Missy Miss Eden is the mustang that came here in trade for Sam (which didn’t work out). She came in with the white BLM donkey, Mo. You probably remember…
Mo and Missy Miss Eden when they first arrived. She was lame at that time, but I wrote it off to poor foot care. Her feet were split and chipped. Seemed reasonable at the time.
When Missy Miss came here, she was lame, very overweight and her feet were long, split and chipped.
I figured that she was lame because her feet hadn’t been trimmed in a long while.
But now I’m beginning to think that she has chronic laminitis… and here’s why:
–She did get better over time… yet has intermittent, unexplained lameness
–She did get markedly better when they were all on poorer quality hay this winter.
Hmmmmm. I’m beginning to rethink this.
I had gotten her all the way to here, but she wasn’t budging on the new gravel. So, I put out soaked beet pulp.
She moved fairly well on the dirt, but she was not right.
Another 10 feet…
OY… AT LEAST I KNOW WHAT TO DO.
Missy Miss Eden was going to be my next riding horse, or so I thought. She is young (almost 6), very short (Yay!) and has a very kind disposition. Most of all, she likes me.
In the last few months, I’ve been watching her intermittent lameness with great concern. Because I’d like to teach her to ride someday soon, I want her to be sound. I wanted a few trims to fix her. I wanted to believe that living at a rescue had been too rough and tumble, but now that she was here, she’d heal up. All she needed was attention to her feet and good feed.
Well, she’s had excellent feed, several trims – and her trim last week was what triggered this current bout. She is definitely off. The trim was fine, but I think her feet/metabolism are not.
The orchard hay I have right now is fabulously right and lovely – but I think it is too rich for her.
I have realized that it is time to change everything up and give her the Mama Tess IR treatment – and see if it makes a difference.
She had no problem putting weight on her front feet while headed downhill. So, I’m thinking it isn’t bad – but it isn’t good.
I had to lock Dodger and Norma in their little shaded dogleg. I’m sure they were bummed to have to give up their nice, new paddock.
Aha! Finally inside the new, shaded, flatter paddock with soft sand.
THE LONGEST MILE
I decided to put MME in the soft, most level paddock. Sadly, that meant that Dodger and Norma Jean had to give up their new, lovely shelter – for the time being.
Getting MME to this paddock was no easy feat. She didn’t want to walk that far, over our newly laid gravel. I couldn’t blame her… but she had to do it. Unfortunately, no cajoling or begging by me could get her to cross the gravel.
So, I improvised.
I put buckets of soaked beet pulp pellets 10 feet in front of her. She loves beet pulp. Once she made it to the bucket, I’d give her a taste and move it 10 more feet. We did this all the way over to the pony paddock.
Once in, she seemed relieved to be alone (Wrigley is a pain…) and on much softer ground.
I loved on her then asked her to pick up her feet. I wanted to look and see if there was an abscess or deep crack… anything painful… – and to put on MT’s SoftRide boots. They looked like they would fit.
No dice.
She wouldn’t pick up her feet for anything.
So, today, we ended there.
I will try again tomorrow.
In the meantime, she gets soaked hay and a bucket of soaked beet pulp with Omega Alpha Anti-Flam.
Let’s see what tomorrow brings…
I pulled out MT’s bag of assorted boots. They look to be approximately the same size. I also brought her a new fly mask. I’m not liking the design, by the way… too close to the eyelids. I do like the lighter mesh. It is the same mesh that MT wore.
The new paddock is flatter, shadier and sandy. The best place for sore feet – other than a barn stall, which will be nice someday again. That is Annie in the background.
Here she is, going for the soaked hay. She had no issue with it. Gobbled it up. I haven’t tested this hay since I didn’t think I needed to test after MT left us – but the soaking water was dark brown. Lots of sugar. And, she is still overweight. Not as fat as when she arrived, but still plump.
SHADES OF MAMA TESS.
MME is really too young to be IR … my gut tells me that she is very sugar sensitive and that maybe she got so fat in her previous location that she foundered. I don’t know. I did ask the previous Rescue for her history, but they didn’t have much, no medical history.
She came to me very fat and sore-footed. I just assumed, since she was only 5 and a Mustang, that she merely needed a few good trims to set her straight…
My plan is to treat her to get rid of the laminitis. And, I’ll also get those boots on her…
Then, once she is sound, I will have Xrays taken – just to be sure. I don’t want to train her if there is any rotation. It will be fine if she does have some hint of founder as I am certainly familiar with taking care of a horse with those issues, but she wouldn’t be my next riding horse.
But I’m hoping this is simple laminits – and that I am learning quickly, while she is very young, how to feed her.
I love this mare. I would like us to be a riding team. Let’s see how this all works out. She is pretty cute. I love the natural streaks and tips to her hair.
Oy, really?! A 4 year-old. OK, thank you. Good to know… MamaTess was very hormone triggered, too.
You are right, I said that incorrectly. What I meant to say is that my gut says that this is laminitis and not founder.
I wanted to give myself a day to see if less sugar made her symptoms go away – which it would if it was laminitis due to feed – if it hasn’t progressed too far, which this hasn’t.
Then, if she does get better (and she is already better this morning), I would continue to get her sound
and save a bit for a full set of Xrays. I didn’t want to rush out and have the expense of Xrays – if it is a sugar thing. As far as urgency/timing, if I am already doing the protocol, the Xrays will only confirm a diagnosis – not actually aid her. So I’d prefer to wait until I have the funds.
I got a 4 yr old quarter horse mare who I discovered to be severely IR. She is now 7 and we are riding. I have not been able to get her weight normal (yet) but she is sound 90% of the year. Mild laminitis when something goes awry – very hormone sensitive I think. Missy Miss Eden is lucky to have you!
“Then, once she is sound, I will have Xrays taken ” Why not do the Xrays now?