ROSCOE

Roscoe was the first "full sized" horse to come live on our farm after we had miniatures.  He was a horse my husband went to look at for western riding.  I was trying a TB for my english riding.  For the record, I voted "NO" when it came to Roscoe.   He was in a nasty barn, in a small stall and he was stinky (literally). He was so coated in crud and dry manure that we could hardly tack him up for a test ride.  He was hot under saddle and a "mutt" if I ever saw one.  But my husband felt sorry for him.  The plan was to buy him, clean him up, let my husband see the error of his ways with the ex-barrel racer, and sell him.

So much for plans.  Roscoe was delivered, crud and all, and promptly went three legged lame, I was unloaded by my TB and fractured my pelvis on Christmas Eve, and winter weather set in with a vengeance.  Things were not good.  I called Sherri - she gave me strict instuctions.

Each day, I limped out to the barn and soaked feet at 5 am, 4 pm, and midnight.  Roscoe and I struggled out to the pasture every day in the snow and wind.   I can't say who had to stop more times along the way for pain.   But we followed Sherri's orders.

This went on for weeks.  Out of boredom, I started talking to Roscoe.   He started listening.  And the unthinkable happened - we fell in love.  

He was soon walking fine.  My pelvis was healed. Spring was upon us.  The first ride I had after the "crash" was on Roscoe who was gentle and wonderful   No one will ever know how close I came to having him put down for his lameness.   Sherri saved us both, though she will only take credit for Roscoe.

So now, the TB is long gone, Roscoe is my "main ride", and my husband still does not have a horse.  Sherri is a dear friend.  I cannot thank her enough. 

 

Tracey Merrett, Lockport, NY

Sherri has been trimming my horses for 3 years now.  She helped my oldest Mustang to overcome a laminitic front foot  My half arab couldn't walk across the stone driveway without limping and taking baby steps.  Now her feet are no longer contracted and she has a beautiful concave sole.  She's able to run and buck with the others.  My youngest BLM Mustang was lucky enough to have started with Sherri and has the most gorgeous feet you have ever seen.

The most amazing problem solved, however, didn't seem to be much of a problem at all.  I had purchased a QH mare to be used as a trail horse.  I bought her strictly for her disposition, as she had a terribly crooked right hind foot.  The foot didn't appear to bother her.  She was not lame and she never seemed to favor it.  So, as you can imagine, having a laminitic horse and another who could barely walk, this didn't seem to be a problem.

However, this horse had the most awful trot I hat ever ridden.  Needless to say, I did a lot of walking on the trails and at my age, that was just fine.  Sherri  decided to try to straighten the foot, maybe more as a challenge than anything.  After each trim, the foot was a little straighter and now, a few years later, it is almost completely aligned.

Here's the interesting thing.  I thought this foot wasn't really a problem.  After all, she had no obvious lameness.  She never seemed to favor it.  This horse now has a lovely floating trot.  I've actually put my dressage saddle on her and started teaching her basic diagonal moves just for fun.  I think had this foot not been corrected, my Sweet Jane would have eventually "broken down".  She was obviously compensating for the misshaped foot trhough her body.  I don't know how the foot happened - if she was born with it or it was "made" that way, but to look at her now, you would never know she was once disfigured.  If you have ever asked your farrier why your horses feet look a certain way and been told, "that's just the way they are", THINK AGAIN!

Diane D. DeRosa, South Bristol, NY

Okay I ride a lot.  I really ride.  I have two Arabian geldings and I board another because they love to do the distance and they are built for it, but I live on the backside of Bristol Mtn. ski area and the terrain is rocky and steep.  Each year for the last nineteen years I estimate that each of the horses has lost at least two shoes per season which meant broken hoof walls, lost time, more expense, and more nail holes.  I felt like I was torturing them. This year I met Sherri and EVERYTHING has changed.  My horses move freely and easily and I never have to subject them to long shoeing sessions nor the dreaded burnt hoof smell.  They are always relaxed and calm because Sherri is so kind and gentle.  They now know that her visits mean a pleasurable experience.  Sherri came today and after riding fifty miles last week I was really afraid that she would scold me for riding their feet off, but instead she said, "They look great. Good job."  No bruising, no chips, and they still had hoof that needed to be trimmed off even after all those miles.  To be fair, they are occasionally "ouchy" on particularly rocky terrain which I take at a very slow pace, so Sherrie measured them for Renegade hoof boots which I hope to use on the long rides. But even without the boots, none of them had bruised soles and I don't have to worry about the horses slipping on the pavement when we cross a road. They will never again suffer an interference injury or a lameness issue caused by a misaligned shoe.  I am just chagrined that I subjected my sweet old boy to all that unnecessary work. Their feet all look symetrical and perfect, new "sneakers" for my super athletes! 

Finally, the fourth occupant of the barn has another Sherri success story to relate.  Blizzard is a miniature horse that I rescued from a pig farm in Canada.  He had never seen a farrier at four years old and his feet were always bruised and extremely irregularly shaped and flared.  Today after five months of Sherri's work his feet are round and hard enough to even stand up to his two jobs of pulling a cart and visiting nursing homes and children's hospitals as a registered Delta Society pet partner.  All my boys are happy, healthy, and better off BAREFOOT!!  Come visit.  I'll prove that horses really can work hard without shoes.  Thanks Sherri!

Beth Thomas,  South Bristol NY

 

Our Battle with Founder

This is a story of Teco, our Paso Fino foundered one spring/summer and his recovery with the untiring help of Sherri his trimmer. 

Sherri has been a tremendous help during Teco's fight with founder from the beginning to the end and we are thankful to have a genuine caring trimmer for our boys.  Let me introduce our boys:

Bear - our 12 yr old thoroughbred gelding (Bay) is an ex-racehorse with about 6 yrs on the track and a couple of years as a pony horse at the track.  He has always been shod and stalled before coming to live with us.  We bought him 2 years ago and removed his shoes permanently. Bear is very gentle spirit who enjoys his quiet time.  He loves affection but, when he wants it. At times, he can seem aloof, but when you understand his personality you see nothing but his gentle spirit and huge heart.

Teco - our 5 year old Paso Fino gelding (Buckskin) has never been shod nor stalled since birth, (except for one month stalling while at a trainers farm).   Teco is our clown of the paddock. Always starting a tug of war game with Jazz and the Jolly Ball, will pick up the rake and take it away while we're cleaning manure, these sort of things.  He's very social with humans, laid back, and will take affection any time you offer it. 

Jazz - our 7 year old Paso Fino gelding (Bay) has been shod and stalled before coming to us.  He no longer wears shoes.  Jazz is our paddock greeter.  He's the first one to approach anyone who enters the paddock.  At times, he can be a little pushy, but he's a very social and loving horse. He too, will take affection any time you offer it.

All 3 boys are barefoot and live outdoors 24/7 with a run in shed for extreme weather conditions.  Sherri has been trimming them for just over 3 years now.

We had our three horses vaccinated.  About 5-10 days later we had Sherri come in to give them their usual barefoot trim.  Initially, Sherri noticed they weren't moving right.  As she was trimming the first horse, through conversation I had mentioned the recent vaccination, at which point Sherri decided it was not a good time to continue with the trim and she would come back when some time had passed between vaccine and trim.  I now know, this makes total sense.  The vaccination was not the total cause, but rather, a contributing factor to our horses already overloaded immune systems due to our pasture being fertilized.  Yes fertilized, an absolute no no, and never again!!!!!.  So the vaccination was like getting another assault on their immune systems.  These two elements...fertilizer and vaccination...had thrown our one horse Teco into the early stages of founder. We didn't know it at the time. 

Sherri came back to trim 2-3 weeks later and noticed Teco had beginning stages laminitis/founder.  She could see where the white line was separating.  She gave him a light clean up trim.  Teco was still not walking comfortably, in fact had become worse.  He was laying down alot and walking very little.  It got to the point that he would mainly just stand or lay down but he would now lay down for 45-min to 2 hours at a time or more and I would have to bring his food bucket to him and he'd eat lying down.  

