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| One day deshod |
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| Seven weeks deshod |
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| Now |
This horse's feet can be used in so many case studies. Today it is contracted heels. I have seen heels similar to those in the first photo described as 'genetic'; ie they can't be changed.
Seven weeks later this horse is well on the way to decontraction - all by herself, just daily turnout and a bit of light work.
A year and innumerable dramas later the hoof is still decontracted. No shoes required. Just a good diet and sensible management. Oh and because of pretty horrible environmental conditions they get scrubbed daily with salty water to keep Thrush at bay - a common culprit in contracted heels.
I use salt water for just about everything! :-) I actually have a box of salt and water bottle in my tack box. I use it on insect bites, cuts and scrapes on my horse. I only see my horse 3 times a week, so I am usually dealing with packed in dirt when cleaning his feet. I wash out the grooves around the frog with salt water once a week to give it a good clean. Salt water rocks!
ReplyDeleteYes and it doesn't cost a fortune :-)
ReplyDelete