So, I had to skip two days because it wouldn't stop raining, but today I rode Jer and we did some trotting and actually walled up to the cows, so we are making progress!

Soo, her annoyed because it has been raining non-stop and I haven't been able to ride her at all.

Hope the rain gets any better! And I feel like its a TB thing to be scared of cows... So is mine!

So I was gone August 14 - 16, so then I had a ton to do with my animals the 17th, but then yesterday I ride her and she was awesome after having off, we walked right up to the calves and we did our first cantering! Then today we did a little more cow work because she is still uncertain of them and we did walk, trot, canter work plus some ground work! We have been staying around the farm but tomorrow or the next day I'm hoping to get her out on the trails! Overall I am happy with how it has been going.

So sorry about not updating, but I started her jumping and she has great potential. I am on vacation so I'm currently not doing anything with her!

So, she got a abcess and so I havent been working her, sorry for the inactivity!

Frequent abscesses do seem to be a theme for a lot of thoroughbreds, so your horse certainly isn't off brand there ;) I started shoeing mine with pads and fill, and gave him a couple of hoof supplements that really cut down on all of his fragile feet problems!

My OTTB I've had for 11 years now also had frequent abscesses. He has navicular disease in both front feet so had pads and gel for years. I definitely don't recommend that as some sort of treatment/prevention of abscesses just from personal experience. Because of the pads, any bacteria that does get in there is trapped and you have to now pull the entire shoe/pad off to get an abscess out if it wants to come out anywhere in the bottom of the foot.

Might be personal taste, but pads and fill kept my horse from getting the stone bruises that turned into abscesses. If the area is sealed, then bacteria shouldn't be able to get in. It was much more worth my while to prevent 99% of the abscesses and maybe have to pull the shoe off, which I usually had to do anyway before the pads, than not have the pads and be guaranteed the stone bruise to abscess cycle. It probably depends on the horse and the source/frequency of their abscesses, as well as how comfortable you are removing shoes. I can pull shoes myself and the farrier would put them back on for free. But some horses with more delicate feet would have them become weaker and more torn up from shoe removal. You've gotta do what works for you!