Flynn and Stacy's weekend

Stacy came down to see Flynn for the first time since the RRR (when he had only been here a few days).    Of course it was a day for a full set of waterproofs, as always...

"Are we about to ride off the edge of a cliff in the fog?"

No, Flynn knows exactly where he is going

Stacy was riding him for the first time since June :-)  Flynn came down here straight from box rest and with a poor prognosis from his vet as he his MRI had shown DDFT damage and he had also had hind limb lameness problems.

There is a long way to go before Flynn has grown a complete new hoof capsule but even in 4 weeks he has made a start and has become sounder and more sure-footed.  Here he is demonstrating his new found skill at going downhill...

Flynn realises the water is more fun than he first thought...

Clever boy!

Behaving like a pro.  

Flynn's feet are changing rapidly and I will get his latest photos up soon.  I will also put up updates this week for Taz and for Dillon (who went home on Friday and has settled back in very well, apparently).

Difficult questions

Here's a post that has been in my "draft" pile since I put up my most recent "celery" post last month, because it was just too difficult to finish(!)...I had lots of great comments in response to the original post as well as some fair challenges about the whole concept of "celery".

Generally, people liked the idea of horses being able to self-trim but weren't confident it was necessarily practical in their own situations (BTW, the photo was one I found on Google but I thought it could be perfectly captioned: "Celery scepticism!").

A comment from C voiced a general concern:

"I can't help worrying, though, about those owners who just can't do the work and how they get it right, particularly with rehabs. 

The barefoot horses with caudal hoof lameness that you've had seem to suggest that peripheral loading is to blame. If you can't get the work into the horse because of dark nights and work or school, then there's no option but to trim to stop the peripheral loading ..... or am I missing something?"

This is a tricky situation, for sure, because work on hard surfaces can be contra-indicated if horses are landing incorrectly.  In a healthy landing, you would expect to see a hoofprint like this, with plenty of weight taken by the heels and frogs and some by the sole and hoof wall. 

Peripheral loading (where the weight of the horse is mostly taken around the edge of the hoof, as if in a shoe, below) is not ideal but that in itself doesn't seem to be the biggest problem (at least with the horses I see).  

Far more problematic are horses who are landing toe first (whether shod or barefoot) because that tends to mean the whole shock-absorbing mechanism of the back of the foot is compromised.  


Once a horse is landing toe first there is extra strain on the DDFT; therefore increasing work is likely to be counter-productive as it also increases strain and the risk of injury and lameness - and the harder the surface and the faster the work, the greater the risk.

So the solution for these horses has to involve more than simply doing more roadwork - but we are back to the catch-22.

Most horses with caudal heel pain have that pain because some structure at the back of the foot (whether its internal soft tissue, frog, heels, fibrocartilage or a combination of these) is compromised, weak or inadequate.

In response to this pain, heels can become high as the horse shifts weight from a painful area but trimming heels lower isn't an analgesic and can only remove hoof wall; with many horses, lameness will become worse if the painful area is overloaded so trimming should be undertaken only with caution as backing up a toe or lowering an apparently high heel may put too much weight on an already compromised frog or digital cushion.

I really wish I could give a "magic wand" answer  - I wish it was simple and that I could just say "Yes, trim x then y and the biomechanics will be sorted and all will be well", but as you already know, that's not always possible.

There may well be a place for trimming sometimes, but it will only be a minor place because, as we are increasingly aware, the reality is more complicated.  Fitness, whether for muscles or for hooves is a product of correct work, correct nutrition, correct biomechanics, blood, sweat and tears...and there aren't always quick fixes available.  

Small changes make big differences

Pocholo went home on Monday with Kingsley to their new joint bachelor pad in Hampshire - it was nice that they were off to pastures new together, as they are good mates.   

I've already posted a quick Pocholo update yesterday but there is time for a bit more detail today. 

Here is his LF - his better foot - the day he arrived, at the end of July, and below when he left on 3rd October.  It wasn't a dreadful foot to start with, and Pocholo was sound on this rein so you wouldn't expect it to look too bad, but its improved - particularly the frog and caudal structure - in the last few weeks.  

His RF was more problematic - this was the rein he was lame on and its a blocky, boxy foot with a distorted hairline and nailholes still fairly high in the hoof a month after he came out of shoes. 

By the time he goes home things are starting to improve - a better hairline so more even loading, a more supportive heel (though there is a long way still to go) and stronger hoof wall at a tighter angle. 

From underneath the RF tells the same story - a foot which is improving but which has some months before it will be as good as it can be.

The frog is getting broader and the heels are less contracted but the foot as a whole is still under-run - in front of where it needs to be and where it will be once the new hoof capsule has grown in. 

On the face of it, these are small changes and you could be forgiven for thinking that a millimetre here or there really isn't that important in the scheme of things.  

The reality though is that a millimetre at hoof level has a much more significant effect when it is multiplied by the horse's movement up a limb, across the chest or quarters, along the neck or spine.  

There is an old saying among hill walkers that 1lb on the foot is equal to 5 lbs on the back - this basically means that a small imbalance or extra weight in your shoes has as much effect as 5 times that weight in your backpack.  Translate that to the horse's hoof and you can see how even small imbalances in hooves can lead to significant distortions, stresses and compensations elsewhere in the horse's body.

Certainly with Pocholo the small but steady improvements in his feet have led to noticeable changes in his soundness, strength and way of going. 

His full footage is here and I hope you can see the better movement particularly through his shoulders in front. 

Gorgeous!

