Archive for the ‘Lameness’ Category

Daily Hoof Care

May 17, 2017

“No hoof, no horse!”

We seem to hear that phrase a lot in the horse world. Taking care of your horse’s hooves are essential for your horse’s livelihood. Daily hoof care benefits more than your horse’s hooves; it can give you early clues to potential problems and so that you can address the issues.

  1. Daily clean out: Cleaning out your horse’s hooves daily not only keeps them as clean as possible, but can set a precedent for what is “normal” in your horse’s hooves. Be sure to note the temperature of the hooves and check the frog over. If you establish what is normal for your horse, you will also notice if there is a time where your horse’s hoof feels too warm.daily hoof care
  2. Look for common hoof problems: look for thrush, punctures, cracks and abscesses. Thrush is a dark, foul smelling bacterial condition that is usually caused by standing in moist environments. Pick up some thrush remedies at your local tack shop. (My personal favorite is “No Thrush” which is a dry powder. I have had great luck with it!) If you notice a puncture, large crack, or abscess, be sure to contact your vet or farrier for advice on what the next game plan to solve the problem would be.
  3. Schedule regular farrier visits: if your horse is like mine, I have to have the farrier come out every 6 weeks on the dot. Some of my friend’s horses are around the 8-week mark, but there is no standard interval for trimming or shoeing. It really just depends on how your horse’s hooves grow. Your farrier can always suggest if he should come earlier or later than he is.

If you follow these easy tips and take care of your horse’s hooves daily, you will have a horse with hooves that are healthy and strong! Like the old saying goes, “no hoof, no horse!”

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Posted in Hoof Health, Lameness, Stall Hygiene | Leave a Comment »

Dyna’s Story- Navicular Syndrome

May 3, 2016
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Cindy & Dyna

I love my job. Mostly because I love horses, and get to look at gorgeous barns, pretty horses, and I get to talk to horse people all day. But talking to someone who loves an animal as much as you do is probably my favorite part about my job. Selling the products that we sell at IGK Equestrian, I get to talk to lots of horse people! Last week I had a local woman, Cindy, call me who had heard about our mattress system, from a friend who has our mattresses in her dairy barn! She was so excited about our SuperStall Mattresses that she drove out that day to the office to take a look at our product. She told me how she has two horses, and that one of them has Navicular Syndrome. I immediately fell in love with her story and her horse. I wanted to do everything I could to help out “Dyna”! Here is her story:

“Dyna found me in 2006 at the age of 8. She had been a show horse in many types of events from jumping to western pleasure to a lesson horse by the time I met her. I knew I was purchasing a “lame” horse but to what degree was unknown and by then the bond was formed. I wanted her no matter what! We discovered her navicular at the time of purchase with a routine vet check. After X-rays and many vet appointments and farrier trials with new shoes consisting of rim pads and egg bars along with medication and joint 12980514_944201222343187_1139237171_nsupplements she has been comfortable until this past winter.Knowing that she could become more “ouchy” over time and with age I tried to think of continual ways to keep her comfortable. A friend of mine suggested your product. I researched it online and thought it would be the perfect remedy. The mattresses were installed right away (in both of my horse’s stalls) and I have seen instant relief in how Dyna walks out of her stall and overall movement. I am so grateful and thankful to have found IGK Equestrian. Dyna is a “family member” and I want her to be as comfortable and happy as possible. I love he

SuperStall Horse Mattress System

Dyna checking out her new SuperStall!

Cindy also owns Dyna’s son Riley. Riley is sound and she wants to keep him sound so she figured putting a mattress in Riley’s stall would be a great way to do that. I love hearing stories like this and how much our SuperStall Mattress can help. I have heard so many accounts about horses no longer limping out of their stall, or seeing more shavings on the horse’s body everyday because they’re constantly lying down on the SuperStall. I’m so glad that we could help Dyna feel much more comfortable! If you have any questions and would like to know how our SuperStall Mattress System can benefit your horse, don’t hesitate to give me a call!

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Posted in Horse Comfort, Lameness, Stall mats, SuperStall | Leave a Comment »

10 Most Popular Posts on Carolyn’s Footing and Bedding Blog

March 12, 2013

Top 10 Arena Footing and Stall BeddingOver a year ago, I wrote my first post introducing myself as part owner of IGK Equestrian.  I created this blog so I could address some of the main challenges associated with arena footing and stall bedding and share success stories from people who have used the products. I’ve covered topics ranging from dust control in arenas to tips on how to “go green” in a horse stall. Here, in reverse order, are the 10 most popular posts to date on Carolyn’s Footing and Bedding Blog.

#10: Is Your Horse Eating in Bed? This post revealed horses on restricted calorie diets were ingesting wood shavings in their stalls. Typically, wood shavings aren’t a horse’s “go-to” snack, but when on a diet, bedding can look pretty tasty!

