Behind the Bit

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Riley update: Make sure to read it ALL! Posted: 11 Nov 2009 04:27 PM PST We made the trip to New Bolton this morning -- a damp, windy, grey day. The chill made Riley a little high, and after we unloaded he snorted and puddle-jumped was we made our way to the clinic. The vet met us half way there. For the lameness evaluation she had her assistant basically trot him down the blacktop to the clinic room. Even wearing the shoe and hospital plate on one hoof, Riley looked VERY good. The sight jogged my dim memory of how he used to move when he was able to move about freely like a regular horse. Radiographs looked pretty good. Compared to the rads taken six weeks prior, there appeared to be no additional bone loss, and the new hoof growth is 3/4 of the way down the pedal bone. He grew 10mm of hoof, about average. One down side -- it was apparent that he had lost a lot of heel from then to now. So off to the farrier we went. Here's what his feet looked like -- right foot trimmed, left foot untrimmed at this point... Not bad! That little nickel-sized hole. Not totally closed up which is why he was reshod with glue-ons and a hospital plate. You'll notice, I'm sure, the lack of heel. The farrier had given him a slight wedge at the last shoeing, and that's just how it grew. We'll have to work on building that back up. Drumroll please... Riley is cleared for turnout. Starting this weekend. Pinch me! I can't quite believe it, and I don't really trust this information yet. Obviously we have to start slow, with sedatives and a few short stints in the soft felt footing indoor. His plated foot will need to be wrapped in elastikon. Maybe, just maybe, he'll be turned out on actual pasture. The vet didn't rule this out, and in fact she seemed to think it was a reasonable thing. I left Riley with a concoction of carrots, apples, and molasses in his feed dish. He was happy. I'm home now, with the cats, toying with the idea that this might really be over. Riley, my boy, things are looking up!

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