photos

Full of life

Jester is such a character- loves attention and his twice daily bucket of feed! I left his feet alone for 3 weeks, and all I did after that long was toe breakover on the hinds, a little beveling on the lateral quarter on the right hind (his perennial flare) and lowered the heel on the right fore. He seemed tender for a day. Only a day! Now he moves stiffly only if he's been standing for a while or his feet are packed with muck. Once he warms up he moves fluidly. More flat landings with the right fore. Heel first or flat with the left fore consistently. His coat is a stunning gleaming deep golden....but his face is marred by fly bites- he was infected with habromenas again. ugh... So two oral doses of ivermectin 2 weeks apart, NuStock and absorbine liniment topically, and he seems to be beating them. If I forget his fly mask he will nudge me to ask for it. I have ridden him just a couple times in the past month, hoping he would put on some more flesh (he has) and continue healing. He is still turned out on the pasture except to have his bucket or overnight with his bucket and haynet. I haven't put boots on for turnout for over two weeks. I used fore boots just to ride on the property. We played around with walk trot, transitions, pivots, sidepass, and back. What a joy to ride! I asked for a few strides of lope- left he would do. He needs more conditioning to do the right... and maybe other therapy. His sacro-iliac/psoas issue is rarely evident. The only item left seems to be the right hind fetlock joint. Radiographs will be helpful once I save some pennies! Will try to add some photo and video...

8 month report

Jester got a trim last week, and all the old wall is now HISTORY. He has another couple months to grow out the laminitis rings from Sept-Oct, but his front hooves are so much healthier now. He spends at least 12 hrs a day booted on fores, as he is still thin soled (and I'm not cutting that sole away!!!) on the fores. Concavity slight, but he was pretty uncomfortable after the trim (now I know why I have been doing mini tweaks instead of full balances). He isn't a spring chicken anymore, likes little by little changes. He is very happy and mobile with boots, and still mobile without, but not so happy about it. I have only ridden him once since then, and he was definitely "off". He does so much better if he's had several hours in the boots before I ride. Overall health wise, he looks good, I want him to gain more weight, he's still slightly ribby. He's regained muscle most everywhere else. His eyes are doing well- only needed meds once this month. The flies irritate his lower legs- but he rubs his eyes on them so I hesitate to put chemical fly repellent there. He is a happy, friendly guy, only occasionally opinionated or pushy and he responds well to strong leadership and verbal reprimands ;)time for more pics... I know....He's still shedding his winter fur. Walk? check jog? usually. trot? usually. Lope? Eeyore says "if I have to".... and the left hind does its bouncy motion :(

About the same....

Jester is shedding... and shedding... Can't wait to see his deep golden summer coat! He continues to do full body shakes. Still most comfortable in front boots. He does best if I can keep him booted 12-18 hours a day on the fores. This requires monitoring of the heel area- he already abraded one heel slightly :( I tried riding in a plowed field without boots, it went ok. Soles are still thin, but no abscessing, no heat. Right fore and left hind have the shorter strides and left fore right hind reach farther. I'm doing stretches and percussive massage to his hindquarters. I was ill for 10 days so only got out to ride twice, about an hour each. It's fun to ride his big floaty trot in the deep footing. Sweet boy, comes up to me whenever I go out to the pasture, looking for scratches. I don't halter him or tie him for booting, hoof picking, grooming, saddling... He usually stays put... and gets a reminder when he doesn't! I don't know how long it will take to rebuild the muscle in his hindquarters... He needs it! His loins aren't sore anymore, but he raises them when asked to back. Backing up is tough. Flies are out, already had to put one does of eye meds in to ward off inflammation. I'm glad he tries to cooperate.

Steady!! and a new capsule in 7 mo.

Improvements are more subtle now... Full body shakes after rolling instead of just the neck, kicking up his heels at me during liberty work, moving more and standing around less. He had a lovely massage from Ms. Keller and relaxed well. I have some new techniques to add to his therapy. Daily exercise is the best thing for him now. I left the boots on over 12 hours once, and sure enough, they rubbed the heel open on one foot. This round will be easier, I know better how to resolve it. Jester is loving the spring weeds in my backyard... he's a nice decoration... Buckskin looks great against a green background ;) Trim- I lowered the fore heels and hind toes as much as possible, backed up the fore toes and this time the shoe pull ring disappeared. That means in 7 months he has grown a whole new capsule on the fores. WOW!!!

