Dark area is where the corn is working it's way down to the sole and hopefully OUT!  November 8, 2018 will be two months since diagnosis/x-rays.  As soon as funds allow, we will take Joey in for another set of x-rays to see where the corn is, coffin bone involvement, etc.

EARLY Saturday morning, we were able to get Joey to the vet in Chino to have his lameness evaluated. Thanks to Dana for rearranging her schedule and getting up way early on her day off to transport Joey in her trailer.

We had originally thought there might be an issue with the check ligament, but Dr. Hoyme said that was fine. After Joey was trotted up the driveway and left/right in a circle, the vet brought out the hoof testers and there was no noted tenderness in Joey's front feet. Negative results with flexion test on both front legs. He noted that Joey was lame/off on the front left foot. Dr. Hoyme then did a PD nerve block on the left front foot, trotted him around and he was sound.

Next was xrays of the LF (left front) foot. Several xrays were taken and the results are that there is a mass or corn in front of the toe at P3/coffin bone (also called "P3," referring to "3rd phalanx below the knuckle or fetlock.") . (Pics attached)

This is the same foot that had an abscess that erupted at the coronary band when Joey arrived at TIER in April. (see 4/12/2018 farrier update at: http://www.tierrescue.org/horses/joey/). He also had active abscesses in his RF & RH plus a resolved abcess in his LH when he arrived. He was sore everywhere!

Results: Pedal Osteitis. Corn or mass in front of toe of coffin bone. Evidence of demineralization and/or remodeling of coffin bone. Extent of demineralization can't be seen well due to the mass/corn. So, what we do is wait to see if the corn/mass will move down as his hooves grow out and it can then come out or be removed. Our farrier came out the next day after speaking to Dr. Hoyme. He trimmed Joey's hooves back, put new shoes on with a roll to shorten Joey's breakover without shortening the vertical toe height beneath the coffin bone (which would cause more pressure/pain). We will do x-rays again in 2-3 months.

PD Nerve Block:
Palmar (or Plantar in the hind limb) Digital (PD) Block - desensitizes the medial and lateral palmar (or plantar) nerves just above the heel bulbs at the back of the pastern. This block typically desensitizes the skin, entire sole, navicular apparatus, soft tissues of the heel, coffin joint of the forelimb, distal portion of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), and some of the distal sesamoidean ligaments. May block part of the pastern joint in some horses.

Nerve blocks work by effectively interrupting the transmission of the pain signal from the affected area to the brain. When the painful area is below the region that is anesthetized, the horse no longer perceives the pain, and its gait will temporarily improve.

Pedal Osteitis
Pedal Osteitis means inflammation of the distal phalanx (coffin bone). The distal phalanx or coffin bone is the main supporting bone in the foot of the horse. Pedal osteitis is a common condition or clinical sign but many times it is not the complete diagnosis. What this means is that although there can be primary inflammation of the coffin bone at times this condition is related to other disease processes such as soft tissue damage and inflammation, laminitis and or conformational irregularities. Despite the fact that there may be several causes of the condition most veterinarians use this term when diagnosing a lameness in the foot that cannot be attributed to other disease processes, has a diffuse nature and upon radiographic examination shows a coffin bone that has undergone evidence of demineralization and/or remodeling in an area consistant with the area the horse is experiencing pain. The confusing thing about radiographs is that radiographic signs of pedal osteitis can persist for years after the clinical signs of the inflammation have gone.

Corn
A corn is a hematoma that has occurred between the sensitive and insensitive layers of the sole. A hematoma is an anatomical area that contains effused blood. Therefore a corn is actually a subsolar hematoma. Its important to understand that this is a totally different condition than the corns found on the feet of people.

JOEY:  We took Joey to the arena the other day to begin slowly improving his overall condition and muscle tone.  It was immediately obvious that he was off/sore on his right front foot/leg. 

Our Farrier was out this Tuesday and we had him check Joey's feet, etc.  Feet okay, but there's sort of an abnormality and tenderness behind his right knee, possibly the inferior check ligament.  There was no swelling and he seemed to not be favoring that leg too much.  The farrier put No-Bow bandages on both front legs and wrapped.  We started him on Previcox and some other supplements. 

