Beckie Mabbutt

I went on a course recently to learn about a new brand of shoe called Glu Shoe. It was a great day, and we all got to have a go at putting them on. Glueing shoes definitely has a place in the industry, it is just tough in our climate to get the feet dry enough for the glue to work as it should.

Here are team Beckie...Rebecca Flinn and myself having a go.

Below is a strange trauma injury, probably caused by a horse coming down on the front of Apache's front foot. Visibly all we could see was a slight horizontal crack, but at the same time he went lame. He was on and off lame for about 4 weeks, showing some improvement after rest. Radiographically all looked fine, despite what looked like some dirt wedged in this crack.

Due to the lameness persisting Apache was sent for an MRI, as nerve blocks, radiographs and hoof testing wasn't conclusive.

He was found to have a mass of abnormal tissue under his hoof wall (like scar tissue) but within this four week period it had caused the Pedal bone to sink! So action needed to be taken straight away to prevent his pedal bone sinking further.

Apache went for surgery, and although a Keretoma wasn't found there was a thickening of the corium which was removed.

It will be a long healing process, but he is doing well post surgery and back home bearing weight well.

I will keep you updated with how this grows down.

I've recently been on a refresher first aid course, specifically for farriery related injuries. Also got to try out the defibrillator.

Here I was being used as a guinipig!!

Foals need very frequent trimming starting at roughly four weeks. This allows us to eliminate the early distortions that develop that will affect the horse in later life.

Here is a completely NORMAL domestic foal foot. When foals are born there feet are very soft and the whole sole is more like frog material. The frog is feather like until the foal starts moving around on hard ground and toughening it all up. This is Jack the lads foot, I'll get a picture of his first trim at 4 weeks old so you can see how the foot develops.