A Frankie update

[ester]

So some of you may be aware that at the end of May I was quite worried about Frank, he looked sore all over, his hooves had pancacked, he reacted to me tapping his hooves with a hoof pick and I had a big query as to whether his spavin was causing issues. Most importantly he just wasn't himself, was second in for tea and was very quiet none of the usual cheekiness.

10 days of bute and some dodgy videos from Mum and I decided he didn't look much better and a vet visit was due (with neither physio or farrier being that happy with him, making noises about final summers etc.)

Vet reasonably happy with him, hooves no longer reactive, flexion tests behind not throwing anything up, more flexible than most 25 year olds, so decided to try off the bute, still not a happy pony.

I've not been able to make it back until this weekend, and it was lovely to find him much more his cheeky self and I woke up on Sunday morning to watch him canter across the field playing which was lovely to see.

Monday he came in for a spruce up as Santa_Claus was coming to take some pics and this happened , apparently time for a clear out... I had asked mum if we had any signs of sole shedding after the recent rain and she'd said no so quick lesson ensued . I wish I'd taken a before pic, his walls are usually roughly sole level now they look very long! Now just to sort his scabby legs out (he is not low maintenance ).

Oh and he was predictably eyes rolling round welsh about Santa_Claus' lighting set up... unless it involved eating the grass under it that was fine.....

 

[Tiddlypom]

So glad that Frank is back on form , I've been looking out for an update. It must be hard for you having him so far away, even though he's back 'home' with your mum.

The photo shoot sounded fun, we will need pics!

 

[ester]

I'm very glad too it was a relief that despite his scabbiness he is more him, I have been quite worried- the vet might have been happy with him but I really wasn't. It is also a bit hard because I also have to not be too critical because I do often find little things I would do differently but I have to weigh up exactly how much they matter. He's going to stop on the bute for another month or so and we might see then.

The photoshoot was really Mum's 60th present but Frank sneaked in with the lighting section as we don't have any like that .

 

[M&M&G]

Lovely to hear that Frank has perked up. Interested in the sole shedding as seeing similar with mine. Is it a normal process?

 

[ester]

It is a normal process, but with the caveat that it is not usually as extreme as we have had this year. For him he would usually loose bits as we went along however he decided to retain a fair bit because of the hard ground (he has flatter than ideal feet anyway) and he is also not in work so not losing any that way. I've not had the chunks I had come off this since an abscess!

This will also be a handy photo for the next time someone tells me bars never shed on their own when his always have!... as they both looked like the one on the right to start, the medial one doesn't want to come off yet on all four hooves.

I was hoping that this would happen but wasn't expecting to be pulling the whole frog off at the same time.

As not all the sole has shed on all of his hooves (particularly at the toe) I opted to leave them slightly long for the time being, for preference I would have preferred to have given them a week of road walking and see where we were at, as it is I can't do that so am erring on caution and will wait for the farrier to do them in a couple of weeks.

 

[ihatework]

Glad he is feeling a bit better!
The sole shedding is weird, mine yesterday literally shed all 4 feet in the biggest chunks. I don’t recall it happening quite so dramatically before with any horse

 

[ester]

yup, I mean several millimeters have come off all round, plus bars, plus frog- I had to do lots of sweeping and I hadn't even trimmed!

 

[DirectorFury]

Blimey at the sole shedding, that's impressive. M's LF frog peeled off the other day which was odd but I can't imagine the sole coming off too .

I'm glad he's feeling more comfortable now, hopefully he'll be back up to his usual level of mischief when the ground softens up a bit more . Any pretty photoshoot photos?

 

[M&M&G]

Thank you - that is reassuring we are not alone and maybe seems to be weather related. I just wish I had taken pics too as it was quite impressive.

 

[ester]

only one of the barbie pony at the moment need to wait a couple of weeks , partly as he has a very scabby face from itching, and a mark across the front of his nose where he has to wear his nose cover all the time, good job we're not showing like last year!

Frank also resolutely ignored all of the pony/donkey noises app that SC has to encourage an ear prick, apparently the donkey wasn't quite right as the donkey round the corner always sets him daft usually (as also demonstrated by our new forest trip a few years ago).

Bless Mum she has started doing willy checks now too so long as she can grab hold while it's out .

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Scabby legs behind the knees? Beau has responded incredibly well to regular baby oil, zero scabs and boy, was he icky!

 

[ester]

Thank you - that is reassuring we are not alone and maybe seems to be weather related. I just wish I had taken pics too as it was quite impressive.

There has definitely been a lot of reports of retained soles in hoofy groups this year. I usually forget to take pics, I wish I had more from when his hooves were pretty rock crunchy but because they had no issues at the time I didn't so I have transition pics but only random ones taken since then.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Your Mam has a tough remit!

