sweet horse's breath

A wee bit of a scare...

2012-01-25T18:09:00.003-05:00

I say a "wee bit of a scare" but if you saw me, you would have seen a girl in M.E.L.T.D.O.W.N. mode.

The weather being warm, left the pastures soft and wet wet wet, then it turned cold so all the lumpy ground is frozen rock solid and uneven in a lot of spots.

That, in combination of trimming Laz about a week ago, I *think* left him a little vulnerable in the tender hoof department.

When I arrived at the barn, I saw all three horses standing together, resting.

I called Laz over, which he usually promptly walks over licking his lips (knowing his BP is waiting for him) only this time he short strided and hobbled over walking like he was walking on broken glass.

WHAT the F!?

I felt for an increase in his digital pulse (none), I felt for heat (none) but then, as he stood by me now eating his BP, he started shifting his weight back and forth from left hind to right hind, over and over again. Favoring his gilded leg o' strength, his Left Hind that usually never hurts him.

Images of sweet Barbaro came sweeping into mind

I about passed out.

WHAT is going on here?!

Is he having another laminitic attack???

Why?

NOTHING has changed and we've been doing SO WELL for so long!

Is it just sore feet from hard ground?

Why the shifting?
I saw the cliff of worry and felt myself launching over the steepest side.

THANK god I have an amazing trimmer and my supportive family who not only knows Laz like I do, talks me down from the cliff.

I placed his Equine slipper with a thick pad on his Left Hind which is usually his good foot, but was the one, he kept favoring. I listened to him, resisting my temptation to boot the typical sore foot, and booted that, said my million prayers to Horse Buddha and just waited until today.

(**he ate/drank, acted the same so no big behavioral changes other than noted)

***

He was better today

EXHALE

Still walked gingerly, oh yea, but no more weight shifting from left hind to right hind.

Whew. Whew. Whew.

Per my trimmer; I soaked his Left Hind in Epsom and warm water for about 35 minutes.

I then put his Easy boots with pads on his hinds.
He walked much more comfortably.

So, I have a theory.

It could be 100000% wrong, but it could be a little right.

I don't know but being barefoot, er Laz being barefoot has me thinking of bare hooves all the time.

So, chime in my hoof nerds!!!

Am I seeing bruising at his heels and areas that we removed the overlaying bars?

I think it's best viewed on his club foot; his right front but he has new bruises on all four.

Now, Laz shows extreme pleasure when his bars are removed during trimming.
I'm all for the removable of bars, especially since he's on a grass, dirt lot that can't remove them by himself. I wonder if timing of a trim, with the ground being soft, and then rock hard made those newly trimmed areas a bit vulnerable?

Thoughts? Input?

OR is red bruising like this a sign of something different??

It's been a LONG road of barefoot transitioning, but I know since June we've been on a great great regrowth path. I just hate seeing him walk in ouchy steps.
I know some of you think "PUT SHOES ON!!" but for us, it won't help him out in the long run.

FRONT LEFT

LEFT HIND

CLUB FOOT; RIGHT FRONT

This is where the red is seen the clearest...so strange and bothersome

RIGHT HIND

Eesh, can a Gelding catch a break here?

"Mmnonnmmm hay yumms, gym shoez feel gud"

On a great note, I don't think (pray pray pray) he's having another laminitic attack

and he was 1000% an angel when putting on those UN-Easy Boots.

Bless him!

Head banger's ball

2012-01-20T17:13:00.002-05:00

I'm still clueless at how Laz hurt himself, although thanks to a possible 'maybe' by Jenj I am now wondering if he did indeed walk under a low branch and whacked himself.

Or got kicked?
Or 10,00000000 other possibilities. ;)

The last couple of days, I've checked on him and treated the area

THIS was huge.

He allowed me to touch it, lightly, but allowed. He still is telling me it hurts and is sensitive around the star and oddly, around his left ear he seems to pull away.
I can touch his ear, in and all around, with no adverse reactions. It's when I approach his star from the left ear that he jerks away.

So strange isn't it?

No HUGE gaping wound, but you can see the scrape to the right of his moonstar and where the blood trickled down towards his left eye.

A wound like this, I wouldn't even think twice about HOWEVER, it was HIS reaction to it that told me it HURT.

There is no swelling, everything looks symmetrical and no new sensitive parts.

So, hopefully in a few days, it'll be a none issue.

He allows me to halter him, he just is sensitive about touching around star/treating it.

I typically use my favorite salve by Zephyrs Garden, which amazingly stays soft even in bitter cold weather and heals wounds super fast. However, being Laz wouldn't allow me to touch it, I needed something spray-able to treat quick, AND safe for around his eyes in case it dripped.

So, I went to my feed store and bought the $$$ holy water. I figured it was less expensive that a vet visit and I don't really think my vet could do anything different than what I'm doing (hopefully I'm right with this thought)

With feeding some of his 'grain' I was able to spray the dickens out of his forehead for the last two days. I think it's helping.

And in fun award news, Laz and I got this;

Liebster means “dearest” in German, and the award is intended to help up-and-coming blogs get the attention they deserve. Here are the rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on our blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who gave us the award----Thank you to Allison and Shy!!!! If you haven't been reading about Shy, do it; so often I found myself laughing at how adorable and mischievous she is.

Guess what, she's a dollface Haffie who knows how to DRIVE..fun! I'm thinking skijoring is in their future!

3. Pick our five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers, and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.

Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs

My 5 blogs that I would TOTALLY recommend for both awesome horse owners/do-er's and for their adorable horses:

1. http://milesonmiles.blogspot.com/

2. http://dressagewannabes.blogspot.com/

3. http://enzo-janine.blogspot.com/

4. http://quartersforme.blogspot.com/

5. http://honeysucklefaire.blogspot.com/

Horsei

2012-01-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

Dear Laz

What is cutting your sweet, beautiful face?
You have had 3 cuts all around the same section of your face approximately 4 inches from your star.

Today, when I visited you, and groomed you, you were dramatically head shy.

You are NEVER head/ear/anything shy.

My stomach instantly sank.

I lifted your fuzzy fragglerock bangs and found dried blood on your normally white star.

Ohhhh Babykins, I cooed...

When I tried to wipe away the dried blood with a wet cloth to clean and treat, you told me "PLEASE...PLEASE do not touch." and lifted your normally pressing nose into my jacket, way up in the air out of any 7 ft reach.

Ugh, my stoic boy who let's me touch and treat anything...how bad does it hurt?

How did you do this?

Where you rough housing with your friends?

Did you bang it on something?
Were you kicked?

Do I call the vet (it's after 6 pm)

What would they do anyway? No open wound, nothing to stitch...sedate?? For what?

Ok, breathe...

You don't want me touching it yet.

Ok.

You ate your BP just fine and are nibbling your hay

Good signs.

You are warm.

I will come back tomorrow to try and treat it again and figure out how this happens as I don't see anything sticking out, anything with tufts of fur on it..and I've been looking.

