Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Trigger Hoofgate Update

See what I did there with the title? Gosh I crack myself up. Gotta find entertainment where you can, right?

Finding A LOT of entertainment in the Bernie memes at the moment, I'm not gonna lie lol. 

Wow I was sort of on a roll through December and then things just sort of... screeched to a halt. Sorry about that! We're mired deeply in the mid-winter blues here.... where I'm riding when I can, wishing I could ride when I can't, and mostly ready for the days to start getting longer and the mud to dry. Based on how much rain we got yesterday, I don't anticipate that being any time soon. I'm also fighting some exhaustion and burnout compounded by some SAD -- not job-related specifically, because I do love my job, but just feeling stuck in this endless rut with the pandemic and not feeling like I can make plans. It's a super first world problem, I know. I recognize how lucky I am that I can WFH and that the vast majority of my life hasn't really been disrupted minus working here vs my office now, but I'm still struggling. Even without a pandemic, I tend to get this way in January/February most years now that the horses are at home year-round and the lack of an indoor makes me more vulnerable to the weather -- I was able to mostly head it off last year because I was on such a personal-development-high from giving those training sessions, but I know in 2018 and 2019 I dealt with the same things, and also like pre-2014 before I boarded one out to ride. I'll get over it, I'm just writing this to remind myself next January when I'm in this same slump that it will pass. 

FB memories making the mid-winter blues even worse reminding me that three years ago I was here.  Especially bitter when we had planned 2020 for the year of vacations. You know. Before the pandemic. SIGH. At least DH is in the tier of vaccinations our state is currently on (assuming we ever GET doses), and I'm in the next tier... so maybe travel will be in our not-too distant future! (I typed that up yesterday afternoon on my lunch break and then when DH got home he told me he got his first dose of vaccine!!)

Trigger's hoof hole is still on the mend -- last week I called up the vets to schedule an appointment for yesterday to check the progress and see if we're ready to change up the wrapping situation or move him up to more turnout -- he got a couple of days between bouts of nasty weather earlier this month, which he LOVED, but then it snowed/got muddy again and then yesterday we got a rain dump. We're reaching a point where his (already shitty) feet are getting SO SOFT AND CRUMBLY from the perpetually damp environment, blerg. 

Unrelated photo of my new favorite shirt and 2/5 dogs lol. I'm a crazy dog lady. I own it. LEAN IN. haha 

It was sort of a good news/okay news type of visit. The good news is apparently I'm doing an above adequate job of keeping it clean (as in, it was a bit of a struggle to get the duct tape boot off haha). The vets weren't nearly as horrified by his crumbly feet as I was (or if they were, they hid it better?), and they okay'd the application of durasole when I do bandage changes to start trying to help the rest of the foot recover from the moist environment. They also signed off on having my farrier trim that hoof at my normal appointment this week (we skipped it last time, although we did get the other 3 trimmed). 

The barn cats were being SO HELPFUL (not).

The okay news is that while it's healing, it's not happening as quick as they would like. Whether that's a combination of hoof growth just slowing down in the winter, the fact that he's older, the fact that his feet aren't really great to begin with? Who knows. Nothing wrong per se, they'd just like to see things moving a bit faster. So we discussed two options -- one is a hospital plate, which we have definitely talked about in the past (and my homework was to ask my farrier this week if he has experience applying one, and if not, get alternative farrier recommendations from them), and the other option was to trim back a little of the scar tissue, start applying a steroid ointment to that (in hopes of slowing the regrowth) and see if maybe the hoof will start filling in a little more. After probing the tissue and being able to see behind it a bit, the vets decided to trim it down and see if we could jump start some more filling in. The hospital plate may be in our future, but in the mean time, we're just staying the course. 

I'm too exhausted to dig up all the other photos from January. You're not missing much, it looks about the same as it has (minus that nice bloodspot on the far side coming out, that's newer). I cannot WAIT until my farrier cleans up some of this ickiness on Thursday!

