Healing Misty - Jake's new best friend

Pictures of Misty in the round pen. She really loves Jake, the pony, since they live in neighboring pens, so I turn them out together. 


These pictures are from the time of the previous post, just a few days after her first big trim.  I was trying to get my video to load, but I can't figure out how to get it off my phone and onto blogger.  So you'll have to make due with pictures.

The following pictures just show how hard life has been for her in the past.  

She laid down a lot because her feet hurt and wore the hair off her elbows, her hindquarters, and developed a fluidy filled sac to cushion her sternum.  The ground was hard at her previous place.  She also has pin-firing scars on her right hind leg.  She raced very successfully all last year.

She also has a small hernia...nothing that will hurt her most likely, but could be passed on if she were to be bred...not that the racing folks probably consider a hernia when breeding a fast horse.

This is a picture of her racing last year.  She is number 4.  It's just a sad story all around.  This horse with great potential ended 2013 racing all washed up (probably injured or showing lameness if the pin firing is any clue), then was sold to a working family who was excited about their new fast cart horse, then she foundered after just a few times out on the road.  Sounds like there was just too much stress at the end of the year there for her, and it all may likely have lead to the severe founder event.  And then without appropriate management, she could not heal.  I'm glad she has had these good days at least and we'll see what her future holds.

Healing Misty - first trim

After Misty had been here for a few days on 2 grams of bute twice a day and housed 24/7 on deep sand, I did her first big trim. I had trimmed about 1.5 inches off her toe out front and lowered her heels a week before while she was still at her previous owners.  Now, based on having seen radiographs I took off as much as I dared off the front of her toes. The goal is to improve her break over and get rid of the deformed hoof capsule to prevent further deformation.

I took radiographs after her trim, and while much improved, there is still a lot of material in front of her coffin bone.  Her angles are hard to assess because she was variably weighting her feet during rads, and I wanted to take them quick and not make her stand on a block for very long.  The best news is that she actually has some sole depth!  We have something to build on!

I shot really quick rads of the solar margin of her coffin bone (totally rough because I did not take the time to clean the sand out or pack the grooves with playdoh (because of all the sand and how painful she was standing on one foot).  It is really hard to see, but the solar margin of the coffin bone at the tip is eaten away.  At one point she had some pretty significant pedal osteitis.  I don't think it is active right now though.  It has a sclerotic rim and seems well defined.  That bone will never come back.  There are also pockets at the quarters where the hoof wall is not connected to the underlying tissue.  These feet are a disaster.

The next day, I took her out for a walk and I could not believe how good she was moving!  She looked almost normal while walking through my round pen, striding out and looking comfortable.  While standing, she still shifts from one foot to another constantly, but the walking comfort is huge.  Before we got to this point, Misty wasn't really rocking back on her haunches, but reluctant to move and carefully setting a hoof down while quickly walking up with her hind feet to support herself.  So, this striding out and looking seriously almost normal is amazing!



While her improvement is wonderful, it is only the start. She still needs to grow a whole new hoof, if even possible. Previous growth rings show that she is growing very little at the toe, and quite a bit at the heel.  I will have to continue to keep the heel rasped down as new growth comes in.  And she will continue to be at risk for abscesses.  She has previous evidence of blowing an abscess out of a heel on each hoof, and out the top of the coronary band on one.

Healing Misty

Misty's story will be an interesting, and potentially heartbreaking one. I can't tell you much about her past, but I can say that she is a 4 year old Standardbred mare that foundered very badly back in January. She has not been managed appropriately since then and her feet may be irrepairable. But her stoic nature, and sweet eyes made me give her a second chance. I am her proud/scared/worried new owner. This story is just beginning again for Misty, and it may yet be even more heartbreaking than it has already. She may remain uncomfortable and painful, or even become worse, and if that happens, I am prepared to help her pass on peacefully. But in the meantime, we will be doing our best to get her comfortable, keep her feet trimmed correctly, and encourage new hoof growth. Cross your fingers...we need the luck.

