Back in the saddle WITH Grace

2012,  


I am back in the saddle!  It feels amazing as now, this time that I am on her and in the arena WITH her she isn't there just BECAUSE  of me (at least I hope and think...)

The inspiration for saying this is our lovely Parelli teacher Vicky who today inspired me with a quote from a disabled rider (of note) who said her "horse is in the arena WITH her not because of" her.

This makes total sense to me now as on (date) Grace walked up to the mounting block, stood there still and calm for me to mount. I got on, sat there for 2 minutes, dismounted and we did it again.  I was so totally excited I had to text Vicki and a few other liveries who knew of our mounting and patience games.  It was a different type of excitement.  Like a kid's excitement.  It's no joke or exaggeration to say I wanted to cry with joy at the sight and feeling of my young horse allowing me to mount her and choosing to be with me rather than moving away from me.

We didn't take any steps forward under saddle and we didn't need to! How great is that?

Can't wait for tomorrow.

Snow, Rain, Sores and a Rash!

February 2013

My poor girl, so big and so head strong yet today not so. She has a rash on her neck which is very hot and clearly very sore.  She is not wimpey but has clearly found the sores very painful to be touched and recoils with muscles shakes as soon as you try to put aloe vera gel anywhere near her.

Tomorrow the vet will come as this is the second body soreness in a week.   I'm hoping it is coincidence but worth getting some bloods taken in case she has a virus poor lass.

Always happens before we humans are about to go on holiday for two weeks.  Agghhh!

No lesson today Parelli or ridden  - both had been booked but she was too sore and there's no agenda more important to me (and probably to Grace) other than her comfort, health and happiness.

P.S. A few days later the bloods weren't that helpful  - looks like her white blood count is low so heavy on the calendular with her for a few days.  Daily malaseb and flamazene the rash is the vets advice im following for a week.

P.P.S.  we had a few days of new lumps appearing - bigger, still sore and then some developed heads as thought bites.  Continued with the treatment and one week later and all turn out rugs washed and turn out resumed.  Phew!  What a year Grace has had so far - all box rest for reasons of weather, waterlogged fields, leg sores and now neck rash!

I think next year she can have Jan and Feb off!  That way no one is disappointed to be not riding or in worried about not being in work.

 

A Smile Speaks A Thousand Words

2012 - June 21^st   

Our friend the equine podiatrist visited today to see my other horse.   During the visit she called in on Grace and saw her feet.  The look on her face was all I needed to see – joy!

It’s important to show the progress to others especially to those whose early comments and concerns about grace’s bull nosed foot were the cause of me setting off to find a fix without really knowing if a fix could be found.

It keeps my faith strong to know that I’m not imagining the progress, nor am I alone.  Others have gone this route before me, following instinct and bucking advice, they have had similar successes and together we will  continue to spread the good word. 

That’s got to be worth it for the future of our horses, their feet and their working lives with us.

Small steps forward

2012, June 9^th

Grace is coming back into work.  4 weeks off to let feet adjust and body muscles settle.  Her back was given the ok last week.  I have a saddle that fits (fitter came to check yesterday).   Now, we start lunge work, get her head into gear and then re-mount.

Lunging for the first time today I could see her back feet-landing heel first.  Don’t know why I could suddenly see it but it was suddenly so clear.

Front feet look like they are floating.  Everything looks light.

Now if only I could get her to stand still at the mounting block!!!  I know what will be our focus at our next Parelli lesson!

Feet! Feet! Feet!

2012, End May

It is challenging not to stop and stare at the feet of every passing horse!  My precision hoof pick always close at hand – flare is a thing of fascination for me.  Apparently ‘flare begets flare’ yet why don’t farriers seem to know this and deal with it? 

My Pete Ramey DVD's are my constant companion so too, any article I can download by KC.

My discussions about feet with Kat are highlights of my month.  She is here every 3 weeks as Grace has been wearing Wraps on her hinds to help her feet be stimulated to grow - Kat is worried I can tell, if our 'stumpy' hind foot will grow properly.  She felt the wraps would give it the best chance so we will see.

I've been walking her daily in her soul mate pads (as recommended back in February) for 20 minutes.  I'm armed with Silvetrasol spray and clean trax for keeping her feet clean and free from bacteria.  It's hard work - I had no idea quite how much time it takes to really properly look after four feet.  Best advise I can give - buy a farrier wire brush but DONT brush your own hand with it - bleeds for days!

Images of reality

2012, April 20th

Here I was with a beautiful new dressage horse; a dream come true all mine - and we've got one stunted back foot, a sore back, spasms, dreadful feet, no shoes and no riding.  Ive argued with the vet, fired one farrier and put another on hold.  I'd also met with one barefoot trimmer and two podiatrists.  Going well wouldn't you say!  How to ruin a horse in four months!

Where to now? I decided to continue barefoot taking comfort from weekly photos of feet!  My new found obsession so I had evidence of progress for myself and for all those 'nay sayers' swept up in the process. 

My plan was to print out the photos in an album so that i had evidence of where we started.  I may also re-x ray in a year's time.

