Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy New HORSE Year!

Photo courtesy of Andrew McFarlane at Lead Change

 

2014 is the year of the Horse!

 

 I can't think of a more inspiring animal to commemorate!

 

The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people's ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able.

I wish these qualities for all of us who chose to be around horses.  May their wisdom lead us to the right place for our own self improvement!


Happy 2014 to our Friends all around the Globe, connecting through this blog, through the voice of Essy and his wishes for all horses....

We are listening to you ALL the time; please listen to us,
We know everything; your thoughts and feelings even when you are not close by.

We  always want to do our best for you,
We are sorry if we don't always live up to those dreams.

We want to be set free - free from a life of over work, from being without our friends, free from pain, from domination and bullying.

 We will be your partner but it has to be in a different way, with respect, 
Respect doesn't mean systems and methods - it means equality.
 
We wish for you to be more 'authentic' and live for now,
 without agenda and gadgets to bare upon us.

We hope that above all that you wont give up on us too soon, or cast us aside.

We hope you will stop taking us away from our mothers too early,
We can see ahead and know the pain and damage it causes.

We believe in our future together,
We hope to see you there; in a field of happiness, honesty and heightened awareness.



Essy, Grace and Solar Sue xxx
 

Saturday 28 December 2013

Barefoot Gallery - Grace

The Story So Far: Shoes to no shoes - Grace's transformation 

 

If a picture paints a thousand words and you want to see the 'before and after' shots, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

WARNING!

Transitioning to barefoot entails owner hard work, diligence, patience, positive thinking, a tough mental attitude to keep going, bravery, attention to diet, and lots of time for pad walking - here is the story of Grace's journey to healthy feet and my own emotional roller coaster journey to get there! 

Background:

I bought Grace September 10th 2011, aged 6.  Fresh from the continent she had been shod in front and not behind (allegedly). During the 5 stage vetting my vet had said she didn't have great feet.  I remember feeling a slight twinge of worry (no foot no horse came to mind)  but as everything else about her was perfect, I went ahead and bought her. 

Early Warning Signs:

Over the next four months two things changed:

Firstly a fellow livery and friend at my yard kept bringing up a website she was following all about barefeet and laminitic rescue cases. That site is Rockley Farm Rehab and I highly recommend a read if you are curious. I too became curious.

Secondly Graces' left hind foot (barefoot) began to change in appearance.  It became what is called 'bull nosed or dubbed'.  I had nick named it 'club foot'.  It looked like the toe had been sliced off.  I decided to ask my farrier what was going on.

A conversation with my Farrier...

My farrier explained that it was erosion of the hoof wall caused by working her on the sand and rubber in the menage! 

I was shocked and confused (and worried that it could be a 'me- made' problem) so I asked him to come into the menage to check it out as the cause.  I was hoping when he saw the menage with all the rubber on top that he would change his diagnosis. ( I was beginning to think no more riding!).

He came, but he did not change his mind.   The conversation went as follows:

Farrier  "That's it.  This sand under the rubber is what's causing the problem"
Me       "why is it only affecting one hoof when she clearly uses both hind feet in all her work?"
Farrier  "its obviously the way she moves, she must drag this foot more than the other"
Me        "but I only ride her in the menage four times a week for about half an hour it's not much work to cause that effect, surely?"
Farrier   silent!
Me       "anyway wouldn't this toe dragging  have shown up in the vetting?"
Farrier   "not necessarily.  I see this a lot"

And that's the moment where all us horse owners are supposed to say...

(Owner) : "oh why didn't you say? If it's happening to others then that's ok, I'll leave it at that and take no further responsibility or curiosity in the fact my horses foot is disappearing!" Duh!!!

I walked away feeling that the whole conversation was at best surreal and most definitely suspicious.

I began to wonder if this sheared off toe could be man made by the farrier?  When your farrier is well known, wins competitions for his work all over the world you doubt yourself not him. If it hadn't been for all the reading I had recently started to do on the Rockley website my intuition might never have raised its uneasy head and given me a good mental shaking! 