We have scheduled an appointment for 8:00 AM Saturday in Chino, CA with Dr. Hoyme to have x-rays done of his feet (requested by farrier), exam the area of his right leg that is showing tenderness, a soundness eval, etc. 

With the recent veterinary costs, prescription medication refill and topical medications for Lily (update coming soon), cost of removal of Glory after her passing (price went up 70!!), really high electric bill because of the heat wave causing us to dump and refill our 55 gallon water barrels with fresh water (the well that provides water for the horses runs on electricity), funds are very low.  Contributions to assist us with expenditures for Joey's appointment are needed.  We are very appreciative of your support and caring!

PayPal:  whoanellie@earthlink.net
(Please indicate your donation is for Joey's Exam)

Mailing Address:
TIER
17130 Van Buren Blvd., #45
Riverside, CA 92504

JOEY:  8/20/2018 ASSESSMENT
The following is an assessment of Joey at TIER, True Innocents Equine Rescue. 8/20/18
·    CATCHING-Joey was very easy to catch and did not seem bothered at all by putting on his halter.
·    Very eager to go with me to the round pen where I was to complete my assessment of him.
·    PERSONALITY-Joey is very gentle, kind, and enjoys attention and petting. He is not over reactive and very willing to please. He enjoyed being worked with and seems to like to be ridden.
·    GROUND WORK-Joey ground work was good. He moved different body parts when asked to do so. He was very compliant and listened to my body language and voice commands. Joey disengaged hind quarters, moved front end, had good forward movement, and backed from the ground. Joey was tested with scary objects and was not over reactive and processed those objects well.
·    SADDLING- Joey was easy to saddle and was not bothered by cinch, back cinch, or breast collar.
·    BRIDLING- Easy to bridle and not objectionable to the bit. I used a basic snaffle bit.
·    MOUNTING- Easy to mount. I mounted from the ground and it did not bother Joey.
·    RIDING- Joey had good forward motion. Not worried at all when riding. Moved body parts well under saddle. Joey obviously had some advanced training in the past. He self-collected and steered easily. Moved hind end, front, end, leg yielded, backed, walked out good, and we did some trotting. Joey was a little stiff in the back left hip or leg area. He was ready to please and enjoyed being ridden.
·    RECOMMENDATIONS- My recommendations are too slowly leg Joey up to improve his muscle tone to prepare him to be ridden for longer periods of time. In my opinion whoever end up with this horse should take horsemanship lessons and correct riding lessons. I would also research if Joey could benefit from supplements that help with his stiffness. A combination of supplements, exercise, and proper riding will highly benefit this horse.
Assessment was performed by Travis Johnson from Helping Horses Inc.

Love this boy!  It has ONLY been 4 1/2 months since his arrival at TIER.  He arrived emaciated, painfull abcesses in all 4 feet, needed his teeth done and his body was so sore from trying to get comfortable on feet that were infected and sore that he would flinch/withdraw when lightly touched. 

Once he had been seen by the farrier a few times, we had the chiropractor out. Chiro adjustments and farrier care helped him tremendously!

Our farrier was out and will be back on Sunday to trim hooves and replace shoes for the horses that wear them.

His front shoes were replaced with new ones and we had shoes put on his back feet also for support. 2nd picture above is his left front foot.  The picture is of what is left of his FULL SOLE abcess that has plauged him since his arrival in April.  It is hoped that we will be able to start reconditioning him fairly soon. The coming heat wave and past heat/humidity have deterred our efforts so far.

Joey was seen by Dr. Don Moore/chiropractor the other day and is doing very well!

Joey has been at TIER for 1 month & 25 days.  He is gaining weight slowly (which is what we want).

We let him out to roam around, meet and greet some of the TIER residents.  Kane (L) and Zeke (R) seem to think he is a nice guy.  There was no striking, screaming, grunting or posturing when they met face to face for the first time today.  Good Boys!

Joe Yasinosky and Martine helped Joey to be able to chew his food more efficiently and process it better.

He did have one large point on the upper right side and several hooks.  Thankfully no mouth ulcers.  Joey was a good boy (the light sedation made it easier for him and for the toothfairies).

