Yesterday was a (fairly) productive ride for Max. We rode out to the front arena and I hopped down and put out some trot poles. Max had done maybe 5 rounds through trot poles ever before yesterday. He never really grasped the concept and continually skipped, hopped, or creatively figured out some other way to not step on them. I decided we were going to go back to working on some basics.
Our warm up started out kind of frustrating, honestly. Max has been displaying some real discomfort going to the right in smaller areas (circles, tighter turns, etc). I opted to start the warm up going left so that we maybe warmed up a bit before going to the weaker, troublesome side (as we typically start with the trouble side). It would seem that going from 4-5 rides a week, to a week off and having only 2 rides so far this week, that my horse has a bit of speed in him. He's still a saint, but much more horse than he was in the first weeks of his restarting. We worked a couple laps around the ring to warm up, did a few circles, and switched over to the right. Cranky pants. Cranky cranky pants. We had a few kick outs and general signs of discomfort. I didn't push the envelop with him too far, but I did require him to finish his right side warm up. It is my thought that between his hind gut not feeling the best (ongoing issue that seems to wax and wane) and dealing with HUGE angle changes to his feet, which in turn caused some discomfort in the back end, that Maxwell is just sore, and frustrated. We finished the trot warm up and took a breather.
The focus of our ride was to work transitions and strengthening the hind end & back muscles. I asked for the trot (going to the right--the bad side) and he was a lot less objecting to it this go-round. This leads me to think he's just stiff and resistant. We worked on trotting over a single pole on the ground. I don't like to drill my horse on stuff too terribly, so every couple of times we do something, I either divert his attention to something he really enjoys doing, or give him a break to just putz around. Sometimes I play improv, especially with an intuitive horse, as my previous and this one both seem to be. If my horse wants to offer his own idea on something, and it's safe, I generally go with it. I've learned this to be a nice release for them. It's not something that's done often, ONLY when they're on their 'reward' time. We trotted over the single pole and he offered me a really nice right lead canter on the back side. I just sat and went with it. I look back and remember how much trouble the right lead was for us during our first few weeks of riding. It was really nice for him to have an idea, and to offer me that lead. We had a nice rolling soft canter. I love Maxwell's canter. If there was a horse to teach me to sit the canter (guilty of the hunter hover/half seat) it's this one. We took a break, switched directions, and did the same going the other direction. You win Maxwell.
After the dreamy canter time was done, we went back to work. Trotting trotting trotting. Max seemed to have quite the quick trot today. Not the floaty soft trot that I know he is capable of. I knew we were going to have a couple wonky rounds over the trot poles based off how the trotting was going, and how he'd done with poles in the past. Clink, clank, clunk. We hit every single one. Bet he doesn't make that mistake twice, I say to myself as we came back around again. Hop, hop, JUMP! Somewhere between a canter stride and a hop for the first two and a half, followed by a half jump and full jump between the last two. CREATIVE Max! Onward we went. This time I sat the trot. If there's one thing I've really learned, it's that your seat is your magic wand. While still forward, I could feel his strides coming up to the trot poles. I could give much more subtle cues on the outside, which translated to much BIGGER cues to him about slowing down and thinking through the trot poles instead of rushing to get past them. He clipped the first one, but had a nice pretty flow over the next three. We had a much nicer tempo coming off of them, and I decided to keep him going for one more round before he got a break. The trot was suddenly soft, his head was down, he wasn't balancing with his neck. He was under himself and using his back to get us through the mess. We had a gorgeous flow through the poles and he got lots of pats and a nice walk break.
I forgot how much fun trot poles can be with green horses. It seems so monotonous, especially with a seasoned horse, but for the greenies, it's so very rewarding. You feel just how awful it can really be to go over them when you're disjoined, and feel just how amazing it is when they put it all together. I used to have a BLAST taking Bella through raised cavaletti. She could lengthen her stride with the best of them when really asked. That took a LOT of work, and if you don't keep up on it, you've got to start all over again. One day me and Max will try raised cavaletti. I feel like we have a lot more trot pole work to be done before that point, though!
We ended the ride with some transitions between walk trot and canter. It's quite amusing when the horse picks up on a pattern. We walked until we were straight with the trot poles. Trotted the poles. Halt. Walk. Canter through the turn. Halt. Trot. Canter over single pole. Halt. It was funny though, because I could tell which parts of the exercise Maxwell liked, and which he didn't care for. He offered the right answer to cantering over the pole, and the halts. He hates trotting (who doesn't?). I'll have to remember to spice it up and make it more random next time.