Misty upon arriving at my house. She is wearing the styrofoam pads I had asked her previous owners to use instead of shoes, which had been nailed on the bottom of her misshapen hooves just to try to get her sole off the ground. However, the styrofoam was crushed flat and not doing any good. While still at her previous owners, I had removed some of her super long curled up toe and lowered her heels, but was afraid to do too much without radiographs, which we had not done at that time. Then applied the pads...but the pads have to be layered on and replaced every time they become crushed down.

The first changes I made now that Misty is at my house: 1) House her in deep sand (initially was about 6 inches deep of dry sand). 2) Keep the wraps off and give her rotten feet a chance to dry out. 3) Start her on antiinflammatory medications - phenylbutazone.  4) Offer all the free choice grass hay she can eat, 5) Start a complete mineral/vitamin supplement that will support healthy hoof growth. 

Her toe is growing very slowly compared to her heels, if at all, and the deformed hoof capsule is contributing to further deformation.

She has also blown at least 3 abscesses at some time in the recent past on her two front feet, and could potentially blow more. I'm hoping she just keeps the majority of her hoof capsule intact. I worry about this huge crack at her heel and I'm hoping it doesn't extend forward any further, or pinch new growing tissues.

She also has a very convex sole and the sole just in front of the frog is pushed out the most. This makes her very uncomfortable on hard surfaces.

These are the quick rads I shot through her wraps and pads while still at her previous owners (right before I took her home) because we were all curious what was going on inside there.

Obviously there is rotation and sinking of the coffin bone, with an excessively curved dorsal hoof wall, but not much else can be assumed because there is tape and a pad also in the view.

This journey with Misty is just beginning, but I will continue to post about our progress (or lack thereof).  It may be a year or two in the making (time to grow a new hoof), or it may be over in a few months.  It all depends on her comfort.

Adding a pony to the herd

Lots of things have been going on around here this summer, despite my lack of posts.  The first exciting thing is that we got a pony for my daughter!  His name is Jake, and he is 25 years old.  He has actually been in the family since he was 7 years old, but the last few years he was living with the neighbor's grandkids.  Now they've outgrown him and he has come back to us to be our pony!  It is kind of a sweet story.  Of course, my daughter loves brushing long hair, so they have a great relationship.  And the pony prefers kids to adults...probably because kids give him treats all the time and don't make him mind.  He's a great pony for my daughter to learn to sit a horse.  His only downside is that he absolutely cannot have grass.  He has foundered really badly multiple times in the past before anyone really understood how to manage him.  Now he is doing well, is a good weight (maybe even a little thin, though he still has fat pads from his previous metabolic syndrome life).  His feet are very tender on rocks and hard ground, but he is fine in sand and grass.  When we ride him through the woods (daughter on him, and I lead him...he is primarily a lead line pony), we put boots on his feet.  He has to be isolated from the herd, however, since he cannot be on pasture.  We brought him home in June and right now, he is living in our old mustang pens, but in a month or two he will move closer to our yard.

 

 

The other big news is that we are finally putting in a barn!  A real barn!  With stalls and all!  It will also serve as a garage for our trucks (my vet truck too, which doesn't fit in our house garage).  We just broke ground last weekend, as the builder couldn't start until August.  There will be 4 stalls, a heated room for water and a sink, a tack room, a garden tool room, and then room for 2 trucks.  The back side will have a 3 sided shelter area for the horses to hang during the day.  I don't anticipate stalling any horses, but it will be convenient for feeding minerals and such and also during foaling time next spring.

Also, Stormy has been with my neighbor for some refining training for the last couple weeks.  During this time, we have determined something which I've suspected for a while, but never had someone else around to help me out with...Stormy has some strange minor lameness that is not really apparent on the trail.  It is primarily apparent when circling her to the left.  I believe it is her left hind leg and I need to do some further work up to figure out where exactly.  I don't think it is something that is worsening...it's always been there.  I would like to same maybe it is some sort of mechanical lameness (or perhaps lack of muscling), but I suspect she has some pain somewhere.  I feel like my horses are always the last ones to get looked at for lameness issues. 

