This is my little arab whose vetting - pre purchase exam - gave me cause for concern. Anyway, I bought her and she's been with me for 4 weeks today and is an absolute delight. She is a four year old, unbroken fully. She was a complete blank canvas, other than being lead around; she'd never been off the farm on which she was born and had never seen any traffic.
We've been hacking in hand every day around my yard. It's in a busy village on the outskirts of a small city in Wales, UK, so a real culture shock for her, but she's taken everything in her stride. I don't plan to back her until next spring, but she's had a bit in and a saddle on, without batting an eyelid. Anyway...
Her foot and pastern conformation isn't great - very upright - this was noted on the pre purchase exam but the vet didn't think it was too much of a problem and passed her fit for purpose. My farrier has trimmed her and said that he doesn't want to lower her heels very much because he thinks that will cause more problems than it'll solve. He also said she's got strong, hard feet and I'd be a fool to shoe her. She probably wouldn't need trimming very often either. I've taken some photos - the ones on the right are from 3 weeks ago and the left, yesterday after a trim. She's out all day on not great pasture and in on ad-lib hay at night. She's eating speedibeet, just grass, linseed and pro-hoof morning and night - I've just added half a small scoop of soaked grass nuts. If anyone has any thoughts I'd be very, very grateful.
The last photo is of the pretty girl herself.
We've been hacking in hand every day around my yard. It's in a busy village on the outskirts of a small city in Wales, UK, so a real culture shock for her, but she's taken everything in her stride. I don't plan to back her until next spring, but she's had a bit in and a saddle on, without batting an eyelid. Anyway...
Her foot and pastern conformation isn't great - very upright - this was noted on the pre purchase exam but the vet didn't think it was too much of a problem and passed her fit for purpose. My farrier has trimmed her and said that he doesn't want to lower her heels very much because he thinks that will cause more problems than it'll solve. He also said she's got strong, hard feet and I'd be a fool to shoe her. She probably wouldn't need trimming very often either. I've taken some photos - the ones on the right are from 3 weeks ago and the left, yesterday after a trim. She's out all day on not great pasture and in on ad-lib hay at night. She's eating speedibeet, just grass, linseed and pro-hoof morning and night - I've just added half a small scoop of soaked grass nuts. If anyone has any thoughts I'd be very, very grateful.
The last photo is of the pretty girl herself.