Anyhow, we had a fun ride. My poor guy was quite the sweaty mess when we were done. I'm sure he's feeling the burn in his back end after all that. He hasn't had a centralized ride where we target one area. I think we're going to get on more of a riding program now, and plan for 2 days of targeted riding, 1 day of a light exercise hack, and 1 wildcard day, where we either get a lesson, have a jump day, or hack out on the trails or in the field next door.
I wish I had some pictures to share, however we were on our own for this ride!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
The Results are In!
Any of you who read this that know me in "real" life, know that I am a HUGE worrier. I worry nonstop about things. I lose sleep over those things. I lose my lunch over those things. I stress.
I knew that Maxwell would be a challenge when I got him. Obviously being an OTTB comes with a huge stigma of being a hard keeper with bad feet. I can't say that Maxwell really has either issue. I think most OTTBs start out with these issues. They've had shoes on their feet since they were broke to race, so of course they have delicate feet. They're kept in top physical condition, have a very very lean body with pretty much nothing but muscle. They're fed high sugar and starch meals to fuel their athleticism. The first year after retirement seems to be the hardest, for obvious reasons. But generally speaking, I don't believe that OTTBs deserve to be in the 'hard keeper with bad feet' pool. With proper nutrition, proper care, I think that more OTTBs than not can develop into average horses to maintain.
Nutrition, as I've said in past posts, is very important to me. I don't claim to be an expert, I'm the furthest thing from that. It's a constant learning process. Things change, technology changes, ideas change, opinions change.
What works for thousands of horses might not work for yours. What works for yours, might not work for thousands more. It's not about adhering to the 'rules', the 'standards'. They help, but sometimes you have to alter your plan. I've been on quite an adventure with Maxwell and his nutrition. When I brought him home, I slowly transitioned him onto the food I was feeding my previous horse. It seemed like a viable option, we saw great results with the other horses that were on it, it was low starch, low sugar, and had a lot of good stuff in it. Scientifically speaking, there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the food. However, soon after the transitional phase, Maxwell's loose manure continued. His stomach still made awful grumbling noises (more than your normal, good gut sounds). He continued to make some progress, becoming much less body sensitive, and his wonderful personality bloomed. However, the loose manure continued and I knew his tummy wasn't where it should be. I tried adding yeast & probiotics at a higher dose (the concentrate he was on also included these) to no avail. I did a round of sand clear to ensure he didn't have sand sitting in his gut. Nothing. His loose manure and loud gut continued.
I'll spare the rest of the story, as it's been told here before, but I have to say that the decision to switch Maxwell back onto the Cavalor FiberForce that he arrived to me on was a great one. He went from eating nearly 9 quarts of a concentrate daily to a forage based food in the same amount. The results were like night and day with his manure. About 3 days into the transition from Seminole to Cavalor, his manure was more solid and formed than it had ever been in my care leading up to that point. The addition of WholeGain has been a game changer. Maxwell was maintaining his weight, whether on the Seminole or Cavalor, but wasn't gaining. He wasn't grossly underweight at 1065lbs, but could use a fat pad over the ribs, and some fill in hollow spots.
We were directed to start at 1/4lb and work our way up to a maximum of 1/2lb a day. About halfway through the trial we attempted to increase to 1/2lb, but Maxwell became reactive under saddle, and we could see the look of discomfort in his eyes. The proof however, with this horse, is in the manure. It didn't get as loose as it was, but it became watery and softer than it had been at the half dose. I made the decision to drop him back down to 1/4lb of WholeGain per day. He perked back up, his poop recovered, and I had a happy horse again.
As much as I wish I could have increased his intake up to 1/2lb, I think Maxwell needs a longer adjustment period than a month to be able to make that transition. I am hoping that beyond the scope of this trial, I am able to up his intake of WholeGain to the recommended 1/2lb. In speaking with our vet, we've decided that we need to add some extra support to Maxwell's hind gut. He will be starting a 60 day trial of Succeed as soon as it arrives. We chose this option in part due to it's money back guarantee, and in part due to several personal acquaintances having seen success with it. It is my hope that we can heal his hind gut and then proceed to increase Maxwell's intake of Cavalor WholeGain accordingly.