BO's too can't figure it out and haven't seen anything that Laz is doing to cause harm.

Both are kind people and one is a small animal Vet so there is no foul play (just wanted to rule that out as a culprit)

If only, I had my "Horsei" prototype, I could view online the last 24 hours to try and see what caused this.

What is the "Horsei?"

To view and vote for my invention, click HERE

I can't tell you how many times I wished for this product to be real

Patent pending...

For reals.

Winter Workouts Part 2

2012-01-18T19:03:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday it was low 20's and just beautifully sunny!

I had actually blanketed Laz the night before. The temps had dropped to around 13 degrees with high winds so I figured he would appreciate his winter blanket.

In all actuality, he would have been fine without it.

I'm S.L.O.W.L.Y trying to be 100% natural vs my knee jerk reaction of knitting Laz a head to toe pajama set with matching hoof mittens.

At any rate; I decided to work him out a bit. His energy level was up so he seemed game.

The cut on his back still showed some signs of 'ouch' so still no riding.

I brought Laz out to one of the Spring pastures where the grass was left long so it's nice and cushy for footing. Not icy or slick.

We started with BIG circles of walking...

Allowing him to warm up and stretch out

And moved into a nice little trot
Lots of snorts, head lowering and neck stretching...

He gave some great fluid moments of very sound looking trots!

HOORAH!

Using his back..

Mixed it up with walk, slow trot...

extending his trot a bit..

Then, he started to get really fired up.

Not in a "I'm having FUN way" but more of a frantic mixed with pushy OTTB way

He got a little rude and unruly

Started to blow up and yank away at the lunge line, buck and gallop around.
PS I HATE my lunge line..I want a heavier rope one. This one is so flimsy, craptastic and just blows in the wind.

"LEEEMMMMEEEE GOOOOOOOO"

Bucking around

Then trying to evade my 'reverse' request which promptly got him yanked back down to a WHOA and we started over.

Mental check; HI, put your brain back in your head.

and right back to a CALM trot

Which when he went to canter a bit by choice instead of the harder gait of a trot...I wondered "maybe he's trying to tell me, ENOUGH trotting"

With rehabbing, it's so important to listen to your horse.
Laz is pretty smart and has a great work ethic, so I think I may have missed his ask of "OK, enough." It may have been enough mentally, it may have been enough physically. He is NOT a lazy boy, so if he seems like it's enough, it's because he's already given me 110%

It was just a vibe I got.

So, we switched to walking on the lunge for 10 minutes of good behavior, and then back to hand walking and my sweet boy returned.

Due to the fact, that even after 35 minutes of walking, Laz was still a tiny bit damp, I sheeted him. The temps were to drop back in the teens with some high winds so I wanted to shield him a bit. I yanked the sheet off the next morning and he still remains...NUDE!
Weather currently is low 20's...I may opt to blanket him Thursday when weather will drop down to 10 with winds.

We had a trim Monday evening with our awesome farrier and all hoof things are looking great!

Winter Workouts part 1

2012-01-15T19:25:00.004-05:00

Despite not riding (I'll get to that in a minute) Laz and I have been VERY busy.

I don't know how, but I've been making it to the barn 6-7 days a week.

It's GLORIOUS!

Some days, when I'm on the road for work, my day ends with an appointment just 15 minutes away from the barn, so off I go!

Sunset pulling into barn, just peaceful

The deer that hide along the far end of the pasture.

I have been enjoying this mild winter SO much!

Sunny and blue skies in January? WHAT?
Yes, please!

Who needs an indoor??? Not us

Unfortunately, Laz has a bit or a cut on his back. It's not a bad cut by any means, but it IS directly where one's bottom would sit when riding.

So...being he was showing me he was tender around it, I figured it was also bruised a bit.
Ok, no problem.

Ground work only for a good few days as it heals

My Pops giving Laz (who is too busy stuffing his face to pose) some love

One this day, it was so warm out, I didn't worry that naked Laz was getting rained on. It was almost 40 degrees with no wind.

Shiny boy all dressed for winter with no winter weather...yet.

Another day, we did some of our Parelli games and 'touch it's'

Laz LOVES touch it.

"I touch dis"

"I touch dat"

"Halo?!! Anyones???"

Good boys get to munch on grass nibs after our mental work

***

On this day, the weather was low 30's, high 20's with little wind.

Laz still sans blanket and TOASTY warm

We worked on some games with him loose, or at Liberty

We had some nice moments of him listening and relaxed...

But more moments of him ambling around and ignoring me, lol!

It's ok. It's honest and tells me we have a long way to go and we are not at that level.

I think it's fun to let go of expectations and see what your horse knows and doesn't.

"I donseee u"

But a good boy comes back, AND we are working on our very own "War Horse" whistle

Move over Joey.....

Laz's coat has really turned into something great.

Thick, shiny with great oils

It almost seems waterproof at times

Eating his BP mix and remaining naked

When I worry he'll be chilled, I stuff the hay bag which carries him over to dinner time.

No shortage of food here

And Mason has been enjoying hitting the barn more often...zzzzzzz

Horse Insurance?

2012-01-04T13:10:00.004-05:00

I thought I would ask this question to you all out in the horse blog'o'sphere;

"Can I and should I get Horse Insurance?"

Is it too late for us? Was I to buy it as soon as I purchased/rescued Laz? I know that would have been best, but I didn't so I'm trying to think for our future.
Can he be insured to help alleviate some of the typical vet bills and any future issues, such as scoping for ulcers, surgery, etc (knocking on wood!)

Do you have your horse insured and what company did you choose and why?
What is a typical plan to look for?
What are typical cost/deductibles/rates?
I've called a few companies and they seem to really vary.

Thanks!!

2012 goals

2012-01-03T13:27:00.001-05:00

Riding on New Year's Eve 2011...what is more perfect than that?!

Um, nothing.

Last year our 2011 goals are listed HERE

I'm SO happy to report, we accomplished A LOT on our list just organically

A brief over view of goals from 2011:

1. Take Laz on a fun, stress free, successful Trail ride

**MEGA CHECK**

2. Take Laz swimming

**MEGA CHECK**

He and I, SO enjoyed this fun day, thanks again to my fabulous trimmer for this special trail riding day!

3. Learn more about hoof health-CHECK (still checking/learning)

And I'm getting little more comfortable doing in between trims, with my rasp MYSELF.

Now I need a set of knives...beware!!!! ;)

4. Continuing with giving Laz all he can take in terms of healing-CHECK

I am always revamping this

5. Work on OUR confidence issues-CHECK

Always in work with this and communication is key!

6. To road ride alone-CHECK

7. To speak up for my horse's health when my gut says something is off-CHECK

8. This wasn't on my list, but I taught Laz how to "SMILE" on cue-CHECK

***I also had 3 dream goals that I did not achieve; show with Laz-NOT YET, have xrays that showed a perfect hoof-NOT YET, work on our canter and lead changes, correct leads-NOT YET, jump an X rail-NOT YET

2012 GOALS list!

#1-Continue to keep Laz healthy, happy and healing

#2-Strive to get Laz more sound

(duh) and when so; develop a mean muscle machine

(these 2 goals alone have MANY layers to them)

#3-Ride in Kensington Park frequently, on all three horse trails (19 miles worth) at separate times, either with groups or just Laz and I.

