4 week updates: Mojo and Merlin

Time for 4 week updates and I'm starting with Mojo - I will blog all of the updates over today and tomorrow.  As usual, the original photos are at the top and the current ones are below, with a link to footage at the end.   

Mojo's weaker foot is his left, which had the worse landing when he arrived. The footage shows a more confident landing now and this is borne out in the photos although the changes are still fairly subtle.

As you can see, he has a split central sulcus, not just on this foot but on his better foot as well, which we are dosing with medical grade manuka honey daily to help battle infection. We want to see that frog get a lot stronger and for his heels to de-contract as well. 

You can see how deep the split is but at least he no longer finds it so uncomfortable and the better landing will also promote healing. 

The changes are harder to see in this foot where he already had a good landing. 

There are the same issues with a central sulcus split on this foot  - at this time of year it is a case of persisting with keeping it as clean as possible and encouraging the best possible movement. Again, keeping it pain free is a big help. 

Mojo's footage is here (I don't normally film horses with rugs on but it was well below freezing, minus 5 I think, so we made an exception!): https://vimeo.com/512541994

He has quite an extravagant landing which is easy to spot and you can see that his left foot is starting to land better and is closer to mirroring his right foot, which will in turn even his stride length.

Next up is Merlin, who actually had nice looking feet when he arrived but whose landing was not so great. 

As usual, he has not needed to be trimmed and so all the changes to his feet are those which have grown in naturally. 

The biggest difference is in the shorter toe and the placement of his heels, which are now slightly further back, indicating a better landing and developing palmar hoof. 

He has a slightly better digital cushion as well - believe it or not under the feather!

You can just about make out the shorter toe from this angle but there is not a lot else to see. Its common for changes in dorsal wall angle to not be visible until after 6 weeks or so although you can often feel the angle change earlier. 

As with the other foot a slightly shorter toe and slightly more supportive heel, good signs but we expect more changes as his landing improves. 

Merlin's footage is here and the changes are, as in the photos, quite subtle so you may need to freeze frame to see the landing. It is fractionally heel first now and allows us to get him out doing short pieces of roadwork: https://vimeo.com/512551016