Foot problems catching up with her a year later...

[Rips]

Poor Mocha. She had a crack in her hoof that started when her feet were flat and splayed after she had foalie. It has been growng down (and the bottom inch is just superficial at the bottom end now)... but as the shape of her hoof was quite weak, its spread upwards gradually aswell. Recently its widened at the top and shes come up lame with it this week.

Farriers was out yesterday to reset her shoes and he dug it out abit to see if there was anything to drain. It looks really bad I'm washing it out with Hydrogen peroxide and today I plugged it with a swab soaked in Iodine and taped it up to stop dirt getting in there. It seems to be clean and its relieved some of the pressue that was building up in her coronet band but it looks awful and its going to take weeks to grow down to a place where its not so much of a worry. I was all ready to start back jumping her again too, shes really behaving herself.

Odie will be coming up to work to join her next week so he can be trialed for a loan home. If that doesn't work out, and if Mocha continues to be unsound... I'm going to have to swap them around, because I feel guilty that he's sittiing in a field doing nothing. Bah!

Booked in for another Le Trec competition on the 29th, I don't mind which horse I take. Look forward to an update about that! It would be really nice if this lady who is interested in Odie takes him and we could do the competition with both of them...

 

[Rips]

Update on Mocha's hooves. She had a chiropractor out on Tuesday, she had a few niggly issues with her pelvis, nothing serious and apart from that is perfect. Had a second farrier out on wednesday (one who hot shoes) to see if he would seal the crack after I was sure there was no infection there. BTW, the iodine soaked swab and tape worked well for keeping out dirt.

She was alot more comfortable on it at this stage, appeared sound when trotted up and on the lunge, but couldn't cope on Monday when I sat up to ride. Its pinching her. He said he'll have to make her up a special support shoe before he does anything with the crack but right now she hasn't got enough growth to support it (since her shoes were only reset the week previous.) So reluctantly I have turned her back out and swapped Odie into her livery spot. Typically, I would spend 10 weeks working with her before it became a problem. In 5 weeks time I'll have to box her back up their for him to shoe her. Bah.

Moving her home caused a problem. Odie is at home with Vega and the horsebox. So I had to go drive home from work (hours journey) where my dad met me with the horsebox load

 

[JamesTheFarrier]

Where is the crack? Toe? Quarters?

I dont understand why the farrier that shod her did not stabilise the crack by drawing up and exra clip in the shoe (or is it was a toe crack by using double clipped shoes)? Cracks can be filled/sealed as well.

 

[Rips]

Its off centre, left quarter of her near fore. It starts about half an inch from the bottom of her foot and extends upwards, the bottom inch has grown out and is only superficial. It started before that foot was reshod. Farrier has mostly been concerned with fixing the shape of her foot to prevent the crack spreading furthur. There was sort of a concave dish at the toe even though her hooves were short, which he's brought right back and they look normal enough now. Latest farrier, who saw her feet previously was happy with what he'd done to correct the shape.