Interesting infomation!

I was just doing some reading up on trailering horses in winter... turns out that it's fine to trailer a horse in winter, even in a stock trailer. I've read this from several sites, written by vets. Our stock trailer does have a solid portion in front. It also says to not blanket too much as we would tend to do for ourselves. Horses are much better adapted to cold weather than we are and have an ability to maintain their core temperatures in very cold weather... I also read that the Guttural pouch in their throats would help warm the cold winter air before it enters the sensitive lungs!!! AMAZING! I'm not much for horse inner workings (except for hooves) so this is a first for me.

I am considering trailering now, since it will save me 250$. I will still buy a blanket and bring 2-3 liners to make sure she stays dry and cozy. The cost of the fuel will probably be about 100$, so I will probably spend about 250$ but I will have a new blanket to show for it!

Tell me what you guys think!

Have a great day!

Am I ever POed

Just a short post to say that I finally found a vet that is willing to travel to my location... only problem.... he doesn't WANT TO!!!!! I did leave a message to another vet that might just come on site, but he must be on vacation or something because he hasn't returned my calls. The one I am used to is booked and will not come over, unfortunately, Dandy is considered a new patient (since he never treated her and actually never has been on our farm (When I called for the dying foal)).

So, in order to get treatment for Dandy, I would have to trailer her about 2 hours away from home... I have two problems with that... we have a stock trailer and it's winter... not a good mix for a coughing horse. I will try and wait a week to see if the vet that would come over will call me back. If not, I will have to pack up, borrow a trailer, blanket Dandy (that has never been blanketed besides for cooling), shut every door and window on the trailer and drive rather carefully for about 2 hours, get a diagnosis, and start all over again. I don't know but I need your advice here... what would you do? Wait for the vet to call back, risk the fact that he also may not take new patients or trailer an occasionally coughing horse over 4 hours (round trip) to see a willing vet... I don't know what to do... I want Dandy treated, but I'm not good at making choices!

I will see what I can do. Getting the vet over would cost $250 only for the call, taking her over... might cost me as much as that. I will talk to my SO tonight to see what he thinks of the whole deal. Thing is, we cannot trailer in a stock trailer unless we modify something to somewhat block the vents at the top... I don't know... that could be a hazard for the horse... Plus I would need sheets to put under her blanket because Dandy is not used to being trailered and would probably sweat.

Anyways, I need to go have lunch, maybe I will have a clearer mind then. I away your thoughts...

Update

I would like to thank Jayke for her words of encouragement regarding my last post.

I think I will have a vet over as soon as I can anyways, Dandy could use a physical exam and I'm affraid of possible damage to her lungs from the cough (or virus) being present for so long. It has now been over a month, maybe two since the cough started and I'm not going to take much more of it. I tried all I could to help her and it hasn't been working, I need to go to the next level. It has comforted me to see that she hasn't lost any weight and that she is still kicking and screaming, but it happens that she coughs when playing and working and I don't like that at all!

For my little dog, his eye seemed much better last night. I had cleaned it up the night before and it looked almost perfect yesterday night. I freak out when it comes to eyes. My parents didn't really make me feel better either. It was as if his eye looked like this because I must've been a bad mom. There was nothing I could do he woke up Sunday looking like that... I was as upset about it as they were but there was nothing I could do... if I could make it magically disapear, I would've long ago, but I can't. Rant over!

I will look up more info on horse cough. Dandy puts her nose close to the ground when she coughs, she always coughs three times (I don't think this is significant info...) and it's like something is stuck in her throat... it's like she's coughing enough to gag, only horses don't have that reflex. I will look up Strangles and Choke info, hopefully I will be enlightened.

Happy New Year everyone!!

We have just started a new year, for some of us, it's a fresh start, for others it's a chance to go further, do more, do better.

I haven't taken up a resolution yet, but I would like to get Dandy in a better health. I have resigned myself to call a vet. I am pretty tight for cash in this harsh period (economically speaking) and getting a vet to my house costs a fortune. I will be saving up for this over the next few weeks, at the same time evaluating her every move. I am no longer planning on riding her at all. I am giving her the rest of the winter off. Unfortunately, this will mean complete re-training comes spring. I've rode her a week ago and noticed that she had lost a lot of her softness and is now easily distracted.

