Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hoof Trimming DVD Now Selling

Easycare Inc. is now distributing copies of our barefoot trimming DVD, Discovering Your Horse's Natural Hooves. 

And it is also available on our non-profit website Rainier Equine Hoof Recovery Center

along with a few trimming tools that we are offering as a fundraiser for the horses here at the center.

Great gifts for the horse owners in your family!

Hope you all are having a happy Holiday Season

Pat Wagner

Monday, July 26, 2010

DVD Reviews!

We're happy to be receiving some greaet feed back from people who have purchased and watched the DVD.

Here are a few viewer testimonials for Discovering Your Horse's Natural Hooves - How to Trim the Barefoot Horse:


The DVD arrived yesterday and I watched it immediately. Twice! The DVD is terrific! Very informative, great quality, and just the
motivation needed! It is exactly what I needed. I've visited all the websites, I've read many of the books (including Pete Ramey's), but what I needed was a visual presentation that would give me the confidence needed to try that first trim. You're DVD was perfect! Eric, CA

We are extremely impressed and excited about practicing and learning to trim our horses. It isn't nearly as intimidating as we learn more about the goals. Keep up the great work and please realize that you are a prayer answered for so many horse owners. Dan, WA

What a very good DVD you made! It was easy to understand and done in laymans language. I've watched the trimming twice. It was nice to be able to see exactly what you were doing. Other DVD's are not as professional as this one and it's difficult to see what exactly what he's doing! Debbie, WA

Great DVD! Very professional. My wife is a teacher and she was very impressed with your teaching style. Cliff, WA

Pat, your DVD is awesome! It is wonderful. I love how it repeats so I don't have to replay what I want to hear again. It is totally, totally,totally too cool. Linda, WA

Okay, so going out to my barn now to make a few changes to my trims recommended on your DVD. I finally feel like I've found the answers I've been looking for! Thank you SO MUCH! Sara, OR.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

DVD's are in!


Order yours today at Rainierhoofrehab.com.  I'll have them with me if you want to buy directly from me also.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Having a Great Time on Their Barefoot Ponies!

 


Tawna and I and our girls are going great! I attached a photo from this weekend after a 1 hour ride on the road in our easy boots! Both horses did great and had no problems! We had a REALLY good time and thought of you when we were headed home!


Thanks again for all your help!

Rachel & Tawna
Cashmere, WA

Update on DVD:  Expected shipping date: 5-25-10.  I apologize for the delay.  Thanks for your patience!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Hoof trimming video trailer

Here is the youtube link to the DVD trailer!


How to Trim the Barefoot Horse. 

Give us another week or so and it will be shipped to those who have preordered.  And Thank you to everyone who has ordered their video.

To order a video, go to rainierhoofrehab.com

Thanks!
Pat

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hank's Back

Regarding Henry whose story is on our blog, healinghenry.blogspot.com

Update on Hank: As of 4-25-2010, pre and post-trim, there was no sign of lameness in the arena while at a trot, under a rider. We will continue to watch changes in Hank's hooves such as sloughing of retained sole and if he continues to improve, he will be moved from the rehab list to the list of horses in recovery! Go Hank!


For more information on Hank and all the other horses at the Rainier Equine Hoof Recovery Center, please go to rainierhoofrehab.com

Monday, April 5, 2010

BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!

Well, I'm finally almost finished with the new website for the Rainier Equine Hoof Recovery Center !  Yay!  Along with that I've been working on the DVD, "How To Trim Your Barefoot Horse".

With my hubby's help, I've been taking care of 20 head of equines, helping with my grandkids and working on customers horses!  Whew! I have been a busy gal!


I got to help out with a cute little rescue pony, Jake, who is at Wildwood Pony Rescue in Fall City. I will be seeing him again on the 10th when Pam hauls him to meet me at Dr. Dick and Kathy Vetter's new clinic in Buckley.  I sure hope we can get this little guy back to normal after a few trims.

The completed DVD is in the mail to me and I will be shipping it soon to the packaging company along with my artwork. And that should be about a 7 day turnaround. Then I will publish the page of my website so it can be purchased on there through Paypal. Currently I'm considering the cost of the DVD to be under $70. Proceeds from the DVD will benefit the horses we are caring for here at the REHRC, as well as cover some of the production costs.


Old horses that are wonderful with kids are worth their weight in gold.  I never thought I'd be calling my amazing trail horse an "old kid's horse" but she's 22 now so I guess I have to face facts.  She and I  have been together since she turned 8 years old and we'll be together until one of us kicks the bucket.



Thank you so much for your support. I’ll keep you posted.

Pat

Okay so coming to the farm isn't all about the horses for these guys!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Seriously, this needs to stop.

