it has been 6 months since i have removed shoes from my 8 year old mare. My farrier says that her feet are doing well and that all she needs is for her hoof wall to grow stronger but that her feet are definitely tough enough. she still walks on the gravel and rocks as though it is painful and it breaks my heart to watch her i keep considering re-shoeing her but then i remind myself that this pain is a cause of her being shod in the first place. lately i have been noticing that her feet have been a bit warm. i have trouble distinguishing heat and swelling because i can never tell if her hocks are swollen or not (she has arthritis) so i have never had much confidence in saying whether or not anything is swollen or if it is just warm. so with that little info i shall start. the other day i was talking to the barns farrier (i have a different farrier from this one) and he sprung the info on my that the rings in my horses hooves (which i really hadnt noticed up to that point) were caused because she foundered in the past before i bought her. i have only owned her for 6 months. (i made the decision to remove her shoes because i had been working with her for a year and i though it would be overall healthier for her to go without them) so when the barns farrier told me this i freaked out at first and he told me that she is fine now (which i dont understand because i thought that founder was a long lasting effect thing and she was never treated [that i know of] for founder) so now i have been thinking, is that why the soles in her front feet are so low to the ground? is that why she is so sensitive on the rocks? is that why her hooves are so warm?

also the barn manager doesnt really seem to have a big caution for switching horses over to things slowly, there was one time where he completely put different grain in her bucket, i do not think that he gradually switched her over to sweet feed and i do not think that he was very gradual with switching her from all hay diet to grass at night and hay during the day diet. thank you very much if you read all of this and i would appreciate any opinions about this. and please just let me know any ideas that you took away from all this info.
thank you very much Michaela this gives me much confidence but there are a few more questions that i would like to ask if you wouldnt mind… there is the part about the fact that the rings are in both front feet, which seems odd because were it an abscess (i would assume) that it would be in one foot not both (please correct me if i am wrong for i have only been learning about horses for 1 year so my facts are very iffy.) and also the rings are uneven like a thicker growth on one ring and then thin on the next which is a bit of a curious thing it looks like ripples on the surface of water
thank you jillian anne for clearing that bit of info up for me. i THOUGHT that it would be obvious, she never pushes her front legs out in front of her to keep her wieght on her heels (as i have heard is a symptom) so i was very confused but i am now assuming that it just must be the transition from shod to shoeless but i will be careful and be sure to watch her for signs.

My joints hurt and I’d like to tone up; I heard that swimming is great for that. What are some good exercises that will tone my thighs and legs? Oh, and butt too….;-)

hello everyone, i’m single mom of two, i have a 17yr old daughter who would be going to college and 7yr old son. i been single mom for 2years now, was married to their father for 15 yrs he moved out of the state and has new family. I accept the fact that i’m raising my kids alone. I have my 8-5 job and care for my kids. but why is everything so expensive, after rent, car pymt, ins and food, clothing, gas money. i live pay check to pay check, that’s including child support. i’m really frustrated and depressed. i tried to work extra hours in evening so i have emergency money, then my body just gave out, was sick for two weeks. their goes my rent money. ask for financial aid, food stamps, didn’t qualify because i have a job. my daughter will be graduating this year, then driving too. i have so much to do and worry about. top of all that, i was diagnosed with arthritis on my back and herniated disc, changed my whole diet and exercise more. dr prescribed pain killers, which i don’t like to take so i sell them and get money for it. i feel so guilty of doing it but hey it feeds my family…i don’t understand why i can’t get help through goverment when i pay taxes and work my ass off, sorry for the language but just need to vent… any advice would be appreciated. no cruel one pls.

I just got approved in Florida to have Laser back surgery. I will probably go in January of 2008

The laser surgery is to cure my arthritis in my lower back. I am 37 years old and in a lot of pain. I dont want open surgery, to dangerous.

Do i do this or not.
How long does it last.
Will i feel better the rest of my life or is it temporary.
Or am i waisting my time it wont do anything.
Could this damage me even worse.

Does anybody know any natural cures for Rheumatoid Arthritis? I am currently on a med for cancer patients and want OFF. Help if you can, Thank you. It is so painful….

Heey, i really need to lose some weight (and i mean not just “some” but quite a bit!) by September

:/ for me it seems quite impossible, because i H-A-T-E sports, and I’m not the best when it comes to getting out and running around (expect when I’m at school, and gym class) , and i probably should mention that i have juvenile arthritis (<.

Any way PLEASE HELP ME~~!

I’m 15 years old, and for the past 5-6 months, I havent had my period because I lost 30 pounds between january and now. Yesterday, my mom went to the gynocologist and she told her about my situaton because she is concerned. The doctor said that I should eat more healthy fats. The only healthy fats i know are olive oil and avocados. It’s important that I get my period in the next 2 months, because I need estrogen in my body, because the docotor said that I could possibly get arthritis. However, I dont want to gain back weight or anything.
ideas? thanks

I need to find an orthodontist in my area for my daughter that also specializes in the growth and function of the jaw because my daughter has damage in her jaw from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Are there different types of orthodonists?