This will entail us hand walking a mile to the park (I dont own a trailer and riding him down the narrow dirt road where people LOVE to speed may be a no-no plus crossing a major 2 lane)

#4-Teach Laz to come to me at a whistle

(War Horse inspired..must do this!)

Trick training is fun when your horse has lame days (weeks/months-grrr) and challenges their brains in different ways. In general I want to do more ground work, mental games with him as it's TOTALLY helped him develop some major confidence and that translates beautifully in our riding.

#5-Work on my fitness so I'm a stronger rider

(Yoga, Cardio, Strength training) ugh..but now I'm holding myself accountable.

#6. Keeping learning more about barefoot trimming.

I'm a visual learner, so when I do something like rasping, etc it helps me understand SO much better. I'm thankful that my trimmer is so patient with me and encourages me to play with Laz's hooves.

**Dream goals from 2011 will carry over to 2012**

Here's to another FUN year of goals!

Yikes-Pale face alert!!!

Gorgeous gelding alert!

HAPPY 2012 TO YOU ALL!!!

Part time weather girl

2011-12-27T19:01:00.001-05:00

Anyone else feel like since owning horses; you become OBSESSED with weather?
Will it rain? What are the wind speeds? How much will it dip tonight?

I think when you have your horse out 24/7 and try to leave them be as natural as possible, having correct weather information is super important.

I have two weather apps on my phone that I check several times daily in the town that I board Laz in. I love to know what he's experiencing and I try to cater things to that.

Throw more hay today? Offer a rain sheet? Allowing extra grooming time.

That sort of thinking....any of you do the same?

This winter has been especially odd.

Warmer than normal but it's starting to change over...

I've allowed Laz's coat to grow in with NO clipping it.

It's been so great for those days 20 degrees-40.

Above 40 and he's been hot, poor guy. On Monday, he was actually wet on spots on his neck and armpits. It was around 43 and after our 25 minute hand walk, he worked up a little sweat. I cooled him down and towel dried him. Now I KNOW why so many of you clip when you are able to RIDE RIDE RIDE your horses. I couldn't ride Laz in an hour of real work, with this teddy bear coat. He'd be sweaty like crazy.
Luckily for us our timing is OK, allowing him to regenerate his hoof with minimal work means I can keep his natural fur coat in tact. It also means, I haven't had to throw on a sheet more than a couple of times.

Except a couple times this week

Winds were supposed to be around 23 mph and with the wet snow, I figured he'd be ok with his waterproof uninsulated sheet on.

He was WET when I got there, so it took a good 20 minutes to towel dry him off.
But, he was WARM

"Rubz me"

I still second guessed myself...I really think I could have left him without a sheet on and he'd be fine, but I figured since I'd be in the area, to yank it off the following morning; that I'd put it on.

It's a delicate balance of making them TOO warm vs leaving them vulnerable.

I think below shows me what he thinks of me sheeting him

And for us "Hoof Nerds" some new shots of his right hind.

You can see the bar (dirt line) showing where it WANTS to fold over onto sole.

That is what my trimmer wants to prevent and we'll assess at our next appointment.

There is better concavity showing at the white line seems to S.L.O.W.L.Y look better, as does bruising

Any hoof thoughts, suggestions, advice or questions?

Lastly, I had a great ride (walk mostly with some trotting) this past week.
What stuck out the most, was Laz was distracted and slightly giraffe like over to the corner of the riding pasture over by the woods. Then I felt his heart BOOM BOOM BOOM and we turned to face what he was so intently wanting to look at. Over in the woods, were about seven deer about 50 ft away.

As we stopped, five of them flagged their white tails and took off running

I thought this would send Laz into a spook or bolt, but he stood still, watched while his heart pounded away. Brave boy! I patted him and he instantly took a sigh of breath. It's in his instinct to run, as he saw the other flight animals do, but he chose to think it through and listened to me instead. I've found with Laz, if I allow him to look, it makes for a better result. If I push him to ignore ignore, he gets frustrated and won't listen. One look, one pause and he accepts it and goes back to work.

I was VERY proud of him for keeping his wits.

Can you see the two Does?

Such beautiful animals

Tonight I also threw his sheet on.

High winds of around 30 mph and temps in the low 30's that feel like 20's.

Tomorrow evening, it's supposed to drop into the low teens with even higher winds and I may opt to put on his winter insulated blanket for the night.

Day by day the blanket dance continues, Ha!

Making connections

2011-12-27T14:51:00.005-05:00

I feel our Chiro visit was a bit of a "YES" moment. I've been obsessed over Laz's club recently and more so the way he moved that leg; chipped, stumbled, short strided, etc. My trimmer and I have trimmed and trimmed and tried to adjust it the best we could, but something was missing. Perhaps, that puzzle piece was just given to us by my Chiro.

Dr. W mentioning that Laz suffered quite a hard fall (possibly) on his right shoulder by all the scar tissue he felt and how Laz was tense all through his right side, too tight even with his laminitis past history, would cause him to use that leg differently.

Doing our new stretches says something too. Laz strongly reacts to it. He stiffens a bit for the first few stretches and then totally relaxes and shows huge signs of release.

Ahhhhh.

Hmmmm

At any rate; here is a video of his trot (still off of course) from yesterday

to compare with this past November, right before I had vet out to examine his Right Hind sole, etc

It seems something is working. His sole is hardening, growing (visually I can tell) and I think the adjustment really helped loosen his shoulder.

Chiro is coming back Feb 9th and I can't wait :)

I'm over the moon to see Laz moving better and feeling better

And below, thanks to one of our dear friends who is a talented photographer;

Our Holiday Christmas Family Ecard that we sent out

I can't tell you how special this photo is to me.

Hope your Holidays were great and filled with fur :)

Chiro/Acupuncture visit #1

2011-12-22T17:26:00.001-05:00

For Laz's Xmas present, I decided to give him his Chiro appointment with our new DVM Chiropractor.

It was our first time using Dr. W and WOW, we were both super happy and impressed.

In general, he was a very kind man, asked me questions about Laz/his history, made sure I understood what he was doing, answered my questions and then showed me what I could do with Laz after our treatment to keep him moving, supple.

Dr. W thought that in Laz's past he had a hard fall on his right shoulder.
Back in his racing days, he thought, by the old build up of scar tissue. He should me the difference in range of motion between the two shoulders, before and after. Wow. The right was SO locked up and then after could move quite a bit better, although not as great as left. In time it will and with the exercises he wants me to do to both of his shoulders.

He wants me to take his leg, hold his pastern and ankle with my arms and use my body/legs/arms to slowly lift his shoulder up into his withers. Do that a few times before our ride and after, each side to help his should range and muscle release.