What a great week so far...despite the weather, rehab has gone Disney and everything I am hearing from owners is, as Fayley said, "happy ever after"!  Let's just enjoy it while it lasts ;-).

First off, Fayley and Isha:

"Big woohoo day for us today :) Took Isha for a gallop on the beach - relaxed, forward and responsive, mile long gallop and she is totally SOUND!!! and loved every minute :) Sadly no photos today to share with you (but there will be a next time!) :)"

Next up, Lucie and Sol, who celebrated their 1 year barefoot anniversary with a fast 9 mile ride and a foot inspection(!):

"Nadia came out to see Soli tonight and she is really pleased with his progress :) He happily stomped right across the very stoney carpark and is generally feeling very happy :) She said his feet were looking really good and said he was much better than when she saw him last time, a different horse :) and he is still landing heel first with big frogs :) yay!! x"

Not to be forgotten, Cristina and Frankie, who is on great form and back jumping again (though I don't think he has had a second day out hunting yet!).

Also this week, Pocholo went home (with Kingsley) to their new yard in Hampshire.  I've got footage and photos to post as well but in the meantime a great photo and comment from Annette:

"I took Mr P for a gentle hack yesterday. I'm pleased to say that he was far more lively than on Monday and went very "Spanish" in his excitement at being somewhere new! He walked out happily on grass, concrete and a sharp stony track. My completely non-horsey mum was walking behind us, and even she commented on how comfortable he looked :-). Thank you!!!"

And last but not least, an exciting snippet from Tiffany about Oscar:

"I promise to send that video of Oz looking like the superstar he is soon - as soon as I can tie someone down to do the filming...he is in tremendous form and looks like we will compete this winter...eek, emotional moment coming methinks..."

Late blog today, I am afraid, and I am really behind on footage - lots to put up as soon as I get a minute...!

Zan takes the next step

Zan arrived here as a rehab horse, referred from the Royal Veterinary College with bilateral front limb lameness which blocked to his caudal hoof.   He was 2/10 lame in front and he and his owner had been struggling with his condition for over 18 months when he came here in March this year.   

His diagnosis a few years ago would have been "navicular syndrome" but nowadays we know that this type of lameness is normally caused by tendon or ligament damage within the back of the hoof capsule.  Zan has not had an MRI so we can't know for sure what soft tissue damage he had, but its likely from the changes in his hooves since then that he had collateral ligament damage and deep digital flexor tendon damage.   Over and above that, he had very problematic hooves, with desperately long toes and underrun heels and thin soles which were incredibly prone to bruising and which made it impossible, for many weeks, for him to walk on hard stony ground.

Its been a long and difficult road for Zan, with many steps forward and also more than a few steps back, but he has the most fantastic attitude and has been a pleasure to have at Rockley and its been a real thrill to see him gradually get stronger and stronger.

His owner, Sarah, has been very dedicated and although I know she has missed him a lot, she has been brilliant in allowing him to stay here as long as he needed.  When she last came down to ride he had grown nearly a complete new hoof capsule and his soundness and capability were so radically improved that we even talked about her taking him hunting. 

We are now hoping very much that she will be able to make it down for a great day out with the EFH before he goes home and in preparation for that we have been increasing his workload, which he seems to have loved.  Last week came the day of reckoning - there was a meet only a mile from us and I'd agreed with Sarah that I would take Zan to see what he thought of it all.  

I knew he loved hounds because I'd taken our hound puppies, Nettle, Nutmeg and Nelson, out with him but it quickly became clear that he must have hunted in Ireland - the minute he heard hounds he switched gears as you can see from the top photo :-)  Its always satisfying seeing rehab horses improve and come on, but to see a horse right through the whole 6 months which it takes to grow a new hoof is a privilege I don't often have, and its been lovely to have that extra time with Zan. 

The further adventures of the Rockley Rehab Pony Club

We had another convention of the Rockley Rehab Pony Club this weekend, with Nicky down to see Dillon, just a few days before he goes home, and Debbie and Lea visiting Paddy and Taz.

Dillon and Paddy playing grey statues

They have all been here in grotty wet weather recently, so it was a just reward for their dedication that this time summer arrived in October! 

Very shiny Taz :-) 

Exmoor is looking fantastic and all the rehab boys were pleased to be out, even though they got rather hot and sticky in the process.  

Debbie and Paddy, having mastered Rockley's terrain, are up for it!

Taz out in front in his preferred spot and striding out.  

Dillon and Paddy were not too sure that it was worth the effort until they got onto the top and found the breeze and flatter ground. 

Dillon - what a poser...

and Paddy, just as bad...(!)

The boys trucking on out

On the way home, downhill and cruising - not bad for a bunch of rehab horses!

Horse of the week? Of course its Solomon!

Its hard to believe but its a year ago yesterday that Solomon arrived at Rockley for the first time, after more than a year of lameness, a poor veterinary prognosis and an assessment of being 5-6/10 lame.  

Solomon is already famous as my celery poster boy but in the week of his anniversary he clearly had to also be Horse of the Week!

His owner, Lucie, has had way more than her fair share of the ups and downs of the barefoot rollercoaster and has proved that though barefoot rehab can work extremely well, its definitely not an easy option and is totally reliant on owner dedication.

There have been fantastic achievements but also traumatic setbacks, with obstacles thrown up by bad trimming, nutritional challenges and even saddle fit. 

Throughout it all, Soli has remained as determined and cheeky as always, and Lucie has stuck by him and shown incredible commitment, doing whatever it took to help Soli get back on track.  Lucie and Soli, we salute you and hope all your troubles are behind you!