Keeping it wrapped and him stalled 24/7 isn't anyone's favorite course of action, but the drawbacks to turnout in Missouri's wet mucky season with an open/unhealed hoof hole are just insurmountable right now, without spending $$$$$$$$$$ on some sort turnout with the grids to prevent mud (which is on my long-term to do list, but can't be done RIGHT NOW for a variety of reasons). 

Instead, enjoy two little clips of him trotting/cantering around the field this weekend. I showed the vet, with my permanent caveat "well he wouldn't jog sound at Rolex, but..." and they were excited to see him looking so comfortable and moving out so well. 


So for now, that's where we're at! I am actively trying to work myself out of this rut, and I did find a video tour I did of the tack room sometime last fall and then forgot to post, so look for that tomorrow! :)

16 comments:

  1. Late January is so hard. <3 I have been struggling in some similar ways.

    So glad Trigger is continuing to progress well! Out of curiosity, has he ever shown signs of Cushings? Poor immune response is one of the lesser-known hallmarks.

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    1. He has not, but it's definitely crossed my mind. I think I may ask them about testing him next time they're out for a checkup.

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  2. Sorry you're in a rut. Me too, but that's not helpful. Keeping everything crossed that Trigger's hoof keeps making forward progress... and faster, please!

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  3. Sorry things are healing slowly, but hopefully it picks up again soon. Rio wore a hospital plate for a little bit when he had his proud flesh incident in his hoof. It sounds worse than it is. I think most farriers can make one if it comes down to that.
    I feel you on the SAD. It's a tough time of year. Especially if you don't get to ride. But honestly, I am getting to ride and it still kind of sucks. The horses are frequently wild and it's effing cold! Winter is just the worst all around.

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    1. Yeah I'm relatively comfortable with the idea of a hospital plate I just have some concerns about how it would hold up to our sticky clay mud here in MO, particularly when nailed to Trigger's kind of soft, crumbly feet. I don't think it will super solve my turnout dilemma, since I'll be obsessively worrying about it getting yanked off! Oh well. It'll heal eventually, I just need to be patient :) and the sun will come out and summer will be here before I know it, I just need to be patient on that front too!

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  4. I find that I'm less motivated to do things this time of year. In the past I could at least dream of going away. :(
    I'm glad Trigger is healing and he clearly feels good. would hoof boots help to turn him out and keep them mud free?

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    1. I think that's the hardest part this year, the uncertainty of knowing what the world will look like once the vaccine rollout is... more accomplished?

      He wears a hoof boot when I turn him out right now, and depending on the footing situation sometimes I vetwrap over the top because I'm obsessive. They wouldn't help him for daily turnout because it gets SO MUDDY here the mud would just go right over the top of the boot and find its way into crevices. It would be okay for short periods of turnout in my pastures that aren't muddy, which is what I'm doing right now, but its not a good permanent/long-term solution until the hole is more closed up.

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  5. This is definitely the worst time of year.

    I have no solutions so just knowing it will pass is important.

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    1. This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass ;)

      Clinging to that, and the hope that Thursday brings us a little sunshine!

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  6. Awww, he looks great in turnout! Fingers crossed that the foot healing speeds up soon.

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    1. Thanks! And also thanks for letting me bounce some Cushings symptom discussion ideas off you, I SO appreciate the blogger "hive mind" :)

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  7. I feel you with the Missouri weather - how has it been so yucky so much this year with no snow to make up for it?! We've got a horse being kept in after an abscess for exactly the same reason. (Hi - I'm Karen's friend Lauren that didn't make it to the NEC when she showed Hampton because my brother had possibly exposed me to COVID - I'm so bummed I didn't get to meet you since I already enjoyed your blog and didn't know the two of you were friends!)

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    1. Hasn't it been so disgusting?!

      And hi Lauren! How funny, I missed Friday because it was my last day of quarantine after HAVING covid so escaping to the NEC to see Karen and her crew was the best way possible to leave my property once I was cleared to do so lol. I'm so sorry we missed each other, but clearly the answer is Karen needs to come back when its safe and introduce us! :) I'm about an hour west of the NEC!

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  8. Ugh sorry that its soooo muddy and the hoof is slow to grow. Sending you guys some good vibes.

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