He really felt this was an injury older and unrelated to his laminitis.

Interesting.

He also adjusted his back/pelvic area. He said his whole right side, from TMJ jawline down his body to his back hip was off. After a few, pop POP pops and gentle torques, Laz was a total noodle.

Dr. W asked if Laz ever tries to buck me off. I laughed and said "NEVER!" and he laughed and said "Well, then he's being nice to you." based on how bad his back was. I told him I ride bareback and he figured that was better for now and probably why he wasn't trying to buck me off. Ha! Can you imagine. I asked if I shouldn't be riding and he said "No..ride away and the best thing to keep a back supple and in good shape is TROT TROT TROT." So, when we get that RH feeling better, we will put that back in our game plan. I miss trotting, but for now he just too off to trot around.

The last Chiro visit he had with a different Chiro did NOT go well. He kicked and humped out in pain.

This time he did not. Dr. W also just used his hands, no tools, which seemed to be much more comfortable to Laz as well.

Laz's heart was POUNDING while he worked on his back and then he let out a HUGE siiiiiigh.

It was crazy cool. Dr. W also showed me how flexible and bouncy the back/spine was after the adjustment. Laz just held himself differently.

I'm wondering so much now; his right side/shoulder being held in so tight, could be why his club foot won't quite drop down. Hmmmmmmm, maybe.

After the adjustment, I mentioned "I read that you do acupuncture..." and he replied "Yep and we'll do some today!" Eeks, YES!

So, he twisted in a few needles at his neck/should area, and along his lower back/pelvic area and asked me if I knew why. It was cool. I said to allow the energy out?

He basically stated it was like re-setting the body. Releases the pain, like unblocking a locked pain to allow to flow through and out.

After that, through the needles he gave Laz shots of B12 which I knew can help 'hold' the adjustments.

It was WAY cool and great to watch.

He asked if I was happy with what he did, etc. I told him if I based it off my droopy, yawing, releasing horse, then YES!!!

We talked a lot about the holistic things I do for Laz, his past history, etc and he seemed to think this will really help Laz out quickly.

We have our next appointment in early Feb and I may have him work on Mason too!

Overall, I think a great present for Laz who seemed soooo comfortable throughout and especially afterwards. I'm going back in the morning to check on him to make sure he's still acting ok.

When I was pulling out of driveway, he was chasing his buddy around the pasture.

A pretty great sign.

LoverFaces

2011-12-19T21:38:00.001-05:00

"You smellz nice"

"Kiss it"

"mmm....k"

SLURP!

"Heeey! Too muchs!"

These boys have been PLAYING so much!

Such mouthy geldings.

Grab, nip, pull, tug, tag

It's amazing they have any fur on their faces left

But it's sweet

Lots of tender touches followed by romper room play

Below is my new fave move of Laz.

He doesn't kick at Justin, he just kicks it in reverse and tries to SIT on Justin!

It's hilarious to see him back him up by pushing him with his rear

Justin is a lover and player!

Red gets in on the action

They all rub their teeth on each others teeth.

It makes the WORST sound!

Rub rub rub rub rub

" STEEENKS!"

Spring in December

2011-12-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

This December has had some FUNKEE weather patterns!

Tuesday and Wednesday were warm, like high 40's to 50's.

Then it rained, and poured.

I came out check on my delicate OTTB to make sure he was ok..

"HI MOMMMMMMM MOM MOM MOM, I has bezt furnds!!"

When I was pulling up to the barn, I saw Laz and Justin rearing and playing and zip zipping around. It literally made my heart swell with happiness!

These two were having such fun playing, it was SO fun to watch and snap photos of

"Iz u wachin???"

"I do's my fancee leg muves"

Tag!

This was so great to see. Just the day before I was freaking myself out that I hadn't seen Laz trot on his own in a while.

Well this day made up for it

Chasing each other back and forth in the two pastures

"Whur'da go?"

"I luvs u..."

"I luvs to eats yo face!"

"Ohhhh Heeeeeei LazMommMom"

"Ery buddy OUTS!"

I actually LOVE this picture despite the filth.
I love Laz's tiny floaty trot as he hovers over the puddle unmuddling his reflection in the mud

Red, the other OTTB makes me laugh in photo below.
Look at him ZOOOOM

The spring air in December made for a fun day for these 3 boys

One (of many) great characteristic of Laz is how he's come into his own the last 3 yrs.

He shows independent thoughts frequently and it rocks.

He decided he had enough play time and came to me for our groom session (oh, and maybe because I had his bucket of beet pulp especial waiting for him!)

"Whew...iz tirud"

And when I was done with Laz..he went off into the mist with his best friend.

Ha! It's so great how happy he is

Today, after CRAZY 25 mph winds yesterday (which dried up all the mud thankfully) it's back to normal December weather of mid 30 to low 30's. Laz is still naked and doing great with it.

I also snapped a quick image of his RH

It shows less bruising (hoorah) and hopefully is healing and getting thicker by the day.

I treat at least 5 days a week with Keratex Hoof hardener and it seems to be doing a great job.

Below is from a few weeks ago which shows how his bruising is clearing up

Where Mason channels a Lion

2011-12-13T13:55:00.000-05:00

"Ahhh yesss a little hurt wildebeast..."

"GOTCHA!!"

"U is goin' down!!"

"I'll throw all my weight on you!!!"

"You is a fat round little wildebeast"

"Ahh the satisfaction of a kill"

"Ok...what's next?"

Put the lime in the coconut

2011-12-09T13:15:00.001-05:00

Testing out how Coconut Oil will work for treating stink zones that could prevent thrush

Above is what I scooped out from my jar below

I personally love Coconut oil; cook with it and put on my skin after showers in winter when it's so dryyyy out. Ahhhh like taking a mini vacation. Or at least smelling like one

Here's where I packed in the oil and in about 30 seconds it turned to oil and absorbed into his skin. The molecular structure of Coconut oil actually works into skin better than any oil for fast penetration.

Up close and personal.

We'll see what happens...but it's supposed to naturally help with bruising, sores, etc

I think it'll be a great ointment to have handy.

Laz playing peek a boo into the tack room...

and waiting patiently for his BP slurry

sniff sniff sniff

This past weekend was chilly but sunny.

High of mid 30's and lows were around 19 or less

I kept Laz naked the whole time, but checked on him

Each time, he was WARM!

I never felt nervous leaving him without a blanket this weekend

We had one ride this weekend, which was great.

I'm trying to give that RH sole time to grow and stop bruising (which I think it is)

I can tell, he's stiff and loosing some of his trotting muscle tone.

However, he is moving on his own A LOT being out 24/7 in such a large area and we walk, walk, walk either on ground together or via our rides

To watch me trying to attempt to video tape our little ride..eeks, click HERE

How funny is it that they KNOW when you aren't 100% paying attention to the ride as he took off in a little trot-you-through-the-low-hanging-branches

Back to the non blanketing; I'm still holding out as long as possible

I go day by day

Laz has SUCH an amazing fur coat that he's well protected (as well as plenty of hay, shelter)

POOF!