She has been getting grain and supplements for the past 3-4 weeks. I've seen some improvement, but then it's right back to square one. Her feet need re-trimming to correct the darn slant she has in her fronts (that'll probably always be there because of neglect before I bought her). She has not lost weight, she is still her same old self, she runs and plays like she used to, she just coughs... My patience is wearing thin and I'm feeling so helpless toward her situation. It's come at a bad time, I need glasses that cost me a fortune, then she gets sick and just yesterday, my dog got what seems to be an eye infection that might require vet attention. What is more important!? Can leaving Dandy with this illness be dangerous for her? What should I do? I don't want to lose her and am not ready to sell her or give up on her either. I'll call vet offices to get a price... hopefully, I can afford it really soon. I don't want to make up excuses, but I've just started in life, I have a mortgage to pay, a car, insurance, taxes and bills to pay, plus I'm up to my neck in debt from student loans, credit lines, etc. I'm 24 years old and I feel like I'm carrying a lot of stuff on my back.

I just feel like crying at the thought of everything and it has been cause for many sleepless nights. Obviously, Dandy's problem will not resolve on its own, I obviously need glasses, I can't see a darn thing, then the dog... what will become of him. I hope one of the darn cats didn't scratch his eye, that could've happened. My dog is a 3.4 lbs Yorkshire Terrier, he is 3 years old and only goes outside to do his business and play when it is not too warm or cold. If there are cats in sight, he will chase them, even though they are twice his size, they sometimes scratch at him, but they are used to being around dogs and mine don't usually send them running for the hills. I will clean out his eye tonight and see how it goes.

I'll keep posts on how things go... vets are hard to come around where I live, most are over an hour away from my farm. I only know about two that practice on horses, the others are in Ontario and can't practice in Quebec, I would have to haul my horse there and I won't do that when it is freezing cold outside. It's my only option.

Update on Dandy's health

Well, it has been a week of treatment for Dandy with Cough Free. I evaluated her on Saturday, just going for a bareback ride in a near trail, she did good, we trotted a tiny bit and NO COUGH!!! I was thrilled! She still got her supplement that day anyways. I was planning on stopping them starting today (Monday).

Oh, and yes, I can trot bareback without ending up on the ground!!!! I did get off at the end of the trail when we were coming back because I only tied the lead rope to her halter and the knot didn't hold... LOL, she can do a one rein stop, once she realizes that I don't want her to turn circles like that! So she did stop... I tried to tie the lead back to the halter from her back (my girl is very patient), but I couldn't quite do it, she was fidgity and wanted to go back to the colt, which was screaming just a few hundred feet from us. I still managed to get her to stop and stand to try again, but no deal... Then, I heard my dad coming with the snowmobile, fast enough (he didn't know that I had taken Dandy for a quick ride), so knowing that I only had one "rein" and that it was one of Dandy's first times this year around the noisy snowmobile, I slid down from her and held her lead... turns out, she did great, even if my dad was charging our way... he did slow down and stop to talk to Dandy once he saw us standing there. She was still fidgity and wanted to go back to the colt... so I made her be patient a little more.

After my dad took off with the snowmobile, I made Dandy trot back to the barn on lead. I'm not usually for trotting back to the barn in any way, but I like her to be able to trot on a lead line when I ask. It's a good skill to have if you need to move quick out of an area while on foot. I cannot get on my horse bareback from the ground, even if I could when I was younger, I'm now bigger and much less strong, so I can't quite swing my leg high enough. Dandy is 15.1 hh and I used to get on a 15.3 hh Quarter Horse gelding bareback about 10 years ago... oh well... I guess times change... I wish I had taped that for proof... I still don't know how I did it back then! All I know is I thought it was easy, but no one else could do it. I used to grab mane, stand with my back to the horse's neck, swing my leg over and then just sit up straight. I'm probably scared to hurt the horse and I don't quite swing hard enough, used to work smoothly and very well though.

