Hooves: Since Ya'll Care

Guinness is still off in his fetlocks, with heat in the front left and all four horribly puffy.I'm wondering if the stress of walking through mud for the last few weeks is taking it's toll on him. He isn't a terribly active horse in mud, especially since he's sort of a prim horse. He kinda hates being dirty, and walks through mud about how I do: carefully, while muttering "ew, gross" under his breath.

So, while we "Bute-Up!" (I like to say it like Barney in How I Met Your Mother says "Suit-Up!"), I'll update you on the progress of our oh-so-bare thoroughbred feet. It's actually kind of exciting, especially now that the wintertime death-thrush is nearly eliminated.

As of last night, these are the comparison photos:

Side View. Awfully sorry about the lack of continuity. Obviously I would make a terrible film editor ;) 

From the bottom. Note how far we still have to come with those heels, but the foot is spreading out much more in the middle than it was before! In fact, the shape has changed quite a bit, and is now more circular than oblong.

So, what do you guys think? Sole hardness is something that is hard to see in photos, but it has improved drastically. In March the sole would flex under pressure from my thumbs. Now, I can't get it to move at all. Guinness still watches where he is going on rocks, but is able to walk on them without flinching or limping. This has made the walk back to his pasture much faster and easier. I think the turnout has made a world of difference in his feet.

Now, since we're doing comparison photos. Here's our conformation/condition shot for December. Note the weight gain (and not just in mud!) since then. Hooray!

GP's just resting a back leg in this photo. Oddly, that leg is the only one without swelling in the fetlock area!

Lesson learned? It's hard to take decent photos in the dark of mudtastic, rain-filled December. I got mud on my camera. Ew.