brushing on the fronts - or not?

Cortrasna

Cortrasna

Grumpy old nag
Aug 5, 2009
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This is an odd one for me .....since I have owned Dolly (nearly 6 years) she has always brushed on her front near side enough to scrape the top of the hoof by the coronet band and cut through the hair, but never an open wound, very slight on the front off side too. I usually always use Kevlar overreach boots, but in time these get ripped through on the near side, ordinary bell boots last about a week!:O

She hasn't the best conformation or way of going so just put it down to that, and not even numerous xrays last year and a full work up and the top horsepital on the Curragh could find any reason for it or anything to worry about.

So - I have been bringing her back into work slowly since her field accident a few weeks back ( swollen hock on the back and inflamed possible damage to inside splint bone same leg) and we are now flying about pretty much back to normal.....I forgot her kevlar overreach boots the first couple of weeks as only walking, she never does it in walk anyway......but now she doesn't do it at all, walk, trot or canter?

Sort of pleased but what has changed or happened to make this happen do you think? . not sure should I be worried or what that she is obviously moving differently. She is completely sound and forward and happy in every pace. Anyone ever experienced or heard of similar please? Oh and had two farriers in all that time and neither has made a difference to help with the brushing marks.
 
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growing up, strengthening and maturing. We had an old RS cob who went through a phase of knocking the living daylights out of himself. Booted front and back, then once he started his endurance career, slimmed down and hardened up he stopped doing it.
 
It sounds as if she is taking more weight on her hinds and so moving better in front? Other possibility is that the current ground suits her better.. Movement is such a strange thing, We have one that gets injured doing Dressage on a surface or turned out in a field with boots but never gets a scratch jumping or XC!
 
Wally said:
growing up, strengthening and maturing. We had an old RS cob who went through a phase of knocking the living daylights out of himself. Booted front and back, then once he started his endurance career, slimmed down and hardened up he stopped doing it.
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I would possibly go with the growing up maturing theory myself Wally but she is coming 16 and spent her life before me as a hunter and was extremely fit when she arrived with me and still did it? Perhaps she is a very late developer lol!

eml said:
It sounds as if she is taking more weight on her hinds and so moving better in front? Other possibility is that the current ground suits her better.. Movement is such a strange thing, We have one that gets injured doing Dressage on a surface or turned out in a field with boots but never gets a scratch jumping or XC!
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Well there could be something there - she was found to have early signs of arthritis in her stifles late last year, not enough to warrant any major veterinary interference but she was put on a very costly supplement by them for a few months, and it made feff all difference TBH. But I did do a lot of research and started importing something from Germany that was highly recommended by friend over there for older horses that were a bit stiff or slightly uneven in their way of going due to arthritis and all the rest setting in. Friends claimed it as a miracle cure etc. etc. Anyway she has been on it now for a little over 4 months, and of course during that time she managed to injure herself so no way of assessing was it helping her, other than her hooves have been growing like fury, which they have never done before and cause my farrier to tear his hair out looking for somewhere new to put the nails when there is little or no growth usually, so something was happening? Hadn't thought about the new supplement TBh but perhaps it has helped her back end, and has a knock on effect on her front end? Interesting - crikey I hope it is , that would be marvellous and validate the large sums of money spent getting it sent to me from Germany lol!
 
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My farrier is on the brink of advising all his clients with those awful slow growing troublesome tootsies to get in touch with me for details! It isn't specifically aimed at either hoof growth or mobility issues but seems to help with both as far as those I know who use it on a regular basis I think it is aimed at use as a general supplement . I will post the link to it tomorrow. :)
 
Thanks, we have done all the usual ones without sucess, horse has a personal farrier who tolerates his feet and turns up at odd times , he has removed a shoe while being plaited and whilst in transit to a competition etc! All other farriers have refused to do him after a couple of times or backed off the shoeing of a horse that basically has no matching feet,although sainty to shoe.His farrier takes about 2 hours over his set and they stay on for 4 -6 weeks in eventing season,longer in winter. Supplement cannot be much more expensive..fortunately he is immensely talented and a lovely horse!
 
eml said:
Thinking about it had the hoof growth enabled your farrier to correct the front hoofs and so created better movement?
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That makes a lot of sense eml, see that's what I love about NR, it's full of knowledgeable and lovely people who are happy to share ideas.
 
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My thoughts were "different shape hoof/trimming?" but as I read through I see eml beat me too it :p
 
Well my farrier is out to her again this week so I shall ask him that very question - it sounds quite feasible doesn't it - that with more growth there to work with he might well have slightly adjusted how he does her. I have to say the actual job done looks the same as usual as far as I can judge, although last time I did think they looked exceptionally wonderful when he finished her off. :p

This is the link to the stuff she is now on - and I have tried EVERYTHING since she came to me with absolutely no improvement in growth. Some of the rescues I am in contact with manage to home a good few cobs to Germany, apparently according to my friends there, most Irish horses come with poor hoof quality and or skin problems (sweet itch etc, Dolly has SI) and their vet always recommends they go on this particular supplement and they have also had great improvement with it, in every case. I can't see anything that stands out in the ingredients list, but obviously something is working! If you right click it will be translated into English for those of us who don't speak German.

http://www.hoeveler.com/hoeveler/mineralienvitamine/original-reformin-plus0.html
 
perhaps it really has worked superbly ! easing some stiffness and pain could indeed change the whole way of going.
 
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Thanks @Cortrasna I googled it and I can get it on Amazon. I would like to see if it makes any difference to my wee 32 year old man..if he'll eat it as he can be a fussy wee git but if not the big one will eat it so it wont go to waste..
 
Oh that's interesting Joellie - I wonder is it cheaper via amazon than direct from Germany as I have been doing? I will have a look myself. Dolly is the most fussy old baggage I have ever owned but she just devours this stuff - in fact I had great trouble giving her sachets of antibiotics and bute from the vet when she had her field injury, she just flatly refused it -and then started putting her little pot of Reformin in and she wolfed it down every day.;)
 
Cortrasna said:
Oh that's interesting Joellie - I wonder is it cheaper via amazon than direct from Germany as I have been doing? I will have a look myself. Dolly is the most fussy old baggage I have ever owned but she just devours this stuff - in fact I had great trouble giving her sachets of antibiotics and bute from the vet when she had her field injury, she just flatly refused it -and then started putting her little pot of Reformin in and she wolfed it down every day.;)
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Hahaha knowing my luck it probably works out dearer but I wasn't too sure about ordering from the German web site.. I can't speak a word of German and I did translate the page but it didn't seem to work very well on the shop page..:oops:
 
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