Anyways, Sunday, I was anxious to go on a longer ride. So I saddled up Dandy and put her bridle on after warming the bit in my hand as much as possible (my hands were frozen so I don't know how that worked out). I climbed on and practiced her skills a bit. Remember, we didn't ride for a long time!! She seemed a little rusted, but pretty good for having had a month and a half off! So we headed off. I found myself rusty as well... the last horse I had ridden was Peg a few weeks ago, lets just say that Dandy and Peg are two very different horses. Dandy and I made it to the hill (there is a hill on our land that takes you down into a mini valley with mountains each sides and a few ponds and creeks down in the middle. I didn't risk taking the hill down, because we would have to climb it up again and I didn't know if Dandy was in shape to do it. So we took another trail that hugs the side of another mountain, we have a choice to go up that mountain or not, so I didn't. By then, Dandy and I had trotted a bit in the packed snow. She was blowing her nose a lot, but nothing major at this point. She seemed pretty normal.

Towards the end of the trail, there is a downhill drop that is about 25 feet high and quite steep. Dandy and I always go down at a walk, but the momentum always sends her in a trot at the bottom (I know, she is just using the energy to go faster...). As soon as we were down the hill, Dandy coughed... three big coughs. I was disapointed and felt that I had pushed her too far. We only did a few little trots of about 10-20 seconds each... Our ride totaled maybe 1.5 km, maybe less. We didn't canter at all and there was no signs of cough before that time. I was very disapointed. I brought her back to the barn and decided that she would keep taking her supplements (Cough Free) for another week. I will give her this week off and give her a little ride maybe Saturday the 26th. It is supposed to be a little warmer, maybe that'll help Dandy.

I can't say that the supplements didn't help. Before giving them, I would only be done saddling up that Dandy would cough, if she didn't cough then, she'd cough as soon as we would step out for our ride... naturally, I wouldn't push Dandy at all. When the cough first came around, I could ride for a good while and she seemed to only cough when she was warmed up. Then her eyes got really blurry and her nose was running and oozing thick white stuff, she would cough in the pasture, at rest, she had fever and was very lethargic. Now, she doesn't cough at all in the pasture, she runs and plays without coughing, her eyes are as clear as ever and her nose is not running anymore. She is much more alert and playful. That's why I wanted to try a ride, she seemed fine. I'm not giving up, she will get the recommended amount of supplement daily for another 5 days.

I have some time off during the Holidays (Starting Thursday the 24th) so I will not be posting much during that time... I will take advantage of the daylight (we don't get much this time of year) to spend time with the horses and do things outside... as well as get a good dose of fresh air to recharge the battery.

If you are all wondering about the colt... here is a more recent picture of him (last week). He is now 6 months old and growing like weeds! He is the sweetest thing ever! Jet black (yes, even more than Dandy!) with only a star and his inner pasterns are white on both hinds.

Here is a side view of him. He is kind of in his ackward stage, he is downhill and clumsy, but he leads great and gives his feet. We are able to trim his feet without a struggle. He will probably grow up to look like his dad...

Here is a picture of his dad. Remember that these are Canadian horses, which are used as much for hauling than saddle... they are considered a draft breed.

Last but not least!

So, here is the last hoof of the bunch, I wish I had taken more pictures of how her hooves look.

This is her back right hoof and it is an infamous white hoof! *Gasp!*

I don't really know what the big deal is about white hooves... ok, some people say they are much softer and white hooves really can't exist without shoes. I think this is a bunch of crap!

I've seen many white hooves in my day and they all have the potential to be as good as a black hoof. I've also seen some white hooves fall apart, just as much as black hooves can. In the end, every hoof has the potential to either fall apart or become as hard as stone. When I bought Dandy, her white hoof was overgrown... and I mean, there was at least 3 inches of extra wall. Her back feet had never been touched and pretty much self-trimmed for two years. The black hind foot had broken in the quarters, the white foot was intact all around, not a chip in sight. The hooves were dry and full of little cracks. As a result, I still rasp into small pockets of sand today and I am convinced that it is that sand that caused the abcess in Dandy's left front foot.

So here is Dandy's only white foot... take note that it is as nice or nicer than any other hoof on that mare.

This is the before shot... a little long overall, but that foot could've gone another 2 weeks without a trim and would've been fine. Excuse the ice in my Dandy's fetlocks, I couldn't remove it. This is a great looking hoof and that frog is one healthy squishy coushion... I love white feet!