#9: Fuming Over Stall Odor. When drainage is poor, or stalls aren’t mucked out regularly ammonia fumes and bacteria can build up. This can be irritating and harmful for both horses and humans.

#8: The Link Between Sand Footing and Lameness. A study by the University of Glasgow showed the type of arena footing, specifically sand, can be a risk factor for lameness in dressage horses.

#7: Cutting Back on Bedding. Replenishing materials and mucking out stalls can be a hassle. This post suggests using a mat system with a waterproof top cover because it helps reduce the amount of bedding and disposal costs.

#6: Is it Time to Change my Stall Mats? If you are using a lighter- weight mat, you may have to remove it once a month to re-level the stall; however, with heavier mats, this may only be a semi-annual event.

#5: Horse Stalls can “Go Green” Too! At a young age we learned the 3 R’s: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. This popular post proposes ways to make environmentally-friendly choices when it comes to your horse’s bedding!

#4: My Names Carolyn “I’m an Arena Footing Freak!” This was my first post introducing myself as an arena footing freak! From this point on I aimed to educate my readers about both arena footing and stall bedding.

#3: Dust Control in your Arena. Dust in the arena is common, and suggestions on how to control dust is a topic we’ve returned to time and again on this blog.

#2: How to Create a Safe Foaling Stall. A lot of people are searching the Internet for ways to create a safe foaling stall. Needless to say, quite a few of them are landing on this post.

#1: Solid Rubber Mat vs. Foam Mattress…Which is Ideal for Your Stalls? This informational post compared two popular types of stall mats. If it helped you make a decision, I’d love to hear from you!

Posted in Arena footing, Bedding, Carolyn, Dust, Foal, Foaling season, Horse Comfort, IGK Equestrian, Lameness, Rubber Mat, Sand arena, Shavings, Stall Hygiene, Stall mats, Stall odor | Leave a Comment »

The Link Between Sand Footing and Lameness

October 10, 2012

Sand Footing and LamenessNeed another reason to avoid sand arena footing? How about lameness?

A recent study by the University of Glasgow showed the type of arena footing can be a risk factor for lameness in dressage horses. Researchers surveyed registered members of British Dressage to investigate relationships between surface footing characteristics and the likelihood of lameness. They found that woodchips were strongly associated with slipping and sand with tripping. The least problematic surfaces were those that were wax coated and those that were a combination of sand and rubber.

In a recent article on this study, The Horse suggested one explanation for the results is the unevenness of sand and woodchip surfaces, in both wet and dry conditions.

Horses are more likely to trip on coarse sand because it is easier to lose balance and they are nearly 13 times more likely to slip on woodchips than any other surface, according to the article.

To minimize slipping, tripping and lameness, be sure to train on a wax-coated footing surface like TruStride® or LiteStride® by IGK Equestrian. In addition to providing a stable, flexible and resilient riding surface, both footings eliminate dust and the need to water—yet another advantage over sand arenas.

How do you reduce trips and slips in ­your arena?

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Posted in Arena footing, IGK Equestrian, Lameness, LiteStride, Sand arena, TruStride | 2 Comments »

Stall Rest Recovery

May 22, 2012

Having a horse on stall rest is something every horse owner will eventually encounter. Whether the recovery period is due to lameness, show fatigue, suspensory problems, or after an operation, you’ll both have adverse reactions to the confinement.  Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help make your horse’s recovery period manageable.

Remember, your horse is used to being active. It will be helpful for your horse to convalesce in a stall with a window so he/she can see activity happening around them and get some fresh air. Your horse may need some extra attention after being cooped up alone for the majority of the day. Be sure to practice regular grooming habits to help keep him/her relaxed and comfortable. Another animal in the barn provides companionship and a mirror in the stall, or a radio at low volume provides welcome background noise. Adjust your feeding routine by limiting intake to counter excess amounts of energy your horse will have from constantly being in the stall.

The reason for necessary stall rest could also play a role in determining proper care techniques.

  • If your horse has a suspensory ligament, it is important to prevent access to open pastures or arenas in order to limit the amount of physical strain that is placed on the legs. Instead, you could handwalk your horse on short jaunts, but only if you think he/she will be up to it.
  • After shows, your horse may experience symptoms of fatigue, including a slowed pace, loss of motivation, hindered coordination and increased breathing.  If your horse experiences these symptoms, it is important to allow him/her the chance to get plenty of rest.  Be sure to provide your horse with a soft surface in the stall to cushion joints and hooves after extended periods of exercise.

Stall mattresses provide a more comfortable surface, which creates a more well-rested horse that will be ready to perform for the next show. SuperStall mattresses are an ideal choice for increased horse comfort and feature an easy-to-clean waterproof top cover for owner convenience and a more hygienic environment.

What techniques do you use to provide your horse with a speedy recovery?

Posted in Bedding, Horse Comfort, IGK Equestrian, Lameness, North Brook Farms, Recovery, Stall Rest, SuperStall, Suspensory Ligament | Leave a Comment »