Boggle- USA bound!

Michen said:
Ah no my concern is really just not letting it turn into a total dry lot for the owners, aesthetically. I think brown is fine but I don’t want it to go totally to dirt. As I’d like to be able to stay as long as I can!
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I assume it doesn’t help that you have a load of elk sometimes eating it all? Could always blame them!
 
Christ Dusty is definitely not a dobbin 🤣 first hack for three weeks ish. Trotted right out of the barn as far as I could to get him thinking forward and he was very fiery and screamy! No napping though and did settle.

Not keen on his stance, he’s been standing with one foreleg in front of the other (not the same leg every time). His feet are a real challenge and I think I’m going to put some front shoes on and see if that helps, one of his heels is so crushed I think it needs taking back right to some straight horn tubules. I would prefer to keep him barefoot but want to see if he stands better/is more comfortable in shoes. Hoping with longer on good nutrition etc he will then be in a better position to be barefoot, I dunno. Obviously I want to crack on with him too and see if he’s going to stand up to anything, and what that may be, whether he stays with me or goes to someone else.

He seems sound, on a small circle etc but… hmmm. Suggestions welcome though!


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Yeh I guess it’s whether shoes make him more comfortable or not. He’s not footy, given he has flat feet and rubbish soles he’s very good over stones etc. booting for hacking though.
 
Scoot boots with pads might help for hacking? Or if you already have boots for him, just put some pads in those? Something like Easy Care pads, they form to their feet and just give a bit of support.

What a lovely threesome they make! Time to just relax a bit and just enjoy them all 🥰
 
I would be tempted to try hoof armour too. It def helps with my thin flat soled mare who is currently booted for t/o whilst we transition from mush in the fields to rock solid ground!! She’s done very well on hoof armour and it keeps her barefoot, with shoes always more of a challenge for her tendency to grow a long toe and contract at the heels.
 
he’s comfy hacking in boots. And he’s not footy without boots in field or anything. It’s the stance when he’s at rest I don’t like. Suggests pain in the back of the hoof and I just wonder if some shoes with good heel support may help short term.
 
Michen said:
he’s comfy hacking in boots. And he’s not footy without boots in field or anything. It’s the stance when he’s at rest I don’t like. Suggests pain in the back of the hoof and I just wonder if some shoes with good heel support may help short term.
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What do shoes actually support though? What's more supportive about the heels standing on metal than standing on the ground?

They'll raise his frog out of weight bearing and if it's his frog that's sore that will make him look sounder. But in raising the frog of the floor you will prevent the action of the pressure on the floor that builds up the heel and the digital cushion. And by doing that, you will prevent him healing any soft tissue injuries inside his feet, which could well be the cause of the foot being pushed forward.

It's not abnormal to stand like that with the head low, especially when grazing. If only work about it if he does it consistently when he's standing up alert.
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ycbm said:
What do shoes actually support though? What's more supportive about the heels standing on metal than standing on the ground?

They'll raise his frog out of weight bearing and if it's his frog that's sore that will make him look sounder. But in raising the frog of the floor you will prevent the action of the pressure on the floor that builds up the heel and the digital cushion. And by doing that, you will prevent him healing any soft tissue injuries inside his feet, which could well be the cause of the foot being pushed forward.

It's not abnormal to stand like that with the head low, especially when grazing. If only work about it if he does it consistently when he's standing up alert.
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Yes I know that stance when eating is fine but he does it when just dozing although not that extreme but still not normal. It’s not all the time.

I guess I figured if we cut that heal back to straight then shoes may make him comfortable short term. The toe needs taking right back but again hard to do because he doesn’t have the strength at the back to support. It’s so squished and just doesn’t seem to be improving. I’m going to see what the farrier thinks when he comes, maybe a different trim will suffice.

His feet were so bad when rescued they were basically curled, so it’ll be a long haul to get anything decent.

I just can’t seem to get his condition great. He’s ribby but pot bellied. So I can’t imagine his feet are great nutrition wise either.
 
Michen said:
Yes I know that stance when eating is fine but he does it when just dozing although not that extreme but still not normal. It’s not all the time.

I guess I figured if we cut that heal back to straight then shoes may make him comfortable short term. The toe needs taking right back but again hard to do because he doesn’t have the strength at the back to support. It’s so squished and just doesn’t seem to be improving. I’m going to see what the farrier thinks when he comes, maybe a different trim will suffice.

His feet were so bad when rescued they were basically curled, so it’ll be a long haul to get anything decent.

I just can’t seem to get his condition great. He’s ribby but pot bellied. So I can’t imagine his feet are great nutrition wise either.
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Ribby but pot belly to me could be worms or quality of what he's eating forage wise. That said, the pot belly should also go the fitter he gets. It can take months and months to get a horse right with the background he has so don't panic just yet!

Also just a thought - if his feet were that bad they curled, hobbling around would have had a direct impact on his back, which could also explain the lack of fitness/muscle tone/pot belly. Poor chap is probably having to learn how to stand up all over again.
 
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teapot said:
Ribby but pot belly to me could be worms or quality of what he's eating forage wise. That said, the pot belly should also go the fitter he gets. It can take months and months to get a horse right with the background he has so don't panic just yet!

Also just a thought - if his feet were that bad they curled, the impact on his back would also explain the lack of fitness/muscle tone/pot belly. Poor chap is probably having to learn how to stand up all over again.
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Yep totally. That’s why I started soooo slow with him even with the groundwork, 10 mins and built up 5 mins each time.

