The long awaited updated hoof portraits are here!

The following pics will show a typical high-low fore hoof asymmetry. The right heel is coming down slowly..... The heel shows the scar from the rub turned proud flesh which has healed. The forward flare is still present, and the angle change apparent when shoes were pulled (lower 1/3 of fores). Hinds have weak wall at ground level, probably extending as high as the rings on the outer wall... thus the chipping and exaggerated bevel. There is slight concavity at the tip of the frog, and frogs are beefier. Still a heel crack in the central sulcus- continuing NoThrush therapy. See if you can identify the laminitic rings which appear to be wider apart at the heel than the toe... Backing the toe to keep it out of active wear is normalizing this higher up. There are signs of sub-solar abscessing, and icky pockets of black goo behind the bars on one hind. Bars are beginning to stand up where they belong. Flares are mostly in the lower third of the hoof (which is what is left of the hoof he wore last August when he came to me. Collateral groove depth is good, sole is stable on hinds and only has a couple small spongy areas on the fores. I want to see the anterior/posterior balance improve... heels lower and toes higher... once he develops more concavity (movement, diet and trim!) I expect to see a more normal lateral hairline (aiming at 30 degrees for left fore, and right fore yet to be seen). The rear view of the fore hooves shows the heel rocker I keep on the right fore. On the hinds, I want to see the toes tighten up, with less forward flare (keeping toes backed up on hinds too). Left hind was negative palmar, so I have focused on exfoliating the sole around the frog ahead of the bars and keeping the toe out of weight bearing. Overall, lateral cartilages are relaxing, digital cushions are coming back, slowly, and he is comfortable and rideable. I never ride him faster than he moves at liberty. So when he galloped around the pasture, missing his buddy mares who had gone for a ride, I knew it was time to try loping him. Jester speaks... He teaches me to listen. And Jester, just being a horse... Yesterday I saw him roll on the right side, and get up and shake his whole body TWICE! He has only shaken his head and neck for so long... such a little thing but such a good sign!

More lope progress!

Friday between rain showers, Jester took me out for a work session. I wanted to see how well he could do in a training/conditioning ride. In a plowed field, albeit not plowed recently, we did walk, jog, trot and transitions, some pivots and sidepassing. When asked for a left lead lope, he tried the balky cranky act, but I didn't give in and away we went. He is so smooooooth... though I could feel a drifting to the left, with the left hind leg out of "true"... It doesn't track quite right, winging a bit on the forward motion. After a couple tries at left lead, I cued him for right. I was amazed! He picked it right up, and maintained it for about 6 strides. I could really feel the wacky movement this time. He does seem to move better the more I ride him, and I'm avoiding circles or sharp turns. No instant cures with a 15 year old... but we are seeing definite progress. Oh, did I mention I did not boot him for this ride? He worked just fine in the field and walking on bare asphalt. Walking on the dirt road a short distance was ok too as long as he didn't step on any large gravel- but even then he just flinched off it and went back to walking fine :) These past few days he has had more stall time than usual- He likes to get in out of the rain ;) I learned some more of his history today, he really is a special guy.

A happy face and a video

Longest ride yet! Better and better

About two and a half hours of meandering the local neighborhoods and canal trails were no problem for Jester today. He carried a dear friend who even got him cantering in the park :) He pulled his stubborn act on her, but she convinced him that he really did want to do what she asked (leave the other horses and lope). He also is gaining confidence crossing the metal grating bridges over the canal. He wore front boots. Drum roll..... loping!!! better quality video coming...

First bootless ride

Jester has been comfortable all week and I tried him out bareback with a stiff rope halter in the pasture so I decided to take him on a short ride without boots yesterday. He was mostly comfortable, except when he would step on large gravel- 1 inch or so, over hard dirt. The one thing that was quite different was that he was NOT confident! He frequently balked and did not want to try walking across wet pavement. bounced my heels on his sides, urged him with my seat, swatted his hindquarters, backed him and pivoted... Eventually he started up again, and the further we went the better he was. After half an hour riding walk/jog he still wasn't sore, and though he walked very tentatively over uneven ground, he moved freely over deep footing and flat pavement. His right side is getting stronger, but still has a shorter fore stride, and the right hind still has strengthening to go. Stretching, massage, castor oil wraps on joints... little by little! Eyes are good most days- no swelling, just watery at times.

Trim tweak... more lope strides...

