Max - holding his own in new turn-out

The horses are really enjoying the new turn-out we recently built for them. It's about one quarter sloping acre with trees! The group that gets along best is Tango, Flash, Zim, Star, Sugar and Emmy. Jack gets in and tends to bully everybody - everybody ends up with bite marks on their backs. Tommy Boy was alittle too anxious when he went in, so we didn't leave him there alone yet - he's back in his roomy 24 x 24 paddock. Connor is too old and infirmed and even gets beaten up by the minis! Max was too sick up until a few days ago, but he's in there now and enjoys running with the herd. He still needs to add weight.

We're continuing to clear a path around the perimeter of the property to make a totally circular turnout so the horses can run continuously (and escape the bullies). I'll have to scan a blueprint of the proposed turnout. It's going to be very cool!!

One Sweet Horse - Four Incredibly Bad Hooves!

As you can see, Jack has quite the hooves! No wonder this poor guy was tripping over his feet constantly! We saw a huge difference when his four shoes came off a few weeks ago. At that time Joanna gave him a quick trim, and left his feet to settle in to their new feeling of freedom!!

Today she was back ready to continue trimming and shaping his hooves. It will be a long, slow process to bring his hooves back to a more natural, balanced, healthy state.

Left Front - very grossly misshaped - extreme flaring; laminar failure, stretching of the lamina. (Perhaps a mechanical failure due to over compensation from soreness in the right hoof) What is so pronounced is the heels are under run, weight of horse is moved forward; instead of being shared equally by sole/frog/wall. Weak walls - (sound hollow when tapped) - disconnected toe. This hoof measures 6 inches at it's widest; 6 1/2 inches long; 4 inch toe length; 3/8 inch sole depth. Joanna trimmed dead sole.

Right Front - Hoof wall is flared at toe and pulled away from wall by one inch!!! Disconnect! Totally infected white line. Will soak for 4 hours in a vinegar solution tomorrow, then pack with poultice.

Right Hind - very deep thrush in central frog; excessive sole and toe length. Also, notice how hoof has been shaped oddly pointing out! What is that, duck feet?! No wonder he can't walk!

Left hind - not so much thrush. I was so overwhelmed with information, and frustrated to see how badly his hooves had fared under shoes!

Diatomaceous Earth -Everything Good...Nothing Bad

Tired of rotational deworming? Or just like to try something that is perhaps less chemically invasive? less prone to resistant-buildup? In all my years of being around horses, and struggling to keep on a good deworming schedule or dealing with a horse (Max!!) that would rather flip over backwards (almost) than take a dewormer paste, I can't understand why nobody ever told me about diatomaceous earth as a mechanical/physical internal parasite control!!

This stuff does just about everything good and nothing bad!! You gotta love that!!!

Diatomaceous earth is the remains of microscopic one-celled plants (phytoplankton) called diatoms that lived in the oceans and lakes that once covered the western part of the United States. Apparently, it works by slicing open the internal parasite with microscopic razor sharp edges, then the powdery diatoms sucks the life out of the parasite leaving them dehydrated and dead!

I have started top dressing soaked beet pulp with one cup of diatomaceous earth for each horse. This is all part of my move away from processed, sugary feeds and towards formulating a more natural feed based on the horse's individual needs.

TaDa!! Connor goes for a walk!!

Here's Connor out for a stroll in the arena. You can still see it's painful for him to walk, but I don't think he has one foot in the grave!!



A few weeks earlier, I had reach the point where it was more painful to watch him try to move than to think about having him euthanized. Luckily, the doctor who came that day suggested we give it one more try...

Don't you just love his little duct tape booties...?

Changing dressings on Connor's hooves

Slide show below shows Connor's left hoof, then right hoof. Notice on both, the abscesses (small, nickel sized reddish bulge) are healing; the edges of the abscesses are closing in with healthy hoof material. Side view shows high heel of Connor's right hoof.



For more information on holistic hoof care approach, see Hoof Rehab.

Connor's Hoof Wraps - Holistic Hoof Care

Holistic Hoof Practitioner, Joanna Schwartzel was back Saturday to work on Connor's hooves.
The first thing we did was bathe Connor; he had laid in urine and actually looked like he might have peed himself while laying down! A good blast of water cleaned out his hooves nicely. Then rotting hoof was trimmed away as much as possible, then the toe was filed. The sole was sprayed with a natural antibiotic, Banixx, then packed with "Q-shot" ointment, covered with gauze and wrapped in blue vet tape. A clothe diaper waterproof cover, that has a wear proof hoof sole made of Vettec Equi-Thane "Adhere" glue-on hoof repair, wraps around the entire hoof and is held in place with...duct tape! (where would we be without duct tape!)

Two things to note:

1. In the slide show above, the roundish, reddish bulge (about 1/2 inch in diameter) is the result of the hoof abscess pushing out of the sole.

2. In the photos below, the picture on the top is Connor's left front hoof; the photo on the bottom was taken off the internet and shows a very healthy, naturally trimmed hoof for comparison. (Beautiful!)

Connor's Week at the Spa

All week, since Holistic Hoof Practitioner Joanna Schwartzel first addressed Connor's major hoof problems, the old grey Thoroughbred has had daily treatments of Calcium Bentonite (Indian Healing Clay - the kind you use as a mud pack at a health spa!) with lavender oil packed into clean hooves; and then hand walked for 5 minutes. He walks slowly, but his mobility is improving!

Joanna was here yesterday and got some great photos and treatments to post after Mother's Day dinner.

PS I get no kickbacks from any of these links - they are just there to inform you!

"Walkin' Wild" - Holistic Approach to Hoof Care

I had the pleasure of meeting up with a horsewoman and hoof trimmer whose holistic approach to horse care in general and hoof care in specific appealed to my intellectual and emotional desire to provide the best possible care for my horses in the rather unnatural environment that most of us must subject our backyard horses to.

Fresh in from Utah, Joanna Schwartzel immediately presents herself in a professional, knowledgeable manner with the horse's whole health and well being foremost in her concerns.

I talked with her over the phone about my concerns for Connor and the hoof problems we've been dealing with over the last few months. Earlier posts include: Rotated Coffin Bone, Connor's Abscess , Initial Diagnosis, From Laminitis to Abscesses, and Radiograph Update.Connor still has a great deal of difficulty moving around in a smaller stall cushioned with wood shavings. He is extremely reluctant to pick-up his hooves for any cleaning and medication (i.e. douse with iodine), and my concern for his prognosis has been bleak.

Joanna came right over and began to work on Connor's hooves with such passion and knowledge I felt hope spring eternal! I think Connor sensed good thinks happening, too! He was cooperative and alert.

First, watch the slide show and you will see how bad his front hooves are. The red on point of frog is blood, and dead, rotting tissue is evident all over the sole.

You will then see Joanna cleaning out the dead tissue and lowering the heel to ease pressure on the coffin bone sole area when he walks.



Right hoof, the worst one, is then soaked in a solution of apple cider vinegar. A poultice of Betadiene, Arrow Root, Golden Seed Powder, Grapefruit Seed extract, Epsom Salts, Apple Cider Vinegar, "Sore No More" (a natural herbal liniment) and "Q-Shot" (a super oxygenated antiseptic spray manufactured by Bio3X,) is pressed into the sole and wrapped in a disposable diaper (actual it's a "pull-up") and fastened with duct tape. This was left on all night.

In the morning, Joanna was over early to remove the poultice, and what a difference in Connor's hoof - you can see for yourself, and he was walking with no signs of lameness!!! Obviously, he's got a ways to go before his hoof is returned to natural state of health, but...WOW!!