Here is the after picture. It's a bit hard to see with all the white pigmentation. I have applyed a good roll, the bars are shorter and the heels have gone back to where they should be. You can see, in the waterline, the little sand "traps" that I have spoke about. These could also be small abcesses that have grown out from the coronet. They are old abcesses and they don't jeopardize the integrity of the hoof. They are not a big concern for me, but I like to know they are there, just for my personnal information. Also, you will note a bit of red around the wall of the hoof. Don't worry, this is not blood, there is no sensitive tissue in that part of the hoof. Those spots are always there when I trim this foot and consist of pigment in the wall of the hoof. Dandy's wall is almost pink in some spots. This hoof is very healthy. To put it in perspective, the outer ridge of the wall on this hoof does not touch the ground when the hoof is weight bearing.

So that is my trimming ordeal... Just to compare... here is Dandy's front left after I did her first trim ever back in May 2008.

And here is the left front foot last Sunday after her last trim (not ever).

Hooves, more hooves!!!

This is more trimming pictures of Dandy. I'll do two feet today... since the other front looks a lot like yesterday's post... but here we go!So... this is Dandy's left front foot before trimming. It is a little long, but it looks good overall. The frog is nice, wide and healthy, no thrush in sight. She had a bout with thrush this summer when the weather was so wet and humid that the horses never got dry land to step on. Quickly cured it with a home recipe and she is back to normal! This is also the foot that abcessed.

The first thing I notice when looking at this picture is a little ridge between the sole and the wall on the right side. There is good concavity in this hoof too, I am thrilled about that! The heels are long and the bars are slightly laid over.

After: I did trim the end of the right bar after the pic was taken. The little ridge is about gone, but this will grow out, since this is a point were the abcess broke through (coronet and white line... yeah it was a big abcess!). Looks pretty good now, everything seems back to normal on the bottom side of the hoof. I apply a good mustang roll (see "Mustang Roll" in links on previous posts) to all hooves, this helps lessen the pressure at the breakover and makes walking and running painless and fun for your horse. Otherwise, Dandy's walls would be about half an inch thick! I will try to take more pictures to see the roll, the concavity, the height of the heels and the white line strategy trim when I fix the right front.

This is Dandy's left back foot before trimming. You can see that this hoof is not really long and in very good shape the only thing to do with this hoof is trim the heels, the bars (a bit over the level of the sole), thin the walls and bring everything to the level of the sole. Dandy has wonderful back hooves that practically maintain themselves. You can see that there is a longer point on the lower left part of her hoof. This is causing her to stand splay footed. After removing this and trimming, Dandy stood pretty square. These hooves are practically self cleaning once they are trimmed right, the pump action of the hoof when weight bearing (expand) and not (shrink back) gets rid of all the dirt.
The back hooves are also always oval in shape as the front feet have a rounder shape, this helps with traction.

So, stupid me forgot to take an after pic of that back foot... all I have is this mid-trim pic...

So, as you can see, I used the nippers to shorten the left heel, I can't use the nippers on the tip of the hoof since it is too hard. I had rasped all of the right side but I didn't apply any roll yet I hadn't rasped the left side yet. Naturally, the left heel is higher since I didn't get the chance to rasp it yet. After the roll, the walls should be left thinner and only the water line (the white line you see) will touch the ground.

I NEVER trim sole from Dandy's feet or any other horse's. The only time I will remove some sole is if there is dead chalky sole in the seat of corn. I believe that the thicker the sole, the better. I do not want to thin it more in any way, shape or form. You cannot carve you horses hooves, you need to work with them to build them. The sole is only about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch thick, if you take away from it, you risk damaging the soft tissue. On top of that, your horse's sole will never build up and be strong and concave, because it will spend 4-6 weeks trying to recover and heal from the trim... after 4-6 weeks, the farrier is back and still trimming sole and the circle starts all over again. I was told never to trim the bars, but Dandy's are laid over, which can cause other problems in the internal structure of the hoof, so I trim them a bit longer than the sole (since bars are made for traction) to try and get them straight... they would only end up breaking and creating more imbalance.

Just for fun... Sunday, when I was trimming, a snow storm started... This is Dandy after all her feet are trimmed, she's standing tied (not to her usual post, because there was too much snow there for trimming hooves) in the snow. She loves snow. I had wiped a bit of it off of her back before taking the pic, but it was nearly filled back when I took the picture! She is standing pretty square (if she wasn't trying to look at what I was doing!) plus, there is something under her left front, either a rock or a ball of ice... Her coat seems to be doing the job, unlike mine... lol