In conclusion, I feel like Cavalor WholeGain is a great option for adding weight to a horse. I have seen great improvement in Maxwell's body condition over the last month. I feel if we had been able to up him to the maximum dose, he would be at an ideal weight right now. He still has some way to go, and for this particularly sensitive horse, we're just going to have to go about it slower. I recommend WholeGain to any owner looking for a low volume supplement that will deliver maximum high quality product to help with weight and overall appearance to their horses.
I realize this post comes about a week and a half late, but it's been a busy last few weeks!
So, the before picture sucks. We tried and tried to get Maxwell to stand, but the day that we needed to get a before, he wouldn't cooperate, probably because his auntie Summer was out to visit and he just wanted to do his own thing. I'm not sure what photo we even ended up with for the before, or if this is considered the official after...but these were the two photos taken at Day 0 and Day 30. It stinks because he's in a totally different position, but you still get the general idea. He's much more filled in around the flanks, has gained much muscle, and has a nice big belly. The ribs are still there, and they show more some days than others, but we've got a bit of a fat pad over them now. As I've said, my hope is to condition his hind gut and try again to increase the WholeGain.
For those interested in the 'beginning' post when the challenge first started, see here:
Link to Diet Challenge Beginning Blog Post
I knew that Maxwell would be a challenge when I got him. Obviously being an OTTB comes with a huge stigma of being a hard keeper with bad feet. I can't say that Maxwell really has either issue. I think most OTTBs start out with these issues. They've had shoes on their feet since they were broke to race, so of course they have delicate feet. They're kept in top physical condition, have a very very lean body with pretty much nothing but muscle. They're fed high sugar and starch meals to fuel their athleticism. The first year after retirement seems to be the hardest, for obvious reasons. But generally speaking, I don't believe that OTTBs deserve to be in the 'hard keeper with bad feet' pool. With proper nutrition, proper care, I think that more OTTBs than not can develop into average horses to maintain.
Nutrition, as I've said in past posts, is very important to me. I don't claim to be an expert, I'm the furthest thing from that. It's a constant learning process. Things change, technology changes, ideas change, opinions change.
What works for thousands of horses might not work for yours. What works for yours, might not work for thousands more. It's not about adhering to the 'rules', the 'standards'. They help, but sometimes you have to alter your plan. I've been on quite an adventure with Maxwell and his nutrition. When I brought him home, I slowly transitioned him onto the food I was feeding my previous horse. It seemed like a viable option, we saw great results with the other horses that were on it, it was low starch, low sugar, and had a lot of good stuff in it. Scientifically speaking, there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with the food. However, soon after the transitional phase, Maxwell's loose manure continued. His stomach still made awful grumbling noises (more than your normal, good gut sounds). He continued to make some progress, becoming much less body sensitive, and his wonderful personality bloomed. However, the loose manure continued and I knew his tummy wasn't where it should be. I tried adding yeast & probiotics at a higher dose (the concentrate he was on also included these) to no avail. I did a round of sand clear to ensure he didn't have sand sitting in his gut. Nothing. His loose manure and loud gut continued.
I'll spare the rest of the story, as it's been told here before, but I have to say that the decision to switch Maxwell back onto the Cavalor FiberForce that he arrived to me on was a great one. He went from eating nearly 9 quarts of a concentrate daily to a forage based food in the same amount. The results were like night and day with his manure. About 3 days into the transition from Seminole to Cavalor, his manure was more solid and formed than it had ever been in my care leading up to that point. The addition of WholeGain has been a game changer. Maxwell was maintaining his weight, whether on the Seminole or Cavalor, but wasn't gaining. He wasn't grossly underweight at 1065lbs, but could use a fat pad over the ribs, and some fill in hollow spots.
We were directed to start at 1/4lb and work our way up to a maximum of 1/2lb a day. About halfway through the trial we attempted to increase to 1/2lb, but Maxwell became reactive under saddle, and we could see the look of discomfort in his eyes. The proof however, with this horse, is in the manure. It didn't get as loose as it was, but it became watery and softer than it had been at the half dose. I made the decision to drop him back down to 1/4lb of WholeGain per day. He perked back up, his poop recovered, and I had a happy horse again.
