I recently adopted a rescue PMU mare from Alberta, Canada. She is a
registered Appoloosa, about 14.3, with a compact build. She just
turned 11 years old and is barefoot. I call her Sosoni, they called
her #236. The mare's right front knee is significantly enlarged, with
intermitent lameness. Also, her pelvis has a "tucked under" look to
it. Supposedly, the rancher-owner in Canada reported her ocassional
lameness to the rescue group in June, 2005. Sosoni is very defensive
and wary, so I have not yet had a vet to see her. My farrier felt her
hooves looked good except for the right front, which is being worn
unevenly from the dragging of the lameness. I give Sosoni Training
Mix daily. I also gave Infection Fighter early on, plus Immune
Builder for almost two months. She is on the Herbal Wormer for
approximately 9 days every 30 days. Sosoni is fed orchard, alfalfa,
timothy, and meadow mix hays daily plus well water--no pasture. She
gets whole oats, a small amount of wheat bran, and also the Missing
Link Plus supplement. Sosoni does have more of a problem with flies
than my Thoroughbred, and she has not finished shedding out her
winter coat unlike my Thoroughbred (my horses live in Southern Calif.
in Mountain Center at an elevation of 4500 feet).She is currently in
a 24x24 corral about to be moved to a 120x24 corral. Again, she was
described to me a half wild by the rescue people, and it has taked a
long while to gain some trust from her. Just this month, I finally
got a halter on her................. I am about to start leading
her.Sosoni is very wary of being touched. I am particularly concerned
about the situation with her enlarged right knee. Do you have any
recommendations for other herbs or food combinations that could help
her system function more effectively? Help with chronic pain? How
often should Immune Builder be used? Is the Herbal Wormer srong
enough for her situation, or should I do a one time dose of something
stronger? Does garlic help repel flies, etc., and if so, in what
form? She likes to eat, and right now the easist way to help her is
through food. Any feeding recommendations would be appreciated. Thank
you!