This was on Saturday which was low 20's and Le Pouf was TOASTY warm

Hello...can you hear me through all that fur?!

On this day, you could see how the fur stands to insulate quite well.

Again, he was WARM...so warm that I felt I would do him an injustice to blanket him

See how thick!

My hand burrowed in that bunny fur

POUF!!

Weather has been mostly mid 30's to mid 20's with some evenings dropping in the high teens.

Once it's in the low 20's, I think is when I'll surrender, but I honestly think it will be more for my sanity. If he were in my backyard, I would attempt to keep him au natural all winter long (give or take a couple days/weeks).

Again, we can do this because our riding is so limited that he does not break a sweat!

Shelter and PLENTY of hay is what helps keep him so warm

Also, this is his 3rd year of being out (since this past Sept, no stalling whatsoever, yay) so he's had time to properly develop his coat.

You can see Red below, his first year off the track, needs his blanket sooner

Hay!!!

Ground hay, and slow feeder for nibbling through the evening

It's lovely to see how happy he is just being a HORSE

Body shape through our 3+yrs

2011-12-06T13:40:00.001-05:00

The day I officially rescued Laz end of Sept 08

After owning him for about 30 days Nov 08

Jan 09

Laz in late April 09 looking great for coming out of his first Michigan winter

April 09 after his first bath

(he tried to jump out of the round pen that day...scared the bejesus out of me)

May 09

Below is Sept 2009, probably the best shape I had him in

Oct 09, the day before he got ill (Potomac? Colic? Ulcers? All three and then laminitis)

Oct 09 waiting for vet..

Nov 09 (during healing of laminitis)

Dec 09, a lot of laying down bless his heart

Jan 2010

Feb 2010

March 2010-switched him to barefoot care and opened up his turnout

June 2010 after a Chiro appt (which he HATED)

July 2010 (riding again, mostly walk with obstacle course/poles)

All bareback

August 2010

Sept 2010

Oct 2010-got his first bodywork done

Jan 2011

March 2011

May 2011

July 2011-switched to new barefoot trimmer when 3 week 'abscess' wouldn't go away

August 2011-feeling back to normal

Sept 2011-moved to a new barn

Early Oct 2011-gorgeous! I drastically changed his diet/vitamins/lifestyle

End Oct 2011, a little leaner with new 24/7 larger turnout

Nov 2011 bumped up beet pulp and hay, and gained weight back

Now treating thin sensitive sole with hopes to regrow/thicken on RH

Dec 2011

My hopes for this winter; maintain to do work/riding/hand walking to keep muscle tone as hoof sole heals.

His trot is still quite stiff, but Vet seemed to think we need to get hoof growth thicker, and then address the other body issues to bring him back slowly.

Chiro appt set for Dec 22nd and we are very excited!

After looking through these pictures I don't see too much negative change (sagging back, etc) for the worse despite him not able to use his body correctly. I just hope once his RH hoof grows in stronger, we can address the other body issues to get him sounder and more comfortable.

It's been a LONG haul for this big gentleman.

Eau de Mud

2011-12-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

"SeeE my Nuz es CLeen"

"N me StarZ"

Le Pew!!!

**don't worry; he was spotless clean when I left

***" Dunt wurREEee, I gotz all durtee agAins..ahhhh"

Sunset strolls and Hoof comparison photos

2011-12-03T17:59:00.001-05:00

Laz standing with his other OTTB friend, Red Zepplin.

It's amazing how much Laz has fallen in love with his herd.

Friday evening...does it get better than a quiet walk at sunset?

This marks out first official snow ride this winter...

Temps were great, no wind, sun was out and in low 40's

Mason enjoying the snow

Walking and working alongside Justin, Laz did great maintaining listening to me

Just amblin' around, we worked on circles, serpentine's, figure 8's, yielding towards fence, and away and just played for about 35 minutes

In the far corner, Laz kept glancing over to the woods...

He never misbehaved or spooked but there was something..

And indeed there was!
A HUGE 10 point BUCK rubbing his antlers against a young tree

scrape..scrape..scrape....

I used my MEGA zoom so it's unclear but this guy was BIG.

Can you see him?

And today, no riding, but we did some ground work.

Working on our Parelli games so Laz remembers his manners, etc.

With not riding as much (I'm allowing sole to repair) he can get a little pushy/bratty when I arrive as in "FEED ME AND GO so I can go plays again with my bro's"

Sooo...um nooooo....we will still work.

He did great, but for a literally a couple of minutes, he tried to evade my requests and blew up cantering around until he realized it was easier to listen.

Cantered for about a minute and literally stopped, sighed and then was tuned into me.

Good boy

Maintaining good weight and is a super FUZZ ball

Alien Mason says "TROW FRizzBEE!"

New delivery of 150 bales of hay! Boo ya.

Some alfalfa and our Grass hay!

Can you believe, delivered each bale is under $5!!

They are HUGE bales too, about 14-16 flakes in them

A quick WL soak to clean ..I know my Vet advised no more soaking, however this is more of a gas soak vs liquid and I plan to do this once every couple of weeks

Below, is from Laz's trim this past Thursday. We are leaving sole totally alone but removing some bar so it doesn't spill over onto sole again. Some slight heel toe and wall rasping as well as you can see below in blurry pictures

NOW..for some hoof comparison pics.

Can I just say, how glad I am that I take monthly photos..it just helps SO much to see where we are going.

Below is from Jan 2011, so almost a year ago..

Ugh..that medial side shows DAMAGE and I see how high his heels are here below..as well as the false sole build up

And this seedy toe, stretched laminae is from a year ago as well

Below is from Oct 2011, just a couple of months ago..

To compare with TODAY, below...

I can see some positive change; tightening of that hoof wall and toe holes have almost all but sealed up. It's slight but again, being from just a couple months ago, I think that is great progress.

Below shows why it's so important to shoot from all angles..you can't even see the hoof wall issues from photo below

Still dealing with bruising but the sole FEELS harder.

I've been using Keratax Hoof hardener as well as making sure his diet is up to par to help with all hoof growth, blood circulation, etc.

I JUST started adding to his BP, J-herb as well as MSM this past Thursday.

And Mason and Pudgie napping below ...does it get sweeter?

ADD thoughts

2011-11-30T13:42:00.001-05:00

So, I blame this post on too much coffee!

But, I've had some thoughts swirling inside my head, so I am deciding to purge them onto paper, er blog.

So, here it goes.

Coconut Oil.
BIG fan of it. In fact, I'm obsessed with the Coconut as a whole; the nut, the oil, the water...but for myself. How does this translate to my furried Equine?
Last night it sprung to me, perhaps I should have some Coconut Oil at the barn.

