My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
This winter has been rough on Freedom’s feet. He’s gotten several bruises and blown a couple of abscesses. The culprit? The hard ground. Most winters we’d have a soft layer of snow on the ground. This winter? We’ve alternated between mud and frozen. The mud softens up his feet and the hard ridges in the […]
Read MoreHere’s a nifty product that people seem to like a lot. It’s a useful way to soak feet and easy to store. It certainly beats trying to get your horse to stand in a bucket! Read the review on Tack Guru.
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In Dealing with Wet Hooves I mentioned that Freedom had a hoof abscess after a fast hunt on rough terrain, exacerbated by the wet conditions. Well, it turned out he really had two abscesses. Although the vet thought that his discomfort on the left hind was caused by putting more weight on it. Actually, it […]
Read MoreAlthough he’s still favoring his left hind, Freedom looks better. He’s walking better and, a lot of the time, he’s standing with weight on it. It’s hard to say if it was an abscess. I haven’t seen any discharge but, since I’ve been packing the foot with Magic Cushion after soaking it, that’s understandable. Magic […]
Read MoreAt certain times of the year, my paddock is just a sea of mud. In past years, these conditions have wreaked havoc on my horses’ feet. As their hooves soften, they are far more prone to losing shoes. This can be real problem as their hooves became so soft that they just didn’t hold nails […]
Read MoreFor several years I had Freedom in a barn that had real problems with mud in the spring. It caused some issues with hoof wall quality but never in all those years did he have thrush. Now he’s in a barn with nice dry conditions and yes, he has thrush. I suspect it occurred because […]
Read MoreFreedom has now been barefoot since October and his feet keep looking better and better. Here’s the progression. It’s funny. I never thought that Freedom would be able to go barefoot because I’ve had so much trouble with his feet. My farrier was the one who suggested that I pull his shoes and see what […]
Read MoreDo horses need winter shoes? Like most equestrian questions, the answer is, “it depends.” Certainly horse owners need to come up with a strategy that allows for adequate traction, that prevents snow from balling up in the hoof, and which provides enough protection for the amount and type of riding you want to do. What […]
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