The next day Sherri brought us a natural hoof strengthener to give to him daily and Sherri suggested walking him daily on a lead to keep him moving, as movement is the best thing for him.  For the pain, she brought us Arnica (a homeopathic pain reliever).  She then suggested putting hoof boots on him so he could walk more comfortably.

The next day I panicked and called the vet.  I was extremely scared because I had no clue of what to do for Teco.  The vet came and he hadn't lifted Teco's hooves but with what I told him and observation of Teco's extremely slow movement, the vet said laminitis and suggested at this point, to give Teco bute for the pain, and put on temporary shoes.  This consisted of a pad applied in between the hoof and the shoe.  Apparently, it's glued on and then nailed.  Also, the vet recommended to quarantine him in a stall with bedding for comfort so he stays off his feet or hooves.  Rest is what is required as per the vet. I asked him to take a blood test and he recommended blood for insulin only.  I asked for a complete blood test which he did for both Pasos (Teco & Jazz).  He took the sample and after he left, I panicked thinking what should I now do with 2 opposite suggestions.  This was unknown territory for me. I  bought the Bute from the vet and immediately gave it to Teco, I couldn't accept to see him in such pain.  I saw Teco move a little more, but he was still lethargic, with that statue like stance, and distant look in his eye.  I realized then, that I had only put a band-aid on the problem and was not addressing it head on.  I gave him a pain killer which affects the liver and causes the body to work harder to adjust to this drug, when the body needed all it's energy on Teco's hooves.  Please don't misunderstand, I think there are times we need strong pain killers for very acute situations to give immediate relief, although more importantly, l learned to "find the source of the problem".  The source we realized later, was the combination of two assaults - fertilizer and vaccination.  Toxic overload.

I called Sherri with what was recommended for Teco...the shoes, stall and bute and that I had given Teco bute.  Well thank God, for people are understanding and don't get angry if you go against their suggestions, but, instead, very patiently and with great diplomacy walk you through it, step by step, with confidence and positive input.  Sherri again suggested "find the source of the problem", do not put shoes on Teco, this can only exasperate the problem and to stall Teco, would only make him feel isolated from his two buddies Bear and Jazz, which would in turn, cause too much stress and interfere or even slow recovery.  "Teco needs to move, move, move!!!" and he needs to move comfortably.  

Sherri arrived the next day with the hoof boots for Teco and put them on him.  He marched around as if the leader of a parade, until he got used to them and in no time, he was walking with more ease and a smoother stride.  He wore the boots off and on for a couple months.  All the while we gave him Arnica and kept him moving.  Sherri would come in frequently for light maintenance trims and keep an eye on him, she would call to see how he's doing and would always have a positive spin on this whole process.  We used various homeopathic remedies and for each one applied, we would watch Teco to see what kind of change if any, and, if it we saw a positive change we would then keep using that remedy.  I was the doubting Thomas and quite scared, however, as each day passed and each day brought a step toward recovery, we researched more and more natural remedies for this ailment.  All the while, Sherri would email articles, suggestions, websites and the like, regarding founder and always kept positive.

In closing, what seemed like a lifetime, was a process of about 5 months. I am ecstatic to say Teco has made a full recovery and is back to his usual comedic personality we are used to seeing. 

Sherri has seen him from the beginning to the end of this and his hooves are as if it never was!  I am so thankful for the care and concern Sherri has given us and Teco.  To have a natural trimmer is one thing, but to have one with knowledge and genuine concern for your horses health, really is an awesome package.  With Sherri, it's always about the horses, not the humans.  Our horses are truly blessed to have her as their trimmer. 

A few of the many lessons I've learned from this:

Your vet will diagnose and recommend just like your doctor, but, it is up to me to thoroughly investigate all options.  

Keep an open mind and ears to all suggestions. 

Try to help the body get back in balance or heal itself by assisting with natural remedies before using medications/pharmaceuticals.  Pharmaceuticals are short-term and help you manage, but are not a cure, for the cause of the ailment. 

Most importantly, the body, whether horse or human, has an incredible ability to heal itself, if we only let it. 

Ann Caswell