Well into January now and a plan emerges. At daughter's insistence, I practiced for my dressage lesson on the former race horse she's been riding for the last 2 years--we'll call him "Beauregard," or "Beau" for short. And, again at her insistence, used him for the lesson. Boy, I'm finally getting some value out of all that $ spent on daughter's training. When I followed her directions, it worked! She even had me going over a cross bar.
The lesson was delightful, I found that I could canter circles without feeling as though I was on a carnival ride and going to be thrown out of the circle by centrifugal force. So, we've agreed that she will focus on riding the horse that I just spent $1150 on (boarding and training) and I will ride Beau and Hope. I do plan on having Hope at the trainer in the spring for 30 days--that should help us.
Now, for the greatest insight this year---- For barefoot horse success, trimming is 10%, nutrition and environment is the other 90%.
Recommended by a barefoot friend, "Hooves First" is a great book on the 90%. Reading it got me motivated and I went out with hubby's help and cleaned all hooves but pony and baby, and examined white lines.
(Explanation: I had some spray made with copper sulfate that my farrier recommended several years ago when I got my 27 year old former race and brood mare. Her white line showed quite severe detachment. I didn't use it on her much, but did keep her feet trimmed. The first time she was trimmed she went very lame. Soon, I bred her and 7 months ago she foaled. From the first I had her on a supplement I found out about at the Ag Expo in Tulare--Equipride (also, Equilix in block form). Her age and value, and the foal I wanted, were the motivating factors. This stuff is not cheap, but it only takes a cup a day and so lasts a long time.
Cut to present time: Of all the horses only my 3 year old had a really strong attachment without room to stick a pick in to the white line. We went over to the pasture where my old mare is. I guess I hadn't really looked at her feet for a long time because BOY was I surprised! Her feet looked just like the 3-year olds' feet!!!!!! Tight, tight white line, healthy live sole. So, where am I going after work today?? To the closest dealer, 30 minutes from work, but 2 hours from home, to pick up 2 Equilix blocks for the pastures, to get the horses "pre loaded," and a 50 # bag of Equipride.
It seems true that bad feet doom horses more than any other single thing. I'm going to do more interval trimming myself, to save a few dollars, and invest in the nutrition. The horses are on pasture, and 6 months of the year it's mostly alfalfa hay and sparse grass. It's a very natural diet for the most part. The hard keeper and the mama (baby was weaned at Christmas but she's still catching up) get 4# of LFM and 2# of beet pulp, with 2 cups of oil (all this in 2 feedings) per day, along with Equipride! When I'm preparing for a ride, I began supplementing my horse with beet pulp and oil. Now everyone is going to get Equipride too!
By the way, the environment part of the book is very interesting and worth trying to institute! I highly recommend this book. Are you listening Melinda?????
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