Author: Kim McBroom

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Grilled Asparagus

Instructions:
Wash the asparagus and trim off the tough ends. Place the asparagus directly on the grill. Spray in with spray butter (i can’t believe it’s not butter), salt and pepper , turn, butter, salt and pepper several times
Don’t over cook!!!!!!!!!
Place on a plate and grate some lemon peel and squeeze a little lemon juice on it.
Enjoy!
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Slice Roasted Taters

Ingredients:
8 red taters
1 stick butter
1 small grated onion
salt and pepper
Instructions:
Put slices MOST of the way through the tater (if you cut it into you can’t use it) 1/8 inch apart. Put the tater in a piece of aluminum foil. Mix the onion and butter together and spoon it into all the slices in taters. Salt and pepper then close the foil and bake at 350 deg for about an hour.
Open the foil and put on your favorite cheese (sharp cheddar) on the tater, cook till the cheese is melted.
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White Bean Bruschetta

White Bean Bruschetta

Ingredients:
2 cloves diced garlic
4 or 5 tbs good olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (not the ones packed in olive oil)
1 can drained and rinsed white beans
1/3 cup course chopped fresh basel leaves
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs vinegar
a pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
slice a baguette 1/4 inch thick
Directions:
Drizzle with olive oil and fresh ground pepper and grill or broil till light brown in skillet add the olive oil and garlic and and sun dried tomatoes and cook till just soft (don’t brown or it will get bitter). Put in the basel and stand back (it will pop, snap and crackle). Now add the beans, lemon juice ,vinegar and red pepper flakes. Smash some of the beans with the back of fork to make a chunky paste. Salt and pepper to taste. Smear on the toasted baguette and enjoy!
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Managing the Laminitic and Foundered Horse with Sole Support

  • Managing the Laminitic and Foundered Horse with Sole Support

    by Tabb Pig, Certified Journeyman Farrier
    When an equine athlete experiences an episode of Laminitis or Founder it can be a
    painful experience. While there are numerous studies and articles on the causes of these
    two maladies, there is also a general consensus on what the hoof capsule experiences
    after the episodes occur.
    When a horse experiences a bout of Laminitis, whether through injury, overfeeding or
    metabolic issues, inflammation of the lamina occurs. The anatomy of the hoof is such that
    the insensitive lamina is attached to the hoof wall and the sensitive lamina is attached to
    the coffin bone. In the event of hoof trauma, the inflammation and reduction of blood
    flow can cause partial or total separation of the lamina, allowing the coffin bone to rotate
    downward. Laminitis can show up as subtle lameness in the front feet, external bruising
    in the sole or White Line Disease. When this happens, the experience can be compared to
    pulling off your fingernail in an accident.
    The Anatomy of Laminitis and Founder
    The relationship between the sensitive and insensitive lamina inside the hoof wall are like
    interlacing fingers in a tight hold; once they start to loosen, it does not take much to pull
    them apart. At this point it would be described as Founder. In acute stages of Founder,
    the hoof’s exterior would not show signs or symptoms of the disease. Once the bone has
    rotated, Founder can be detected by an x-ray. Because the fragile attachment of the
    lamina is the support of the horse’s body weight, it is critical to get a hoof care team
    involved to address the issue fast. Proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial to recovery.
    Treating Founder
    Traditional methods of treating Founder have varied and progressed over time. With
    today’s methods, an equine athlete can be expected to recover to a normal life in most
    cases. Past methods have included heart bar and egg bar shoes; a shoe nailed on
    backwards and with wedge pads. The only shoe that truly provides any type of support
    for a laminitic horse is a heart bar. Application of a heart bar shoe should be a very
    precise procedure, requiring training and x-rays for proper placement. If necessary, a vet
    may call for pads. In some cases, pads may allow sand and moisture to collect under the
    pad, which can be trapped between the pad and the foot. If the horse abscesses, the shoe
    will have to be removed for treatment. With any of these applications, the coffin bone
    and sole have limited support. Without solar or frog support, there will still be stress on
    the interior lamina.
  • When a farrier shoes the horse, all of the weight is placed on the hoof wall. When the
    horse moves, the coffin bone and sole are moving downward toward the ground. This
    creates more stress on the already inflamed lamina. The goal is to minimize stress, and
    support the bone column and sole. During this phase the hoof care team strives to relieve
    the stress between the hoof wall and the lamina. The most effective way to do that is to
    protect the hoof with a pad or a pour-in pad. These packages are designed to increase
    surface area for weight bearing so that the sole can take on some of the horse’s weight,
    and not just the hoof wall. Historically, it was thought that anything you put underneath a
    pad would help protect and cushion the sole of the horse. This, however, is not always the
    case. For instance traditional silicone from the hardware store has been used under a pad,
    despite some of its challenges. Some drawbacks of traditional silicone include:
    a long set time of 24 hours
    messy application
    the acid-base can leave a smelly residue.
    the material does not absorb concussions, sending the pressure up the horse’s leg.
    The best alternative to traditional pads and silicone filling is a liquid pour-in pad made of
    urethane adhesive. Products like Vettec’s Equi-Pak offer a versatile solution that is easy
    to apply, sets quickly and produces a soft, resilient supportive pad material. Advantages
    of pour-in pad materials include:
    an immediate bond to the sole, sealing out moisture and debris.
    the pour-in pad material can be filled to ground level for maximum support and
    effectively absorbs concussion, instead of sending it up the leg like silicone
    products.
    support to the boney column by loading the entire solar surface with a pour-in
    pad, but also positions the weight-bearing load over the entire ground surface and
    not just the wall. This reduces the “pull” on the lamina between the hoof wall and
    internal structures resulting in a faster recovery and a more comfortable horse.
    Modern liquid pad materials come in different levels of firmness so they will match the
    needs of the individual horse. The pad materials can be poured to ground level. Even on
    hard ground, the sole frog and hoof wall bear equal weight. The pads can be customized
    so that if you do not want to cover an area that may be sensitive, it can be blocked out.
    Even if the whole sole cannot be covered, a half pad is 50% more support than not having
    any.
    Conclusion
    Managing a horse’s acute Founder or Laminitis can be a challenge, and it’s important to
    have a good team in place to diagnose, manage the treatment and ensure recovery of the
    equine athlete. There are a number of treatments on the market today, but consider ones
    that will help relieve the internal stresses within the hoof capsule and support the boney
    column, providing a speedier recovery and a more comfortable horse. Using liquid pad
    technology, veterinarians and farriers now have the ability to use materials that will bond
    to the foot and withstand the weight of the horse.
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Using Solar Support to Aid Healing of White Line Disease