As it was I was about to go on holiday for two weeks which would buy me some thinking time as to what to do next.  (At this stage it was only her back foot causing me concern but that was about to change too).

Holiday time February 2012

Two weeks provides a lot of thinking time. I decided to take some reading with me and properly immerse myself in this barefoot movement.  I had always considered it to be the action of 'do good, hippy types' who were trying to keep horses on the cheap!  Embarrassing to admit it but that's what I thought.  Maybe you have a similar perception, or worse!

My holiday reading changed that perception irrefutably.  The Books I read and recommend as a starting point include:
  1. Paddock Paradise by Jamie Jackson
  2. Feet First by Nic Barker and Sarah Brathwaite
  3. Making Natural Hoof Care work for you by Pete Ramey

If you prefer to watch videos  - I began with Pete Ramey's DVDs' - it provided hours of education as I watched him rasp and care for a young ex racer in a lot of foot pain and unable to walk.  



How did I feel on holiday as I read my books?

Excited!
Lost!
Guilty!
Horrified!
Motivated!
Stupid at times! For having had so little foot knowledge after 38 years of being around horses.
 
I felt every emotion possible when you realise you are on the brink of discovering a new and better world which simultaneously fills you with horror at 'not knowing all this before now' and for any pain or discomfort you unwittingly caused your horse (directly or indirectly).

I felt resolved to find a better explanation for the sheared off toe but at the same time I felt alone in doing so.

I sensed my days with this farrier were short numbered but I thought it better to have more 'data' to help me decide what to do next.

Two decisions I made:

I  booked the vet to come and X Ray Grace's feet.

I  booked to have Gait Analysis to prove or disprove if she was toe dragging one hind.

The diagnostic results:

The X rays showed flat P3 in all four feet.

The Gait analysis proved she moved normally with no noticeable difference between her two hinds.

The Professionals recommendations:

The Vet reacted to the X Rays by telling me to immediately have her hind feet shod and "all 4 heels jacked up with pads" quote!

The Gait Analysis people recommended keeping her hinds bare for the dubbed toe and walk her extensively in 'sole mate pads' which they said would correct the problem.  They also recommended going barefoot in front.


Great!  So the experts are totally in disagreement and no one can shed any light on the cause of a hind foot that had lost its toe and i'm supposed to know what to do for the best.   No wonder some owners walk away and decide to do nothing.  Hardly surprising. 



If you look at this hoof and think "that looks normal to me" Please realise its NOT! It's neither normal nor healthy!  The foot is lob-sided.  There is flair to the outside.  The squared off toe (dubbed) is abnormal and impairing the foot's function. I have now learned that bull nosing (dubbed toes) is caused by a bulge in the wall NOT wearing of the toe, even if a farrier tells you otherwise.

I see many hind feet looking like this in shod horses, with toes bulging!  It doesn't have to be like this. My 'non horsey' step son thought this foot looked odd.  Often our problem as horsey people is that the more we seen feet that are not right or healthy,  all around us, the more we stop realising it's not how its supposed to be.  It's not right!

Think about it this way - why does the horse's hoof have a Toe at all?  It must have a function just as our toes have a purpose to balance us.  One of the equine's  main functions of the toe is to circulate blood and kinetic energy around the horse's foot. If the toe starts to bulge (like above) that function is impaired.  Pure logic and fact based on the study of the internal functioning of a horses foot.

An argument with my vet!

My vet and I had a very heated exchange about his verdict and advise to shoe all feet and pad up the heels all round.  I remember telling him that I felt to put shoes on all four feet was a "backwards step as she was already naked behind" so why would I put shoes on bare feet? My vet was utterly gobsmacked and told me as much.  He actually used the expression "I don't understand your point of view".

I explained that I was realising Barefoot was a more healthy approach for foot care.  He snapped.  I'll never forget his next words to me, and I want to share them so that others can be ready with a reply should they face the same attitude from their vet...

Vet: "I don't understand your attitude, 90% of horses in this country are shod!"

It might be factually true but does that make it right?  I told him that if 90% of the public were obeiss would that mean I should follow suit too?

