August 2009

Polo times runs a 3 page full colour article on our Uncle Pete.
In case you have it, it's Volume 14, Issue 7, August 2009

Download extract from Volume 14, Issue 7: uncle_pete_polo_times1.pdf ('Adobe acrobat' document' - 1633KB. Reproduced with kind consent of Polo Times.)

June - November 2010

Hi all. Sorry it's been awhile since my last blog up-date but so much has been going on in my life. The end of the polo season was busier than normal & also polocrosse took up plenty of my time. Choosing to put 2 mares in foal to Blazin Chic Olena ( a lovely quarter-horse) & then having the opportunity to come to Australia (Here now) took some organisation to say the least. Never easy to pack up & go away for 4 months, horses,stables,business & home mothballed !!

Club talk & Laminitis

I gave a talk to my polocrosse club which I felt went well & by the questions asked & the response & thanks I was given was a real success. Anyone interested please contact me to give a talk for your group. A few people have enquired again about "Laminitis", including a friend from Ire & at my club talk !!

It's a real problem that just always rears its ugly head. 2 main types cause most problems but the 1st "Over feeding" is the most common & my "pet-hate" as it's so easy to avoid & cure. The goodness from the feed goes straight to the laminie in the hoof inside the wall. This swells & not only pushes the wall out but INSIDE is pushing the pedal bone down (rotating) it to put pressure on the soul of the hoof, thus causing the lameness.

To fix this the feed must be cut down & work the horse to use up the goodness. Bute can be considered to ease the pain to start. Your farrier can also cut the heels down (the only time I recommend) so pressure taken off the toe, (where pedal bone is pressing from the inside) & making more ground contact on the frog, helping to pump the blood back up the legs. The farrier could even consider "Heart-bar shoes" to increase that action. Heat in the feet, but mainly looking at the white line the farrier will be able to see that your horse has laminitis. Vets with ex-rays can show the widening of the laminie & the rotation of the pedal bone. For the owner or person taking care of the horse the signs are- over-weight, a crest on the neck & the horse leaning back on its heels. Often the advice is to not work the horse & shut in small enclosure, cutting the feed until some improvement is seen also with some kind of pain killer. Sorry but I believe when you know its laminitis & it's not that severe ! Working the horse through it is best all-round. Of course keeping a strict diet to reduce goodness.

The other main problem seen that surprises a lot of people is "Stress Laminitis" !!!!! In this case a mare due to foal, so in great health & being well fed, got a bad injury (a fracture). The vet called & the mare, treated & put on box rest. Nearly straight away Laminitis hit. What I'm saying is, & have seen also in very fit horses that have had a bad injury so stop being active abruptly can get "stress laminitis".

My thought then is the "mare" or "fit horse" had plenty of good rich food in their systems, then with sudden loss of ability to burn that off, went straight down to the feet & affected the laminie. Unfortunately "Stress Laminitis" as I've seen over the years is very hard to protect against as the horse is being well looked after but injuries no-one can predict. Also its nearly always so quick & aggressive that most don't overcome it.

Any questions?

Please keep sending me your questions & I will answer the best I can, personally if possible !! Anyway here is a pic or 2 of Aus to make you in cold UK jealous & its coming up to Xmas so all have a very good one & see you in the New Year

Uncle Pete

March - May 2010

Hi all, well I'm back from NZ & very busy with shoeing & getting my bunch fit for poloX.
Lorraine broke her heel bone so thats been fun too.

This time I want to talk about when you should have your horse shod.
With a fully fit & working horse, 4 weeks is the best.
Its not only about the shoe being still good !! as the foot grows down & forwards it puts pressure on tendons & joints as can be seen here:

Even shoes fitted longer at the heels will be pushed forward & slip inside the wall which can cause corns & the like. See photo's below.

Yes some (very few) have upright feet so is not such a problem, & of course doing less work not so important, but you are still increasing the risks of some damage.
By speading out the shoeing you will save money short term but very well lose out later through remedial work, vet costs or the loss of use of your horse ???
Prevention is better than cure.
"Tip." Book the farrier at 1 visit for next & if it looks like it needs shoeing ? IT DOES !!
5 weeks would be the maximum time between shoeing.
As a farrier we make no extra from this as we can only do so many customers anyway & you could be paying more for extra visits for lost shoes or other problems !!

Hope you enjoy the pics from NZ, See you again soon, maybe at poloX (Kent 1st) check out on UKPA site on Polo & Polocrosse page.

