Clouds + Hantons

Ok so there is **ONE** thing I really appreciated about the last boarding barn, that is proving to be just slightly tricky in my new horsey world order: 

The farm was big enough that we had 2 (at one point, 3) farriers who came every week, each with a specific day. Obvi most boarders were regular clients of one or the other, but it was understood that either could handle tasks like replacing lost shoes, etc for anyone. 

finally remembered i picked up these boots for charlie during his abscess apocalypse... 

All boarders had to do was add their horse's name to the 'board,' and everything would magically be done! 

Well. Not everything, and not magically lol bc over the years some things kinda started getting lost... like invoicing --- used to be that the charge would be added to your board bill, plus a convenience fee. But the farm's bookkeeping fell apart literal years ago ((whoops!)), so it was best to pay the farriers directly. 

they were the wrong size for charlie, but are just right for doozy! i pulled out all the extra foam padding tho

Regardless, tho, it was a pretty streamlined and easy system, and you were only ever a few days away from having a farrier imminently onsite. Plus there was a staff member (who remembers Charlie's groom from the covid lockdown?) who would hold for the farrier (again for a small fee). So it really was as easy as could be.

shoe freshly reset, now just hold onto it for another week lady!

Considering both my horses are now at different farms, and each with different farriers, and EACH MANAGING TO THROW SHOES ON THE SAME DAYS... Well. Ahem. It's almost enough to make me wanna go back haha. Almost... (not really tho). 

charlie's turn! we're gonna give these glue-on Hantons a chance for a cycle or two

It's just been a tough season. We were so dry for so long, then suddenly very wet. And now getting dry again, but with tons more grass out of nowhere... Horses everywhere around here are just walking out of shoes. In a way it's kinda reassuring that it's happening to both my horses -- at different places, with different farriers -- bc that definitely supports the whole "it's the environment, stupid!" hypothesis.**

(**I guess you could say the owner is another commonality in both cases... but I prefer to blame the environment haha!)

it's honestly a nifty little system!

Anyway. I dug up an old Easyboot Cloud that I bought new from consignment a while ago for Charlie, but that was the wrong size and that I never got around to selling. Fortunately it seems right for Doozy so she got to have a little extra protection waiting to get the shoe reset. 

Tho I pulled out the giant inch thick foam padding that comes with the boot, since it's technically designed for a foundering or laminitic horse, and that's a bit more than Doozy needed.

it's basically just quick set epoxy, and covers way less surface area than traditional glue-ons 

The farrier was having a bit of a chaotic week (again, horses walking out of their shoes everywhere, plus he had some unexpected vet issues with his dog, who I believe is ok but just needed more appointments and you know how that goes), so he just reset Doozy's missing shoe, and replaced a nail on her other. 

Fingers crossed we make it without drama to the originally scheduled appointment next week for her to get a full trim!

charlie liked sniffing the glue lol

Charlie, tho... Well. Idk. He lost BOTH front shoes (again, recall he got Big Mad that I left town without him), and was looking just raggedy enough that we decided to try a cycle or two of glue-on shoes. 

Like... Could we have nailed regular shoes on? Yea, probably. But, eh, this is a thing we haven't tried yet, so why not??

and self-service munchies, obvi

Plus we'd love for him to stay on the same shoeing cycle as another barn mate to make it more worth the farrier's time. That original appt was scheduled for next week, so hopefully Charlie can eke out an extra week with the glue-ons and get back onto the same cycle as the other horse next time. 

still some nastiness in that abscess on his RH

We shall see, I guess! He still looks a little sad and gimpy after getting shod... tho not nearly as bad as last summer. 

farrier advised flushing + painting with iodine to toughen it up

That abscess from a couple weeks ago on his hind foot still looks atrocious tho. It's been almost two weeks since we stopped wrapping it, but the farrier wants me to keep treating with iodine to help it toughen up faster. 

oh charles, you are never satisfied <3

Charlie doesn't seem particularly sore or sensitive on it any more -- esp compared to how much it bugged him at first. But ya know. It can never just be easy with this horse!

seems to like his new field buddy tho <3

So we'll see. I'm expecting Doozy to be a little ouchie on the foot for another day or two, but hopefully we can ease right back on into a regular routine. Fall season is almost upon us and I'd love to get out and do some fun stuff!

And I'll keep you posted on the Hanton shoes too -- and lmk if you've tried them! My hope is that Charlie will feel like they're just special + expensive enough for him to feel like he's getting the respect he deserves LOL....