How to Perform Surgical Tail Docking in Draft
Horses


Draft horse tails are commonly docked. The need to dock the tail of an adult draft horse occasionally
occurs. Surgical amputation will produce a cosmetically docked tail.

1. Introduction
Custom dictates that tails are docked in many draft breeds. A high percentage of draft horses shown in halter and hitch competition have bobbed tails. Commonly, breeders will dock the tails of foals within 2 weeks of birth using elastrator bands, allowing the tails to necrose and fall off. Occasionally, a client will present an adult draft horse and
request cosmetic tail docking. In this case, surgical tail docking is performed on the standing horse as opposed to banding the tail. This procedure is also effective when surgical amputation of the tail is warranted because of trauma and/or infection.

2. Methods
Surgical tail docking is performed on a standing horse within restraint stocks. Heavy sedation is achieved throughout the procedure using detomidine 2.2 to 4.4 μg/kg IV. Anesthesia of the surgical site is achieved by an aseptic caudal epidural using a combination of xylazine 50 μg/kg and 2% lidocaine q s to 6 ml. A tourniquet placed high around the tailhead serves as the best means of controlling hemorrhage during the surgical process. Determining the desirable length of the tail can be the most challenging aspect of the surgery; however, the following technique has proven to be the simplest and most efficient method. The tail is firmly grasped at its most proximal portion. The intercoccygeal space approximately 15 cm from the tailhead is palpated, identified and marked. This landmark will become the last coccygeal vertebrae of the docked tail. If the determined length appears too short, the next intercoccygeal space is identified and will become the end of the docked tail. Tail hairs are clipped 3 to 4 cm cranial to the marked intercoccygeal space and as far caudally as needed, being certain to leave adequate tail hairs above the surgical site for cosmetic purposes. These hairs are wrapped up and kept out of the surgical field. After aseptic surgical preparation of the site, the favored intercoccygeal space is once again palpated. A surgical incision is made on the dorsal surface of the tail in a U shape beginning at the level of the intercoccygeal space and extending approximately 4 to 5 cm from each lateral side of the tail toward the center while still remaining on the dorsal surface. This procedure creates a flap of skin that can then be folded over the end of the tail toward the end of the
surgery. The soft tissue underlying the skin flap is bluntly dissected, permitting the flap to be displaced out of the way. The ventral surface of the tail is incised in a circular fashion extending from each lateral side toward the other.

A no. 10 surgical blade is then used to incise the intercoccygeal space on the dorsal surface; at the same time, bending pressure is placed at the point of the intercoccygeal space. With the intercoccygeal space exposed, the remaining soft tissue, including muscles, nerves and blood vessels, is sharply incised to permit complete removal of the caudal portion of the tail. Ligation of blood vessels is not necessary if skillful tourniquet placement and postoperative bandaging techniques are implemented. The skin flap created earlier is then folded over the end of the tail and sutured to the ventral skin surface using no. 2 nonabsorbable suture in a simple interrupted pattern. The skin edges generally come together neatly, and the surgical incision heals exceptionally quickly. Before removal of the tourniquet, the surgical site is bandaged with gauze 4 3 4s, vetrap, and 4-in stretch tape. The bandage should be changed at least once during the first 48 hours of postoperative care.

3. Results
The result of surgical tail docking is a clean incision that heals by first intention, resulting in a cosmetically docked tail.

4. Discussion
The draft horse community is a small but thriving part of the equine industry comprising multiplegeneration breeders, exhibitors (at both hitch and halter), pulling competitors and hobbyists. The draft horse functions primarily as a work horse but also serves as a companion animal in parades, weddings and exhibitions. The draft horse industry has seen steady growth in recent years, as indicated by increased sales and transfers of horses.

First-time horse owners and long-term equine enthusiasts alike are buying draft horses because of the breeds’ gentle nature, versatility and popularity. Not only is our practice composed of at least 50% draft horses, but all three veterinarians within the practice are actively involved in the draft horse industry through breeding, exhibiting and promoting. Therefore, we are familiar with common practices and norms. In our experience, draft horse clients, especially show horse people and breeders, tend to consent to commonly accepted procedures. More than likely, especially if you practice in the Midwest, you will have some clients who own draft horses, and you may be asked to dock a tail. As in many instances in equine medicine, your ability and willingness to perform particular procedures may gain you a long-term client. Surgical tail docking in draft horses by this method has provided our practice with quick, efficient and successful results. We certainly hope this insight will do the same for others’ practices.

This is something that has been bugging me for a long time. Docking draft horse tails is wrong. It is just another in a laundry list of unnecessary, cruel and inhumane procedures that is performed out of tradition and because somebody stands to make some money from doing it. Whether it's tail docking in young horses or old horses - it needs to stop!

JMO
Pat