  • Using Solar Support to Aid Healing of White Line Disease

    by Tab Pigg
    No matter the season, anytime wet conditions are present, bacteria and fungus can get
    trapped in a horse’s hoof wall. Similar to human toenails, once fungus and bacteria
    have set in, it’s very difficult to conquer. This combination of pathogens in the hoof wall
    is a recipe for White Line Disease.
    The Anatomy of White Line Disease
    When looking at the bottom of a horse’s hoof, there is a white line that divides the
    outside of the hoof wall and the sole. This part of the hoof is also known as stratum
    internum, which is the innermost part of the hoof wall, and attaches the wall to the
    underlying soft tissue. When bacteria and fungus get trapped within this area, the white
    line becomes wider as it separates, thus the name of this condition – White Line
    Disease. Depending on the severity, the horse can become lame because the infection
    causes the hoof wall to deteriorate.
    When a hoof is already unhealthy or compromised in any way, it’s more prone to
    infection. Once White Line Disease has set in, the hoof wall begins to disappear as the
    anaerobic bacteria eats away the lining. White Line Disease consists of anaerobic
    bacteria, which thrives in conditions with little-to–no oxygen. If a hoof is left untreated,
    the infection can become more severe as it moves up the hoof wall. Eventually, the
    attachment to the hoof wall is eaten away completely.
    Managing White Line Disease
    Depending on the severity of the hoof damage, there are different ways to manage this
    condition. If White Line Disease is caught early enough, it can be managed with
    different topical treatments and exposure to oxygen. If the hoof wall is drastically eaten
    away, there are different shoeing and booting options. If the condition is very severe, re–
    sectioning of the hoof wall may be necessary. Similar to humans, in order for a new,
    healthy nail to grow in, the infected nail needs to be removed. This is called re-
    sectioning, and in severe cases this is the last option. During this process, the hoof wall
    is carefully removed to expose the area to oxygen which will kill the bacteria.
    After a hoof wall is reset, shoes cannot be nailed to hooves, but a horse still needs
    support. Modern solar support and pad materials can assist with not only providing
    support, but also sealing out moisture and debris during the healing process.
    Vettec’s solar support products like Equi-Pak CS and Equi-Build help provide necessary
    support and also allow the hoof wall to regrow. Super Fast can be applied to help
    provide more support as a “temporary shoe”. Super Fast is a durable, fast- and hard-
    setting, urethane formula that is ideal for creating custom shoes directly on the foot
    when nailing is not an option. This product also allows hoof care professionals to make
    small hoof repairs quickly and easily. Equi-Pak CS will bond to the bottom of a horse’s
    foot, eliminating the possibility of further bacteria being trapped in the hoof wall. Equi-
  • Pak CS is a fast-setting soft instant pad material, and is infused with copper sulfate.
    This product provides extra protection and support, and also bonds to the sole. It is also
    an effective product for managing White Line Disease. Equi-Build is a firm pad material
    that distributes a horse’s weight across the entire hoof-bottom to grow the heel, hoof
    wall and sole faster. This product also adheres to the sole, sealing out moisture and
    debris. Because the hoof wall is sensitive during re-growth, Equi-Build helps to take the
    pressure off hoof wall cracks.
    Managing White Line Disease can be difficult if the condition is not caught in its early
    stages. Along with the diagnosis, treatment and support of a horse’s healthcare team,
    solar support and pour-in pad products can aid the healing process of the hoof wall.
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Managing Thrush with Protection and Sole Support