Why you ask?
For treatments of thrush and bruising for Laz's tender tootsies. It's natural, relatively inexpensive and why the frick not? I'm going to give it a go...Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm,athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.

As climates and seasons are swiftly changing, I am moving on to....Blanketing
For those that live in the cooler climates (we are in SE Michigan) when do you blanket your horse?
Or do you?
I struggle with this EVERY year.
Laz's current living situation; he has the choice to be outside roaming his 6 acres (about half that now as two of the fields are being preserved for Spring/Summer) and is able to walk into any of the large stalls (3) and under the lean to.
So he has great protection. He is very happy with his herd and they all allow each other in the space and even sometimes I find two of them in one stall grooming each other.

His fur coat is THICK, but he is an OTTB and was Florida bred, so I do worry he isn't warm enough. With his fur, it's sometimes easy to think he's fatter, but ribs are EASILY felt although he's NOT thin currently.
Especially in the last couple of days, where it's been raining, sleet, some snow and about 36 degrees to 23 at night.
Once I put his winter blanket on, it's kinda ON through the winter. I give him random days off without it but it flattens the hair so much that it leaves him cooler than when before I blanketed him.
So, hence the back and forth of "Do I...don't I?"
Now, on cooler days when it's damp...I worry his wet fur won't keep him warm especially if he chooses to not stand inside and dry off like a good pony should.
For the last week, I've just been watching him; making sure he's eating/drinking/pooping like normal and checking his ears/muzzle for warmth.
The general rule is if they have enough hay, they will keep themselves warm without a blanket, and have access to shelter to get out of wind/rain/snow.
That assumes;
A. they don't eat up all their mass amount of hay that I shove in front of them all day/night long, we don't do round bales.
B. they choose to stand in shelter to get out of elements...we all know that sometimes we question their brain ability to choose what we WANT to be the right choice.
Pouring rain=Laz standing out in it by choice grazing around. UGH
A little wind=Laz standing in his stall acting as though Lions are in the field
What???
So, I have a hay net (large-fits about 4-6 flakes of hay) that I stuff full of hay. He shares that with two others, and in addition to that, Laz gets 8 flakes of hay a day.
But it's not 24/7 grazing...
He is still naked as of now (Gasp!) but I have my blanket in my car ready to spring into action....which may be soon!
I want to hold out as long as possible as long as he's warm and comfortable...and if he was on my own property I could run out and check on him and assess the needing it or not.
Alas, he's not in my backyard, so I have to plan 1, 2 days ahead as I go out to the barn pretty much every other day.
I am more concerned with having him blanketed and being too hot vs too cold
We are past the rain sheet in weather, that has no fill and would probably just make him colder (ie flattening out his hair) but would keep him dry.
See..the insanity?
Am I the only one laying awake at 4 am thinking of this?

I sayz...

2011-11-23T14:08:00.001-05:00

"So I sayz..I duno why She putz rain sheetz on me. I sayz I wud just stay insiDe."

"Take offs!!"

"Ya..muc bettr"

"nnn also give me Curots."

"Noooowwww CUROTS!!"

(whine)

"Now I dazzel u wif my shinee gud looks"

"Ok, we can Ride BUT I still a RetireD stuD Hors!
YES I IS...ok, finE.."

"wate UP MaySon!! U r MY Doggggie"

"Ok, now u are OFF mez...GIVE ME CUROTS n mazzage me plez!!"

"Ahhh yaaaa thats it"

"I is so Hapee"

"Mom stopz flahshen me!

I dunt care about your new fun fone...why did u spend my Carots monies???"

"So I stix my tunge out!"

"Okee I stanz by gate so u use your FinGers and opin gate so I eatz grassss"

"Can't u hearz me MOm?? Grazzzzzz!!"

"Anuther Hairee wormie thingee...why you Care abut wenter so muc?

It's guna snow Okayyy, lotz.

Getz ofur it."

"I show u hairee ...Sau halo to my leetle friends!"

"Hapee ThankSgiveeng!!"

Just relaxin'

2011-11-18T17:33:00.001-05:00

Ack! It actually snowed last Thursday.

Only for a few minutes but poo.

I stuffed the hay net and all three horses ate together peacefully

Really...all quiet.

Ideally, I'd like another net, but maybe for Xmas

"Oh good! Come heres, I open door fur you...mmmMM..gemme cookiez!"

"How u do dis?"

Um, I use my thumbs and fingers Laz...step aside.

After his BP mix of goodness was chowed down, I treated Laz to a few Masterson Massages.

Goo mouth

I worked on his hind legs which he TOTALLY allowed me to do (small circles in each direction, and s.l.o.w.l.y. stretching his hinds back/forth) and some neck bends. His neck is STIFF

But, as you can see...major releases

Oh...Lazzzzzzzzzz

After I worked on him, I just allowed him to roam around with us in the front pasture

He would follow me, go off on his own, return for some snuggle time...

And then was intrigued by Mason and I playing Frisbee...for a minute or two

Mason: "What the........THAT's MY Frezbee Hors!!!"

Turning Laz back out with his herd of two..I followed him to watch him move naturally
I've been applying Keratax to his hooves for over a week now which I think has helped his comfort.

Hmm..below shows how he still favors to walk toe first on his Club. (Right Front)

I'm not convinced I've got that Thrush totally gone...with that hoof being taller it seems to be harder to zap out.

He shows some independence still, when he stops and grazes at the top of the pasture hill.

He never screams out at the other horses when I'm working with him, and they are off doing their own thing, BUT as soon as I'm done with him, he wants to be with his buddies.

To me, that is a happy horse sign

He decides to join them down below and takes off in a trot

Which leads into a Donkey Trot

And settles into a little canter

"YIPPEEEEE"

I guess he didn't hear the Vet when she said, just take it easy with him for the next few months and let's let that sole grow and harden.

I've called the Chiropractor (who I think also does Acupuncture-SCORE!) and hope to get that scheduled for Laz soon. I want to help his neck/back atrophy and in hopes of healing his hoof health, along with his muscle/joint health, get a more rounded out strong topline.

I'm going to use these next winter months for Laz as though he's in physical rehab. Slight slow work (2-3 vet approved walk rides in pasture a week), massages, adjustments, etc in hopes that Spring brings out a healthier than ever Lazarus.

Xray follow up

2011-11-18T16:31:00.001-05:00

Well, it's official.
I'm a HOOF nerd.

It's Friday evening, and all I can think about are Laz's tootsies.

And I love it!

Ok, to the good stuff.

I met with my Vet this morning to review his Xrays.

It was all very good news in the fact that she is confident that I'm on the right path and I can get him to soundness (or more sound).

Cue the confetti and brass musicians!!!!

I can't tell you HOW nervous I always get when reviewing xrays but it's getting better each time.

She even loaned out the xrays to me so I can review with my Trimmer which is SO great.

Vet did NOT see infection although she said she wouldn't be surprised to see abscessing happening in his future due to his thin sole/bruising.

Just in general, a bit of an unhappy, transitioning foot. Not a miserable foot...just unhappy right now....but it's hopefully temporary as it grows.

