why some people say they would never ever have a Welsh Cob.
Little Un has been struggling for a few weeks. His old pads literally fell apart when they were taken off - they were very old - and so they were replaced with new ones. he wasn't sure about them to begin with but seemed to settle down after about a week and was ok. Then got mud under them and he looked off so was reshod on three weeks to clear the mud out. Again fine until he got mud under them and for the last week has looked increasingly bad until yesterday morning he was struggling to walk across the yard to get to softer ground. These pads clearly weren't working if mud got under them.
I'd spoken to my farrier and he was coming lunchtime today so I thought, in my infinite stupidity, it would be best to keep him in. Sounds simple, doesn't it? I even gave him a half hay ration last night so he'd want hay this morning, and a half ration in his treat ball after an hour or so in. I only needed him to wait until 12, and there were other horses in.
I now no longer have a stall guard. He took a step back and rammed it so hard that the screws holding the Ds it clips to came out of the wall - they weren't little screws - then did his stupid massive Welsh cob trot across the concrete yard and potholed stoney car park to the small paddock in front of his paddock where he proceeded to gallop around like a lunatic. Yes he looked lame in the trot, no it didn't slow him down at all, and to be honest most sound horses couldn't produce that trot anyway - all the in hand showing lines in him were very evident in that movement, not that I was appreciating them. It took me ten minutes to catch the little sweetheart - no that was not what I was calling him! - and although a feed bowl did eventually work I wasn't sure with how he came over if I was going to catch him or if he was going to whip round and double barrel me, I suspect if it was nuts rather than mix I may have been in trouble. Managed to get him back to the box and hung on while someone took what was left of the stall guard off and then manhandled him in and shut the door very quickly. Oh he was in a temper!
By the time the farrier came an hour later I was starting to wonder if opening the door would end up with me being dragged facedown across the yard! I nearly got bitten putting his dually on and he got a slap across the mouth for his troubles. Kept a very firm hold on him to walk him up but at least the farrier could see that despite the "expressive" movement he wasn't happy. Fortunately he remembered his manners when tied up to be reshod, but to begin with I stood with him and social distancing be damned.
Luckily it was more mud under pads with no give in them so he now has some leather ones on which will give a bit if he gets mud under them and he looked instantly more comfortable, though not in a better mood. My farrier's not thrilled about the lack of frog support, but he thought the same as me that if we didn't put something with some give on he was just going to keep bruising and end up doing more damage to himself. He then had to stand in for an hour to let the putty set a bit, and it was another fight to get him back in. About the point I was trying to put duct tape across the back of the shoes to try and keep the mud out I decided he's the Son of Satan disguised as a Welsh Cob, but eventually I got it on and he led out safely if not quietly.
Reminds me why I do everything I can to avoid box resting him! I'm not sure why he was so furious about it today though, even for him that was a bit excessive.
Little Un has been struggling for a few weeks. His old pads literally fell apart when they were taken off - they were very old - and so they were replaced with new ones. he wasn't sure about them to begin with but seemed to settle down after about a week and was ok. Then got mud under them and he looked off so was reshod on three weeks to clear the mud out. Again fine until he got mud under them and for the last week has looked increasingly bad until yesterday morning he was struggling to walk across the yard to get to softer ground. These pads clearly weren't working if mud got under them.
I'd spoken to my farrier and he was coming lunchtime today so I thought, in my infinite stupidity, it would be best to keep him in. Sounds simple, doesn't it? I even gave him a half hay ration last night so he'd want hay this morning, and a half ration in his treat ball after an hour or so in. I only needed him to wait until 12, and there were other horses in.
I now no longer have a stall guard. He took a step back and rammed it so hard that the screws holding the Ds it clips to came out of the wall - they weren't little screws - then did his stupid massive Welsh cob trot across the concrete yard and potholed stoney car park to the small paddock in front of his paddock where he proceeded to gallop around like a lunatic. Yes he looked lame in the trot, no it didn't slow him down at all, and to be honest most sound horses couldn't produce that trot anyway - all the in hand showing lines in him were very evident in that movement, not that I was appreciating them. It took me ten minutes to catch the little sweetheart - no that was not what I was calling him! - and although a feed bowl did eventually work I wasn't sure with how he came over if I was going to catch him or if he was going to whip round and double barrel me, I suspect if it was nuts rather than mix I may have been in trouble. Managed to get him back to the box and hung on while someone took what was left of the stall guard off and then manhandled him in and shut the door very quickly. Oh he was in a temper!
By the time the farrier came an hour later I was starting to wonder if opening the door would end up with me being dragged facedown across the yard! I nearly got bitten putting his dually on and he got a slap across the mouth for his troubles. Kept a very firm hold on him to walk him up but at least the farrier could see that despite the "expressive" movement he wasn't happy. Fortunately he remembered his manners when tied up to be reshod, but to begin with I stood with him and social distancing be damned.
Luckily it was more mud under pads with no give in them so he now has some leather ones on which will give a bit if he gets mud under them and he looked instantly more comfortable, though not in a better mood. My farrier's not thrilled about the lack of frog support, but he thought the same as me that if we didn't put something with some give on he was just going to keep bruising and end up doing more damage to himself. He then had to stand in for an hour to let the putty set a bit, and it was another fight to get him back in. About the point I was trying to put duct tape across the back of the shoes to try and keep the mud out I decided he's the Son of Satan disguised as a Welsh Cob, but eventually I got it on and he led out safely if not quietly.
Reminds me why I do everything I can to avoid box resting him! I'm not sure why he was so furious about it today though, even for him that was a bit excessive.
