Raffi
17-year-old
Arabian Mare
Raffi came to Daisy Haven Farm in February 2007. Suffering from Insulin
Resistance and having been laminitic since August 2006, Raffi's owner
was at her wits end. For 7 months Raffi had been getting steadily
worse with several severe setbacks. Her owner felt she was out of
options and was about to send Raffi away to a veterinarian who
specializes in founder, who was recommending DDFT tenotomies and hoof
wall ablasions in Raffi's case. While there is a time
and place for those proceedures, Raffi's owner decided to send her to
Daisy Haven Farm before having such surgery performed.
After
changing Raffi's diet, applying a more mechanically correct trim and
EponaShoes, Raffi immedialtely became more comfortable with less
inflammation in her feet. We also tested her blood and determined that
Cushings was actually a factor and began treating her with Pergolide.
After about six weeks, Raffi was off anti-inflammatories with no pulses
or heat in her feet.
By mechanically realigning her hoof
capsule with her boney column with corrective trimming and the
EponsaShoe we were able to stop the laminitic process for Raffi and
start her down the road to healing. I fully expect her to be back in
work by late fall!
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| Raffi and her owner Sue the day before she foundered! |
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| Sue and Bill with Raffi at the 2008 Arabian East Coast Championship Show |
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**UPDATE 8-10-2008** Raffi is HOME! What an amazing year Raffi has had! After having surgery on her right front fetlock last fall (2007) for an abscess on her extensor tendon, Raffi started back in work under saddle this past Spring. She is being ridden by her owner Sue, and Pam Thompson of Hy-Hope Stables in Cochranville PA. While having never had any formal show training, Raffi began a new career in Dressage to teach her to lighten her front end and use her back/hind end more effectively under saddle (Dressage work is excellent for foundered horses!). Sue and Pam took Raffi out to numerous Dressage Shows this year and competed in Intro and Training Level quite successfully! Please see her case study below with updated foot and Dressage pictures!
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Click HERE to see Raffi's show pictures from the 2008 season!
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Raffi's front feet January 2007 right before she came to Daisy Haven Farm, Inc.:
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| Raffi LF January 2007 |
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| Raffi LF Sole January 2007 |
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| Raffi RF January 2007 |
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| Raffi RF Sole January 2007 |
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Raffi'f Front Feet February 2007 when she arrived at Daisy Haven Farm, Inc.:
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| Raffi LF Feb 26, 2007 |
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| Raffi RF Feb 26, 2007 |
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| Raffi LF Radiograph 3-5-2007 |
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| Raffi RF Radiograph 3-5-2007 |
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| Raffi LF March 2007 Radiograph over Digital Photograph |
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| Raffi RF March 2007 |
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Comparison when Raffi arrived and 2 months later, when she's showing a much healthier sole and stronger laminar attachment all the way around!
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| Raffi LF Sole 2-26 to 4-13-2006 |
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| Raffi RF Sole 2-26 to 4-13-2007 |
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Raffi's Front Feet radiographs showing improvement over 5 months from March to July 2007:
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| Raffi LF Lat Radiograph March thru July 2007 |
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| Raffi RF Radiograph 3-5 to 7-19-2007 |
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Raffi's Front Feet after the 2008 Show Season:
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