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Glen
Name: Glen
Livery Type: Retirement
Arrival Date: 3rd October 2022
Age: 19
Breed: Highland
Height: 14hh
Medical Issues: Laminitis, Cushings, EMS
Rehabilitation: Shod to barefoot, hoof rehabilitation, EMS and Laminitis
Arrival:
Glen has arrived for retirement with sub-clinical Laminitis, verging on an acute attack, and EMS. He has had his shoes removed prior to moving in order to join us and is starting his retirement on Track 1 in boots for a short period of time to help minimise the discomfort he is experiencing with his lameness.
As you can see, he has poor quality hoof horn which we suspect will chip and split whilst self-trimming with increased movement and the absence of shoes.
16th of October, 2022 - first trim:
Glen has had quite a bit of breakage from increased movement and self-trimming, naturally getting rid of the poor quality hoof horn caused through an inappropriate diet and Laminitis. As you can see, he has quite contracted heels, some separation of the white line and chunks of his waterline missing that has snapped off whilst self-trimming. The waterline is where you'll find the 1-2 weight bearing points at the toe, which unfortunately for Glen means he is weight bearing on his sole. This can be quite painful and uncomfortable for some horses, which is where boots can become a useful tool in transitioning but as Glen is staying on track and the ground is currently quite forgiving, he does not seem uncomfortable and therefore will remain barefoot.
Glen will be kept on a 6 week trim cycle.
February 2023 - body update:
Glen has lost weight around his bottom, which originally appeared almost ‘lumpy’ around the tail. An abnormally shaped bottom is common with EMS and shouldn't be ignored. He has also softened up around his shoulders and is generally a better shape. Despite his super fluffy winter coat, you can see he has also gained a little muscle over his top line. This is a great sign that he is longer suffering from EMS and is feeling much more comfortable and fitter than he previously did, which is reflected in his activity levels on track.
28th April 2023 - body update:
Glen still has some muscle to build but he's slowly starting to take more shape. We suspect that when his feet start to improve, his muscle will too.
June 2023 - hoof update:
Although Glen has been with us since October 2022, this is the first proper full trim he has had. Glen's feet have been somewhat 'stuck', meaning we didn't have any new growth for some time despite increased movement and a non-inflammatory, species appropriate diet. Again, this is pretty normal for horse's who have previously been shod. Given time and patience, they do 'wake up' and begin growing normally between 6 week trim cycles.
As you can see, he has grown some new hoof wall down and has a nice tight water line. He also had lots of sole removed, so we are starting to see some stronger feet now. We still have some way to go but this is a really good improvement.
September 2023 - hoof update:
It has been an incredibly slow process with Glen, with today being the first time he has had an intact waterline in all 4 feet since his arrival 11 months ago. Forming a new waterline is always slow going so this type of hoof rehabilitation needs to be approached with patience and an understanding that this will take time and cannot be rushed when done correctly.
In the photos below, you can see Glen's heels and quarters have widened nicely without being contracted by shoes and now we have an intact waterline, he is weight bearing how nature intended. This is a brilliant progress for Glen and the hardest part of his 'retirement' is now over.
January 2024 - hoof update:
Over the span of roughly 4 months, Glen was suffering from repeated abscesses which we have seen a big improvement in. To the right of his frog on his front left hoof, we were able to see some of the damage caused by one of his last abscesses, which we're hopeful that it should grow completely by his next trim.
Edit - We have since discovered that his repeated abscesses were linked to pinworm, which we now worm for every autumn. This has made a huge improvement and he no longer gets any abscesses.
June 2024 - update:
We spoke to Glen's owner about a few of our concerns regarding his health and arranged a vet visit. The vet found he was fighting off an infection and dealing with some liver issues, which was linked back to his Cushings. This again has set us back with Glen's overall health and progress, ending in some unwanted weight loss and another abscess - surprise, surprise.
June 2025 - update:
Managing Glen's health has been on going challenge but we're hopefully that he is over the worst of it now. His hooves have made some good progress and are generally much stronger than they were, and his weight is better managed with careful feeding, supplementation and rugging when needed. Whilst it has undoubtedly been rocky at times, Glen very clearly loves his life and has fully embraced his retirement on track.
Sometimes, we as owners can forget that certain management practices, diets and decisions can take years for the body to heal and recover from. More than often, the longer the horse has been ill for, the longer it takes for their body to recover in every sense of the word. Not only that, but things like Laminitis and EMS affect the body beyond what we can sometimes comprehend, so recovery is rarely ever linear. This is why building their health back up, brick by brick, is imperative to their healing. We do this by ensuring their diet is species appropriate, that they're moving frequently, they're trimmed properly and that their mental and emotional requirements are fulfilled in addition to their physical.
With that being said, we know Glen's overall health is naturally prioritised through this lifestyle, and should any issues arise for him in the future, he is in a much healthier position to be able to deal with them. His weight is something we still need to be very careful with, but we're just so pleased he now seems to be over the worst of it all and happy with his little life.