The active abcess(s) plural in Joey's front left hoof were draining, but it was obviously painful. 8 days after his first trim at TIER, our farrier returned to put on shoes/pads with some medication.

5 days later we turned him out with Deacon to get some blood flowing to those feet and to have a little fun!

Round 1, Removing the Grunge. Poor Joey had mud imbedded in his coat behind his elbows and at the front of his barrel. Also on his rump. We bathed him with Microtek shampoo on this first round of bathing. Lots of loose/dead/matted hair. He will get another bath in the next few days and we will be applying ample amounts of conditioner. I'm thinking this lovely boy will be losing a lot of hair!

Pics were taken 10 days after his arrival and I think he has put on some weight!  We had to wait so long to bathe him due to the cool weather/winds and his weakened condition upon arrival at TIER.

(Picture above is of Joey at auction April 2017)

What’s the story?  TIER is a rescue/sanctuary for mistreated, abandoned, unwanted, neglected horses & donkeys in need of a safe place to land, room to breathe without unjust demands or the need for defense and to be able to heal.  A place to mend, be loved, cared for, and given a chance to be valued for who they are.  Bits & Pieces.  

I always wonder what their journey has been like prior to them coming to TIER.  Sometimes, I wish they could talk to tell me if they were ever loved by a person, some of the friends they’ve made and had to leave behind, what happened for them to end up in the situation(s) that brought them to us, etc.  On the other hand, I am glad some of them that arrive in deplorable shape physically, mentally, spiritually damaged and broken cannot tell me what they have experienced as I might find myself behind bars!  Sigh.  And yet, for most of our residents, they are again willing to trust?  

How does a small rescue help them to mend and do right by them?  Simple BASIC CARE: Feed, Vet, Farrier, Dental, Exercise, Socialization & Love.  None of which could happen without Donations, Supporters and Volunteers.  I have to believe there is more good in this world than there is bad.  Unfortunately, the bad seems to get more attention and drama.  But, it is because of Good People, Donations, Supporters and Volunteers that we CAN help a few horses.  

Bits & Pieces.  For 20 years, the majority of the horses that have arrived here have no back story.  Or, the story we do have in incomplete with huge blanks of time tarnished with deceit, deflection, excuses.  Most of them do not come to us with even a name!  If we are fortunate and the horse or donkey has a legible brand or tattoo,  we can sometimes at least find out where they started out (race records, ranch info, BLM area they came from, etc.).  In the case of Ranch or Race Horses, from time to time, we are able to glean information about a horse’s breeding and heritage…their identity.  Who they are!  

Someone, Somewhere knew/knows these horses!  There are times that someone recognizes them from the pictures we post and they contact us.  In that case, we can get a small part of their story.  Bits & Pieces 

Let’s look at the newest TIER resident.  His new name is Joey.  He was listed on Craigslist as a free horse needing a home because his owners were moving and he needed to be gone by that weekend.  A neighbor of ours was looking for a first horse for their son and had seen the ad with no pictures and asked if we thought it was a suitable horse for their son.  Since these nice folks were new to horses, TIER contacted the owner to gather more information.  Owner was pleasant, told us the horse needed groceries, was prone to abscesses, probably needed his teeth done and sent us pictures.  They said they had acquired the horse at auction a few months prior and then said maybe 8 months prior.  They indicated that he was thin when they bought him.  They told us he was gentle, their kids had ridden him but that when the man of the family mounted him the horse buckled.  They told us he needed probably needed chiropractic care and there might be something going on with his hip because of the way he walked.  Bits & Pieces  

The pictures arrived.  He was quite thin in the pictures.  We did not feel that this horse was in good condition for a first time horse owner, and we could not turn a blind eye to his need.  We again contacted the owner and arranged transport the next day.  Our transporter, the lovely and always there for the horses, Dana, picked him up, called me and said “You are going to cry”.  As expected, he was thinner than the original pictures.  

