Trail Log: 7-12-2023

 

• Trail: Snow Park - Clear Creek - Halfway Oregon
• Miles: 2.16
• Riders: Self
• Horses: Jack - Drifter
• Dogs: Hank - Groot

Notes: First time back in the saddle in awhile. I had Jack's shoes pulls about a month ago. His feet are so broken and short he's walking on his soles from mid-bar to heel. My plan was to lay him off for the summer and let his feet spread back out. Combined with the butcher job over a year ago followed by being shod too frequently - his feet were trashed. He was being shod too often. The nails were being put in the same line time after time - essentially creating a perforated edge.  After pulling his shoes - his hoof wall broke off all the way around the perforated edge of his hooves. 

He hasn't appeared to abscess but each hoof is stone bruised. It is my fault. I know better. He was put on the same shoeing schedule with horses that seldom get out of an arena or pen. I should have stopped it - it's a mistake that cost him a lot of pain and could have crippled him permanently. As it is - I turned him out on pasture in hopes his hooves grow and spread like they should. In the meantime - he's been gimping around eating and getting fat! My farrier here up North said it would not hurt him to ride in boots so I can keep him in shape. I already had Easy Boot Gloves for the fronts from years ago. I ordered Easy Boot Sneakers for the backs. He wasn't sure about having them on the back at first; high-stepping in the back end like a backwards Tennessee Walker. 

My field in Halfway is not soft. It is strewn with gravel like rock to giant boulders. Which is actually, in my opinion, better for horse hooves then wet, soggy ground - but to a stone bruised horse - it was pretty tender going. The last week or so, he's started to move in the field more like is old self - trotting and even loping and playing with Drifter. I decided to get him out and try the boots. 

I saddled both horses in case Jack couldn't handle it and I needed to ride Drifter back. Once Jack got use to the boots on his back end, he came alive! Ponying a three year old whose been laid off as well was a handful. They both did great - heads bobbing - ears forward and happy to be back on the trail. 

I don't know if Jack's feet will ever be back to what they were - but I am hopeful that we can get back in shape with the help of hoof boots and barefoot trimming.