He's Forrest! New horse thread

[fivestrideline]

I bought a new horse y’all! I’m starting a new thread about it, cause I have a few things I’d love to get input on. First, this is Never For Speight (Speightster - Ever Appealing), my new ~16.2 2019 gelding.

He got here last night in the dark after 13 hours on the trailer and was SO GOOD. Very calm, a bit white eyed but very chill. Even took a nap laying down in his stall! He let me shove a blanket over his head and fuss over him a bit with no problem. He’s been out in the drylot playing Squeal At The Neighbors, and seems to be eating and drinking well.

I need to figure out a barn name. I’m told he’s a big goofball, very food and people oriented, but other than that I know nothing about him. I don’t like “Speight”, and I prefer “human” names. I like Winston, but I am unsure if it fits him. He has SUCH a baby face.

[fivestrideline]

I will get pics this afternoon but his feet are skis, with what appears to be his race plates still on. I’m thinking of pulling them since our ground is muck anyways but it may be freezing over this weekend for a bit - the farrier isn’t out until the 26th. Good idea? Bad?

[JB]

ski feet + frozen pocked used-to-be-mud is generally not a good combination. If the ground is frozen, but pretty smooth, that’s another story (and is when I pulled OTTB shoes, but her feet were decent enough)

It may be that you need to get his feet in better shape before pulling shoes.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I’d leave them on until farrier comes. I also don’t believe in barefoot for TBs or any horse in freezing conditions, so take that how you will. I shoe with barium in the winter. The last thing I want is rehabbing for splits on icy ground, and I don’t consider it thoughtful or kind asking a horse to be sore until “they get used to it”. But unless the plates are coming off, I’d leave them on.

[jherold]

He looks like a Norman to me. Congratulations! He has a very kind eye.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I like Norman, too.

I like to go through the alphabet.
Albus
Beau
The Colonel

He might suggest his own name. Mine was so lovey dovey, I called him Buddy.

[cayuse]

He looks like a “Happy” to me, Hap for short. Handsome Boy! Congrats!

[BrownDerby]

He reminds me of my old dog Steve. Just chill from day one.

[MunchingonHay]

He has such a sweet face and a kind eye! Congrats on your new boy!

I like Artie. Arties always seem to be goofballs.

What about Tommy??

[kaya842]

Love the names so far!
Hap, Albie/ Albus, and Normie (Norman - he’s too baby looking to not have an “ie” name currently )

He is adorable! I’d keep the shoes on if the ground is going to freeze. My two have been hugely happy to have shoes (and pads!) with the crappy frozen footing they have outside and I know how sore they can be when you first pull their shoes. Now if it’s going to stay soft or you have hoof boots that will stay on/ fit, I’d pull them and start rasping back toes (but recognize that not everyone is comfortable with that) then use hoof boots if frozen ground and remove them in stall.

[fivestrideline]

Well I didn’t get pics (good lord it was cold and I was mildly unprepared), but dually noted on the hooves. Shoes will stay on until the farrier comes out - I’m guessing shoes and pads are going on next week, there’s no way boots will fit this foot (he’s probably 3 cycles late).

Looks like he banged a hock bucking/kicking near the fence (everyone was riled up as expected ), and it’s weirdly squishy right on the point. It COULD have been there when he arrived since it was so dark, but I’m not sure. He’s sound at the walk and shifting weight onto it - but he’s hitchy on it at the trot in the paddock. I didn’t trot him off (seriously his feet are atrocious and it’s just muddy or icy pavement here), and the vet is coming out next week. I put some poultice on it and will keep an eye on it - if it blows up or gets crazy hot I’ll call the local vet.

Lastly, I’m thinking of calling him Milo. But some of y’all’s suggestions are super cute too! Hmmmmm

[luckymaverick]

Congrats on your cute new addition. I read your other thread as well. What about Mikey or Calvin. I love people names for animals as well

[lenapesadie]

I hope his hock will be fine!

He is very adorable! I’m sure whatever name you choose will be awesome.

I had a darling chestnut OTTB with minimal white. His name was Norman and had been for at least a decade once I got him. He also had chronic front feet issues of every sort for that decade. That’s what eventually spelled the end for him. Normie Pooh was the bestest horse but I wouldn’t wish the legacy of his lamenesses on any horse.

[fivestrideline]

Well darn. My google adventure says this could be a capped hock - sometimes caused by habitual leaning in the trailer (ding ding ding!! He has a trailer mark from leaning on one hip, and though the hock is on the other side, the shipper said he was just SITTING on the back of the stall after a while).

Anyone dealt with this? I’m outside the 24 hour window touted by google (though the common source seems to be one very old site), but I did poultice it. It’s also COLD here but I could bute him or cold hose.

[JB]

A typical solution for capped hocks is DMSO mixed with dex, painted on 1-2 times a day for a few days to a week, sometimes every other day, depending on severity.

I’d probably do Sore No More gel before bute or cold therapy

[fivestrideline]

Thanks @JB! I’ll be headed to TSC for the 37th time this year (HA!), so I can pick some DMSO and Sore No More up. I’ve got the regular liquid but no gel ATM.

Getting that and some syringes to dose my other gelding with DIY ulcergard (abler + applesauce cause the darn horse doesn’t want to touch his grain with it ). At least both these boys are eating their stall hay - no one in the barn seems thrilled about their dinners (except the Cushings obesity case. Of course.).

I love winter!

[findeight]

Had a couple of rounds with capped hocks over the years. Least with 2 or 3 of mine, they never really went completely away but the fluid did reduce greatly…until they irritated it again. It didn’t seem to bother them. It was not related to riding in the trailer in my case.

Looking forward to your updates.

[ZuzusPetals]

He has the Harry Potter lightning bolt on his forehead, so how about Harry or Potter?

[beowulf]

What a beautiful face - I am a sucker for the Speightstowns, they have very distinct faces and bodies. He looks like a kind horse, needs a kind name. Henry or Ellis came to mind for me, but I like Milo too.

Sorry to hear he banged himself up already - my treatment for capped hocks is Sore No More; if they are sound on it, it’s likely just superficial. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes not. I think your poultice is a fine idea for now.

I prefer human names too - you’re looking at someone who named their horse Holden. Got any books you are reading right now, any character standouts? My theme is I name my horses from a book I’m currently reading or immensely enjoyed.

[fivestrideline]

@beowulf

Sorry to hear he banged himself up already - my treatment for capped hocks is Sore No More; if they are sound on it, it’s likely just superficial. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes not. I think your poultice is a fine idea for now.

Unsure if he’s sound really, there’s nowhere to tell and he was hop-kicking at the trot in the drylot. To be fair, there was a lot of hop-kicking going around . He doesn’t mind me poking and prodding.

I’ll Sore No More and maybe DMSO it - FWIW my other gelding ran through a tensile wire fence and ripped the front of his hock open and got cellulitis the first day I brought him home so… this is par for the course. 🫥😆. Regardless, the vet comes out next week!