My 3 year old took these pictures without me knowing...

Chico is also quite lame right now...it is the same lameness in his left hind leg (not the one that got the big cut - that leg is just fine) that I noticed for the first time a few years ago.  It's getting worse.  At this point, if I ride him even just a short ways around the property, then let him stand for a few minutes tied, he stiffens up and can hardly put any weight at all on that left hind leg.  And all that after being absolutely fine during the ride.  The lameness only shows after he's been rested after a ride (or chased around the pasture trying to catch him to put his grazing muzzle back on).  And if I keep walking him, he will warm back up out of that lameness to where it might still be there, but not nearly as severe.  And I am starting to be able to see it when he trots in the pasture.  When he's at pasture, it is very minor and hard to see, but there.  I had him down to the vet school a year ago for it, but he wasn't lame enough at the time to isolate it to a region of his left hind leg.  I'm just not sure right now and I need extra hands to help to actually figure out where it is...which I dont' usually have when I'm working with my horses.

At least Stormy's lameness doesn't get worse with work, that we've seen yet.  And it is imperceptible on a straight line, so she does just fine on the trail.

And speaking of lame horses, I have a new big project that I've brought home, but that is a post for next time!

For those anxiously waiting, Cody checked pregnant at 14 days. I just rechecked her again yesterday and there is a 35 day old embryo with a good heartbeat!  So crossing fingers that all goes well and we have a healthy foal and Momma next May!

Breeding Cody

Cody was inseminated today!  If all goes well, she'll become pregnant and we won't have to go through all this again!  It was days of ultrasounding, then a setback when she had some sort of injury at pasture (I think a bee sting) that caused lameness and swelling on her inside left thigh, but finally yesterday, I ordered the semen and she was still ready for it today.  Now just need her to ovulate in time for the semen to still be good.

And Cody is feeling much better from her supposed beesting.  She is almost back to 100% a few days later.  She was really sore and tender with a flaming hot inside hindquarter area a few days ago.

So, I said I want to be surprised when I see the foal color when it is born.  Based on her and Bullet's color genes, these are my probabilities for coat color.  It will totally be Christmas the day she has her foal...not only will I have a brand new foal, but it could be any one of these colors!  And any of these will be wonderful!

Offspring Color Probability

9.38% -	Grullo
9.38% -	Bay
9.38% -	Dunskin
9.38% -	Black
9.38% -	Smoky Grullo
9.38% -	Buckskin
9.38% -	Smoky Black
9.38% -	Bay Dun
6.25% -	Palomino
6.25% -	Red Dun
6.25% -	Red (Chestnut/Sorrel)
6.25% -	Dunalino

Stallion

I searched a long time while looking for a stallion to breed Cody to.  Cody is 11 this year, and I always wanted a foal from her.  At her age, it is now or possibly never, being a maiden mare.  In a stallion (and hopefully passed down to the foal) I primarily want disposition, all around athletic ability, soundness and an attractive horse.  I preferred a stallion that has been "proven" by being shown at least some.  By attractive, I mean a well put together balanced horse with a color I've always wanted (I LOVE bays, but would really like the chance to have a dun (red, bay or grullo).  The stallion I chose could not have a "cream" gene (which results in buckskin, palomino or smoky black), because Cody also carries that gene, and I did not want to chance having a double dilute foal (I really didn't want to deal with pink skin).  It was very difficult finding a stallion that met all my criteria.  A lot of dun/grullo horses out there also carry a cream gene and I think a lot of people might like the increased chance of color.  Maybe I'm an odd person, but I also want to be completely surprised by the color of the foal, and wasn't as interested in a stallion being homozygous for dun color (but I wouldn't have minded if he was).  The stallion I chose is drop-dead gorgeous and has done very well in the reining world.   He and his ancestors are known for their disposition.  And I even got a chance to see this stallion in person to be sure he was every bit as awesome as his pictures make him seem.  He did not disappoint me.  And I don't know if I could have found a stallion with a better disposition.

