New shoes for Ginger

Today our farrier reshod Sugar Cookie.  He took notes, studied surgical videos and measured angles.  He used a different shoe, special pads, gel cushion and a special trim.  The nerve block she was given the other day did not make much difference.  She was still sore during the process but she got through it.  We noticed an improvement in her walk last night and this morning.  The hope is this will continue to provide her with some relief through the foaling process and afterwards.  Her due date is February 23rd.

Last night I went out to the barn and brushed her.  She is the definition of an "in your pocket" mare.  She just wants attention and a rub under her chin and along her throat latch.  When you do this she wraps her head around you and lays her muzzle on your outside shoulder.  She's more of a pet at this point than a brood mare.

We are supposed to only hand-walk her because her hoof wall on the bad foot is very fragile.  In fact, a portion the size of a quarter literally fell off during the shoeing process.  What is happening is the circulation in her foot has been compromised by the pulling on the coffin bone by the deep digital flexor tendon.  I am told and I have read that the laminae that connect the bone to the hoof wall are being pulled away and that is what is making the hoof wall fragile.  So I am going to try to walk her around the house and maybe around the neighborhood.  We did this years ago when "A Pretty Sensation" was recovering from her first colic surgery.  The neighbors are used to us doing this and often they will come out and pet the horse, take pictures and so on.

I wish I knew what caused all of these problems for Ginger.  I blame myself and I blame fate but really, there is no one to blame.  We've raised a lot of horses here at Painted Plantation and we have reached the point where we do a good job.  So as a breeder you just have to accept the fact that sometimes, there is nothing you can do.  Sometimes these things just happen.  You get over the disappointment and frustration by looking at the cute week old filly in the next stall.  You bring up old win photos of horses that you've bred and sold to others.  You look at the ribbons and trophies in the barn and the house.  You think about the people that you've supported and the work they've put in by helping to raise and care for the horses.

And then you move on.