My how times flies, and as you can see, I am not a dedicated Blogger. It's been 2 years since my last post. Much has happened in that time. I had a full knee replacement on my right knee in January 2021 and then another full replacement on the left this past January 2022. Needless to say, I have a standing appointment with my physical therapist Carla every week. She is great at putting me back together when I mangle up a body part. And the ol’ body parts just don’t work like they used so I’m not able to go out and do maintenance hoof care in the field.
I still see hoof clients here mainly for rehabilitation or serious lameness issues. If you are concerned about how your horses' hooves look, how he/she behaves or has a lameness issue, I am available for consultation and rehabilitation. There is not much I haven't seen when it comes to distortion in hooves and not many hooves that can't be fixed. Founder hooves and navicular conditions used to be considered time to retire your horse, but now these and many other issues are treatable. I’m still offering custom diet plans based on testing your hay, or average hay values for the area. I can recommend a custom mineral supplement based on the missing or deficient minerals in the hay forage. I calculate how much to supplement based on amounts in the hay and the correct ratios needed for optimum absorption and health. LayzD also has a nice group of boarded horses here. They help pay my bills but also support The Wings Programs Inc. Without our boarders we would have a hard time supporting the rescue and sanctuary horses. Limited space is available for long term boarding but we always find room for short term/vacation boarding. If you need to travel and want a great place for your horse to stay while you are gone, check us out. We have both a 40’ and 60’ round pen, a 100x150 outdoor arena and 60’x80’ indoor arena. More updates to come...
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Copper and zinc are two of the most common trace mineral deficiencies around the world.
"In addition to the levels of these two minerals often being too low in the diet, factors such as high iron intake and high sulfate in water or forage makes the situation even worse by interfering with absorption. While other deficiencies may not be easily visible, zinc and copper problems often present in ways that are readily seen. A dead giveaway of copper and zinc deficiency is bleaching of the coat and red ends on black manes and tails. This is typically blamed on sun exposure, which is true, but horses with adequate levels of melanin will not experience these changes. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin and hair its color. Melanin also protects against UV radiation and chemical damage. Copper (all colors) and zinc in combination with copper (darker colors) are essential for the production of generous amounts of melanin. Hoof quality also suffers with copper and zinc deficiency. Deficiencies of either copper or zinc have been linked to: Soft feet Cracks Sole hemorrhages Abscesses Thrush Dramatic improvements in hoof quality are often seen following adequate zinc and copper supplementation. Only dietary analysis can tell you the precise amounts needed but consider a ballpark figure of 250 mg of copper and 850 mg zinc as the starting point for horses showing outward evidence of deficiency." - Eleanor Kellon, VMD |
Debora LayCertified Equine Archives
July 2022
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