  • Managing Thrush with Protection and Sole Support

    by Tab Pigg
    In the spring, the wet climate, punctuated by ample rain, sets the stage for thrush to run
    rampant through the barn. Thrush is a bacterial infection that resides in the soft tissue of
    the frog. The moist environment, combined with manure and mud, create unsanitary
    conditions in the stall, and dirt, debris and other bacteria get trapped in the frog. If
    horses hooves are not picked out on a daily basis, thrush sets in and it can be difficult to
    conquer. And, when a horse has beginning stages of thrush, it probably won’t even
    show lameness symptoms unless the infection becomes more severe.
    The Anatomy of Thrush
    When looking at a horse’s foot from the bottom, the hoof wall circles from the outside
    heel around the point of the toe, and on to the inside heel. The frog is a dark-colored
    soft tissue that is triangular in shape, and stretches from the heel to midway toward the
    toe. Because the frog and hoof wall bear equal weight, the frog is always touching the
    ground when a horse is standing, thus, bacteria collects in the frog and remains trapped
    if not cleaned out on a regular basis.
    Thrush thrives under conditions where there is minimal oxygen. The preliminary sign of
    the condition is a strong odor coming from the hoof. Thrush is composed of many
    different types of anaerobic bacteria and usually resides in the soft tissue of the frog. If a
    horse is barefoot or unshod, the hooves are usually self-cleaned as a horse moves
    around and runs, because the debris can escape the hoof cavity more easily. With a
    shod horse, it is harder for bacteria to escape. And if a horse has a silicone pad product
    applied, bacteria can get trapped underneath the pad.
    Managing Thrush
    Traditional methods of managing thrush have changed over time. One evergreen
    approach for preventing and managing thrush is to clean the frog out on a daily basis,
    and sometimes more often than that. This is something that is often neglected, but very
    important for horse owners to pay attention to. Depending on the severity of the
    condition, there may have to be medical attention with a scrub or topical ointment.
    The use of pads (plastic and leather) with silicone or other packing material underneath
    can lead to thrush problems as well. If the area underneath the pad is not completely
    sealed, moisture and debris can migrate to the sole creating thrush issues.
    Newer pour-in pad materials adhere to the bottom of the foot sealing out moisture and
    debris avoiding this problem. Vettec’s Equi–Pak CS will bond to the bottom of a horse’s
    foot, eliminating the possibility of bacteria being trapped and causing an infection. Equi-
    Pak CS is a fast-setting soft instant pad material, and is infused with copper sulfate to
    effectively manage mild and moderate cases of thrush. Equi-Pak CS provides extra
    protection and support during wet seasons, and also bonds to the sole eliminating the
    need to pick out the feet and apply daily medication. It is also an effective, preventative
    measure for thrush.
  • Managing and preventing thrush helps to avoid lameness. Using a pour-in pad is a good
    way to limit the occurrences of thrush. Advantages of pour-in pad materials include:
    • it immediately bonds to the sole, sealing out moisture and debris
    • pour-in pad material can be filled to ground level for maximum support and
    effectively absorbs concussion, instead of sending it up the leg like silicone
    products
    • it supports the boney column by loading the entire solar surface with a pour-in pad,
    but also positions the weight-bearing load over the entire ground surface and not
    just the wall
    Conclusion
    Managing a horse’s thrush can be challenging and tedious, and it’s important to have a
    good care team to diagnose and oversee the condition to ensure recovery. When
    considering care options, choose options that help eliminate the chance of bacteria
    getting trapped in the frog, and one that will also provide support to the horse’s hoof.
    Using liquid pad technology, veterinarians and farriers now have the ability to use
    materials that will bond to the foot, withstand the weight of the horse and help protect
    against debris and bacteria from entering the hoof’s internal cavity.
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Using Solar Support and Boots for Endurance and Trail Riding Races