I ended that conversation quickly with him telling me he was sending a remedial farrier to re-shoe her!  I felt bullied, trapped and not in charge of my own horse's welfare. I sobbed on and off for most of that weekend!  I had no idea what to do next.  My vet had gone on to scare me half to death warning me that if Grace's heels weren't jacked up with pads to correct the flat P3 that in two years time she would be at liphook vet hospital undergoing  suspensory surgery!

Hence the tears!  I was frightened to death by his assurtions and by my lack of knowledge with which to reply.

I was in a not -so-great place! It's a place I am sure others have or will find themselves in.  Yet I couldn't let go of the barefoot issue.  Something about it made sense.  It resonated with me.  I had to keep going.

This is when the universe or fete kicked in and gave me a hand!  One evening I discovered the writings of K.C. La Pierre.  I sat up till after 2am reading his articles.  It all made sense.  KC is an American.  An ex farrier.  He is intent on finding a better way than hammering nails and metal shoes onto horses feet.  He founded the Institute of Equine Applied Podiatry.  He has trained others to follow his techniques, some in the UK.  I decided to contact one and arrange a visit for an initial assessment of Grace's feet front and back.

This is what she and I saw when we looked at Grace's front feet in March 2012 before her shoes came off.  It should look 'wrong' to you.  The folds, and uneven sole is NOT normal, not healthy and not right.  It looks like a lunar landscape full of craters!


A few weeks later, Grace threw both front shoes in the field.  I decided this was the sign to go ahead and try barefoot.  I phoned Kat and when she arrived this is what faced us with no shoes to hide the truth of her front feet.


I had no idea a horses foot could look this broken and in such poor health.  Shoes mask the truth.  As owners, we must start to look beneath the covers to be more informed about what's there!

The back feet weren't looking too good either...both a couple of stumps and not fitting a 17.1hh warm blood.
The list of problems evident with her feet included but was not limited to:

  • Seedy toe - especially severe in the left fore
  • No wall at the toe - both fronts
  • White line disease - both fronts
  • Severely under run heels both front feet (worst Kat had ever seen)
  • Misshapen frogs without integrity, too much mass and poorly functioning
  • No quarters- missing wall on both front feet
  • No inner and outer wall connectivity - front feet all the way around
  • False sole - front feet (tons of it as foot tried to stabilise itself)
  • Deformed hoof syndrome (dubbed back feet)
  • Even the structure of the hoof horn (tubules) were growing horizontally not vertically weakening the back of both front feet
  • No frog spines on front feet
  • Very poor digital cushion and cartilage - front feet
  • Sole depth poor - front feet
  • No heel purchase - front feet
  • Bars were thin, distorted and laid over with excess growth - front feet
  • Poor periople - fronts
  • Lack of foot balance - front and hinds
  • Flare - quarters and toe - front feet
  • Front hooves - splayed
  • Crushed heels - front feet
  • Stress rings - front feet 
  • Walls in poor health
  • Feet x 4 all out of proportion in size - fronts too big and hinds too small
 8 Weeks later (by June 7th) things were looking better already even on her worst feet...


March 2013 - almost 12 months on.... the worst feet are looking better and better!



































































































































































































November 2013, back foot is beautiful!  Worst front foot has last of the seedy toe and a healthy hoof and foot!


With four fab looking feet, the work isn't done!  Daily her feet her cleaned with a wire brush.  Once weekly I treat her feet with a paste that is great for conditioning (or treating thrush) called Field Paste.  Twice a week I spray her feet with my home made solution of Essential oils that fight infection and bacteria as a preventative measure. Of course exercise and movement is critical.  Her diet is stripped down to grass based pellets only, minimum sugars, limited carrots and absolutely NO MOLASSES.

If I hadn't seen the transformation with my own eyes, it would be hard to believe her feet today belong to the same horse.   I know her feet so well now that any small change in them gives me feedback about diet, grazing, environment and lifestyle.  It's a great tool to have and a very unexpected benefit from the process.

Above everything I have learned (and continue to read and learn about) the most impactful thought I have is 'how lame would she be by now if I hadn't helped her feet back to health?'  

