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Domino
Name: Domino
Livery Type: Retirement (after rehab)
Arrival Date: 25th May 2024
Age: 18
Breed: Cob
Height: 14hh
Medical Issues: EMS
Rehabilitation: Hoof rehabilitation and EMS
Arrival:
Although Domino is with us for retirement, he has arrived with a few health concerns that we would like to see improve during his time here. One of the reasons his owner has moved him across the country to be with us is to increase his movement and allow him more space and enrichment.
As you can see from the photo below, Dom has very large fat pads which are particularly prominent over his bottom and shoulders, with a classic apple/love heart shape and a large 'lumpy' fat pad that sits directly on top. He also generally needs to lose quite a bit of weight, which will be achieved through movement on Herd 3's track system and with access to adlib hay, as always.
Dom's previous trims weren't ideal, so we are hoping to see an improvement in his hooves too. He will temporarily be on a 4 week trim cycle until we see some improvement, and then we go onto a normal 6 week cycle. His toes have been left quite long and his heels quite high, so over the next coming months we will be slowly adjusting him so he is more comfortable and the hoof more functional. We also noted that he has put down a lot of sole from lack of movement, which has resulted in some bruising in both front feet. We're keen to see how his hooves improve over the next 6 months.
Body update - 25th June 2024:
In just a short month, we're seeing a great improvement in his weight and the size of his fat pads. He has not been restricted of hay in any way, but instead has been allowed to achieve more free movement on a daily basis.
Body update - 9th August 2024:
Another month has passed which means another progress update on handsome lad Domino. We're now really starting to see those fat pads and excess weight melt away, particularly over this bottom and shoulder where his worst/biggest fat pads sat.
No restriction in hay or movement means he can forage on adlib hay as his source of continual high fibre, and he is free to move throughout the day and night, which is not only great at shifting stubborn weight, but is crucial for mental enrichment, joint, hoof and gut health as well as blood and lymphatic circulation. We focus on increased movement, instead of restricted hay.
Body update - 3rd September 2024:
Roughly 3 months later and Dom is continuing to lose weight at a really nice pace. The lumpy areas of his bottom have softened up nicely and are beginning to shrink in size, as well an overall decrease in the size of the fat pads across his shoulders, ribs and shape of his bottom.
Hoof update - 17th September 2024:
Exciting things are happening for Dom all around! Dom had previously put down a lot of sole due to a lack of movement, one of the main reasons he joined us in the first place. He'd also been left with high heels and a long toe, so he's been kept on a 4 week trim cycle. We're seeing a tonne of growth in between trims now which is brilliant. The picture on the right is from his trim today, and just look at the different shape of his hoof in a short 4 months. There's still some improvements to be made but all in all, we're on the right track.
Before trim: