So depressing (warning, graphic horse injury photos)

[Amado]

One of the difficult parts has been trimming - I'm in a place now where there is a serious lack of farriers (one part time person) so I've gone back to barefoot. Mostly because I won't be able to ride in the winter anyway, and I had just spent a bunch of $ fitting and buying hoof boots for his fronts when this happened! Rico was barefoot (with a really good barefoot trimmer) for his first 8 years, when we lived in the Pacific Northwest, Then we started moving around - to places with much rockier footing, so I started using a natural balance farrier and shoes. Anyway - I decided to learn the maintenance trim myself, got some help from my last farrier, just in case I couldn't find a farrier close-by, or to touch things up in between - and so I've been doing them myself for the past couple of months. This foot is hard, because the bandage doesn't allow to the sole to exfoliate on its own, because the landmarks are missing on the back, and it makes the one heel look higher even when it isn't (I've been trying to go by how deep the grooves are on either side of the frog, I know they have a name, I just can't remember it!). Anyway - I'm thinking i need to try to find a clinic or something, to get a little more experience handling the rasp. I have Pete Ramey's new book, which has been helpful. I'm going to pay the local guy to come and check his feet soon.

[Amado]

Here it's been almost 7 weeks. Here are yesterday's photos. I still wrap it every day, but have started working him lightly with no bandage, I just put a little honey on the open part and then a piece of paper towel stuck onto that cut to fit, that way it help lift the dirt and sand off when I'm done. Then I wrap it again after. I am fascinated by how this is healing, how it has managed to grow back into the shape of the heel, and how the skin/horn layer are blending together. Still don't know how the bottom and very back side of the hoof will look at the end, won't know for many months, I imagine.

For comparison, here is day 3:



And these are yesterday:

[AmityBee]

Wow, it looks amazing! A lot of work, I imagine. No proud flesh whatsoever. Awesome.

[PaulaO]

It is amazing how it has healed so nicely.

[kande50]

Looks very good. And yes, I use the collateral grooves as a guide, too. I trim with nippers though, so like to take the walls down to where I want them on the first bite (so I don't have to rasp much), so use both the sole and the collateral grooves as guides.

[Kyra's Mom]

Very good work! Amazing progress in only 7 weeks. Thanks for the update.

Susan

[Chisamba]

Its looking great. Wow it takes a long time ! And i dislike those low down spots. Right at mud and manure level.

[Amado]

Its looking great. Wow it takes a long time ! And i dislike those low down spots. Right at mud and manure level.

Yes, the lowdown spots - this could have gone so terribly wrong had I not gotten supremely lucky and been taken in temporarily by somebody who keeps the most immaculate barn - he has a huge indoor stall that is bedded well, and cleaned and then picked 3 times a day. No way would it look like this now if he were standing around in mud and manure. I am so grateful, that this awful thing that happened is really turning out as well as it possibly could.

[LeoApp]

That is amazing. Looks great! When it is fully healed you are never going to know anything ever happened there.

[Amado]

Nine weeks tomorrow. Here is what it looked like today. I've been leaving it unwrapped for the last week, the rest of the foot is happier that way! I just clean it once a day, put A&D ointment areound the heal d edge and honey over the wound, and still a little piece of paper towel over it, tapping down the edges, it is gone the next day, but I figure he gets a little moisture and healing help from the honey for a little while each day.

[chantal]

Thanks for the update, Looking good!

[KathyK]

Great job, Amado.

[Amado]

Day 100. Almost healed!

[fergusnc]

Amazing! Great work!

[piedmontfields]

Wow, what a great recovery and great record. I appreciate you sharing the process.

[Josette]

Ditto! You did an amazing job healing this injury. Wonderful results seen in your pics.

[Tabby]

Awesome job!!! It looks great!

[StraightForward]

Awesome Amado.

Thank you again for posting and following through with progress photos.

Due to your posts, I opted for treating an injury on my mare's fetlock with Manuka honey and was very pleased with the results. I was only able to do 4 weeks, but I think it really made a difference in the amount of scarring she is going to have in the end. I've been texting pics to my vet, and she said she's going to read up on this since she was impressed too!

[Amado]

That's great, SF! In the very beginning I used my veterinary products (betadine scrub, Vetericyn, etc) and hosed quickly every day to rinse the gunk out - but once there was a good bed of granulation tissue down, I just unwrapped and wiped clean and spread the honey again. You sort of have to go by what the wound tells you. But I am totally sold on the honey. That and the fact that I had a clean and dry stall (that was HUGE) and nursed it every day (I cannot believe I did a bandage change every day for 8 weeks...) is the reason it looks so good now.

[Imperini]

That looks great! You've done a wonderful job and it is so interesting seeing how it healed too.

[StraightForward]

That's great, SF! In the very beginning I used my veterinary products (betadine scrub, Vetericyn, etc) and hosed quickly every day to rinse the gunk out - but once there was a good bed of granulation tissue down, I just unwrapped and wiped clean and spread the honey again. You sort of have to go by what the wound tells you. But I am totally sold on the honey. That and the fact that I had a clean and dry stall (that was HUGE) and nursed it every day (I cannot believe I did a bandage change every day for 8 weeks...) is the reason it looks so good now.

Yeah, daily for 8 weeks

I started the honey 2-weeks post injury; actually the day before the stitches came out. Did a simple saline wash and re-wrapped daily for two weeks, and then switched to every other day with good results. If I get a chance to go see her at the trainer's, I'll get an "after" pic and post the progression.

[Quelah]

Looks awesome! Good job, your diligence is being rewarded

[Amado]

Just an update - Still doing great, and so far still sound (though because of winter and a small indoor, he's not getting worked hard, and mostly longlining and lunging). Foot is still pretty deformed, but the hoof-like material that grew up and over from the bottom and the sides is darkening and looks like it will be in contact with the ground after the next trim.

[heddylamar]

Wow! That has healed well.

[Chisamba]

fabulous

[Minz]

Wow, that has healed really well. Many years ago I had a thoroughbred who did the same thing, and the healing was quite similar. It never really affected her soundness afterwards, so hopefully you will have the same result. I will say that Cornucrescine hoof ointment really helped with hair regrowth and keeping the healed area from drying out and cracking in yucky weather.

[Tuddy]

Well done!

[KathyK]

That is impressive!

[LeoApp]

Totally amazing and awesome!!