Only good news

The heat in the feet and strong pulse disappeared entirely within a week. The magnet therapy finished, I began working him on the ground- walk and trot at liberty for 10, 15, 20 min. He always prefers to stand, but will go when urged. Last Friday he gave a teen a ride around the pasture. Well, he didn't go faster than walk and whoa, and mostly whoa. It was good for me to see what a babysitter he can be! I don't have to worry about him running away with any rider :) The next day I rode him out, here's my post from FB: Jester had 2 wks off for his intensive psoas iliacus therapy and he feels good. Still slightly choppy on the right but loosened up well on a one hour ride up and down little bumps "hills" in the park and across scary metal grating bridges (took some backing over them again). He softened into a lovely jog for me and picked up both leads. Lope isn't "there" yet but he tried hard and is no worse after trying. - about 10 strides right now, more left :-)....practicing stand on a loose rein while I text. Yesterday he was ridden by a young teen in the pasture. His favorite speed for her? Whoa. The tail swish and kick out when asked to lope is GONE. I rode him again last night, using a therapeutic configuration with the CorrecTor (http://www.thecorrector.net/id9.html) under the saddle, to help him with his asymmetry. I am going on the premise that he is right lead dominant, with a weak right hind leg. He wasn't very smooth- quite choppy at the jog and hitched his stride a couple times at the trot. I warmed him more and asked for canter. He did it! both leads! And did not pull up lame!! He still "pulls" to the left on the left lead, but when I rode in a two-point he moved up into a hand gallop. WOW! The more warmed up he was, the better he moved. By the end of a one-hour workout, including much improved bridge crossings (I didn't have to dismount and lead him over the first one this time ;) )and some leg yields he was jogging smoothly. This morning he is moving fine at the walk... haven't seen trot yet. His diet has changed again- I switched his pellets to plain alfalfa from Mountain Sunrise. No Molasses for this inflammatory sensitive guy. The Lakin Lite has just too much for him now. He has filled out well too. I'm happy to see him looking good, and can't wait to see his spring coat. He is already shedding. His eyes are doing fine. No flare ups. Hooves are 1 cm at the toe from a completely new hoof since last August. He will need another 2-3 months to grow out the laminitis rings from Sept-Oct. He wears Renegade boots at night and when ridden now. I don't anticipate any more heel rub wounds now that he is much more balanced. Time for a photo or two or three... It is curious to see all three with the hoof on the same side closest to the camera.

Just how sensitive can a horse be?!

Just when things are going along swimmingly.... Jester was responding very well to his magnets and laser and poultice... until the weather warmed up to over 80 last Friday. He displayed the sucked back posture while turning around in the stall, and he had sweaty patches- on the right side only, from the crest of the neck down across the point of shoulder and through the front legs to the elbow, and along the muscle crease in the hindquarters. Just those spots! I immediately checked the feet. Heat and digital pulse... My first thought was that he was reacting to the molasses in the pellets. So I prepared a paste of ground flax and activated charcoal and administered it orally. Then cleaned and poulticed his fore soles, protecting them with hoof boots. Poultice to the sweaty areas rounded out the inflammation first aid. By morning, he was much better. The heat in the feet has been intermittent since then, but he is comfortable and even sassy. I ponied him out for an hour's walk and a little jog on Sunday, with front boots. He had attitude, even trying to bite my Honey on the rump (only tried that once- I let him know that wasn't acceptable). Hopefully the attitude is "I'm feeling good" and not "I hurt". His eyes show enthusiasm so I am going with the former! Yesterday he got a little bit of spa love. I washed his mane and tail, and all the poultice off with a lovely natural shampoo made by my neighbor. He smelled so nice! He stood so nicely for the hosing off, I think he likes a bath, as long as his face isn't included! His movement is more and more fluid. I can't wait to start him back to conditioning. Another week of magnets and taking it easy ;)