Jester lands flat or ever so slightly heel first on the left fore now :) Right fore is still toe first. The bars on both fores are beginning to stand on their own woohoo! instead of being fused in with sole. I shaved off a bit to keep them heading upright, rockered the toe, especially the RF, and rockered the RF heels towards the heel to encourage heel first landing. His frogs are looking better, hooves are quite a bit less contracted, and concavity is building well!! Tips of the frogs on both fores are receding up into the hoof, indicative of increased healthy laminae-P3/coffin bone connection. Movement wise, he is now comfortable without boots as I hand walk him on grass, dirt and over some gravel/packed dirt. He winces still, when he steps on a rock with his frogs. In the round pen, he prefers to be lazy and hang out with me in the center. With urging he jogs, lots of kissing and clucking and spanking the ground with my training stick gets a working trot. He will canter- briefly- while I get a workout with him... no videos of that yet, ha! He can sustain the left lead for a complete lap, and we're up to 3 strides in a row of right lead, then he switches to crossfiring or counter lead. More stretches and groundwork- we practiced showmanship moves on the way to and from the round pen. He is much quieter going out alone now- I always give his feet something to do when he gets noisy (hide that hiney!!!) For a 15 year old (birthday coming up 1/29!) he's coming along fine. Still don't know if the hindquarters will come back to 100%, but we're giving it a shot. Vet and Chiropractor were optimistic that with his fores back to health, the hindquarters can heal. How much remains to be seen. Every day I ask him to raise his low back, and stretch and massage things... Did I mention the heel abrasions are both completely healed?!!! WooHoo!! Sometimes I wish I had blogged on FB so that there was a like button and easy comment functionality. Anyway, I love to hear your comments and I will read them to Jester if you want! Time to take him out for a ride!

pretty boy. New Videos

Have we turned the corner?!

Jester has worn fore boots about half the time since Dec 27- his heel rub which developed proud flesh had prevented wearing boots in turnout for about 2 months :( but it's all but healed now, thanks in great part to NoThrush powder that I applied directly to it. Copper salts are listed on the bottle, and that ingredient alone could be the key. Well! I have had him out on the pasture side as much as possible, where he has always been more comfortable, and took the boots off Friday night. He was quite stiff while I was away at Christmas, but now- just under 2 weeks later- he's a new man oops gelding! Moving comfortably on the hard dirt as well as the dormant dry pasture, even without the boots. I rode him booted last Thursday, and he felt great at walk, jog and trot. Pivoting to the right is good, Pivoting to the left he crosses behind with his right fore still. He did chomp on the reins some before I rode, but quit when I spoke firmly to him. Wow. Now today was amazing. I took a friend out for a short ride-we rode the two mares. Left alone without another horse in sight, Jester began neighing, his usual bugle reverberating through the neighborhood. What I did not see was that he began to trot and gallop back and forth, kicking up his heels, and kept it up nearly half an hour! My husband was surprised to see it! I hope he gave himself some chiropractic while he was at it :) Can't wait to get that boy into shape and see what he can do. Short round pen sessions and longer ponying are in his future! (under saddle he just wants to be slowwwww, like a good show pony haha). His appetite has improved markedly- I had him on 1 flake alfalfa am/pm in addition to his bucket of concentrate (integrity senior/beet pulp/bermuda pellets/CA Trace/Sunflower seeds/Devil's Claw Plus and free choice bermuda, which put some good weight on. Now he is devouring his 2-3 flakes of bermuda per day and the concentrate mixture, minus the Devil's claw. I wanted to see if his body needed a break from the herbs. So far so good! Does he move perfectly yet? no. Better than I've ever seen him? Yes!

No News is Good News!

Did I really take all of December off of blogging?!?! Yikes! Well no bad news all good news... I'll post it little by little Good- Vet flushed his naso-lacrimal ducts and prescribed antibiotic/steroid opthalmic ointment. His eyes are no longer puffy, and the discharge is minimal. Better- He has put a good amount of weight on- looks near normal now... still needs muscle and another 50 lb or so. Right hindquarter muscle is catching up to left- asymmetry is less noticeable. He will canter on the longe in left lead...no right lead yet. Best- We have attitude and affection! Jester is so much more cheerful and a little obstinate lately! I know he feels better. As long as he has lots of movement/turnout he isn't stiff. After half an hour of walk-jog-trot riding yesterday, he hung around as I untacked (no halter) in the pasture. Then he stretched his neck out and rested his muzzle on my shoulder-so amazing to have him ask for rubs and attention.