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magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
Sun Apr 10, 2016, 08:34 PM Apr 2016

Maizie's feet

Some of you may remember Maizie, the morgan mare I rescued last winter. A week or so after I got her, she blew an abscess, which enabled me to catch her and drag her into the barn just in time for the blizzard season. Well her abscess healed beautifully and by summer her feet were growing out evenly again, indicating that she was no longer favoring that foot and is loading her feet evenly again.

What I didn't mention before was the general condition of her feet. You never know with a rescue exactly what you're getting -- especially one taken sight unseen based on a single photo. Well, when she arrived, all four of Maizie's feet were covered top to bottom in "stress rings." Hoofs are like fingernails and toenails, and can develop stress rings for a number of reasons, from fungus to nutritional deficiencies. I had no way of knowing whether she just was genetically deficient and going to be struck with crappy feet, or if it was an acquired problem that would be fixable.

It takes about a year for new hoof to grow from the coronet band (equivalent of the cuticle) to the ground. By last August, it was clear the new hoof growing in was smooth and ring-free. You can see her last stress ring a little over halfway down the hoof -- timewise that would be right about when she blew the abscess:



Bottom line is: I lucked out again! A couple weeks ago I trimmed out the last stress ring. Her feet are strong and healthy! Here is her hoof tonight:



31 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Maizie's feet (Original Post) magical thyme Apr 2016 OP
My dear magical thyme! CaliforniaPeggy Apr 2016 #1
You are a great horse "mom'!!! femmocrat Apr 2016 #2
You rock, horse whispered! dorkzilla Apr 2016 #3
That is so awesome 2naSalit Apr 2016 #4
Beautiful foot, beautiful horse! Rhiannon12866 Apr 2016 #5
Great news. nt Live and Learn Apr 2016 #6
Just before blizzard season.. Omaha Steve Apr 2016 #7
Oh, my gosh. narnian60 Apr 2016 #26
You're such a good horsie mama, magical! Dont call me Shirley Apr 2016 #8
The horses are lucky to have you. Enthusiast Apr 2016 #9
Can we have more pics of Maizie, please? hopeforchange2008 Apr 2016 #10
I'm still in love with this pic....it makes me happy :-) magical thyme Apr 2016 #18
That is beautiful! hopeforchange2008 Apr 2016 #19
Wonderful, hugs to you and Maizie. Time for fav snacks or activities! appalachiablue Apr 2016 #11
Yes, more pics. Duppers Apr 2016 #12
Maizie is lucky to have you! Did you give her any supplements? AllyCat Apr 2016 #13
Minamix. She was eating dirt by the cupful when she arrived. magical thyme Apr 2016 #17
Horsey! shenmue Apr 2016 #14
Glad for both of you. oldandhappy Apr 2016 #15
Very nice. Good for you and Maize. eom PufPuf23 Apr 2016 #16
No luck involved swilton Apr 2016 #20
Good Job Magical Thyme passiveporcupine Apr 2016 #21
You taught me something about horses today lunatica Apr 2016 #22
Wonderful! Wish more people had a chance to "get to know" horses. TygrBright Apr 2016 #23
Well done!!! riderinthestorm Apr 2016 #24
you may have missed this when I posted it last winter... magical thyme Apr 2016 #27
I hope you framed that! It's just a perfect picture riderinthestorm Apr 2016 #28
and inhaling! damn those hairs get up your nose and there isn't a thing you can do magical thyme Apr 2016 #29
I really needed an uplifting picture today. riderinthestorm Apr 2016 #31
Great news. brer cat Apr 2016 #25
K&R Ron Obvious Apr 2016 #30

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,641 posts)
1. My dear magical thyme!
Sun Apr 10, 2016, 08:41 PM
Apr 2016

I'd say you're doing a great job with her! And she's the one who lucked out having you take care of her.