 

[ester]

Scabby legs behind the knees? Beau has responded incredibly well to regular baby oil, zero scabs and boy, was he icky!

No, those we can usually manage with trimming and basic cream. He has a scabby body too- he has always suffered with low grade bacterial infections at fly bite sites etc. But sometimes the legs seem to just get out of control (and he then chews them lots too) with lots of small round sores that appear rapidly as you get the last one cleared up. The last two years in wilts he had dectomax injections in may which cleared them in 24 hours, but he has never been mitey at home/was fine last year but looking at them I told mum to switch to the sudocreme and sulphur (she doesnt like using it cos it's messy) but if not improving by end of week we will probably try jabbing him. It's a toss up between that and clipping but they may be a bit sore to do that.

Haha DM yup, we always joke about our low maintenance cob, he does have one less supplement now though and takes half the time to muck out than her silly mare, and would not have run over the top of her because of a tarmac lorry

 

[DabDab]

Yikes, that is some chunk to come off all in one go! I often wonder what a horse's hooves feel like to them when they have stuff like that going on. We don't really experience anything like that as humans so it's hard to imagine iyswim (in comparison to a muscle strain or whatnot).

Feel your pain with the sensitive face-fly mask issues. Dabs has permanent white marks on his forehead and nose from fly mask rubs. There's only one fly mask I've found that doesn't do it and it's ancient now but I just keep sowing up the ears It's not like it ever rubs down to the skin and looks sore, just ruffles the hair, but has been enough to give him permanent white war-paint-like markings that no bridle will cover.

Glad Frank is feeling better though and getting into trouble again. Fingers crossed for when he comes off Bute.

 

[ester]

His mask is ok but he wears a head collar during all daylight hours to attach his nose cover too since his photosensitivity as it offers more coverage and less risk of him getting it off than a mask (small ears problems ).
As I said, low maintenance

 

[DabDab]

Haha, well small ears is definitely not a problem I have - I secretly keep mules that I pretend are horses

From what you've described of Frank's character, I don't think it would suit his style to be low maintenance anyway

 

[milliepops]

Yay, so pleased he's feeling better. The oldies are such a worry when they're a bit off and I can only imagine the distance between you must add to that.
I don't see Millie every day as OH passes the field multiple times a day so checks in, and she's a 30 min drive in the wrong direction from the others. It's definitely taught me to let go of the little things, they are absolutely fine even if I'd have done something a bit different. I'm such a control freak of the ones on the yard, it's quite nice to not sweat the small stuff with the old girls.

 

[ImmyS]

Glad to hear he is returning to his old cheeky self!! Love a Frank update

 

[ester]

failed brb

 

[ester]

Right permission to post from Katie Mortimore photography/Santa_Claus! feel free to laugh, she has done an excellent job of the scabby head!

I genuinely don't think his neck has ever been that long! The light was in front of him can you tell?

and one of the more refined creature

 

[DirectorFury]

He's so pretty! His mane is gorgeous, don't suppose you do a travelling mane-sorting service?
Second horse is v cute too, the photographer is very talented .

 

[ester]

His mane is ridiculous, in it's defence it was quite windy! We have had all connotations, hogged when he came then long then pulled. I stopped pulling when we didn't need to plait anymore as it wasn't his favourite activity and just do it with a comb and scissors now so he doesn't look too feral . For showing I've always had to gel it well down!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh wow, these are brilliant pics!

 

[DabDab]

Wow those pictures are gorgeous
Great photographer, is she local to your mum?

 

[Asha]

Stunning photos

 

[ester]

Wow those pictures are gorgeous
Great photographer, is she local to your mum?

She's in wilts, near my old haunt I moved there shortly after she did! so closer to mum than I am but a couple of hours still

 

[Clodagh]

Fantastic photos. Wow!

 

[Surbie]

Those photos are fabulous - Frank is gorgeous. And great to hear that he's back to himself again.

Mine has lots of retained sole and it looks like it is going to come off in enormous chunks pretty soon. Most of Arch's frogs have come off, but the bits by the heels are steadfastly staying put at the moment. I have scabby fetlocks and pasterns to contend with.

 

[Reacher]

Glad Frankie is doing well and wow those photos are fab - wish the photographer lived closer to me, I’d love to have some photos like that taken.

My 2 also had loads of retained sole - in about June I suddenly notice that my welsh x who has good concavity had nearly flat feet - cue panicked messages to trimmer - from photos she said it was retained sole. When she next visited she scraped some off (I know some hho people won’t agree with this) and we have had rain over the last few weeks, the rest of the sole has come off - back to having concave feet - amazing difference,