! Now I wish there weren't so many mosquitoes here. They make me itch and give me bumps. My right eye still gets slimy yellow stuff when I don't have my fly mask on. Rebecca has medicine for it. I sure do like munching grass... I wish I could have it all the time but too much will make my hooves sore. It is nice to move around lots. Sometime soon I might even lie down and roll.

Lost my slippers!

Hi friends, Jester here... Last night my angel Rebecca decided I would like to wear some slippers. She put these odd looking plastic shells on my feet. Surprisingly, they felt good! I let out a big sigh and found it was easier to get around. Sometime in the night, I don't remember exactly, I found a way to pull the bottom part off. My angel was afraid I had broken the "Renegades", as she calls them, but I just pulled the cables throuh and was left with bracelets around my pasterns. It rained this morning so I don't care- the ground is mushy and I'm walking fine. My right hind leg isn't so stiff but my right pectoral muscle is still in a spasm. Rebecca says she'll call my other angel the equine mechanic about it. My appetite is good and I have two little mares to keep me company. Well sometimes they chase me a little. I like the attention. I'm not sure why my feet are a little hot this morning. I'll bet I won't get to munch fresh grass all day.

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get...

Fore hooves met hoof knife today- shaped bars and cleaned a bit around the tips of the frogs. More depth there than I thought. Still extremely thin sole. I lowered the RF heels a bit more- stopped at what appeared to be live sole plane at seat of corn...that's where wall makes a hairpin into the bar area at the heel. With boots on the fores now he lands heel first with the left fore. The right pectoral is in a knot after I worked on the hinds. By bringing the Right Hind forward onto a brick I was able to whack off some wall- vertical cut so as not to invade sole at all and get the lever force off the wall at the toe. He let me work on the left hind quite a bit. I'm glad for the progress. I wish he would lay down and roll! Even a rinse off didn't entice him.

Jester's Angels (yeah we're working on the angles too)

Jester needs some angels--- He would like some jellybeans, fudge, and a caramel sundae....but he'll settle for bermuda hay, CA Trace supplements and some dental and chiropractic work. Not sure how to make it easy for folks to help out- comment or email your suggestions. No, I'm not a non-profit rescue or anything like that... I want to see this boy happy and sound, and my money tree is just now thinking of sprouting.

"Before" hoof portraits- hind hooves

Hind hoof portraits- he's very protective of the hinds, especially the right. So I haven't gotten much trimming done on these, yet. I don't like the bullnose dorsal distortion on the RH. I want to get that toe pulled back to address the anterior/posterior balance. Nevermind the medial-lateral balance yet... one thing at a time!!

Hoof Portraits

Here we go- shoeless portraits. Not Pretty, but the "after" shots are going to me marvelous! Note- the frogs were bulgy in shoes, but within 24 hours had relaxed to what you see here. Right fore Left fore