His name is Rawhides Slvr Bullet.  His grandsire is Hollywood Dun It.  You can find more information about him here: http://www.jewelquarterhorses.com/.  I also have some pictures I've saved of him for myself, but fear that I shouldn't post them online.  I will post them to show you my favorites, but will take them down in a few days (copyright, you know).  And yes, his coat really does shine metallic in the sunlight.

Enjoy!  I love looking at him too and am so excited for a foal. First I have to get Cody bred.

Changes

There are changes in the wind.  1) I am now an official veterinarian.  I graduated last week!  2) I am finally now home forever! 3) Spring really did finally come...it really took it's time, but now that it is here things are really blooming. 4) I am trying to get Cody in foal.  So far, we are at the monitoring stage, since I am just now at home.  On Friday it looked like she had just ovulated, so I'm going to short-cycle her and try to catch her this time.  Semen will be cooled-shipped.

I turned the horses out into the big pasture for an hour today to graze a little.  We wanted to replant the thin areas this spring, but didn't have the right weather.  Then, when we should have planted, we just didn't have time, with all the graduation activities.  So they've been kept off this pasture and now the grass has really grown up.  They were pretty excited to get out there.  They wouldn't have brought their heads up from the grass for that whole hour if I hadn't urged them to run just to take some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring is trying to come to WI

 

Stormy - she just often has this quizzical interested look on her face when we are anywhere near the horses.

She has to come and check us out.  We might have treats after all.

She comes right up to my daughter (isn't she getting big!?!  She'll be 4 in Sept.).  Stormy's look says she isn't really begging for treats...maybe more of a scratch.

She's just a sweet little mare that puts up with my daughter's cuddles.

 

This is the look that Chico gets on his face when he sees my daughter walking/dancing/frolicking across the pasture.  He still doesn't quite know what to think about her.

Probably for good reason.  She IS pretty silly most of the time.

Cody just stands looking like the regal quarter horse that she is.

Catlow is around the corner stuffing her face with hay.  She lost more weight than the others did during this very cold winter.  She's not thin.  I can barely feel her ribs and you can't see them, but she lost all muscle tone over her back and in general looks like she needs some fattening.  She's working on it.  And the green grass that is trying to grow will help her.

A couple weeks ago, I took Chico for a brisk walk down the road.  I wanted to see if there was any sign of lameness since his injury last September.  That horrific cut on his right hind fetlock has healed very well, but it is still reorganizing inside.  The fetlock is a little larger, though radiographs of the joint and leg show no bony changes.

We walked about 2 miles.  And the whole time, I could not detect any  lameness.  He was steady and his footprints even landed exactly even on both sides.  I wanted to try walking him back into shape, by my schedule did not allow that.  Instead, he's been in the pasture this whole time.

Then yesterday, I decided to try riding him and see if he could stay sound.  I saddled him up for the first time since last summer.  He stood solid and calm.  I walked him from the ground to warm him up, then mounted.  He was strong and we started walking.  I couldn't detect any lameness in him.  He was a little all over the place, gawking at everything as we walked (not spooking, just had to look at everything).  That made it hard to evaluate him.  But then, when we turned back home, he was much straighter and walked more briskly.  I could not detect any abnormality associated with that leg.  He still did the same thing he's been doing for years, where occasionally he catched his toe on a hind leg in the sand on the side of the road and trips (never catches his toe when we are walking on trails on more uneven ground - I think it's laziness).  But even that didn't make him sore.  And he stayed comfortable and "normal" all the way home - it was a 3 mile ride.  I know that's not long, but we have to start slow!  We even trotted a little bit, and he really seemed normal.

So, I'm so excited that he might still have a long riding life ahead of him.  He is my favorite riding gelding afterall!

This is after we got back from our ride.  I trimmed him.