Home time and holidays

I'm posting a quick update as DB is off home tomorrow and I wanted Gill to have updates as she can't get down to collect him herself. As ever, the original photo is at the top and the most recent one below. 

DB came with a fairly severe RF lameness. Like Harvey, who left last week, he pointed his RF almost all the time and was reluctant to properly load it. He has been slower to improve, partly I suspect because he is a bigger horse and doesn't have the useful chunk of pony toughness which Harvey had.  Nevertheless he has made good progress although there is still a lot more to do. 

His frog is improving and therefore his palmar hoof is becoming stronger. Over time this should continue to get better but for now he is landing heel first and so more mileage once he is home should allow his progress to continue. 

HIs feet are also becoming less flat. This is a work in progress which will take at least another 3-4 months since he has to grow in a full new hoof capsule. 

Its hard to see changes from this angle and his digital cushion is still not as strong as it should be but this is a more balanced foot and better able to support him. 

You can see that this is a foot undergoing change. In fact the back of his foot has changed faster and until the growth of the whole hoof capsule catches up I think his hairline will continue to look odd. Its encouraging though to see a more robust palmar hoof and that his toe is shortening as his heels become less under-run.

 The changes to his LF are less marked as he was not as lame on this foot but his landing has also improved on this foot and its looking much stronger.

DB's footage over his time with us is up here: https://vimeo.com/356229721

We've now got a short intermission before the next group of rehab horses arrive so blog posts will be resumed with the new arrivals. Happy hols in the meantime!