As much as I wish I could have increased his intake up to 1/2lb, I think Maxwell needs a longer adjustment period than a month to be able to make that transition. I am hoping that beyond the scope of this trial, I am able to up his intake of WholeGain to the recommended 1/2lb. In speaking with our vet, we've decided that we need to add some extra support to Maxwell's hind gut. He will be starting a 60 day trial of Succeed as soon as it arrives. We chose this option in part due to it's money back guarantee, and in part due to several personal acquaintances having seen success with it. It is my hope that we can heal his hind gut and then proceed to increase Maxwell's intake of Cavalor WholeGain accordingly.
In conclusion, I feel like Cavalor WholeGain is a great option for adding weight to a horse. I have seen great improvement in Maxwell's body condition over the last month. I feel if we had been able to up him to the maximum dose, he would be at an ideal weight right now. He still has some way to go, and for this particularly sensitive horse, we're just going to have to go about it slower. I recommend WholeGain to any owner looking for a low volume supplement that will deliver maximum high quality product to help with weight and overall appearance to their horses.
I realize this post comes about a week and a half late, but it's been a busy last few weeks!
Before
After
So, the before picture sucks. We tried and tried to get Maxwell to stand, but the day that we needed to get a before, he wouldn't cooperate, probably because his auntie Summer was out to visit and he just wanted to do his own thing. I'm not sure what photo we even ended up with for the before, or if this is considered the official after...but these were the two photos taken at Day 0 and Day 30. It stinks because he's in a totally different position, but you still get the general idea. He's much more filled in around the flanks, has gained much muscle, and has a nice big belly. The ribs are still there, and they show more some days than others, but we've got a bit of a fat pad over them now. As I've said, my hope is to condition his hind gut and try again to increase the WholeGain.
For those interested in the 'beginning' post when the challenge first started, see here:
Link to Diet Challenge Beginning Blog Post
Friday, July 17, 2015
Yippee, and a little boo!
I was SO happy with the farrier appointment yesterday! Steve's attention to detail and thoughts were right in tune with what I have been told and what I have learned. Maxwell's right front and right hind had a significant difference in measurement compared to his left front and left hind. He also took some pressure off the two big hunks that came out of his front feet. He feels like we can save the heels, and his first thought is they have been trimmed too aggressively. We will know more about how Max's feet work now that he has done a trim (yep, after a week and a half there was still 45 minutes of work done on these feet)...and in 5 weeks we'll have a bigger picture. He was standing much more underneath himself when all was done and I'm hoping it takes the pressure off his ankles. He seemed much happier after he was done, and also enjoyed resting his sleepy head on Steve's back as he worked. My silly Maxwell.
Max had some filling in his front left lower limb during the trim. If I hadn't then been told that the difference between his left side and right side was so great, I would be concerned. However, I have to keep reminding myself that it is likely that both his left rear ankle and his left front lower limb area are having some problems because he's been walking around with one side of his body higher than the other, plus the added strain of the wrong angle on the hind legs, which is likely the biggest cause of the effusion in his hind ankle.
I'm going to give him a few days to adjust to his new trim/new feet, and have been passively caring for the legs and ankles with a cold hose and liniment rub, since they are NOT hot, NOT reactive, just more stocked up looking than anything else. Unfortunately for me, I haven't gotten around to buying a set of no bows and standing bandages for him. Bella's aren't even close to fitting Max, and mind-blowingly, no one else at the farm seems to have a set...So doing him up in some wraps isn't going to happen, since no one around here carries them, and ordering will put me out till next week anyhow. I'm really leaning towards getting the Back on Track Quick Wraps, because those would be awesome to trailer in, as well as therapy before and after hard rides.
Hoping to have more answers tomorrow as Maxwell adjusts to his new feet.
Max had some filling in his front left lower limb during the trim. If I hadn't then been told that the difference between his left side and right side was so great, I would be concerned. However, I have to keep reminding myself that it is likely that both his left rear ankle and his left front lower limb area are having some problems because he's been walking around with one side of his body higher than the other, plus the added strain of the wrong angle on the hind legs, which is likely the biggest cause of the effusion in his hind ankle.
I'm going to give him a few days to adjust to his new trim/new feet, and have been passively caring for the legs and ankles with a cold hose and liniment rub, since they are NOT hot, NOT reactive, just more stocked up looking than anything else. Unfortunately for me, I haven't gotten around to buying a set of no bows and standing bandages for him. Bella's aren't even close to fitting Max, and mind-blowingly, no one else at the farm seems to have a set...So doing him up in some wraps isn't going to happen, since no one around here carries them, and ordering will put me out till next week anyhow. I'm really leaning towards getting the Back on Track Quick Wraps, because those would be awesome to trailer in, as well as therapy before and after hard rides.