He is getting tons of good quality forage alfalfa/hay, same as Bog who looks amazing. He is due worming though!

I’m hoping the hacking will really help!
 
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Had a quick look at bog on a trot circle and he actually looks a reasonable amount more free in his movement. And disposition wise he’s certainly rallied.

For now all is calmer and better and I feel happy that I get a little more time with him to spoil him rotten.

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Michen said:
Yes I know that stance when eating is fine but he does it when just dozing although not that extreme but still not normal. It’s not all the time.

I guess I figured if we cut that heal back to straight then shoes may make him comfortable short term. The toe needs taking right back but again hard to do because he doesn’t have the strength at the back to support. It’s so squished and just doesn’t seem to be improving. I’m going to see what the farrier thinks when he comes, maybe a different trim will suffice.

His feet were so bad when rescued they were basically curled, so it’ll be a long haul to get anything decent.

I just can’t seem to get his condition great. He’s ribby but pot bellied. So I can’t imagine his feet are great nutrition wise either.
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I can totally relate to Dusty his stance is very much like Arabi when his been out of work and I call it his belly drop, I've had people say his fat! No his not fat his core muscles have given up, I know when Arabi was fit showing and in proper work he didn't look like that.

I do pole work carrot stretches and lateral work in hand and it's strange he is so supple but if I don't keep it it up he sags.

I will take some pictures of Arabi tomorrow and show you he has a very prominent rib cage it's all to do with posture and you sort of have to train them not to stand or be like that.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I can totally relate to Dusty his stance is very much like Arabi when his been out of work and I call it his belly drop, I've had people say his fat! No his not fat his core muscles have given up, I know when Arabi was fit showing and in proper work he didn't look like that.

I do pole work carrot stretches and lateral work in hand and it's strange he is so supple but if I don't keep it it up he sags.

I will take some pictures of Arabi tomorrow and show you he has a very prominent rib cage it's all to do with posture and you sort of have to train them not to stand or be like that.
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Even with a foreleg forward at rest/not eating? I think it’s relatively new though, I feel like I’d have noticed if he was doing that before…
 
Most horses will favour a front foot forward grazing or rest its just how it is, just like people will always be left or right handed its the same.

But posture with horses I looked into massively because of Arabi he sometimes stood a bit awkward, but he has to move around I know that now I will never box rest him ever again.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Most horses will favour a front foot forward grazing or rest its just how it is, just like people will always be left or right handed its the same.
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Sorry, this isn't true of a horse stood with its head up, and it's often a key sign of pain in the foot. Most horses stood with their heads up will stand with the front legs pretty much square even if they are resting a back one.

I hope M is over worrying, and it may "just be Dusty", but she's right to question it.

Meanwhile, aren't they just glorious photos - and what is wrong with Bog having a tete-a-tete with TWO other horses, never mind one!
 
ycbm said:
Sorry, this isn't true of a horse stood with its head up, and it's often a key sign of pain in the foot. Most horses stood with their heads up will stand with the front legs pretty much square even if they are resting a back one.

I hope M is over worrying, and it may "just be Dusty", but she's right to question it.

Meanwhile, aren't they just glorious photos - and what is wrong with Bog having a tete-a-tete with TWO other horses, never mind one!
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I never said its normal with their head up obviously if they are just stood and pointing a toe in front that's not normal 😊

I probably didn't word it very well had a few glasses if wine last night.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I never said its normal with their head up obviously if they are just stood and pointing a toe in front that's not normal 😊

I probably didn't word it very well had a few glasses if wine last night.
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No worries, I thought people would interpret "rest" as standing still with the head up and just wanted to clarify. I've got a very interesting picture of my first ever navicular case a couple of months before he went lame, it's been a red light for me ever since.
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ycbm said:
No worries, I thought people would interpret "rest" as standing still with the head up and just wanted to clarify. I've got a very interesting picture of my first ever navicular case a couple of months before he went lame, it's been a red light for me ever since.
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Hi Ycbm, would it be okay to see these photos? I am quite interested in learning more about diseases, conditions and rehabilitation of horses thank you
 
toppedoff said:
Hi Ycbm, would it be okay to see these photos? I am quite interested in learning more about diseases, conditions and rehabilitation of horses thank you
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At the risk of hijacking Michen's thread, this horse was performing brilliantly and is about to storm around a 12 mile fun ride full of hunt jumps. About 2 months later he was lame on a circle on hard ground, diagnosed with "navicular" which at the time was believed to be a bone disease. These days we know from MRI that it's almost always soft tissue issues. This stance is typical of a horse with pain in the back half of the foot, known as caudal hoof pain. A great place to go to spot this is anywhere that uses carriage horses for tourist rides. There will always be one or two in the ranks.

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And two on the same page just from a quick Google of Schonbrunn Palace. I was there 3 weeks ago and there was one absolute shocker and a couple of others around 10 horses.

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ycbm said:
No worries, I thought people would interpret "rest" as standing still with the head up and just wanted to clarify. I've got a very interesting picture of my first ever navicular case a couple of months before he went lame, it's been a red light for me ever since.
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I knew a horse years ago he would stand with his front legs almost crossed whilst eating hay or stood in the stable.

He had navicular as well.
 
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