Hoof Adventures & Other Equine Experiences

My worst fears have come to life...my special Moli has succumbed to the laminitis that she has so valiantly fought for over two years. My heart is heavy today, broken by the loss, but full of comforting memories at the same time. My renewed hope that we may have found an answer to providing some recovery was changed once again to disappointment on Sunday, September 12.  Moli looked comfortable, and was moving well when I released her from the small pen where she gets the portion of her meal that is not to be shared with the others.  She stepped out quickly, excited (as always) to be moving on to the second course...little piles of hay dispersed around the 2.5 acre turn out, the twice daily event that all three of my horses look forward to - like a group of excited children being released for an Easter Egg Hunt.  A couple hours later I glanced out my kitchen window to see her hobbling over to the water trough and my heart sank.  Her movement was worse than I have ev...

There is a strange thing going on in the “pasture” these days.  The standard brown dry dusty dirt lot has more than the random pile of aromatic horse  poop – there is grass growing!  Yup!  Bonified shoots of green stuff, sprouting in happy little clumps all over the 2+ acres that make up the horses’ turn out.  Mostly on what I think of “Moli’s side” of the area, but there are traces throughout.  I’m not talking about blowing in the wind, knee high, ready to bale grass – but there is a definite green hue to the ground.   We have been blessed with an abundance of rain, and I have been trying out a new method of feeding the grass hay portion of the horses’ diet.  Instead of putting the hay in the feeders I am leaving small piles all over the turn out.  I wonder, can grass grow from the small pieces that are left?  Crazy…I spent the first three years we lived here trying to grow a small patch of grass..bought new seed every year, put i...

The up and down, back and forth process of dealing with Laminitis is really wearing me out!  I go from hopeful to despondent to excited and back to dismayed so much – it’s doubtful I could get past a meeting with a psychologist without a recommendation for committal.  :0) I spend so much time looking out the window – or walking SLOWLY across the yard in hopes of getting a glimpse of Moli moving around so I can see if she is comfortable.  “How is she moving today?  Does she look comfortable?  Is she worn out and tired of dealing with this too?  What will I do if I look up and see her take a step in a way that makes my heart sink?”  These questions go through my mind constantly, along with wondering if I am doing right by her.  But then I will go out to see her and her eyes are bright, ears forward, and I hear that nicker – the one that I would like to think means “I’m so glad to see you” but that probably really is… “are you bringing food?” and I ...

I have started riding Moli again and it is very exciting!  There have been several times along the way to recovery that I have thought I would never ride her again.  At the same time I am trying to teach her to collect herself so the work we do both online and while riding will help to build her top line.  She has lost so much muscle structure that she is a bit sway-backed.  I was lucky enough to recently get some time with my friend and horsey guru Jinita – she showed me some stretches and helped me get an idea of how it feels when Moli is carrying herself correctly. This is new to both of us, so let’s just see how far it goes.  So now it is up to us to work through this – Moli has always been a high spirited horse, and carries her head very high – prancing and dancing her way through most rides.  We had started to work on improving her carriage (mental and physical) right before she started having problems.  Trail rides were really getting good and...

Here are some newer pictures of Moli’s feet.  Still can’t see much wall growth, and she is in boots 21 – 22 hrs per day.  She is moving well in the boots, so that is encouraging.  At the time of these pictures I had been walking her just about every day, and Peggy had been too….so she is getting more exercise.   Here is the left front – I’ve been really wondering what to do about the frog – it was pretty much destroyed and had mostly shed, but still has the big pieces in the back.  What is there doesn’t seem to be infected or sore, so I just left it alone.       The right front is still the sorest for her.  The hoof just doesn’t seem to grow much at all – I’m still working on getting it balanced out but it looks much better then it did when Mark came out and so nicely pointed out that I had let it get so out of balance!   Since then I have been riding her (AHHHH!  That is so cool) – it makes me a bit misty ...

The modification on the slow feeder ended up being removal of some of the wire pieces so my holes are a mixture of 2X2, 2X8 and 4X8 in size.  This is pretty much as effective as not having the slow feeder at all, it may take Moli an additional 15 minutes to finish a helping of five pounds of grass.  So, back to the drawing board!  I have another galvanized water tank that is shorter (2ft Wide X 2ft Deep X 4ft long), my plan is to have four of this sized feeder placed in different places around the two or so acres my horses call home.  I’m wondering if that is going to be the right number of feeders to keep them moving around  – but I’m anxious to get it started.  You should have seen the look I got from the guy at the feed store today when I explained my plans, it seems I am always doing something different then everyone else where it comes to horse keeping.  It is a good thing I am passionate about my beliefs that horses are happier and healthier wh...

And finally there is Bucky!  I don’t know what took me so long to get him included in the blog, but he is certainly just as deserving as Moli and Dee.  Bucky is the old man, the baby sitter, and the enforcer of my little herd of three.  A gelding who uses the least amount of energy required for the given task – until his interest is peaked, or his displeasure needs to be understood – then the hidden energy inside of him rises to the top.  As March 1, 2010 marks the beginning of his 19th year – I am presenting a short little photo story that I gathered this evening in the corral. I am the man of this corral, you got a problem with that? Here comes that young filly – gonna have to remind her again that she needs to slow down! Squeeze!  I said SLOW DOWN! That’s right – just keep moving Told you!  (see the tongue?) Not...