Time for some good news though!  Within one week of removing her front shoes, I noticed two massive changes:  Firstly her stride length seems to have increased - she was walking out bigger and better in hand.  Secondly; she no longer stands with one front leg out in-front of the other.  Within one week, she is standing (most of the time) with her front feet together.  Also, she doesn't weight shift anymore every 1 minute.  Both things I'd been acutely aware of since January, and even taken videos of her moving her weight and front legs in the stable. Suddenly this was gone!

The sad thing is that its now made me realise that Sol who we put to sleep 2 years earlier who also used to stand like Grace was, probably just needed to go barefoot.  To think that after hock tests, lameness tests, and goodness knows what else the vets did for Sol, no shoes might have been the fix.  Why oh why don't vets and farriers suggest this - what harm can it do after all?

It is too early to be optimistic that i've taken the right path with Grace and her feet, but already I am amazed at how well she is coping and seems comfortable.  Of course she's going up to the field wearing protective cavallo boots due to the tarmac shards up the field track.

Ive also now found myself an equine podiatrist Kat Jay - who the angels must have sent me as she trained with KC La Pierre - the guru of my holiday reading.  It must be a sign! 

The beginning of a blind journey

2012 -  a bleak February

whilst on holiday...

While on holiday I requested another livery's vet to take foot X rays of Grace as he was on the yard to do the same for her horse.

The results of which I got back after my holiday set me on a journey I was only just finding out about - funnily enough while on holiday.  That journey is that of the equine Barefoot journey.

The results of the X rays accoding to the other vet who took them were "nothing of note" or " to be worried about" especially compared to the results of the other horse on the yard whose feet were x rayed the same day.

Mid March

My vet was here to give my three horses their annual booster vaccinations.

Whilst here, I asked him to look at the X Rays which I had in film format.  He did so and a heated debate began.

Apparently Grace has flat P3s even in her hind feet (which had been bare for at least 10 months that I know of) and in his opinion "she'll be at Lip hook veterinary hospital having suspensory surgery" within 2 years unless I put shoes on her hinds and jack her heels up all round.

My head was reeling.  Shock. Disbelief.  I managed to get out the words that in my view that would be a backwards step. My vet expressed confusion at my comments as not understanding my perspective.  Having explained that 2 bare feet to non was a clear backwards step. To which he replied that "90% of horses in the UK are shod".  Of course if i hadn't been so consumed with anger (whose the client here running through my head) I'd of told him that was because 90% of horse owners don't know any different and until 4 weeks earlier I was one of them.

As if that wasn't enough the vet told me I had to get shoes on asap and wanted Pete a remedial farrier he recommended to be there that weekend.   Wow! Rug pulled right out from under my feet.

March 14th

It's funny isn't it how scared you can feel when you are up against an 'expert' who is bullying you into a course of action.

The remedial farrier came and I liked him - he even picked up stuff from the vet for me.  We watched Grace walk.  We talked 'angles' and he took measurements so far so good.  I couldn't bring myself to give him permission to shoe the hinds, but he did re-shoe the front feet.

So Grace had new shoes on fronts with a new farrier who was polite, enthusiastic, keen and took time with us both, explaining what he was doing.  We arranged to re-visit a month later.

Gait Analysis

February and early March were not great months for Grace and I.  Grooming her she would kick out with her left hind.  She was spasming badly around her sacrum illiac.  Sarah Jane agreed with me we shouldn't ride her like this and I was to get a saddle fitter or back person or both in.

Essy's iridoligist recommended I have her gait analysed and recommended a couple she knew who were currently training as equine podiatrists.  They came and did the gait analysis.  It revealed nothing odd or out of place in her gait.  They were both very interested in how her left hind however was looking - stumped, dwarf and very irregular.  They recommended soul mate pads and walking her in them.  Over the next 2 weeks, they continued to call and we talked.  They were keen to 'take Grace on' but she too was headstrong and bullying me and I said no.  I was feeling very unclear about which way to go and increasingly alone. 


April 15th

A day tattoo'd in my memory - Grace came in from the field having lost a front shoe. She had two days to go before being re-shod.

As many horse owners know, if you don't want your horse to be un-level one shoe on one shoe off, then you do as I did and remove the remaining front shoe.

The picture of what I saw beneath that shoe will be forever embedded in my mind.  Of course I have photos although sadly not as clear as I have become used to taking.  But, at this point I had no idea still what was ahead of us.

For two days I stressed, worried, read, investigated barefoot transitions.  Rockley farm blog and website become my under arm bible.  I spoke to numerous barefoot practitioners.  Everyone said 'go barefoot' but get the diet right and get the terrain /environment right.  It was all feeling overwhelming.  My reaction?  Lots of tears. I cried.  Never felt so alone and so at risk of ruing my lovely new horse - whichever way I went - according to all the 'experts'.

In the end I decided to cancel the farrier who was due two days later.  I made up an excuse.  I bought myself some time.  The only thing that i could do was stare at her feet and see the truth before me. Two very broken feet with no structure or health and aged 6.  This is how they looked when vet and farrier were recommending more shoeing....

  Have you ever seen under run heels like this?  On a 6 year old?  There is nothing positive in this foot except it's still attached to her leg somehow!