My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
When a horse steps on a nail it is a true emergency. Not only can a puncture wound damage important parts of the hoof, but it provides a pathway for dangerous bacteria that can lead to terrible infections. The lead photo for this blog was sent to me by a friend. Her horse came up […]
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Freedom has expressed his solidarity with me by coming up three legged lame, favoring his left hind. According to my barn mate, who fed this morning, there’s nothing overtly wrong — no bleeding, no swelling, no heat, no stone in his hoof. Most likely, it’s an abscess. However, to make sure it’s nothing too serious, […]
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To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I rode Freedom. He’s 23 or 24 now and I didn’t put shoes on him this spring. Mostly he’s happy hanging out in his field, watching his mares, and putting on a good show of galloping when the spirit moves him. But Zelda came back from […]
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It’s a good sign when there are hoof prints in the sand, rather than in the snow. This is the path I take to the trails across the street from where my horses live, and I delight in the fact that not only is Zelda leaving hoof prints, but others have gone before us. Interesting, […]
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When your horse hobbles up the hill for breakfast absolutely dead lame, the first thought that goes through your mind is, I hope it’s only an abscess. I can still remember the first time I had a horse with an abscess. I arrived to find him standing on three legs, refusing to put weight on […]
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It’s a rare day when my farrier tells me that Freedom’s feet look great. He has unfortunate Thoroughbred feet that grow slowly and are easily chipped. For the past few years, he’s thrived in glue-on Sigafoos, but, readers may remember that back in April, I decided to pull his shoes. Covid-19 concerns meant limited farrier […]
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I pulled Freedom’s glue-on shoes a few weeks ago because access to my farrier will be limited until the shelter-at-home restrictions are banned. So far, the weather has been good for tender hooves (rainy) and not so great for riding. What’s important now is to give Freedom the […]
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With essential businesses closing down and vets delaying non-essential services like vaccines, I’m feeling lucky that my farrier will still come to the barn. Her very reasonable request is that the horses be put on the cross ties and that she be alone with them. Zelda and Curly are easy. They are both barefoot and […]
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