OTTB Success Stories

Posts Tagged ‘Shoeing’

Just a note to say that Ping (Shelby’s Hill) is outstanding!

After trying to figure out sore feet, natural balance shoes and some wedge pads have given me an amazing horse. He’s still for sale on Dreamhorse and if anyone wants to pay my price I’d come and get another one from you, BUT I really don’t want to sell Ping. He is so much FUN to ride and willing to do anything. As soon as I get it right he’s THERE.  He does seem to like dressage surprisingly. Seems like many TB don’t have the patience. And he is BEAUTIFUL.  A full 16 hands and getting WIDE.

Just an update. A positive, happy update. Sometimes these OTTB just have little issues, and it takes time to figure them out.

Thanks!
Sarah Farnham

Read more of Shelby’s Hill Success Stories on the Bits & Bytes Farm Web site.

I’m forwarding some pics my daughter took of me and my new groom.

Lydia Dequine and her "Groom" - OTTB Eleanor's Groom

I’m having a wonderful time with him. We had our first canter today! He is very quiet (hasn’t done anything stupid at all!), smart and willing. In fact, I’m reading the book “Beyond the Track” and he doesn’t fit in at all!

We are having a fabulous long fall and I’m so pleased to be able to spend lots of time with him. He’s even growing some hair in preparation for winter and gaining some weight. With front shoes he is much less tender and seems to be moving much better. He’s turned out 24/7 with nine other horses, has learned to drink out of the lake and seems to think he’s died and gone to heaven. The book talks about stress (and I’m sure some of these guys are) but my Groom is happy and mellow! Thank you. And I’ll stop raving now.

I look on the website frequently and love reading all the good info…thank you. And thank you for Eleanor’s Groom!

Lydia Dequine

Lydia Dequine and her "Groom" - OTTB Eleanor's Groom

See new photos of Eleanor’s Groom in his OTTB Success Stories Photo Gallery.

Katharina and Klaus married in August and shared their special day with Vilas County and friends

Vilas is actually doing pretty well. We had some issues over last couple of months with his front feet. The shoes didn’t want to stay on and he lost them over ten times. Very frustrating and nerve racking. So we finally decided to let him go bare foot for two to three months, so that his hoof wall can recover. That means no riding in the arena, but at least riding on grass. He is doing pretty well with his feet, better than I thought. Since he probably was shod all his life, I figured he would be very sore. But he’s doing ok.

He has gotten so pretty over the last two weeks, since his coat is now turning dark again. He was a little bit sun bleached from being outside. Now he is dark like back in January. He muscled up so nicely, even though I didn’t do a lot with him. It’s just hard to keep three horses in training when you still work regularly every day.

Vilas County spent the summer mastering ground work and good manners - next summer, blue ribbons!

But anyway, he’s a great. His ground manners changed a lot and I now can even groom him untied – which was impossible before. He just had to have his nose into everything. Was pulling around and couldn’t stand still.

I also did a lot of round pen work with him. He now lunges perfectly. I did let him also jump over a cavaletti in the round pen and he took it like nothing. Just a big canter step over it. So, we will see what the time brings and maybe we are able to go to our first show middle of next year.

I took him on a little ride to our neighbor’s pasture two days ago and he was just so ready to go – running wise. I think he thought there must be a racetrack somewhere – I did let him gallop, totally under control – but he wanted to get more and more. He will never forget how to run…somehow it was a great feeling.

So, hopefully when he is ready to get his shoes on again we will be able to work again.

Katharina

Elizabeth’s Note: It takes a year of good nutrition to get a horse’s feet to see any change in diet. Letting a horse go barefoot is a great way to get the foot aligned. I highly recommend Boa boots for everyone. They stay on a horse’s foot and are suitable for riding in as well. They are easy to put on and off and are perfect to protect a foot if a shoe is lost. They can be also be used to hold medicines in case of abscess or cuts in the frog. Bye bye baby diapers and duct tape! We have even jumped small fences with Boa boots on our horses. I will never be without several pairs.

Thanks for the reply and the helpful hints – I have been reading your training tips on the Bits & Bytes Farm Web site. Eleanor’s Groom came without shoes and with the amount of snow we get here (and probably quite soon) I am leaving him barefoot. He does go much better on the grass. I’ll stay in touch…he’s a very sweet horse, thank you so much, and I’m spreading the word!

I just wanted to let you know how delighted I am with my “Mail Order Groom”. He is beautiful, and seems very quiet and sane and very sweet! I’ve not done much with him as he seems a little stiff and footsore (my farrier has also trimmed him), just some ground work, a little lunging and some ponying around the ranch…he even quietly stepped over some small logs, a few ditches and even the little tires…he did, of course, balk at the creek crossing (no fireworks or anything, just planted feet and a worried look) but he’ll be turned out very soon in the hayfields and will have to drink out of the lake…I’m sure the other horses will tease him until he gets it!

Elizabeth’s Note: Many times farriers trim the Thoroughbred foot too short. They have thin hoof walls and usually the feet need to grow out to be trimmed properly. The important thing to do is just get off the racing plates (with the dangerous toe grabs) and get regular steel shoes on to support the foot as it is growing. Little trimming is usually done at the first shoeing off the track.

And another subject that causes difficulties. . .

Elizabeth’s Note: As for the creek crossing . . . this is always the hardest thing for them to understand. They are not familiar with running water or having to walk through it. It sometimes helps to take them through a very wide and shallow creek to teach them that it will not harm them. A small creek is hard because they want to jump it to keep it from “biting them”. Groundwork will teach them to trust you and your horse will soon do whatever you ask because you have built up that bond.

Just wanted to brag about Icy again. Yesterday we did a little round pen stuff, and he was very calm. I also pulled one of his front shoes since he lost the other one in the pasture. It takes me a lot longer to pull a shoe than it does for the farrier to do it, and he just stood there very patiently. I also did the Reducine and put sugar/iodine (not water!) on a couple of little scrapes. He didn’t bat an eye at anything and didn’t fidget or worry at all. I can’t believe what was going to happen to him (had he not found a new home) – he’s obviously a great horse.

Elizabeth’s Note: An old horseman’s trick to treat a wound is to make a paste of sugar and iodine. It will harden and protect the wound. Disclaimer: we are not vets and you should consult your vet before giving any treatment for a serious injury.