DefinitelyDressage.com

I hope this works, this is my farrier working on my 30 year old QH. Using his own foot as a hoof jack so Bunny doesn't have to lift her leg up much. This guy is the best farrier I have ever had.

That's so sad, but also so wonderful. I'm confident my farrier would do something like that. I also have a friend who had (just put down) her horse with DSLD. Her farrier went to all lengths for her.

Gotta love the farriers that are so compassionate like that. My farrier had cut down a 2 x 4 into a little block, and would rest my oldster's hoof on/in it. My horse and I both appreciated his efforts.

My kind farrier uses a short stand with a carpeted sling to cradle the hoof. It's perfect for the 35 year old's arthritic hocks — she has a place to rest her weight when the good leg is up. She's fine on the other side.

I have that stand with the cradle but for Bunny even when we used it set real low, her leg locks up after he was done with it. We use it on the others, I have several old horses.

I get someone to tip the hoof over like that and then just use the nippers to take off the excess length, and that's all I need to do. Even the oldest ones do a good job of keeping the frog and sole in good shape as long as the walls don't get long.

Joy's still able to pick up both back feet fairly high, she just can't hold her weight with the more arthritic leg.

I'll have to keep this in mind for the future.

We are struggling with farriery for my 30 year old now.

I've just had to switch farriers and one of the harder things was finding someone with the patience (and the back) to be able to work on Lucky, who has two fused front pasterns due to ringbone--he just doesn't bend where he is expected to bend.

I think part of the trick is little and often. I also give him banamine before the farrier gets there.

Ah, bless. My farrier is also of this quality. What contortions he put himself through to help my Apollo ... there's a special place for folks like this.

This thread inspired me to sign up and post. So often on the 'net one reads about flakey farriers, and I love that several of us have farriers who go the extra mile for our elderly horses. My farrier trims my neurological mare up against a wall so that she can lean on it, and although it's a bit of a struggle for both he and my mare, he gets her hinds done patiently and cheerfully.

My 24 y.o. retiree has difficulty keeping hind legs up for farrier, so farrier does a bit of 'stretchies' work with each hind leg before trimming. He also knows to give my horse a break if work seems to be taking a bit longer than anticipated. He recently bought a new stand which can be lowered lower than his old stand.

So sweet.

I have a most excellent farrier for Leo too. I really like him. Is on time every single time and does such a good job with Leo. The farrier I had for Billy was a miracle worker although I did not like him at all, but for Billy's sake I kept my mouth shut.

My farrier did that with Bob the last year of Bob's life, and he trimmed Bob in his stall. Very compassionate.

This was my old gal in her prime. We finally lost her last night, she was two months away from turning 31. Everything just wore out. Vet came, everything was pretty fast and peaceful. Will miss her. She had several owners before us, got her when she was about 8. Been race trained (abuse from that) and had changed hands a few times. So glad she got to live with us and I got to pamper her. Such a sweet horse.

So sorry to read this. What a beautiful gal she was.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Age 31 is an incredible number of years. Glad she found you.

I just hate it when our beloved horses die. I don't like this part of life. I'm so sorry your girl is gone.

I am also glad she got to live with and be pampered by you, Melody...She was beautiful. Thanks for posting her picture so we can also appreciate her.

She will definitely be missed. I do have a problem with the old mare that's left. My old gang was 6 horses years ago, now down to 2. Angie just has the hardest time when we loose one. Last January I lost another mare that was a month away from turning 31. Angie was a nervous wreck for days, then seemed depressed for quite a while. This time she seemed a bit calmer, she had plenty of time with the body, watched as my husband buried her. After that was over she ran around yelling. Last night she came up for dinner, by the time she was about finished she started melting down again. This morning she was a little better but when I went to turn her out she just seemed completely confused. Kept looking back at the barn. Bunny, the mare we lost died out in the pasture, no where near the barn. I just feel so bad for Angie. I know it will pass but seems to take forever for her. Normally animals deal with this better than we do but not in this case. I still have nine horses left but they are in different herds. If they go in order of age, Angie will be next. That would leave her brother who I can put with the two younger geldings but if he goes before her have no clue how I will handle that. She will be a complete mess.

Okay, now I'm crying.

I thought about the old Rolling Stones song "Angie".

"Angie don't you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet, I hate that sadness in your eyes."

I know the song. I use to always have the oldies on in the barn. When I lost Ruby back in 2009 I switched stations just so I could avoid the song Ruby Tuesday. What was strange, last year when we lost Missy, the next morning when I turned the radio on the first song that played was that one by Passenger, Let Her Go. Some songs can make me cry for sure.

I'm so sorry for your loss. The seniors are so special.

Hard to believe it's been two weeks already. I have thought about the idea of turning our place into a retirement farm when I get more empty stalls. I am not sure I am in the right area of the country to do that though. Don't know if anyone in our area would pay the board or just try and dump the old horses on us. I just love pampering them and we are home all the time with a nice safe barn and plenty of land. I hate seeing old horses at horse sales too.

There is on useful trick that allows the horse to not have to lift the leg and flex the joint when they are older and getting trimmed. Find an area with dirt and dig a shallow hole. You position the horse with the leg hanging over the hole. My farrier did this with an old horse I knew. Other way to help is to position the horse in the corner of a stall so it can use the side and back wall for support.

Sorry for your loss..You gave her a long and good life - she could ask for no more....Hugs....

My friends 32 year old was really having issues getting trimmed. It took 3 of us to keep him up and stable for the farrier. When she put him on Previcox it made a HUGE difference. The barn has a small step up and the farrier now uses that dip to trim him.

When my old guy broke his pelvis - the same farrier used different sized wooden blocks to trim my guy in his stall. Can't say enough good about my farrier - have used him for 16 years and would never think to use someone else.