Natural Hoof Care

A few weeks ago a friend from the old neighborhood stopped me as i was closing the front gates. Diane jogging by was telling me she moved too and was just around the corner from me. The best part was her offer to donate the trimming of my horses hooves! My horses haven't had shoes on for years and either has a saddle as i just don't have time any more and where we live is not an area of open meadows or safe accessible trails. And when Dior had her seizure last summer it sort of clinched that idea , although i do believe that was caused from sleep deprivation as she refused to lay down to rest when we moved here.

Anyhow its always a little uncomfortable to let someone you know and like that you won't be needing them for next trim, but due to my economic situation the offer is too good to refuse . And still i was hesitant to book the new appointment as would Diane be as good as the other and would she be as nice to my horses?

Dior is easy to halter but Lacy is a brat and can give me the run around and my gosh it is really the only thing i ask them to do any more and that is to accept the halter for trims every 6- 8 weeks .

I tossed a knitted belt from a friend over my neck and used this instead of giving the horses a heads up by walking out with a halter. I got Dior no problem and Diane went to work . Now Dior has been refusing to lift a rear leg and i do believe it is pain related although she gallops and tears around here. She gets down for a roll and stretches out for a sleep but there is something going on with her hip or back as she backs up awkward . Anyhow Diane persisted she would do her whether she picked up her foot or not and she did. She dug around the ground where that hoof was planted and exposed the hoof and Dior finally got that foot trimmed.

Lacy is a challenge and she went to walk away from me but this time as she took a few steps and for one second stopped this is where i called out GOOD Girl and low and behold she planted her stop and i got the halter on her in seconds.

While trimming Lacy and sharing her story with Diane she was about to finish one hoof when Lacy nickered into my hands. Never in our lives together has she done this and for a second it felt like a ghost of an old friend must of been standing right next to her because it was so loving. A response to Diane's work which is a different style , i don't now but it was wonderful.

Not sure why the link doesn't show you on my blog as it does in my edit . Diane Kubas and her email address is
hooffetish@yahoo.com.

This is the link to Diane's website and i can 't tell you what an amazing experience for two loved horses and how a routine trim was not so routine after all.

The Sun Is Shining!

The mud is finally drying up and is being replaced by lush green grass. The birds are singing and even the fish are enjoying the warmth of the sun. The frogs are chirping and croaking the night away and i actually just had to stop typing here for a minute to remove one that somehow was in between my open patio doors. A little tree frog is now hopping away from his glass prison.

The pools are out for the pigs and the horses are splashing away at there water tank. The wallow is already being used by the pigs to cool off in and keep biting bugs away. I will have to pull out the fly masks for the horses now and the sunscreen for my white pigs.

Reports trickle in from time to time from our pig families who adopted from us and all the kids are doing great. Pam and Dave who have now added the fifth to there herd tell us they were in the basement and heard the pitter patter of little feet upstairs. Rocko one of the two they saved end of last summer trotted up the pig ramp and came into the house all by his self. Now this may sound odd to a dog family , but for a pig to do this is indeed a day for celebration. Scary ramps and unfamiliar smells keep a pig timid but safe for this pray species. So when Rocko was found in the 'big house' he was rewarded with many treats in hopes he repeats his visit again soon.

Cassandra has a huge swelling over her eye and we hope that meds will bring down what we hope is an abscess, if not off to the vet she will go. She is a little pig and a senior one so putting her under is something i will try and avert if at all possible.

Tuskers also a senior pig is showing signs of arthritic changes and is on pain killers now . I need an army of help here soon as i need that shed lowered to make it easier for him to walk out now. A load of wood chips would also help out by raising the land around the shed , so what ever comes first.

Penny still needs my help but i have never seen her tail wag so much before. Every day i drop the holding pen over her and help her out and we are good for another 12-24 hours. The tumours are getting bigger and it is more difficult for me but her pretty face removes what we see from her behind.

Well i better get out there and get the pigs apples ready for breakfast. I don't normally feed apples in the morning but with this warm weather produce will not last as long in my shed . And it is a perfect meal as it is a juicy treat to start out there day.