When I bought Grace she wouldn't or couldn't lift her hind feet to pick them out.  It was a nightmare trying to get her to lift them.  Two weeks after removing her front shoes I noticed she started to lift them.  Today, she raises them up hock height.  I now believe she couldn't lift them 2 years ago as to do so caused her to weight shift onto her fronts.  Given their condition this must have been painful for her. There's always an explanation for things our horses do, or don't do.  Half the time we just don't know where to look.

To think her feet were this broken by the age of 6, but how quickly I saw them transform.  So much so it gave me confidence to remove the shoes from my Thoroughbreds aged 21 and 22 after over 18 years of them wearing shoes all year round! 

Gallery No 2 to follow will share those photos!


Thursday 26 December 2013

Popular Horse Sayings Ignored...


No foot; No horse!


I want to wright a post for every horse owner that has ever felt like "piggy in the middle": not knowing which way to turn, or whom to believe.  For every horse owner who at times has lost sight of real logic and doesn't have all the right facts at their finger tips to argue with, when the experts of course, say that they do!

A post written for every horse whose 'call' for reason and human awareness of a horses real needs, remains unheard.

This blog seeks to help you love your horse so much that you can find the strength to tread the path least trodden so your horse can walk - with strong, healthy feet, as horses should without metal shoes on, regardless of breed type.

This blog is about horses living barefoot not shod.

I'll keep the detailed steps of the barefoot  journey that I have taken with my own horses to a minimum.  I'll try to present FACTS that I have learnt and never knew until this new world of new information opened up before me.

Ultimately I'll leave you to form your own view hoping you make sure it is your OWN and that you have stopped to consider the real truth behind a horses physical needs, while in your care.

 

To begin...





1. Science teaches us that it takes between 5,000 - 10,000 years to even begin to change the basic genetics of any species.

So what? So, no matter what anyone might tell you, a few hundred years of selective horse breeding has no effect on the horse's genetic ability to grow the healthy solid foot he was born to have!

2. As a prey animal the horse only has his ability to flee as a survival tool.  If in the wild the horse didn't have incredible feet he would be extinct.

So what? The wild horse and the domestic horse of today are genetically the same. The domestic horse's foot is not genetically weak and unhealthy. The conditions under which the horse lives can cause ill health, but the horse's genetics can fix that given the chance.

3. DNA sequencing done on bones of horses dating 12,000 - 28,000 years old compared to today's domestic horse prove basic genetics of every horse on the planet are the same.

So what?  Science confirms for us that every horse on this earth "retains the ability to return successfully to the wild or feral state" - which includes growing a great foot capable of travelling 8-20 miles a day.

4. A horses hoof is supposed to flex on impact with the ground. Every time it hits the ground it flexes outward and then snaps back when the hoof comes off the ground. This flexing sucks enormous amounts of blood into the structure of the foot.

So what? This flow of blood helps keep the hoof healthy, grow properly, and fight off problems. It is this blood flow that helps provide an hydraulic-like shock absorption for joints, ligaments and tendons in the leg.

The hoof is not 'one big fingernail' it has form, function and each part has a role to play. 

5. When the hoof lifts off the ground and the flexed hoof snaps back, the power of that contraction forces the blood in the hoof capsule back up the leg, taking strain off the heart.

So what? What happens to these positive benefits when a metal shoe is nailed to the foot? For starters...

-No circulation (or substantially reduced at best)!
-No shock absorption.
-No assistance to the heart in getting the blood back up the leg.

Thermograph imagery makes the point visually:

Front Feet Shod with Metal Shoes; no blood flow (red) in foot area






Back Feet UN Shod with blood flow shown in red


6. The American Farriers Association's mission is:

"To further the professional development of farriers, to provide leadership and resources for the benefit of the farrier industry, and to improve the welfare of the horse through continuing farrier education".  

So the welfare of the horse does NOT precede the interests of the farrier industry and those that work within it?!  

So what?  Without the horse there would be no farriers, farrier industry and resources but there in lies the point!  Man's need to fulfil his ego, his desire for identity and money - seems to precede the needs of the horse. Isn't that the tail wagging the dog? 

