Friday, September 24, 2010

Hoof cleaning, all of the time

After the girl's trim the other day my trimmer informed me that they're a little thrushy!!
in the middle of summer!?! ( actually the end now)

I take full responsibility, I had not been cleaning their feet enough.
So now they get their feet cleaned everyday, just like they're supposed too!!

I read someplace the best thing for thrush is a hoofpick!! and man what a difference of keeping their hooves clean has made!

I still went ahead & got some thrush treatment. I decided to go with 'no thrush' made by a farm in California. I don't like the idea of putting super caustic chemicals on the girls, ( I always try got keep everything to a minimum like fly sprays etc. - but with Daisy's front legs being eaten alive I have to apply it, until i make fly boots!)No thrush is a dry treatment, made of natural compounds.

I recieved my 'no thrush' yesterday and got it applied, this stuff does really 'sucks up the yuck'!! before I even put the foot down I could see it being absorbed into the thrushy areas.

IF you wanna check out no thrush I'll post a link - also it was in this month's Western Horsemen magazine, I thought that was cool

http://www.nothrushshop.com/index.html

The girls don't have much thrush, each have a little spot on about 2 hooves, but I need to make sure it gets taken care of. They don't really like me cleaning it out either, but each day I get more & more out. so eventually we'll get there.

Also my other plan of attack has been to keep their pasture spotless! And I have!
in an earlier post i posted about how clean their pen was, it's still like that! I clean their pen twice a day, especially right after I clean feet. That was the only wet thing in their pasture that has been causing their thrush! POOP! they find the one pile & go step in it!

so somehow, amazingly, i get up ( yes in my pajama's!! LOL) and feed, then pick up all the poop in the morning -yes you heard right, BEFORE COFFEE!!

LOL
then in the evening I clean feet, pick up poop, then feed again.

I've been experimenting with their feeding situation ( while the weather is still good), I've been placing their hay in little teeny tiny piles all over the pasture ( I weigh both rations together). That way it's a big hay easter egg hunt. they nibble on a pile, walk to he next, nibble, walk. Almost like real grazing!! LOL

This morning Daisy tried to mob me while i was distributing the piles, i wasn't having it!!
she got nothing! Little brat, I made it clear to her she is not allowed to come up and bully me while I'm putting out hay. Martha is respectful and just waits for a pile to be dropped and starts eating, no bullying.

I have plans to do a pasture paradise setup in the pasture this winter, so when spring grasses come they can't have access to ALL of it all of the time. I believe this is what made martha a little chubby - also i shouldve fed less during those months.

I imagine when it rains I'll have to set up some slow feeders in the shelter. But for now this is working out well.


3 comments:

  1. Great post Lacy. A good read. I'll check in here often to see what you're up to. Keep us posted on your No Thrush success.
    Cheers,
    HK
    Heath Kizzier
    www.NoThrushShop.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. So far so good, lots of improvement in the bar areas, but still getting the stuff in the sulcus of the frog, they each have one 'bad' foot. It least not all four are affected. I guess they have a favorite to step on the poop with!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Daisy's thrush is pretty much gone! I used the no thrush for about a week straight, and along with daily hoof cleaning it really made a difference. I'll now apply it about once a week for maintenance.

    ReplyDelete

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