Let me tell you a story - not a pretty story but a true story. At the 95
Big South Fork Misty was doing great - she dragged me through the trot out
at 40 miles. We were just out there to do an easy ride - getting ready for
the Longleaf 100. I decided that since she had so much damn energy she was
going to gallop back in. I really didn't have much choice in the matter
since she knew the trail in and she was bound and determined to get home -
mares, how I love em. We came back down off the mountain and started
galloping on the trail. When she crossed a stream she took a funny step -
like a rock on a bare foot. I check and lo an beho she had pulled a shoe -
probably in the deep mud we just crossed. I slapped on an easy boot and
finished. She was sound. The farrier was scheduled to come in a weeks so I
just pulled the other front shoe when I got home. He reshod her and I did
a training ride on the week end and was off to Mississippi the next
weekend.
We got to long leaf and I went out to loosen her up on Friday. When I went
to clean out the hoof the back of the frog looked awful. It turns out that
an abscess and blown out the back of the frog. The vet thought it had come
from a deep bruse. I probably got it at the Big South Fork. Since I was
using Slypners and they are so high of the ground, there was no lameness.
I ended up with the soaking and putting the hoof in a bandage routine -
diapers are good for that sort of thing and keeping an easy boot on to keep
it dry. In about two weeks I just kept the foot in an easy boot - she
still had the shoes on. About three weeks after the abscess broke, I put
an easy boot on the other front foot and actually did a little ridding - no
lameness!
To make a long story short, the frog actually came off - like a smashed
fingernail. It took some time to grow back. I had to be careful that I
didn't over do it when I started to ride again since the new frog tissue
was tender. By the Far Out Forest her foot was fine.
During this whole time she did not show any lameness. I know the slypners
are partially responsible for this, but just because the horse is not dead
lame doesn't mean there is not something going on in the foot.
Truman
Truman Prevatt
Mystic "The Horse form Hell" Storm with a lille hellion on the way
Danson "Deamon in Training" Flame
Sarasota, FL