(The same is being suggested today about the Pharmaceutical industry controlling Doctors so the patient is 3rd in line when it comes to patient welfare,care and decision making).

7. According to the American Farriers Association 95% of domestic horses have some degree of hoof lameness.

So what?  We know genetic changes aren't to blame.  Leaving us with issues such as movement, diet, stress, lifestyle, workload and metal shoes playing a contributory part to the lameness statistic.  All of which as owners we can influence and improve or avoid.

8. Barefoot horses allegedly can't jump, event or gallop at speed, safely.  Yet, the Farriers Registration Council in the UK notified its members in May 2013 that the Hurlingham Polo Club has updated its rules and minuted that:

"A pony may be played without all four shoes or without hind shoes"

So what?  The barefoot horse competes in every equine discipline.  The barefoot hoof has more natural ability to grip than a metal shod foot.  This applies on tarmac, concrete, gravel or grass. In Houston, Texas all 40 mounted police horses are barefoot working on concrete, asphalt and marble every day.


9.  There is no definition of 'shoe' according to the Farriers Registration Council in the UK! Bizarre seeing as that is what the profession is built upon! 

So what?  Without 'meaning' or a focus on horse comfort and welfare it's hardly surprising that alternatives to shoeing are coming from outside the Farrier industry; invented by people putting horse comfort and long term hoof health at the top of the agenda, as examples:

  • Glue-on plastic shoes/ Epona shoe.  Created by those studying horse biomechanics and the way horses behave in nature.  Interestingly the Epona website backs up the negative impact of metal shoes on the foot's circulation, quoting that ...
    "the nature of EponaShoe makes it the ideal compromise between metal shoeing and barefoot trimming. Unlike metal shoes, which restrict and impede the hoof from flexing, the EponaShoe allows the whole hoof to flex; much like a barefoot horse. Research shows this aids in blood flow and yields a healthier foot"
    the website goes on to state
    "EponaShoe absorbs shock better than Metal. If you were to hit a metal shoe with a hammer, and then an EponaShoe, you would feel the difference. The EponaShoe absorbs the shock that your horse would otherwise feel on his joints"

  • "Hoof wraps".  Consisting of a length of bandage like material which is impregnated with a synthetic resin which is soft when wrapped around the foot but having been soaked in water dries, forming a rigid, solid structure around the hoof.   A technique Pioneered by Pete Ramey and Equine Podiatrist K.C. La Pierre in the USA farriers no more as both questioned the integrity and methods of their own profession. 

    And lastly...

      
    10. Horses have survived for 52 million years without our help!

    So what?  Mother Nature knew what she was doing and it didn't include nailing metal to horses feet!  What makes us think we know better?

    In the old days (and in old vets books) both vets and farriers would tell horse owners to remove their horse's shoes for the winter.  Horses feet got to repair.  It wan't challenged and seen as harmful.  Nor did it cause a threat to vets, farriers or their respective money spinning industries.

    What happened to all that common sense?  It seems that today, we chose not to think about the meaning of "no foot; no horse", believing instead that we can 'plaster over the cracks' and between bute and remedial farrier work; keep a horse going like an overworked machine.

    Horses are not machines; not a tractor, motorcycle or any other vehicle taking us from A to B.  
    Horses are animals; living breathing feeling. They are our chosen partners.  They deserve to be treated accordingly and allowed to follow their own true nature.  Their ability to do so is in our hands.

    It is only you, and I - one person at a time who can elect to follow a path different from the norm, chosen with thought, research and reason. 

    It is a path of compromise and hard work.  It didn't save me money (initially) and it did mean a period without riding. However, if "we reap what we sow" these compromises have had a fast and rewarding payback that will continue to appreciate. 

    Would I do it again?  Yes!  I chose happy hooves and healthy feet and legs every time, anytime.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (I'll post photos of my own horses transformation to barefoot as a separate blog posting).

Monday 23 December 2013

Music Maverns Make Dressage Doable!

Playing music is about turning pages of notes into a live, 

breathing performance! 