Our goal is to BUILD up that sole.

It looks thicker from the side view...

In below xray, you can see he still is rotated slightly bi-laterally..to be expected.

However, here you can also see (although hard b/c this is me holding the xrays up to my bathroom window..so image is grainy due to window texture) how thin the sole is.
She said like a smidge thicker than paper thin.

THIN.

We need to build it up.

So, HOW?...

I was relived that she didn't push "STALL 24/7" treatment because I just won't do that to him.

She said, pick/clean daily. Put combo of 1:1 ratio of 7-10% iodine mixed with alcohol on sole/hooves to dry out and keep moisture out.
It's a bit of a challenge now with rain/mud season but his pastures are pretty dry actually.

With snow coming, she felt it's actually a drier wet and shouldn't be a problem.

She'd rather him be barefoot than in a boot or even a homemade plastic diaper filled with "No Trush" with duct tape boot. She feels the sweat within an encased boot/bootie will be more moist than just free. Well, that is WAY easier on me!! AND, I won't have to worry about heel bulb rubbings, thrush, etc.

She likes Laz's diet and wants me to add MSM to his beetpulp, and Isoxophrine for vessel opening to encourage circulation and aid in healing. For the Isoxophrine, I'm leaning more towards using the herb Jiaogulan for Laz.

Vet feels Laz is in NO daily pain other than 'feeling' his hoof's bruise, but didn't feel he needed any Bute/Equioxx, etc. HOOORAH!!!

She does want me to bump his grain (Triple Crown L/S) a bit for more rib coverage. For those that think Laz looks chunky, it's JUST a fiber belly! ;)

Vet wants me to remain massaging him (Go Masterson!!) to help circulation and she saw how Laz LOVES it (I did a quick demo). She also wants me to add Chiro to help with his overall body stiffness.

And...give Laz TIME. Time to grow that sole. She said to constantly check the hoof, and if it seems thicker in a matter of a few month, to do another xray. Basically, reconnect to check and see how things are going and maintain.

I just want to say, this new Vet for us, so far has been GREAT. Open to my comfort level to how I chose to keep my horse (barefoot and out) and open to discussing things with my trusted Trimmer, and very compassionate of how Laz and I are as a team. So far, it was a great switch.

She also checked his teeth and thought he in fact did not need a floating and she'll check him in Spring-so I am postponing that for now. She also gave me free Flax seed from a client that gave it to her. Score!

Ok, now for some comparisons of how Laz rotated.

His rotation wasn't typical ..his were LATERALLY (to the side, medially (meaning inward towards each other, in his hind legs only) with also a downward tip rotation.

Right Hind (RH) being the worse and what is on all xrays here.

Below-the far left TWO are from FEB 2010

Below are from JUNE 2011-Front view

Note how he's more balanced side to side

Below, our latest NOV 2011

Great balance..although now we are dealing with MEGA thin soft sole

My theory...UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNTRAINED..keep in mind.

I think when we switched to barefoot, it was our #1 step in healing. No doubt.

Laz had built a lot of false sole, possible overlaid bars to 'protect' his sole/hoof/from penetration. His body's way of protecting it. However, left on too long it also became a hindering pressure. Like walking on a stone, constantly. So in removing it (starting this past June) and alleviating some pressure, that underneath material was soft and like a baby thin nail. Hopefully by allowing him to heal, altering his diet and putting him on some natural remedies and giving him TIME, his sole/hoof will grow.

Thoughts? Questions? Confused?

I'm popping open some Champagne tonight and celebrating this tiny step forward!

Any NON bad news, is GOOD news to me!

Go Team Laz! (which happens to be an all female team except for Laz, lol!)

Xray/Vet appt-Part 1

2011-11-15T15:10:00.001-05:00

Upon my arrival at the barn, this morning.

What a happy site to see. Hay stuffed ponies sunbathing...

I've seen this scene a few times now. Laz and Justin (the WB/Paint x) napping with Red, the other OTTB watching over.

"Ohhh cookie Laydee is here! Time to Roll and get ektra durty"

Eesh, neck muscles not looking good. I made a mental note to ask my new Vet about it.

Laz impersonating a snorting Elk

So, our Vet arrived and we got talking (as she's only met us now twice) about where we are at, what we are concerned with and what we want to accomplish.

As I was explaining Laz's past....... I started to cry.

EEesh.

I felt so embarrassed but when I talk about what he's been through, it just gets me.

EVERY TIME.

Any way, she was there for 2 hours and gave us a VERY thorough exam. She writes down her thoughts, recommendations, etc so I can review after our appt too, which is so great.

We took xrays of the RH only (she agreed I didn't need them on his Club foot and she thought his Club wasn't as bad as I thought..whew).

These are non digital xrays so I don't have results yet.

We will talk results, review images and formulate our plan in the next day or so.

I love a good plan...so I'm hopeful there is one that is doable.

Hoof tester on his RH was almost a joke. His sole is so soft that she barely had to squeeze with one hand. She was very concerned about that, as both my trimmer and I are-hence why I brought the Vet in.

I don't know what our next steps are yet, she didn't want to tell me our path BEFORE reading our Rads. She smiled and said "I know you are a nervous Nellie so I don't want to tell you anything until I know for sure"

Is it that obvious?

I kid...I know it is.

I hope whatever the plan is, it sits comfortable with me.

I'm anti-shoeing him although she assured me NO SHOES and in his soft foot case, she said, no shoe would help anyway.

I'm anti-stalling him to dry out his feet...

I'd rather boot him in a duct taped boot than stall him....I don't know if that will be discussed so I'm jumping the gun here.

Ultimately I decide what is best for him, after collecting my information.

Before our xrays, she did a general lameness analysis on him.

Walk-strides evenly, left shoulder inward towards me. She had me switch side leading him to see. She thought shoulder was still wonky.

Trot-Very lame. :( But I know this

RH rolls hip and hock, both hinds paddle out, left shoulder out. RH stifle weak

LH stifle over working, LH hoof good shape, stronger but overall all hooves too moist.

Not great news...but nothing I didn't know.

Neck flexation-stiff.

This I know.

I do a ton of Masterson Massage on him and he really struggles with the neck bends. She said his whole body is off due to compensating for his RH.

That's obvious...so she recommended a Chiro whom I will contact to help him out as we resolved his hoof problem.

Recommended putting him on MSM immediately to help with overall joint health.

~~(already ordered)~~ actually need to talk to Vet about MSM and it's issues with effecting mineral balancing and selenium.

Recommended using a daily cleaner on his hooves of 1:1 ratio alcohol and 7-10% iodine to help dry out hoof and keep clean.

She blocked his RH (right hind in case you don't know what I'm referring too) for the xray and to test his lameness again once he was blocked.

Not a huge difference, but she was able to tell what parts of him are sore due to his RH being compromised.

