Ever Growing, Ever Learning--Hooves, Hooves, Hooves!

Joey making sure Blaze is surviving this attack on his hooves ;)

Somehow time escaped me and I got to 5 weeks between trims on my horses. Today was the day to remedy that. 5 weeks! For years when I had my horse(s) shod it was 6, 7, even 8 weeks if things came up. So 5 weeks doesn't sound so long, right? Wrong. There was lots of hoof growth in the girls as usual, and too much growth for Desire. Even Blaze grew almost as much as the girls, because his hooves are still spreading and adjusting to this wild no-steel notion. His heels are actually noticeably lower and overall his hooves are really looking great! 

Blaze fronts:

Sheza's hind hooves had started to flare from the rapid uneven growth in 5 weeks but looked much better after the trim. She was pretty good for her first trim as an official yearling, and even better when I started scratching under her mane; her eyes rolled back in her head and all the worries about what was happening far away at her feet were long gone...

Sheza fronts:

Sheza hinds, kinda funny angle but the only clear one I got:

Sheza getting some love from my husband's friend:

Desire had some bruising in her front hooves from the ride. Like, significant enough that I definitely need to educate myself on using Goober Glue or use some sort of padding for a future ride that rocky. I think the only other ride on my calendar that would even approach Whiskeytown for footing is Hat Creek Hustle, in June. I'm hoping to ride both days at Hat Creek though and definitely will be padding her boots somehow or other. Something new to figure out! Always learning. 

I also think I'll be trying the athletic tape wrap around the hooves for a better fit for my Gloves, if I stick with them. They stay on really well with training rides but in the endurance rides with that challenging footing there are obviously issues. Plus I still need to just decide what sort of Easyboot I want to buy and replace my 3 worn ones. Still waffling between trying the Edge or sticking with the Glove. If I need to do padding for Desire the Edge has another advantage there. I'm really not convinced the low profile Gloves would fit well enough with even a very thin pad, though I have heard of people trying it. Desire just isn't a perfect fit in the fronts because of a slight flare. So, Goober Glue with Gloves or pads and trying the Edge. Decisions..

Joey was such a good boy for the trimmer, D, today! Last time, his first time with hoof work here (or anywhere, for a long time), it was the middle of a blustery storm and she just ran her hands up and down his legs in the aisle of the barn, I think he lifted his left front for her once or twice and that was that. I've worked with him picking up his fronts since then and he was doing the left front consistently while being iffier on the right side. He was the same for D today, but actually let her pick out both front feet and even went for his left front being propped on the stand and having a quick rasp! It was great because that hoof had some separation going on and she got that rasped back quickly, his hoof looks so much better even with that brief attention. He was so good for the rasping that I just know we'll get the other hooves down in no time. Especially with that big white round pen now in my training arsenal! 

 What a champ!

Quick rasp on the left front, you can see the right hoof *ahem* needs it too!