 

One of my Goals for this year was to learn to play the Flute. This meant re-learning to read music - which I've not done since I was 14!  Luckily it came back to me relatively easily.  Learning the fingering of all the different notes however, proved a bit more tricky.  But the biggest surprise of all was in how difficult it is to count properly!  It seems that counting to 4, 6, or 8 is much harder than I remembered as a two year old toddler, especially when coordinated with when to breath, reading the right notes, and finding the right finger position - all at the same time!

Several times throughout the year I've had to remind myself that learning to drive a car was also full of dexterity challenges and tons of concentration, and I managed to master that - in the end.  (Thankfully it didn't involve counting)!

Ten months into my flute playing and I've just had a huge 'ah ha'! Playing the flute can help me with my dressage riding! All I need is to learn the lessons of a Maestro and how to conduct an orchestra! 


The skill of a Maestro (think of the flamboyant arm waving back of an often balding man wearing tails) lies in his ability to lead an orchestra of competent, individual and independent thinking experts - to perform as one!

He has to lead them to create something emotionally moving, inspirational, coordinated, technically correct, rhythmical and memorable.  (Much like Charlotte's achievement at last year's Olympic Games on Valegro).

The Meastros' leadership tools are those of:

Having a vision, 
Providing constructive feedback, 
Technical gap management, 
and 
Compassion

.... All of which translate into riding skills too



Some tips for how being a Musical Maestro can help us to become better dressage riders...

 

Conducting like a Maestro!
Riding Like a Maestro!
The conductor doesn’t do the work him self, but directs others who do!
Our horse should do most of the work not us the rider (no red sweaty face on our Charlotte)!

If a conductor wants the orchestra to own the work, then he has to be willing to let go of some control.

We have to trust our horse to be able and willing to...
You can force an orchestra to comply with your directions, you can require obedience,
but you can’t mandate enthusiasm, creativity or inspiration

We can use gadgets to control, demand, and train for obedience but we can’t mandate cadence and airs above the ground that replicate those born from the enthusiasm, and innate ability of a horse allowed self expression

Everything I do is aimed at creating a feeling of community and shared responsibility

As riders we must create a feeling of partnership and shared responsibility with clearly understood roles and responsibilities


If the orchestra  sees that my first reaction is to judge or criticise, they can’t help but shut down some part of their talent, and revert to a more defensive mode

Give appreciation, reward and praise so our horse can keep wanting to try for us

As the orchestra finds its flow, you feel more connected to what everyone else is doing -  you’re riding on a wave of energy that makes it easier to carry out your own task

Once  we get out of our horses way we both achieve more with less!
An amateur orchestra needs more hands-on direction from its conductor

A young inexperienced horse needs the rider’s help, involvement and decision making


When the orchestra already knows the music and doesn’t need to be taught it is the most difficult type of leadership to learn. 
The direction must be more visionary and strategic and less helping them manage the details


Don’t nag our horses with aids and repeating moves over and over if already mastered. 
Allow your horse some latitude to express their personality. 
Keep in mind the bigger picture and the overall feel we are after

Some orchestras need quite a lot of energy to wake them up, but once awakened then you can let up.  Others are quite sensitive and can be relied to take care of themselves. Then you can refine what your vision tells you is necessary.  The minimum is always best

Know your horse! Feel and respond to the horse you are riding today.
 Do no more than is absolutely necessary then let the horse continue, reminding him only if he gets distracted
Use the baton to show what is coming next
Use transitions or half halts to show what is coming next – set him up for it

A leader must commit to that which has not yet happened, to what they have not yet played


A rider must commit to the next transition to set the horse up for it in the current movement, to be forward planning and future focused


 

Riding doesn't have to be hard! It doesn't have to be a red faced, sweat inducing experience. It is about having a vision, using your imagination to get there and only sweating the small stuff when really ncessary!

 My favourite quote from the world leading Music Maestro Roger Nierenberg:

"It is a wonderful thing to project confidence and authority. 

 

But your main channel of influence with an orchestra is your listening"  

 

I think we all have much to learn if we could first learn how to listen to our horses and then how to listen to ourselves and what is needed, and what is not when it comes to our ridden work!  Maybe then we can learn to play music while mounted like the Maestros from their podium.