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Post by spotti on Jun 19, 2014 15:40:41 GMT
...here's a link to a blog post I did including Faith's 12 week hoof photo comparisons. I would have copied it over here directly but it's pretty long! I would be interested to hear what any of my fellow hoof geeks think about Faith's feet  . The Blog |
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Post by brigadier on Jun 20, 2014 8:13:37 GMT
Had a quick look Spotti and they have certainly come on- are you not having her trimmed at all?
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Post by solomon on Jun 20, 2014 8:34:40 GMT
Really interesting stuff. Do you constantly worry about small stones in the white line area like I do?
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Post by spotti on Jun 20, 2014 15:56:23 GMT
Nope, not had her trimmed since I started this experiment Brig, and if she keeps on getting sounder and sounder, I'm not planning on getting her done any time soon. Not blaming the farrier for her going lame after being trimmed, but I think that if we can avoid any reason for her being out of work (she's had plenty of excuses over the years) then that's what I'd like to do. And the fact that getting her to 'self trim' encourages us to keep up/do more work than we might have otherwise been doing then that's actually even better for both of us! An arthritic pony and a mum with a wonky/weak pelvis need to keep moving!
And Sol, I was at first, back when she was still a bit footy, but now she just stomps over everything and doesn't seem bothered in the slightest! I do make sure I have a good dig around if I suspect there might be something stuck in the white line area, but my current philosophy about her feet is that if she's happily stomping about then I'm leaving well alone. As Nic says, horses are the best ones to judge what their feet need to look like!
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Post by brigadier on Jun 21, 2014 9:20:22 GMT
Hmm interesting as I was just thinking that Basil is always footy after being trimmed so maybe now he is starting work again he needs less intervention ponder...ponder
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Post by solomon on Jun 21, 2014 10:43:43 GMT
Less is more. Pete had his 'trimmer' out on Wednesday. Not had a rasp or a tool near his feet since last November and guess what? She didn't trim!
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Post by spotti on Jun 21, 2014 12:10:20 GMT
Brig, have you had a chance to read the Rockley blog? There's some really interesting stuff of there, and I love the way Nic (whom I've never met but love her anyway!) explains things and lets you make your own decisions - she's not one of those people who try to shove information down your throat, she musts tells a story and you can take from it what you will . If you wanted to try Basil on a self-trimming agenda, have a good read of the blog and then set yourself a time frame within which you're willing to experiment for (I'm doing 12 weeks as that's Nics typical turnaround time frame) and then reassess his feet at the end. I've been repeatedly surprised by the changes in Faiths feet, even in just the short space of a week, and watching her go from footy and sore to being happy to stomp over broken bricks on one of our hacking tracks [one of which she hasn't touched for well over a year, yet recently she suggested we go that way] has been amazing. When I put all of those photos next to each other I was surprised by how far she's come, but also aware of how much further she's got to go...but she's as sound as a pound at the minute (which I'm sure you lot have known us long enough now to know that that is AMAZING) and the fact that we're planning on having a go at that 10-15K TREC competition in little over a month is proof enough to me that Faith knows best when it comes to her feet! I have to admit, self trimming is in no way an easy option - it requires A LOT of hard work and dedication to making sure that we cover enough miles each week...we're only aiming for around 5 miles of 'surface' work (I.e. Roadwork, or stomping up and down our stones lane) and as many miles of 'other' work we can fit in, but my god it's good fun! I'd forgotten how much I loved taking Faith out for walks in hand! And covering some of our miles in hand is getting me fitter too  . If you decide to have a go with Basil, I'd be interested to see your hoof photos *nudge nudge wink wink*. |
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Post by brigadier on Jun 21, 2014 19:55:35 GMT
Im not sure Spotti- I love the difference in Faiths feet and can see where self trimming has its place, and I also know that Basil needs more foot but also more work and I dont know if I can commit to that, especially having four to sort. But Im going to give it some serious thought and research.........