STILL READING?  Thanks to the help of another rescue, pictures were found of when Joey went through auction in April 2017.  He arrived at TIER with the same halter seen in these auction photos.  Almost a year ago this horse was in decent weight and was ridden through the auction.  Bits & Pieces

According to the tattoo on his upper lip, he is a 15 year old Thoroughbred named Smoke N Wagers.  We know he was born in 2003, last raced in 2008, earned a little over 25k. From 2008 until he was purchased at auction in 2017 we know nothing of his story.  We will know the rest of his story and are grateful that he is here at TIER.  He appears to be a very kind and gentle horse. 

The neighbor family that originally contacted us about his Craigslist ad are very interested in adopting him, have been over here twice a day since his arrival.  Of course, adoption will be some time down the road of recovery…once he has healed, gained weight, seen the dentist, chiropractor and continual care of his feet. They are learning about horses and will be involved in Pony Club to learn even more.  They plan to have a trainer for both the family and Joey…that is if he is sound for riding.   Please, keep your fingers crossed for Joey.

Above is a picture of the bottom of Joey's RIGHT front hoof before the farrier started work on this one.  His LEFT front hoof had an oozing abscess that had, at some point, erupted at the coronary band.  The full sole abscesses in his LEFT hind foot and his RIGHT front foot had recently resolved.  The one in his LEFT hind foot was still tender and was a significant cause of his gait being off.

RIGHT Front hoof with damage from previous full sole abscess after the gunk was removed and before he was trimmed.

There was evidence of a previous abscess in his RIGHT hind hoof also, but it was the only one that had fully resolved.  This boy had abscesses in 3 hooves at once!  I cannot imagine how painful that must have been for him for so long. 

He was very appreciative of our farrier's care today.  As a treat, he was given Ivermectine wormer.  Hopefully the cool weather/winds will die down and he will get a good shampooing and conditioning tomorrow.  It was too cool to bathe him today as he has no meat on him to insulate his body if we had bathed him. 

Surprise news at end of post!!  Woot! Woot!

Our veterinarian was out today to do an Intake Exam on Joey.  Body Condition Score=1.  Lots of sand (estimated 15-20 lbs by vet).  We will be giving him 8oz. Psyllium twice a day for awhile. 

Bruising, inflammation on left hip. Teeth need to be done, but nothing major/no mouth ulcers.   We will wait until he puts on a bit more weight before having his teeth done.  He is Sound.  His hooves are overgrown, but our farrier will be out Thursday morning.

Joey had quite the fan club here while the vet checked him out.  The neighbors who originally found the Craigslist ad were here, along with our neighbor from up the hill. 

He looks so much better already!  Not as sucked up and certainly not as lethargic!  He avoided being caught at first and trotted around his pen which was good because the vet could watch him move. 

We can increase his feed intake a tiny bit and I know he will certainly appreciate it.  This boy is HUNGRY!

Joey has a tattoo!!  We now know who he is!!!  He is a Thoroughbred whose last race was in 2008.

Horse Name :  Smoke N Wagers, Tattoo:  G00286,

Year of Birth:  2003

https://www.pedigreequery.com/smokenwagers

It was these pictures (among others) provided by the owner that prompted us to tell the owner that we would take this horse. Fortunately for Joey and TIER, the owner agreed to let us have him.

War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope, and tenacity. Joeys extraordinary journey during World War I as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets all the while experiencing the tragedies of the war happening around him. War Horse is a story with a high moral purpose (what is right and what is worthwhile). "We will tend to your horse, patch him up best we can.... Treat him like the soldier he is"

Joey was pretty darn hungry when he arrived and pretty darn hungry this morning. We've had a few emaciated horses over the years and know that they need to be fed small amounts of feed or hay for the first few days.

When we went out this morning, we were relieved he made it through the night and was covered in shavings. At least he laid down to rest and roll! Since he doesn't know the feeding routine yet, he appeared to be somewhat skeptical of me driving up in the golf cart and he just stood and watched. I walked through the shedrow door to his stall, and when he saw the feed bucket he started nickering and quickly approached. I had to lean into his neck to move it away from the tub so I could put the soaked pellets/senior in.

He pulled his small hay ration out of the feeder in his rush to have at it. Just heard from the veterinarian who is coming out to evaluate his condition and he will be out tomorrow, 4/10/2018 late in the day. We have a call into the farrier. Chiropractic can't be done until he puts on a bit of weight.