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Bobby
TWH Gelding
Initial Assessment
Bobby is growing some foot back after his previous trimmer got a little
too aggressive. Okay, much too aggressive. I see this too frequently...it
frustrates the heck outta me, because of the damage it does to the
barefoot movement...not to mention the poor horse! There is just no excuse
for sacrificing the horse's comfort to rush a goal. Bobby was perfectly
comfortable prior to the trim you see in the first row of photos.
Recommendations
Bobby is a classic easy keeper -- very common in the gaited breeds, as
well as mustangs and Arabs. Our first mission is to get his diet right. I
suspected insuling resistance when I first meet Bobby; his vet has tested
him and confirmed. He does not show any white line separation, although
it's possible he was trimmed to the tight white line. He shows some
pronounced growth rings and dorsal flaring. His heels are contracted, and
his frogs were very thrushy when I first saw him; the central sulcus is a
deep crevasse and his heel bulbs squashed together. I've recommended
frequent White Lightening soaks and packing the central sulcus with
essential oil-soaked cotton balls to address the thrush.
Trim Notes
Our immediate goal is to get Bobby comfortable again. Trims have been
extremely conservative -- just keeping him balanced and rolling the toe,
taking no heel height.
03-20-09
Bobby is moving comfortably, although he still wears boots and pads for
trail rides on rugged terrain. His thrush is all but gone. He
has a very dramatic inflammation ring from the last very aggressive trim
applied by his previous trimmer. His proportions are looking much more
normal.
10-30-09
Bobby is doing just great. He rarely even wears his boots for rugged rides anymore. Does he have perfect feet? Certainly not; his heels are technically contracted. But he has developed beautiful, uniform, adequate sole coverage, his frogs are thrush-free and healthy, and his overall hoof quality is fabulous. And the important thing is, these feet work great for him!
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