  • Using Solar Support and Boots for Endurance and Trail Riding Races

    by Larkin Greene
    When gearing up for endurance and trail riding season, there is a lot of training and
    preparation that go into it for the rider and horse. Both have to be conditioned to face
    the 25, 50 or 100-mile race that lies ahead of them. Because a horse will be on their
    feet in rocky terrain for long periods of time, it’s important that hooves are properly
    protected, supported and prepared for any possibilities, such as uneven, loose footing,
    stepping on sharps, cuts and hoof impacts.
    Endurance Racing Conditions
    When racking up miles on difficult terrain, horses and riders endure challenging
    conditions. For safety and concern for rider and mount, participants must check in at
    various points along the course where veterinarians and farriers make sure the team is
    in good enough condition to keep going. It’s usually about finishing an event, more than
    winning. The saying, “To Finish is to Win” is well known. While there is certainly a first
    place finisher, an equally impressive award is winning “Best Condition.” This award
    means that the vital stats, fitness and condition of the horse are best among the top ten
    participants who finished the race. In other words, it’s the horse fit enough to continue.
    The ability to connect with the horse, and keep it healthy, calm, and focused are
    immense accomplishments for riders and support crews during exhausting events like
    these. Many riders discover that the mental demands can be as challenging as the
    physical ones. Riders often must ride at night and sometimes find themselves alone on
    a trail, or their horse might want to go faster than they do to keep up with other horses.
    It’s a full body, full mind experience.
    In correlation with a horse’s well being during an endurance competition, the hooves are
    the foundation it all rests upon. If a horse’s feet are not properly protected and they step
    on a sharp rock along the course, the horse can become immediately lame, or the
    lameness can show up a few miles down the trail. With shoes, pads, pour-in urethane
    pads or boots for protection, a horse will be better prepared to face the difficult
    conditions of an endurance or trail riding competition.
    Protecting Hooves for an Endurance Competition
    Most horses in the endurance world are shod with steel or urethane shoes, however,
    recent improvements in both glue-on and strap-on hoof boots, provide riders another
    option for hoof protection.
    One of the limitations of hoof boots has always been fit, especially the short length in
    the heels, and gaps in the fit that allow the boot to shift and possibly come off. Vettec
    adhesives can be used in three different ways to improve the performance of a boot:
    adding adhesive externally to add support where it’s needed, adding a soft urethane
    comfort layer to the inside floor of the boot and filling gaps to create a truly custom fit.
    For a shod horse, products like Equi-Pak and Sole-Guard are also useful. Sole-Guard is
    a popular pick among pour-in pad products for endurance horses because of its
  • durability and ease of application. Sole Guard is commonly used as a fairly thin,
    protective layer and should last through the toughest conditions. Equi-Pak is best when
    added support is needed; it can be injected under a pad, or used as a pad itself since it
    bonds well to the sole and frog.
    Conclusion
    When training and preparing a horse for an endurance race, it’s important to have a
    hoof care plan and regimen in place that is consistent and reliable for the conditions
    found on endurance courses. Whether a horse is shod, unshod or booted, solar support
    and pour-in pad materials can provide the support, comfort and durable protection
    needed for these kinds of events. More than ever, veterinarians and farriers have the
    ability to use materials that will not only help maintain hoof function and integrity, but
    also give the horse and rider confidence that the hoof’s sensitive structures will not be
    compromised; one less thing to worry about.