Hoping to have more answers tomorrow as Maxwell adjusts to his new feet.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Silence
Sorry for the lack of updates lately! I'm currently working on my rundown of the trial with Cavalor WholeGain, getting pictures together, etc.
In the mean time, Maxwell had a lesson Saturday that was a complete train wreck. He was grumpy and while it wasn't as bad as it could have been, my heart broke because I knew something wasn't right. Our trainer knew something wasn't right. And it just really sucked.
He came out of the lesson okay, and the next day his body was super sore. His left hind ankle has mild effusion, noted on the vet checkup when his teeth were done, to be expected after 7 years of racing. The vet wasn't concerned, and said to just pay special attention to the ankle.
Anyhow, his body hurts, his ankle is especially puffy this week, his feet hurt, his stomach hurts, MY stomach hurts, MY head hurts, and I just want it all to be better. The angles on his hinds are SO off now, that I believe his ankle is acting up because of the extra stress being put on the fetlock joint. We have an appointment with a new farrier tomorrow after work who I am hoping can work some mega magic on his feet. The abscess line on his right front finally broke and chipped away so now Max has two huge chunks missing out of both front feet. I can't blame him for being a little jacked up right now.
I want think that his stomach issues are directly related to the fact that his whole body is having issues, and the stress of pain is putting stress on his digestive tract. I am almost 100% certain I'm dealing with a hind gut disturbance. My next task between having the body worker out and the farrier out, is to put him on a trial of Succeed for 60 days (money back guarantee!) to see if we have any positive results.
As far as the ankle is concerned, he's NOT lame, NOT off, but it is showing more effusion than it has since I've owned him. It's not hot, he's not reactive. It's likely just filled with some fluid and is being stressed because of the angles. I'm hoping that our appointment tomorrow can put some relief on those tendons and joints on his backs. I'm also trying to get around to purchasing some BOT quick wraps which I have seen amazing reviews for similar situations.
Can someone make it rain money? I DO have a strict budget, and with the way the horse eats, it's even stricter than it was when I had Bella. The extras include bodywork, lessons, tack, various supplements that might run out, etc. With everything going on right now...I'm at over double my budget if I went out and bought everything we kinda need right now! YIKES! I just want to see my horse happy and healthy. He's worth every penny in the world to me, I love him more than I thought I could love a goofy OTTB.
So it looks like we'll be out of lessons for a little bit. I need to focus on the horse's health needs, so the money has to go there first. I'm really bummed out because I was starting to really get a groove and learn SO much each lesson (it's amazing how much you truly never STOP learning) but it's not feasible until I get my guy back on track.
I'm heading up to Brandon Equine Medical Center on Saturday. I'm driving up with my friend who is taking a consignment horse up to it's owner's farm for a lesson, and we're stopping by to pick up meds, and me drop off a fecal for Max & chat about the hind gut issues. Just having an overwhelming July, guys! Fingers crossed it calms back down! Whew!
In the mean time, Maxwell had a lesson Saturday that was a complete train wreck. He was grumpy and while it wasn't as bad as it could have been, my heart broke because I knew something wasn't right. Our trainer knew something wasn't right. And it just really sucked.
He came out of the lesson okay, and the next day his body was super sore. His left hind ankle has mild effusion, noted on the vet checkup when his teeth were done, to be expected after 7 years of racing. The vet wasn't concerned, and said to just pay special attention to the ankle.
Anyhow, his body hurts, his ankle is especially puffy this week, his feet hurt, his stomach hurts, MY stomach hurts, MY head hurts, and I just want it all to be better. The angles on his hinds are SO off now, that I believe his ankle is acting up because of the extra stress being put on the fetlock joint. We have an appointment with a new farrier tomorrow after work who I am hoping can work some mega magic on his feet. The abscess line on his right front finally broke and chipped away so now Max has two huge chunks missing out of both front feet. I can't blame him for being a little jacked up right now.
I want think that his stomach issues are directly related to the fact that his whole body is having issues, and the stress of pain is putting stress on his digestive tract. I am almost 100% certain I'm dealing with a hind gut disturbance. My next task between having the body worker out and the farrier out, is to put him on a trial of Succeed for 60 days (money back guarantee!) to see if we have any positive results.
