Secret's Feet

On September 24, 2010, I was grooming Secret to tack her up for a ride. As I went to pick up her hoof and clean it, I felt a weird lump on her leg. I looked down and found a splint, just under her knee.

All summer long, I had been watching Secret's feet and worrying about them. But I never did anything about it. She could not last in between trims without touching her feet up with a rasp. A few weeks after the farrier had visited, her feet would start chipping and cracking. In the end, they could not stand up to the pressure of hard work on hard, dry ground. My farrier said her laminae is not strong enough to suppport her body weight.

The splint never made her lame and it was never hot. But it is certainly there.

I gave her two and a half months off.

When I found the splint I thought, "Well, she will just have to wear shoes next year."

But as time wore on, I was not so sure that had to be the answer to the question. O ordered Glanzen 3 - a hoof, coat and attitude supplement made by Horse Tech Company. My horses have been on in it in the past, but I did not re-order it. She will need to be on it for three months before a difference can be seen in her feet, but I know that it cannot hurt her and it is worth a try. Plus it will be good for her coat and attitude.

I blame myself for the splint. I should have taken action over the summer when I worried about her feet. I am so used to having horses with good feet, and my lack of action caused Secret a splint.

On our first ride in over two and a half months, she was right back to her old tricks of arguing with me about whether or not she should really have to work. Same old alpha mare stuff that she always pulls the first fifteen minutes of a ride, but its getting really old. I ordered some Mare Magic - a supplement with raspberry leaves that a few friends have tried on their mares and loved. Once again, it cannot hurt her and maybe, we can get those first fifteen minutes of every ride back!

Comments

  1. I've had very good luck with Mare Magic - and it's not too expensive!

    ReplyDelete

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