As many people already know, my passion is for helping miniature horses, ponies and donkeys with severe hoof issues. It is one of the driving reasons behind starting the sanctuary. Ponies and miniature horses are prone to laminitis and founder, which can be a very painful hoof condition. I have a lot of little trimming clients who are in that situation, and seeing them start walking better after I trim their feet is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
Little Echo, our newest sanctuary member, is a classic example of the kind of minis I like to help. Echo foundered about four years ago, and steadily her hooves have gotten worse. Her owners were trying to help her with regular trimming, but it wasn’t working. I’ve found that foundered ponies often require a different style of trimming, which is something I’ve been specializing in. Echo was not able to walk very well at all, which was affecting her quality of life.
When her owners called us, we knew she was exactly the kind of mini that the sanctuary was meant to help. We picked her up and I did the first trim on her feet right away. Little Echo got extra special treatment – she came into the porch for her trim because the weather was so cold outside. We put down a thick piece of carpet for her to stand on to help with the foot pain, and I got to work. I did as much with her hooves as I could at the first trim, and followed it up with another trim a week later. With my specialized style of trimming for minis, she has already shown pronounced improvement.
Echo couldn’t walk much at first, and we had to lead her over to the water trough a couple times a day. Now, she can be seen frequently walking from the hay to the water trough and to the shelter several times a day on her own. Echo is on a 1 – 2 week trim schedule until her feet are in better shape, and her diet is closely controlled. She gets anti-inflammatory and arthritis supplements, a hormone balancing supplement and a thyroid medication to help her lose weight. It has definitely been making a difference already.
The best thing about Echo is her adorable personality. I can honestly say that she has one of the sweetest spirits I have met yet! She loves attention and cuddles, and she especially loves her new boyfriend, Poker. When we brought her out to the pasture, Poker was instantly in love with her, following her everywhere and resting his head on her. Now the two are never very far apart.
We are really looking forward to seeing Echo’s improvements this summer as we get her feet under control. She is an absolute doll!