As far as the ankle is concerned, he's NOT lame, NOT off, but it is showing more effusion than it has since I've owned him. It's not hot, he's not reactive. It's likely just filled with some fluid and is being stressed because of the angles. I'm hoping that our appointment tomorrow can put some relief on those tendons and joints on his backs. I'm also trying to get around to purchasing some BOT quick wraps which I have seen amazing reviews for similar situations.
Can someone make it rain money? I DO have a strict budget, and with the way the horse eats, it's even stricter than it was when I had Bella. The extras include bodywork, lessons, tack, various supplements that might run out, etc. With everything going on right now...I'm at over double my budget if I went out and bought everything we kinda need right now! YIKES! I just want to see my horse happy and healthy. He's worth every penny in the world to me, I love him more than I thought I could love a goofy OTTB.
So it looks like we'll be out of lessons for a little bit. I need to focus on the horse's health needs, so the money has to go there first. I'm really bummed out because I was starting to really get a groove and learn SO much each lesson (it's amazing how much you truly never STOP learning) but it's not feasible until I get my guy back on track.
I'm heading up to Brandon Equine Medical Center on Saturday. I'm driving up with my friend who is taking a consignment horse up to it's owner's farm for a lesson, and we're stopping by to pick up meds, and me drop off a fecal for Max & chat about the hind gut issues. Just having an overwhelming July, guys! Fingers crossed it calms back down! Whew!
This face is so worth it...right?! :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Disappointment
You know, I pride myself on keeping this blog positive. I like to shed positive light on everything that goes on with Maxwell & myself. All I have to say, is that you are not forced to read this blog. I don't go around begging people to come here. I don't get paid to blog. I don't do it for anyone's entertainment. I do it for myself. I do it so I can track Maxwell's progress. I do it because it's an outlet for me to gush about my horse. If you don't like it, there's an X in the top right hand corner of your browser. Click it and move on. Thanks.
XOXO,
Maxwell & I
XOXO,
Maxwell & I
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Happy Feet!
The aptly named title of this post is Happy Feet! For good reason.
On Max's first trim, just weeks after he came to me, we learned he had extreme water damage to all 4 hooves, dated to be back in January, and had white line disease (mild).
He came out sore after each trim. The farrier had to rasp to help shape the hoof, but no actual 'trimming' was done, because the hoof was too soft and there wasn't a whole lot there to trim, anyway.
I couldn't contain my excitement when I got him out of his stall post trim yesterday and he didn't misstep, cower, and limp his way around. He didn't hesitate to take the 5" step over the board at the bottom of his stall. He plopped right along as he normally does on non-trim weeks. I had a feeling he was going to have a better trim this cycle, as his feet had really held up well compared to weeks past. I wish I could say that I put some magic juice on the feet and they just instantly got better. It is my belief that his change in diet has a big part to do with how well his feet came out this time around. Maxwell has been transitioned back onto Cavalor FiberForce for just over a month now. I can't even say that it is the type of food as much as it is the right food for him. Seminole's Wellness Perform Safe is a great feed and I would never knock their product, but it doesn't work for every situation. Maxwell wasn't absorbing much of anything from that food. He was eating way too much and his loose manure was letting many useful nutrients just pass right through him without being absorbed. The FiberForce calmed his stomach, calmed his hind gut, and allowed his body to properly absorb the essential vitamins and minerals it takes to build a healthy hoof and a healthy body.
Maxwell is on no supplement for his hooves. The only things I do for his feet are keeping them clean, applying keratex to the wall as needed, and applying solefreeze to the sole as needed (mostly right after a trim, but used to toughen up his soles as well).
He still has a long way to go, but his feet are really starting to make some positive changes. I don't have sole pictures this time around, as I had already applied solefreeze to them prior to the photos, but I will try to get some this evening, if I think about it!
It's absolutely amazing what 71 days can do for a hoof receiving the proper care. (on a 5 week schedule) This is my favorite comparison of the 4 feet because it is the foot that had an old abscess line where one blew (previous to my owning him) therefore there is a good marker indicating how much growth the hoof has done! This foot also was the one that originally had the most damage from white line. We're nearing the end of damaged hoof wall at this point, and once that abscess line grows out, we should have a nice sound hoof!
The first photo of the right hind is kind of funky because Maxwell was standing a little goofy at the time. Obviously you can tell I hadn't gotten around to cleaning off the foot either. My bad. You can, however, still see the huge differences in the feet. He didn't have much of a foot 71 days ago back there. This foot has mostly been a good one, had mild white line, but seems to be growing out nicely and totally changing shape. I don't know a ton about hooves but I know enough to know he's making improvements! The only downside to the back feet seems to be his disappearing heels...To be continued...
