Boots and Blues

Writing on this blog has gotten a bit harder these days. The reason is quite obvious I suppose. But I also sometimes feel like I just don't do anything worth while with horses these days to write about.

I feel like I've lost touch.

I haven't really ridden in months. I haven't really ridden a horse I own in about a year.

But what I have come to realize these last few weeks is that my calling with horses wasn't to be an Olympic rider or even a good rider. But what if my calling with these animals was simply to give unwanted horses a loving home. I don't know what would have happened to Mya if I hadn't taken her. And while we only had three short years together and I made a lot of mistakes, I like to think that I gave her a happy place to live out her final days.

And that thought makes me more content. I am not here to be a great trainer or rider. I am here to provide a horse who no one else wanted with an environment suited to a happy content horse. And knowing I made a difference in at least one horse's life makes it worth it.

Mya taught me a lot. More than any horse ever has. And I am still learning from her. I truly believe that one feisty bay mare has made me a better person. Maybe that was her purpose.

The mistakes I made with my first horse have taught me a lot of lessons. And I think Lady is happy to benefit from those mistakes.

She has now been wearing the boots for several weeks and I have seen a huge improvement. It has made THAT much of a difference. Just the other day I went to let her out into a different pasture (like many of you I'm sure, I rotate pastures) and she went through the gate and took of galloping. I was astonished! I have never seen her gallop before! Complete with bucking head tossing and the works! I was kind of afraid she was going to hurt herself. But nope! She was just happy!

Here is what they look like on her.

So let me say, if you have a severely foundered horse that normal shoeing is not helping, hoof boots work.

Pasture pony looking shiny! :D

The only downside to these is that they get wet easily and they tend to rub their legs. Because they get wet you have to take them off every day to clean them out. You want to make sure now fungus or anything grows in there and infects the hoof. I've dealt with white line disease before and I am avoiding it at all costs. I put gold bond medicated foot powder inside the boots and that seems to be working well. The rubbing has been a bit of an issue though. I try to keep a close eye on it and even put vet wrap around her legs most days to protect them. I did some research and actually found pastern wraps that are specifically for that and I ordered them. (but my package appears to be lost in the mail so we're still working on that...) But over all using hoof boots has been the best thing for Lady yet. I've been happy with the results.

Her eyes aren't running, that's where I applied roll-on fly spray a few minute before.