January - February 2010

Hi all, Sorry for delay in updating. Lorraine came over here (NZ) and we had some time out plus a trip to Fiji.
Then too I've been busy and lent horses to play poloX. All good !

At the resort in Fiji although horses to trek they were in such poor condition that we felt we might end up carrying them.
How ever at another beach I couldn't resist a ride up and down it.
Insisting I did not need to be lead, and doing the girth up, also adjusting the stirrups was ok but for the total lack of need of "the aids" ? Canter by hitting with the whip, sorry stick, or walk.

Back in NZ as Lorraine missed that chance, we found a trekking place in the Bay of Islands.
The biggest horses was mine as the most exsperieced rider, that was ok as told would not be able to eat grass, if it got the chance. Going at the pace of the worst rider, it had a few chances.
I were to busy smoking when my stead proved them wrong by getting such a mouth full it stuck out a foot either side. Lorraine and I now agree that Trekking is not really for us !!

Serious stuff now !!

As I've said before, the importance of the performance of the horse here is the priorty !!
Shame the stable management and basic horse care is so lacking.
So many problems and the loss of use of their horses because they either dont give the time or want to spend the money !!! THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS !!
That way your horses can perform more often and sometimes years longer !!!

Big issue. . Barefoot Trimming !!! What nonsence this fad !!
Any farrier can trim (and qualified to) a horse so it wont need shoes ??? The thing here is, he is also qualified if the horse gets a problem and help sort it out.
To have the conditions and lucky enough the horse with feet good enough to not need shoes, is very rare if any standard of work or fitness is given the horse.
Often charging more, the "Barefoot conman" does no more than your conventional farrier can do !!!
If you get away without shoes, yes a saving, if you dont ? and probably wont, a farrier you will need.

Who in the 1st place would have trimmed cheaper ??
"Barefooters" had this discussion with the Vet and Farriers organisations.
They came to this conclusion too !! Think Logically all please and save your money !!

Anyway thats it for now, please keep sending questions and I will give you my thoughts.

December 2009

December is here and last month was a little slow.
Immigration had a problem letting me come and run my business on time?
A big thanks there!!
It meant a couple of clients had started the season with other farriers.
They are returning for next shoeing, so back to normal shortly.

That, plus the weather being 'Damp', to say the least! has given me time to add to the site here (you all noticed).

Again, the 1st month here really brings home the importance of good stable management and hoof care. Actually ! A stable seems hard to find ? Pens, some with cover the norm!
The Kiwi's are generally good people though. Very laid back, with the attitude, 'its ok, it'll be fine' Which means = YES the horse has a problem, so put it back in the paddock till it comes right??

The England PoloX team, did well in the last World Cup.
The generosity of Harry Seminoff, allowing them to prepare here in NZ with so much, surely helped.
He has now let me have on loan "Satnav", who I owned before, Cool. So a big thankyou from me and the UKPA, Harry.

Lorraine joins me at xmas, a little trip to Fiji planned (NO nags there I hope).
Till the new year then all and happy xmas

November 2009

Anyway I had a good season of polo farriery, slightly less polo Crosse than normal, got engaged, learnt to use a computer, started this site and off to NZ 3rd Nov to work their season.

Maybe get abit of Polo?

October 2009

Hi all
This is my 1st write up for the website which I've set up with great help from Dave Smith, who also makes videos and "Beer"!! I think the video part may help later as a DVD is on the cards!!

Mainly I hope to answer many questions people have about the basics of hoof care, shoeing, horse and stable management I've found over my many years still cause problems, even lameness. Many can be avoided.

Also I will try to use the blog to keep up-to-date on developments concerning horse's feet and shoeing!
If I receive enough questions on any subject, will try to give my opinion on it

Trying not to bore you! Tell you my recent past (just had a cuppa) Sorry!!
This year I flew my new horse "Kelly"a pocket rocket, over from NZ, she's a quarter horse X aus-stock, to join my string of "Snitch" old warhorse, "Baby Jo" and "Twizzle.

The last 2 I've had since foals, now 9 and 8 yrs. Very proud of them too as did most of the work myself and have played at the highest level in polo Crosse.

Lorraine, my fiancée suggested the website and DVD, as now I'm not quite a boy anymore!

So cutting back on shoeing, I can do abit of this computer stuff!
Of course I still have my own horses to do, which Lorraine helps when she can and I have 3 grown up, married kids plus other family!
Keep me out of trouble? Yeah rite!!