The left front shows a good example of the ring. You can see in the top photo that the ring is pretty far up. All the hoof below that was weak from the water damage he sustained. In the bottom photo we see that part of the hoof gave way to that weakness. Thankfully this is mostly cosmetic, Maxwell was sound when it happened, and has stayed sound now a week after. It was just weak wall that happened to chip up, crack, and break off. Notice now, in the bottom photo, how low the ring is. It's end is right where the chunk of hoof stopped breaking. Another extraordinary proof of growth, and prediction of good things to come for this hoof. I'm thankful he stayed sound when this chunk came off. I'll be keeping it extra clean and hopefully we can rasp/trim the rest out at the next cycle.
The left hind was never a huge issue. At times it looked a LOT worse than it really was, due to chipping up, but it's nothing to write home about. Same issue with the heels, as brought to my attention by more educated eyes. I now see it as well. To be continued....unfortunatley.
So as you can see, I'm pretty proud of the foot progress Maxwell has made in 71 short days. I'm extremely anxious for the next 4-5 weeks to come so I can see what kind of hooves we have at that time. Our farrier is out at week 4 and 5 now, since there's a horse in the barn who requires a 4 week cycle, so we'll take a peek at week 4 and see whether we do them then, or wait until week 5. My only concern now, comes from the seemingly disappearing heels on his hind feet. I have a meeting set up with the farrier next week to further discuss our options, what we're going to do about it, etc. This doesn't take away from my joy to see a much healthier hoof on all 4 legs.
My hoof management hasn't been anything ritualistic or over the top. Keratex as needed, especially when I know it's going to rain during his turnout time, solefreeze for the first day or two after a trim, and as needed to help keep the sole strong, and just keeping them clean. In the beginning I had some struggle to treat the feet for white line, but thankfully we had some positive results alternating a combination of the white lightning liquid (adding vinegar) and white lightning gel. I really do credit the hoof improvement to Maxwell readily absorbing the nutrients his body and his hooves craved.
On Max's first trim, just weeks after he came to me, we learned he had extreme water damage to all 4 hooves, dated to be back in January, and had white line disease (mild).
He came out sore after each trim. The farrier had to rasp to help shape the hoof, but no actual 'trimming' was done, because the hoof was too soft and there wasn't a whole lot there to trim, anyway.
I couldn't contain my excitement when I got him out of his stall post trim yesterday and he didn't misstep, cower, and limp his way around. He didn't hesitate to take the 5" step over the board at the bottom of his stall. He plopped right along as he normally does on non-trim weeks. I had a feeling he was going to have a better trim this cycle, as his feet had really held up well compared to weeks past. I wish I could say that I put some magic juice on the feet and they just instantly got better. It is my belief that his change in diet has a big part to do with how well his feet came out this time around. Maxwell has been transitioned back onto Cavalor FiberForce for just over a month now. I can't even say that it is the type of food as much as it is the right food for him. Seminole's Wellness Perform Safe is a great feed and I would never knock their product, but it doesn't work for every situation. Maxwell wasn't absorbing much of anything from that food. He was eating way too much and his loose manure was letting many useful nutrients just pass right through him without being absorbed. The FiberForce calmed his stomach, calmed his hind gut, and allowed his body to properly absorb the essential vitamins and minerals it takes to build a healthy hoof and a healthy body.
Maxwell is on no supplement for his hooves. The only things I do for his feet are keeping them clean, applying keratex to the wall as needed, and applying solefreeze to the sole as needed (mostly right after a trim, but used to toughen up his soles as well).
He still has a long way to go, but his feet are really starting to make some positive changes. I don't have sole pictures this time around, as I had already applied solefreeze to them prior to the photos, but I will try to get some this evening, if I think about it!
It's absolutely amazing what 71 days can do for a hoof receiving the proper care. (on a 5 week schedule) This is my favorite comparison of the 4 feet because it is the foot that had an old abscess line where one blew (previous to my owning him) therefore there is a good marker indicating how much growth the hoof has done! This foot also was the one that originally had the most damage from white line. We're nearing the end of damaged hoof wall at this point, and once that abscess line grows out, we should have a nice sound hoof!