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Post by spotti on Jun 21, 2014 20:48:15 GMT
Well I can recommend the Rockley blog. Lots of interesting information on there |
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Post by rainbow on Jun 22, 2014 8:59:24 GMT
You can certainly see a big change in Faith's feet and for the better. I haven't been taking regular photos and I need to really but Rosie hasn't had her feet trimmed either since the 29th January.
Her feet are looking the best they have ever done and definitely starting to change shape. She is loosing her long inside toes on her fronts. It is very interesting to see that how her balance is effecting her feet and without leaving them alone I don't think I would of twigged this. She is very unbalanced on her left side and her feet prove this as her front fore is still long in the toe and her back hind is a bit flared. The flare is starting to chip away now.
But her right side is looking really good now, no flare in her back hind and her front fore is looking more rounded.
If I notice her feet are looking a bit long I simply do a little bit of trotting on the road and it soon sorts it out. ( I don't only trot on the road for this reason if its not needed then I simply walk)
The only issue I have with her now is thrush and I think this is what is holding us back with being footy still on stony ground.
I have currently got it under control but don't know how long for, Hopefully for a while as I have got some sole cleanse from red horse products.
I will definitely get some photos tonight and show you.
Sorry this has gotten a bit long!
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Post by spotti on Jun 22, 2014 12:17:38 GMT
Looking forward to seeing the pics Rainbow!
As for the thrush, have you tried putting Milton sterilising fluid (the stuff designed for sterilising babies bottles) onto the frog, rubbing it in and letting it dry, and then rubbing some of the Anit-Bacterial No Water hand wash stuff into the thrush-affected areas? It's a bit unconventional but it works!
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Post by rainbow on Jun 22, 2014 12:55:57 GMT
Ive heard of using milton but not the hand sterilizer. If the ole cleanse dont work i will give that a shot. Thanks |
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Post by solomon on Jun 23, 2014 14:36:47 GMT
Im not sure Spotti- I love the difference in Faiths feet and can see where self trimming has its place, and I also know that Basil needs more foot but also more work and I dont know if I can commit to that, especially having four to sort. But Im going to give it some serious thought and research......... I disagree about it taking lots of effort. Yes I am on the barefoot regime for different reasons I guess as Pete's shoe wearing days were so disaterous but even now no trims since last November and he has not been in what I would call hard work at all. Maybe three to four hours ridden in seven days. Half of which on grass or arena. That's barely ticking over! But it's enough to keep his feet okay. They grow according to stimulus so if you do more, they grow more foot. Back off and the growth will slow down. It's not a slog by any means. |
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Post by spotti on Jun 23, 2014 16:05:11 GMT
Sorry, didn't mean to make that sound like it was extra work than if you had a shod horse (or a barefoot horse who was being trimmed), I just meant that I'm having to make the effort to keep up the work load to more than must once in a blue moon! Faith is LOVING the extra work and tbh so am I. I am having to keep a daily log of what we're doing/need to do so that I can keep track of what's what though (and give myself that kick up the backside when I'm having an "I can't be botherrrrred," day)! I guess Faith is a little different to Pete in the fact that she cant/won't school so we have to go out...if the weather is bad or when the light starts to fade again (not yet!) we might struggle a bit, but for now we're managing early morning wanderings and on the occasions when I can't ride, we're going for quick walks up our stoney lane to make sure her feet are getting the stimulation they need. Also, at the minute, Faith is essentially a big guinea pig as she can't be out on the grass (so is indoors a lot), hence the extra effort to get her out and moving around. She's a very special pony, my Faith . |
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Post by rainbow on Jun 26, 2014 8:12:00 GMT
I haven't uploaded the front shots of her feet ( I forgot  ) But here is a link to the under shots of her feet. s6.photobucket.com/user/joey_2005/library/FeetOh and she has had a week off while ive been on hoilday. But there are already some changes since I took these aweek ago! |
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Post by spotti on Jun 26, 2014 8:19:38 GMT
Are the newer photos at the top or the bottom?
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Post by rainbow on Jun 26, 2014 21:28:41 GMT
errr the ones that arent butchered!
So the top ones.
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for so much hard work we thank ye!!
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) But here is a link to the under shots of her feet.