Horsey Talk

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Hoofcast tape. Have you used it? What do you think?

More and more people are talking about hoof cast tape for both barefoot and shod horses to support the hoof wall as well as the frog.

The tape is made from a special ballistic grade woven polyester set in a powerful cement.

Does it work? How long does it last? Is it better for the horse than conventional methods?
Please tell horseytalk.net

I’m frightened to mention it to my farrier unless I know it works. George

Sally the Vet - Cliffe Equine

Sally is fantastic. Although I must admit she has said No to me more than once.

She is fantastic because twice she saved one of my horses, Herbie. The first time was when I went into his stable one morning. He was standing in the corner. His head was down. He hadn't eaten any hay all night. An hour later, I checked again. The same story. Another hour, the same story. I called the vets. Another vet came out. Not Sally. He stuck his hand up Herbie's backside, mumbled something about rest and was off.

An hour later, poor Herbie was still standing in the corner of the stable with his head down. I waited another hour. The same thing. Again I called the vet. This time Sally arrived.

She gave the horse the once over, put a gag on him, levered it open and pulled a lump of wood out of the back of his throat the size of an oak tree.

He was cured.

The second time, it was even worse. Herbie was at livery. One Saturday morning I got a call from the yard manager. Some how my horse had got his front hoof caught behind a wire. He'd tried to pull it free. Trouble was the more he tried to pull his foot free, the more the wire cut into his leg until it had practically reached the bore, leaving an enormous lump of flesh flapping around his hoof.

By the time I got to the yard he'd lost about half his weight.

This time Sally turned up straightaway. She injected poor old Herb, did all the things vet do, but better; wrapped his leg up in a million miles of bandages, gave me all the warnings and was off.

Herbie recovered and, I swear, was better after the accident or maybe it was after being looked after by Sally, than he was before.

Twice, however, she let me down.

Once when she turned down a horse I wanted to buy. Riddled with arthritis, she said. Reluctantly I agreed.

The second time was when she inspected another horse for me on her way back, she announced grandly, from spending “a weekend in Windsor.” This time I ignored her advice. Not, I swear because I was jealous she had managed to spend “a weekend in Windsor” but just because I liked the horse.

Who was right? Sally, of course.

She didn't vet my present horse. He was way too far away for her to visit. But she did say she liked him.

What more could you ask of a vet? Peter