The first photo of the right hind is kind of funky because Maxwell was standing a little goofy at the time. Obviously you can tell I hadn't gotten around to cleaning off the foot either. My bad. You can, however, still see the huge differences in the feet. He didn't have much of a foot 71 days ago back there. This foot has mostly been a good one, had mild white line, but seems to be growing out nicely and totally changing shape. I don't know a ton about hooves but I know enough to know he's making improvements! The only downside to the back feet seems to be his disappearing heels...To be continued...
The left front shows a good example of the ring. You can see in the top photo that the ring is pretty far up. All the hoof below that was weak from the water damage he sustained. In the bottom photo we see that part of the hoof gave way to that weakness. Thankfully this is mostly cosmetic, Maxwell was sound when it happened, and has stayed sound now a week after. It was just weak wall that happened to chip up, crack, and break off. Notice now, in the bottom photo, how low the ring is. It's end is right where the chunk of hoof stopped breaking. Another extraordinary proof of growth, and prediction of good things to come for this hoof. I'm thankful he stayed sound when this chunk came off. I'll be keeping it extra clean and hopefully we can rasp/trim the rest out at the next cycle.
The left hind was never a huge issue. At times it looked a LOT worse than it really was, due to chipping up, but it's nothing to write home about. Same issue with the heels, as brought to my attention by more educated eyes. I now see it as well. To be continued....unfortunatley.
So as you can see, I'm pretty proud of the foot progress Maxwell has made in 71 short days. I'm extremely anxious for the next 4-5 weeks to come so I can see what kind of hooves we have at that time. Our farrier is out at week 4 and 5 now, since there's a horse in the barn who requires a 4 week cycle, so we'll take a peek at week 4 and see whether we do them then, or wait until week 5. My only concern now, comes from the seemingly disappearing heels on his hind feet. I have a meeting set up with the farrier next week to further discuss our options, what we're going to do about it, etc. This doesn't take away from my joy to see a much healthier hoof on all 4 legs.
My hoof management hasn't been anything ritualistic or over the top. Keratex as needed, especially when I know it's going to rain during his turnout time, solefreeze for the first day or two after a trim, and as needed to help keep the sole strong, and just keeping them clean. In the beginning I had some struggle to treat the feet for white line, but thankfully we had some positive results alternating a combination of the white lightning liquid (adding vinegar) and white lightning gel. I really do credit the hoof improvement to Maxwell readily absorbing the nutrients his body and his hooves craved.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Booty-Licious
It's been a little bit since I've gushed over Baby Maxwell on here! We had a very wonderful week of riding! I had Friday off, so we even got an extra morning ride in this past weekend. It's amazing to see his transformation on the flat. He used to be so stiff, tight, hard to manage while going to the right. Now he's starting to relax, flex, bend, and soften. My favorite gait of his is by far his canter. I have a very weak lower back, and while I'm trying to work on strengthening that, his canter at least makes it possible for me to sit in a full seat and go with the motion.
Sunday we popped over a few little jumps for fun. He did really well, but we were just playing around and not really serious about anything going on. We have a lesson scheduled for next weekend, and I'm so excited! Anyhow, not much else to really say right now. I'm going to post his training log for the Cavalor trial in the next few days, as that ends on Friday.
In the mean time, here's a 'two week' photo, in the middle of the trial.
When I first put the photos side by side, I was pretty discouraged. I didn't see any magnificent weight difference. (note, this is NOT the before and after, this is a two week period in between the before and after) However, upon further examination of the picture, I DO see some pretty big changes for a two week period. He's not as sucked in around the hip and loins. But the biggest difference? THAT BUTT! LOOK at the shape change and muscle difference! He goes from having what I call a triangle butt to a nice round sloping rump. This is an extraordinary change for two weeks, and one part of him that was seriously lacking muscle after his race let-down. Obviously another difference is his halter. The jerk broke his THIRD halter in THREE months this weekend. So needless to say, this is why we can't have nice things, and why from now on, he will wear a nylon halter unless at a show or being trailered. Naughty man. What other differences do YOU see?!
Sunday we popped over a few little jumps for fun. He did really well, but we were just playing around and not really serious about anything going on. We have a lesson scheduled for next weekend, and I'm so excited! Anyhow, not much else to really say right now. I'm going to post his training log for the Cavalor trial in the next few days, as that ends on Friday.
In the mean time, here's a 'two week' photo, in the middle of the trial.
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