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| Fresh clip job and fresh toes! |
Remember when I posted pictures of Bacon's feet (and I died inside) and then you gasped in horror, but then wrote kind things in the comments because you all are angels? No? I will refresh you.
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| Almost an inch of concavity. Oh, my heart :( October 2015 |
Bacon had epic battles with thrush throughout last winter and spring. It cleared it, but resulted in the loss of her frogs in her front feet. And she dealt with lameness off and on (I would too if I had to stand on my toes for months) as we tried to find the best solution for her. We know she needs shoes because of her crazy weaving. We tried just shoes to allow concussion from the ground to help stimulate the frog to grow. She was really uncomfortable with that option.
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| View of left front. So gross. October 2015 |
We then tried the pour in epoxy pads (EquiPak) completely level with the shoes. It seemed to help a little, but did not stimulate growth and she was still sore. We also tried to use the EquiPak designed with a frog and traction support. She was very comfortable with this option, but this setup makes you unable to use the mesh to help hold the EquiPak in and it fell out in 3 weeks. Sighs. Sighs all around.
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| Filling the void with hopes and dreams and chemicals. |
Farrier recommended we try regular frog support pads nailed on with the shoe. I brought up using Magic Cushion as the filler and he thought that was worth a shot. We put those on and I crossed my fingers and toes but worried that there wouldn't be enough stimulation to the frog area for there to be growth. Boy was I wrong.
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| Feets today! Feb 23 2016 |
The day before my farrier was to come out, I hymed and hawed and thought about what else I could do to stimulate growth. All horses react differently to frog pressure. Some need more, some less, and it can be hard to determine which is most comfortable while still doing a good job stimulating the frog. I rushed to the dollar store to buy thick foam just in case we needed it. And when my farrier took off her pads, I was so pleasantly surprised to see a FROG. Not even a little frog. A decent sized frog!
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| Look look look! JOY. Feb 2016 |
Now I feel slightly less like the worse owner ever and I am so glad that my horse has that important cushion on the back of her feets again. I didn't know what to expect but I didn't expect that. I ran into the house to grab my phone and take a picture of it and my farrier was pretty happy with my excitement. We went ahead and shod her the same way again and we will see what we have at the end of that cycle. But, I think we have found the right solution. Yay!
What a HUGE improvement all around, YAY BACON'S FEETS!!!
ReplyDeleteI think I shouted FROGS probably 32 times that day.
DeleteThose frogs are great but I was really hoping for pictures of real frogs like on your ponies :P . We had this one horse show we went to all the time when I was younger that the stalls were by a creek, so whenever you cleaned your stall you were constantly releasing frogs and toads back to their natural habitat.. or putting them on your horse.
ReplyDeleteIf I could catch the damn frogs hiding in my pasture swamp, you would totally see frogs on horses :) Goats on horses might have to work.
Deletei want to see goats on horses plz B)
DeleteFeet problems are super scary. Glad the Bacs is back on track!!
ReplyDeleteShe just likes to make her mom worry and weave so she has a weaving buddy.
DeleteSuper! That's fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI think so too!
DeleteThose frogs look so much better.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am glad to see something is working right.
Deletewow thats incredible! well done
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
DeleteI LOVE magic cushion!
ReplyDeleteWow! Much better feeties! That's awesome you guys found something that works so well for her.
ReplyDeletewoooo ribbit ribbit, Ms Bacon!!! yay for soft squishy bits to walk on again!! (and also this, just for funsies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsPMCi9bQ34)
ReplyDeleteYay for frogs!!! :D
ReplyDeleteWow, wha a HUGE improvement. WTG you two :)
ReplyDeleteAs a sidenote, I have used Koppertox for thrush infections. You can also dilute bleach with water in a pinch and use that, but it isn't really reccomended for long periods of times or often.
Yay for frogs! Also, I love that clip job.
ReplyDeleteOmygosh Yayayayaya FROGS! Bacon you must be OVERJOYED! So glad you guys found a solution.
ReplyDeleteIm only new to your blog but that looks like a real good improvement!! Yay
ReplyDeleteAre you using a full pad with frog support? Or just a pad with the frog support cut out? I am toying with asking my farrier to do something similar as my mare's frogs disappear every year as soon as she goes back in shoes. I was just hoping to avoid a full pad.
ReplyDeleteWe used a full pad. Like this: http://www.centaurforge.com/Castle-Cushioned-Frog-Pads-Tan/productinfo/46505/
DeleteFingers crossed that whatever you choose to do works well!
Yay Bacon feet are coming back! That can be so scary
ReplyDeleteGreat progress!
ReplyDelete