Wednesday, April 26, 2017

DIY Hoof Poultice & a Few Miscellaneous Photos & Thoughts


Here's a trail blooper from a ride yesterday morning, the photos I don't usually share, but probably should. Something is wrong.  Can you see it?


Here's the photo you usually see.  Cowboy's eye seems to say, I like the other photo better, mom.


More pictures from the 1st day releasing Foxy.  Can you tell what's happening in this photo?


Here is the same scene with a little more close-up view.


And a ride with Cowboy from last week.  Riverside State Park--the same park where I rode with Leah in the Heaven, I'm in Heaven post.


This is the same spot I took the photo with Leah.


My herd is still sorting it out with Foxy.  We have a very strong mare herd dynamic--they can hear each other think--and it takes a bit to get a new mare synchronized.

I'm also nursing an abscess with Little Joe.  It popped in his frog this week.  I used the Animalintex poultice pads, wrapped in duct tape, to draw it out. They're kind of spendy, especially when they just fall off from bad wrapping.  I lost 3 of the 6 pads!  My trainer uses a diaper (cut to fit), with nitrofurazone and epsom salts, duct taped onto the hoof.  A little DIY poultice idea.

Today, since it has popped, I'm going to soak it in warm water and epsom salts and pack it with sugardine (sugar and iodine).  He's been getting my wraps off pretty easily, so I'm going to vet wrap it up and over his ankle and then reinforce it with duct tape around the hoof area, to keep it dry.

My neighbor delivered a truck load of cedar chips to me last weekend, out of the blue, no charge.  Can you believe it?  I was in need of wood chips, too.

The weather is cold, wet and blustery up here in the Northwest, and I feel like I'm always cold, but I'm going to bundle up and go out to ride Leah today.  I have a new obstacle I'm going to work on and that I'll share with you in a later post.

10 comments:

  1. Stepping on his rein...
    The mares keeping Foxy away from Cowboy or is it just that Cowboy doesn't care that there is another mare in the herd to boss him around?
    What a lovely place to ride!

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    1. It's both. They are isolating her from Cowboy and Little Joe and Cowboy is smart enough to not make trouble. Little Joe has been pacing and whinnnying and dropping weight! It's making me nervous. I'm starting him on Equine Senior now and I put Leah next to him.

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  2. It looks like Cowboy wants nothing to do with any potential drama. Smart boy .:)

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    1. Yes, he's a survivor. They'd kick him short of his life if he broke out and went to her. Little Joe hasn't been released yet and his herd is Foxy, so they're 100 percent blocking her from going to him.

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  3. What I read from the group photo was Cowboy is uninterested, a serious stare down from the dominant palomino. Foxy and Beautiful Girl seem to be looking to you for reassurance. Not sure who the sorrel with the full blaze is (sorry, just getting to know your horses) but seems to be more of a "follower" and tight with the pally. I am probably all wrong. Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of observing a lot of herd dynamics. Even when our horses lived by us, we could see them but they were across large fields. What a nice neighbor! Lucky you, such a gorgeous place to trail ride!!!

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    1. Very good analysis! Yes, Foxy and BG were definitely looking at me to see what I was going to do. I would only disagree--and this is just a guess, because that's all any of us can do since we don't actually speak horse--but I think Cowboy's placement says he's interested BUT obedient. That's probably because I know him and I know that he's, at heart, a trouble maker! haha!

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    2. I am sure you are right about Cowboys placement. If he really had no interest, he would likely be further away and completely disengaged. He is probably where boss mare told him he should stand lol. By the way, your horses are beautiful - it's no wonder you could hang out with them all day!

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  4. Beautiful trail to ride. Glad he didn't break that rein! The dynamics will change day to day and they will sort it out soon. When we use the Animalintex, which I love, we sometimes put a boot on after the whole wrap job. It seems to keep it in place. Nice neighbor we all need neighbors like that.

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    1. A boot is a great idea and probably much easier than duct tape. LOL. Yes, he's the neighbor with the barn where I ride. Pretty cool!

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  5. Speaking as a former professional groom, keeping a foot wrapped so that it stays dry but can't be walked or pawed off is a bit of an art in itself.
    I did find a good technique video if you feel like having a look.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTlOKRstvA0

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Please feel welcome to join our discussion by telling us about your own thoughts and experiences.