Happy New Year, Ginger

Time for a proper update before New Year's Eve, and it has to be Ginger.  He is a 17 yr old chestnut TB who has been here just over 3 weeks.  He reminds me very much of our wonderful old boy, Ghost - he has the most delightful manners and is full of enormous enthusiasm for life.  

I took some new footage of him today, but it was so foggy that even in the barn with the lights on, you can hardly see him on camera, so I will have to wait for a brighter day to film.  I did manage to get some photos, though, which show his hooves beginning to improve.   The top photo was taken a few days after he arrived, and the lower one was taken today. 

 As you can see, the snow hasn't stopped him starting work or making good progress with growing a better hoof.  In the second photo you can see that once his new hoof capsule grows in, it will allow him a much shorter toe and a better connected hoof wall. 

One of Ginger's major issues are his weak frogs and the split central sulcus which he has on all four feet.  It will take work, stimulus and time for these to improve and there is not much to see after only 3 weeks - here is his left front on day one...  

and below, the same foot today.  No dramatic change in the frog, but it is beginning to de-contract and the heels are less pinched than they were.   Importantly, he is already able to work comfortably on varied surfaces and the more work he can do - in comfort - the better his hooves will become. 

Roll on 2011 for Ginger - the start of a renaissance for him, I am sure, and I hope it will prove to be as long and as successful as Ghost's - it is certainly as well deserved.