silver bell

Silver Bell was a prayer come true. We had been looking far and wide when we found Gypsy and we couldn’t ask for a sweeter horse. I received a return phone call from the owner of Silver Bell weeks after I left a message about a horse that was offered for sale. We recognized each other’s name and we spent a good time catching up. The owners’ main goal was to find Silver Bell a safe long term home, and they donated her to HPS for our training program. What a wonderful gift! 

Silver Bell is just 16 years old, a registered Quarter Horse, Appendix certified for racing. She raced only once according to her record. She has been wonderfully cared for during her life with her past owners. We are never in a hurry and had only started the bonding and trust in the arena a couple of times, when things went south. Right from the beginning we learned that Silver Bell hated to have her stall door closed. Twice volunteers forgot and closed the stall door. She kick so hard with her back hooves that it almost ripped the door off the hinges. Her tendon on one leg swelled, and then she showed heat and pain in all four hooves. Of course, our veterinarian was called right away. 

Complete physical exam, 6 vials of blood, and radiographs of the front hooves were completed. The radiographs showed the soles of the front hooves were only 6 mm thick. (That is equal to 24% of an inch.) That is the exact same measurements of Gypsy’s front sole depth, also. There are conditions that run the gamut from genetics, nutrition, management, environment, poor farrier trimming, shoes, aging and past pathologies can bring on thin soles. The front soles should be 1/2 to 7/16 of an inch thick. With the correct nutrition added, the soles could possibly increase in thickness quickly along with correct trimming. 

For a week Silver Bell’s back leg had a poultice applied, then carefully wrapped with thick cotton and vet wrap. Her top hip area had to have DMSO applied. A week later she received a clean bill of health from our veterinarian, Dr. Mary Gochnauer, except for the thin soles and that is just going to take time to recover. We are dealing with help to heal up a couple of abscess. It is so important to help the volunteers improve their riding so they can work with the rescued horses and help other people learn also. This will aid in being able to place the recovered rescued horses in the future.