She thought his weight looked good. He has a hay/fiber belly but he needs more rib coverage and she thought his neck did look thin. She told me to up his Triple Crown L/S to see if that helps.

As we get to the bottom of fixing him (hopeful still) his muscle and balance should work itself out, slowly.

She commented on how shiny and soft his fur was..BONUS!

I asked "For a 10 yr old OTTB in post laminitic phase, does he look good??"

She laughed and said yes.

Regarding Laz during the exam;

Angle boy.

A.N.G.E.L.B.O.Y.

Stood stoically still during blocking, for xrays, for general exam, was perfect for the 2 hours we fussed with him. Trotted when he asked and even gave a few bucks and playful "I'm not lame" performances.

Nice try pal but it's too obvious.

After Vet left, he seemed to just want some cuddle rub time, so he got plenty of it.

No more road walking for a while...Vet said his RH is just too soft and that will continue to bruise the hoof and set us back. No problem, it's now off our to do list.

I hope we get decent results with the xrays and a plan of "To Do's" that we are all happy with to get this boy back to sound.

He deserves it.

In non related Vet news; I hung Laz (and the others) our new Busy Horse hay net

It's a GREAT product and seems really durable

This is the large size that fits about 4-6 flakes of hay in it.

Perfect for colder days/nights.

The BO's are cool with me stuffing it full in addition to his daily hay. Sweet!!!!

Here's how I hung it..pretty good for $6 and free labor via Husband

I hung one spot here, under stable lean to, so horses could nibble in wet conditions and I have a second hanging out in the field, in the open for nice days or to just switch it up location wise.

Just a BIG general thank you, to my readers...which many of you have become my friends. Without your constant support, encouragement and knowledge, Laz and I surely wouldn't be here today.

Thanks to Kate for her 'how to hang' suggestions for the hay bag.

Thanks to J9 and Frizzle for their constant emails, phone calls of support, exchanging ideas, hoof thoughts, diet plans, on sale items, general listening with words of encouragement and compassion.

It's SO appreciated!!!

Contest WINNERS announced!

2011-11-13T19:54:00.001-05:00

Watch video below for our 5 winners!

Again, Congrats to the FIVE winners!

Liz (http://liz-stout.blogspot.com/)

Megan (http://meganandscarface.blogspot.com/)

J9 (http://enzo-janine.blogspot.com/)

Edible Love Story (http://ediblelovestory.blogspot.com/)

TBA (http://www.thoroughbredadventure.blogspot.com/)

Thanks for playing to you all, and Absorbine will be mailing your HOOFLEX directly to YOU winners!

Please email me (kristenshellenbarger@gmail.com) your mailing address and I'll get it set up for you!

CONGRATS and good boy LAZ for picking, and thanks to my Husband for helping filming this!

Weekly catch up

2011-11-11T20:41:00.001-05:00

Thank you to you lovely readers for playing our give-a-way.
A winner will be announced via Laz SOON!!! Stay tuned...

Laz has had it pretty easy the last couple of weeks.

I haven't ridden him in two weeks.

Why?

His RH (surprise surprise) was giving him a little grief. He was very vocal about not wanting to trot. So, I've decided to do another round of xrays and that way my trimmer M and I can discuss options, compare with the xrays from June and see where we are at.
He has some bruising that has surfaced on the sole and we want to know WHY.

So...Laz is in fine spirits and in fact today, we had a 'discussion' that NO indeed you are NOT at stud/retirement and YES you can still have manners and walk politely and not be a herd bound chubster.

OK?

So, our days have been; lots of grooming. Loving. Bodywork. Flexing. Hand walking. Hand walking and oh...hand road walking.

And posing for the camera...

And eating

"Wha.....it's WiNTeeR comen and I needs my kalorees"

I did put his Equine Slipper with an Easy Boot pad for a hand walk last week

"I'm STARVING.....mmMmmmMMMm"

Here's the slipper stuffed with a pad for comfort.
I want to walk him barefoot to help stimulate his soles, etc but for his RH, I also needed to keep it protected.
I've been applying Keratex Hoof Hardener to his soles for the past week, and I swear it seems to help.

Schmodel...handsome boy!

Fuzzy bangs DANG...

A few days this past couple of weeks, I grazed Laz on the back pasture that is now 'closed' for Fall/Winter but open for riding/hand grazing

Tossed Mason his Frisbee a few hundred times...

Captured some of Falls last colors....

This tree is already almost all bare as of today.

Not wanting Laz to go completely loose, I pulled out some jumps (PVC poles) and I 'lunged' him at the walk over the pole. Mind numbing boring for he and I but good for his body.

We also worked on ground side passed with the pole in between his front/back legs and he had a very hard time with that concept so we'll have to practice that A LOT more.

This week, for his soaked BP/Timothy slop, I've started adding in his salt, Spirulina (hoping it helps with this summer and prevents his hives from bug bites) and Chia seeds.

The Chia in their dry form

And soaked; this shows basically what it will do internally.

If you are curious about Chia, click HERE to learn more

Enzo's Mom and I had a hilarious conversation about US eating it...I can't quite do it! BUT I will..promise!! ;)

And hoof pics from my last trim.

This is why a new round of xrays may be helpful...the bruising.

Shown at tip of Frog and along the Medial side.
There is also bruising that has been there for months on lateral hoof wall.
Why?

The world's thickest hoof wall deformity and the opening that has shrunken, but still exists.

Despite White Lightening treatments...it may be too far inside to penetrate. We don't really know yet.

Lateral view (outside) of RH

Medial view (inside) of RH...this picture makes the hoof look way more distorted than it is, see below for what I mean...

Front view, showing hole/opening.

The hoof wall is growing SO thick and just won't grow DOWN..very frustrating.

His LH which had similar damage (not as much) during his laminitic episode, has healed completely normal.

Heel view/back view

I hope I get some solid answers...nothing too scary and hopefully something that is easily fixable. I have a wonderful trimmer who is so willing and patient. I hope we can continue moving forward with just trims and not get into scary discussions with my vet about other options, etc. (surgery? Coffin bone fracture? Bone infections? who knows........)
You know, xrays make me PANIC.
For something that is literally black and white; the diagnosis isn't always.
My appointment is set for this Tuesday, so please wish us LUCK!
Good thoughts....Laz deserves a normal RH hoof!
While my vet is out, I plan on asking her about Laz's weight (see if it's OK despite his hay belly he's always ribby) ask about exercises I can do for Laz to help his healing without over doing it. Ask about his stifles/back, etc.
Oh, and Monday, Laz gets his teeth floated too (by hand, no drugs, no power tools).
Pampered.............when did I last go to the Dentist?

HOOFLEX Giveaway Contest!

2011-11-01T10:46:00.001-04:00

My wonderful readers!

I have a contest for YOU!

Actually, for FIVE OF YOU

Absorbine knows how much Laz and I love their Natural Hooflex dressing (with arnica in it!!)

and offered a contest for me to giveaway

5 bottles of their 15 oz size HOOFLEX

in the brand new packaging.