Do you remember that film? I thought it was dire. Though possibly not as bad as the English subtitled Japanese arthouse film "Norwegian Wood" which was on at our local one-screen in an old silk museum last night! It was nothing to do with woods or Norway. Five people died, three of them committed suicide. It was so bad, and so depressing that I actually found it excruciatingly funny :-)
I hacked out on Radar today for his feet and his waistline. He hates those draw reins when they stop him marching along without engaging his back! But when he submits to them, he has some amazing paces. He really would do credit to a dressage arena if he could just control himself!
Ace is definitely better on his feet, it was clear this morning after only 48 hours. He has now been off grass two nights and three days. He's getting ryegrass haylage and molassed beet and (very slightly) molassed pony cubes but his feet are better. He has a grass sensitivity and no mistake. But at least he does not have a general insulin resistance problem. It was a struggle to keep Scooby off grass when he went laminitic years ago because he was eventing. He could not keep himself fit enough on the yard and in the barn, and I had to ride him every day for at least an hour. Ace is a different kettle of fish and I am perfectly happy to have him living off grass until October.
I managed to get hold of 4 big bales of haylage today, which is like gold dust this year. That has filled in the gap until the new harvest will be ready to use, so I have nothing to fret about him being in now. That was worrying me until a very nice man rang this morning and offered me four, which is all he has left. I spent all yesterday afternoon ringing round and couldn't find any, so I was worried overnight.
I currently have Buttie in the barn and on the yard with Ace. I will keep him on the yard during the day, but I don't know whether to keep him in the barn at night or not. I put him in there last night because Ace seemed a little unsettled, but tonight Buttie seems a little upset about not being out in the field, so I will have to play it by ear.
C
Some "art" films are so depressing I can't even think to watch them...as if being happy just isn't artistic????
ReplyDeleteGlad Ace feels better. I guess you will have to decide whether to indulge Buttieface or Aceface as far as the night time turnout goes.
Radar does have his opinions. Still hoping he will decide that going correctly is actually more comfortable but that seems to be a ways away. I bet he looks impressive when he is round and on the bit. He's pretty enough just being "RadaR," but round Radar, now that's a vision. *G*
Well, I guess you're destined to have foot challenged horses Caroline......or are they all challenged if you're sensitive enough to notice....??
ReplyDeleteI had a great dressage lesson this morning, my lazy horse, in her new rolling spurs produced the slowest engaged collected canter, it felt so Alien I had to ask the instructor what was happening underneath. She had goose-bumps because it was such a step-change in performance from both of us. I can't really tell you how I achieved it, but I'll try to work it out next time!!!
Yay
The 2x2 split is working well tonight, Jean. Everyone seems very settled. Ace is definitely walking a lot better.
ReplyDeleteTracey it's going to sound terribly arrogant but I think it's because I notice. I was at a friend's house this morning looking at her barren broodmare who she is tubbing for a foot abscess. She was focussing on the lameness with the abcess and was blissfully unaware that the mare, out all night on lush paddocks, was, as far as I could see, lame in the other three feet as well. Nor was she questionning why a brood mare who has been shoeless for years abcessed directly at the toe. It's screaming laminitis at me!
I spotted Ace because I deliberately test all my boys on a very severe path on a regular basis. Ace's performance on it changed radically a month ago, so I knew we had problems brewing and I got onto it before we got more than footiness.
Fantastic news on your training session. I'd have loved to see the canter.
C
The above scenario sounds horribly familiar - my neighbour would not accept that her horse had anything other than an abscess in one foot when to me he seemed lame in all four and had raised pulses in all four!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in something that's happened since putting my mare on activated charcoal. She's never been that great about having her feet trimmed (at any time of year) and I've always suspected that she found rasping uncomfortable but haven't been able to find the answer. However, this evening my OH rasped her front feet and she stood there happily with one hoof and then the other propped on his knee and didn't snatch it away once. The only thing I can think of that's changed is the addition of the charcoal.
Oooooh, now that's interesting Liz! You can't help but wonder, can you? It may be that her rumbly tummy made her tetchy about having her feet messed about with and unrumbling that has done this. Or it may be that her rumbling tummy was also causing her foot pain and she was reluctant to stand on just one foot. I wonder which, or both?
ReplyDeleteAnd Ace did not nap once today. So perhaps that was his feet beginning to ache before he showed signs of footiness too? That these horses put up with because they can't speak :-(
C
I knew that would be your answer - I have this "problem" too!! I gained a new client in November, lame in plastic shoes, client's hope is that I can make it sound to retire. Sound in 6 weeks unshod, now she's riding happily for 1.5 hours a day.
ReplyDeleteBut, we had one abscess in January, which I wasn't expecting, then the horse put on loads of weight in April and went footy. I advised on diet and the owner changed everything perfectly. Saw her yesterday and she said she' had the best 6 weeks ever with this horse since she'd had him (he's now 22!) She said he must have always been subclinically laminitic in shoes for all those years as his stride and movement are so light and big now, she's never seen it before. Bless her, she's so distraught at all the years she didn't know, but as I said to her, at least you've still got him, and now you do know.
I love my job. :-)
I love hearing these stories!
ReplyDeleteC