501c3 Status

GOOD NEWS!

We are currently applying for 501c3 status for the Rainier Hoof Recovery Center. Stay tuned for updates on that!

Pat

Spencer Comes Home

A few of my friends helped me pick Spencer up on Saturday, July 26th.

For the rest of Spencer's story along with future updates, click here.

Big Boy!

Our newest patient to come to the center is a big guy, named Spencer. We'll be posting his history and progress. His hooves are causing him some serious problems right now and he's a very large, unhandled, 7 year old stallion. Oh boy...





Spencer is a rescue so he'll be a permanent resident.


This is going to be our biggest challenge so far.

Abscess Update

Danny is back to his old self! He's standing in the newly finished paddock that we'll be using for new arrivals to the Hoof Recovery Center. Danny approves!

What does an abscess look like?

It can look like this for days.




It will look like this when it ruptures.



And eventually looks like this.

Danny's abscess ruptured at the front of his hoof and in the back. The entire process, obvious limp, can take days, weeks (and sometimes months) to get through and is so often misdiagnosed for other ailments that can force the horse into some nightmare (shoeing) situations.

Initially I noticed a very slight limp as Danny trotted across the pasture. Hours later, he couldn't put weight on one front leg. That evening he was down and for the better part of the next 3 or 4 days. His preference was to lay in the grass. I kept him separated from the other horses so he spent his time near the fence. Sometimes he'd roll up on his chest and eat. He was in the stall only at night.

How did I know it was an abscess? The lameness was initially slight, then it became severe in a short period of time. He never lost his appetite. His temperature didn't change. There was edema up the leg with no obvious sign of trauma. When pressure was applied, there seemed to be no pain in his leg, only in his hoof.

After the rupture, Danny gradually became more comfortable. He started walking without lameness, but it would appear at the trot. Now, a couple weeks later, he can canter but still favors that leg.

However, it will take time for the abscessed material in his hoof to become exposed in the sole area, and for the rupture sight on his wall to grow down to the ground. Below the rupture, there is no longer wall/sole attachment. As the new wall grows down above the rupture, the wall below it may break off.

What can you do while this process is taking place? Wait. I administered some pain meds for Danny while he was going through the worst of it. That gave him some relief.

For more information on this disturbing, yet ever so common condition, there is an article on my website about abscesses. heelfirstlandings.com

Hoof Trimming Clinic for June!

The Hoof Trimming clinics are always a lot of fun and even though June's 3-day clinic happened to land on the hottest weekend of the summer, Sue Ann and Dan were both a pleasure to work with.

They kept their cool and their sense of humor as they labored over the many different hooves here at the center and in temps that reached into the 90s. Wow!

Sue Ann was here to learn to trim her minis. So she became well acquainted with the smaller hooves on the place, Harley provided the smallest hooves and we trimmed both donkey's Annie and Boomer.

Both Dan and Sue Ann worked themselves into a drenching sweat while trimming Big Forrest, the Clydesdale Cross. Forrest is NEVER easy on the students. His job is to make sure they are serious about learning to trim and he knows his job. He is aware that if you can get his hooves trimmed, you can trim any horse! Well, just about any horse!

Dan and Sue Ann got him done and his big ol' hooves looked just awesome. Way to go guys!!

I can't believe they were both still smiling after that job!

Dan with Cricket. One of our founder rehab cases he trimmed. Then we put equicasts on her front feet. She trotted off felling pretty spiffy!

Dan has been one of my favorite customers, but because he lives in Ravensdale, he's been hauling both his horses to me for their trims for over a year now! That's a trek every 5 weeks. Now he'll be able to trim his own horses and he won't have to haul them for an hour to get the job done. That's a very liberating feeling for horseowners. I know!

I'm proud to say that by the end of our third day, after trimming Dan's horses, I was impressed with their tool handling and trimming skills. All of us were hot and tired so we ventured off on a field trip to go see two mini-horses which had just received their pasture trims by a farrier. Seeing their hooves up close really brought home the difference in trimming methods, and we later discussed why natural trims just work better for horses.

We topped off our last day with the traditional "dinner-on-me, at the students choice of any restaurant in Yelm. Yeah, their choices are limited, but ALL GOOD! We had a great time eating at Peurto Vallarta.

All my students are welcome to contact me anytime they have questions, or concerns about how their horses' hooves are doing!

Thanks guys! And have a great summer! You two have earned it!

Sensei Pat

(I love that new title!:0)

Grand kids!

I just wanted to show you my cute grandkids!

Celebrate The Horse Update.

The event at Puyallup Fairgrounds went pretty well. My buddy, Kim, helped me all weekend (she really came threw for me, Thanks Kim!) and we took the two little mules, Mini Mouse who is on my website and Trudy. They were a hit! Not many mini mules around I suspect.

The turn out was a bit disappointing, but I was glad there weren’t very many people at my presentations, especially on Saturday!

I blocked! Which I blamed it on a lack of sleep the night before. I was awake most the night unable to stop thinking of all the stuff I wanted to say about Natural Hoof Care at the presenation the next day! Then, when the time came, I could not bring a thing I wanted to say to the surface. Panic!

One very kind man began asking me questions. He must felt sorry for me and tried to bail me out. I made a point to find him later and thank him, but I didn’t see him after that. If he should read this, “Thank you so much!”

Sunday’s presentation was better. I was rested, relaxed, prepared, and had my partially thawed cadaver hoof (those always get the crowd) and about half as many people showed up!

The stage was a few rubber mats with some light fence panels around. We turned the mules loose in there as a distraction. The top rail was right at my eye level. So I had to either duck down to peer out at the folks in the folding chairs in front of me, or stand on my tip-toes and peek over the top rail at them. It wasn’t a very comfortable set up.

After my presentation on Sunday, I performed a trim on a pretty Gypsy Vanner mare named Cloud. That was fun!

We talked to lots of nice folks about natural hoof care and I think some were actually interested in getting and/or keeping their horses out of shoes. A few of my customers stopped by and several other hoofcare practitioners, and it was really good to see them all.

At the end of the weekend, we packed up and on the way out, Kim and I sashayed past the Fancy Friesian people with our 2 little mules in tow. “Don’t be jealous of our mules.” I called out over my shoulder. But you know they were. (Smile!)

See you next year at...

Neenah says:

Horses are born skeptics, cowards, claustrophobics and panicaholics - by nature and varying degrees.

Humans can help us become calm, smart, brave, athletic, willing…partners

She got that from Pat Parelli. She's a bit of a skeptic and a coward, but she's athletic and quickly becoming calm, smart, brave,and we'll see about the "willing partner" later.

New Baby Pictures

Neenah - one week old today!

She likes people, is very curious about everything including water, likes to play with the dog, and enjoys lots of good scratches!