2naSalit

(86,650 posts)
4. That is so awesome
Sun Apr 10, 2016, 09:50 PM
Apr 2016

and cool! Thank you for saving a beautiful creature. Glad she wasn't in really bad shape, though it sounds like she had her issues, and that you knew what to do and could do it.


I love Morgans, had the chance to be around them during my teens.

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
18. I'm still in love with this pic....it makes me happy :-)
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 06:12 AM
Apr 2016


I'll probably get more once the grass comes in and they can go out again!

AllyCat

(16,193 posts)
13. Maizie is lucky to have you! Did you give her any supplements?
Sun Apr 10, 2016, 11:05 PM
Apr 2016

When my shelly-hooved TB mare had trouble with her feet, I started feeding Farrier's Formula and there was a noticeable line in her feet from when I started feeding it. Expensive though. Still...you give a horse a nice home and look what can happen! Well done!

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
17. Minamix. She was eating dirt by the cupful when she arrived.
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 06:09 AM
Apr 2016

I had put out minamix for Dahli, who started licking dirt when I took her off hard feed, but after her first mouthful she lost interest. And Maizie didn't seem to notice it in the feeder where I'd left it.

So I tried putting some in the floor pan feeder that I leave their 25 pound mineral salt block in. Maizie found that and started eating it. Lots of it, scarfing it down my the mouthful!

For a while there I put in a couple 6 ounce cups/day. Then it dropped off to replacing any time Maizie ran up a sweat. Finally over the winter they lost interest. In the meantime, they both gave up on the dirt.

So I'm guessing it was severe mineral deficiencies...

oldandhappy

(6,719 posts)
15. Glad for both of you.
Sun Apr 10, 2016, 11:49 PM
Apr 2016

Thank you for taking her in and loving her and caring for her. You are a wonder friend and mom to this horse.

TygrBright

(20,762 posts)
23. Wonderful! Wish more people had a chance to "get to know" horses.
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 03:46 PM
Apr 2016

They are truly great companion animals if you have the space, resources and knowledge to give them the care they need.

They have personality plus, and they love spending time with each other AND their humans. They make excellent therapy animals, and they have so much to teach us.

Seriously, stressed out? Go hang with a coupla horses. Take 'em a cookie. Watch 'em graze. Offer a pat or two. Let them breathe in your breath. Before long, they'll be sidling up for a more emphatic pet. Go ahead. Along the neck, the direction the hair grows. Moderate pressure, slow, rhythmic. Feel your heartbeat? It's already slowed, hasn't it? Breathe in the warm horsey scent. Let 'em nibble your hair a little. Back off and watch them graze some more.

NOW go back to work. Stress gone.

Glad you and Maizie found one another.

appreciatively,
Bright

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
27. you may have missed this when I posted it last winter...
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 08:41 PM
Apr 2016
I think you were very busy taking some time off from posting:

 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
28. I hope you framed that! It's just a perfect picture
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 08:46 PM
Apr 2016

They are textbook fit and I love the wooly coats.

(Which I bet you're eating by the mouthful as they shed it off... )

 

magical thyme

(14,881 posts)
29. and inhaling! damn those hairs get up your nose and there isn't a thing you can do
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 08:52 PM
Apr 2016


You're right...I should get it printed. The sheer luck involved with getting them both in the frame, in sync and not at a distorted angle. And it was pure luck. I took easily a dozen before it with heads cut off, blurry, running me down, you name it...
 

riderinthestorm

(23,272 posts)
31. I really needed an uplifting picture today.
Mon Apr 11, 2016, 09:07 PM
Apr 2016

I just spent a peaceful hour + over at JPR, now in the lounge here....I'm avoiding the rest of DU tonight.

I've got my daughter's (outgrown) 12.2h Shetland/Welsh pony who grows a winter coat like a bison. She's the only one who makes me eat her winter coat every spring. There's the upside of clipping the others...I can hardly tell when they're shedding.

Someday we've got to do a meetup!

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