Conference noted::equitation

marti--
seems that my horse had a similar problem i think.  however, higgins problem 
began with a deep cleft in the frog and thrush.  after buying him and getting
a new farrier, higgy developed sheared heels (i think it is sort of the 
opposite of contracted heels).  anyway, the cleft got deeper and deeper and 
a crack began appearing more near the skin above the heel bulbs (rather than
in the frog).  by the time i got real worried, he was lame and the vet ended
up digging out the whole outside portion of his frog (through the digital
cushion) since the thrush had killed most of the tissue.  to make a long story 
short, we had the farrier put on a full bar shoe, and i spent 4 months soaking 
and packing his foot 2x a day waiting for the granulation tissue to grow back 
hoping he'd be sound when it did.  he was on stall rest all this time (talk 
about a stir crazy horse!)  poor higgy.

anyway,... after 7 full months the heel has grown most of the way back, it will
always look a little funny.  he will also always have to wear full bar shoes.
this was a year ago (this week actually!).  higgins is 100% sound and is doing
1st level dressage, schooling 2nd level.  

moral of the story... have the vet check out that crack to make sure it is not
being caused by sheared heels (happens when the horse is putting weight on 
the foot unevenly).  this is fixed by the farrier balancing the foot correctly. 
i changed farriers to solve the problem.  also if the crack is real hard (just
caused by lack of moisture) you might try putting corona on it.  i know, corona
says its for lots of things but i have been using on higgins for many months
and his hooves are doing great.  it comes in a tub (couple of sizes) and the
small one lasts a long time for 1 horse.  i apply it with a toothbrush on the
bulbs of his heels, the frog (if nec.) and on the coronary band.  (be careful
not to buy corona utter butter--don't know if it's the same stuff - might be
i guess.)  the betadine and thrush medicine is probably drying the frogging and
helping the crack.  is the thrush gone?  if so, use the medicine maybe once a 
week as a precaution ( that's what i do even though there has been no sign of
it in a year.)

i can't think of anything else.  if i left anything out or anything is unclear
let me know.  or give me a ring  dtn 381-0790 or at home 508-448-3428.

good luck!

janet.

    	
    	I'M CALLING THE VET FIRST THING TOMORROW!!
    
    Your details sound too much like what I have been seeing on Rabi.
    I will call the vet and have them check him as soon as possible
    before things get any worse.   Thanks so much for your informative
    and encouraging reply!  I hope I catch it before he goes lame or 
    requires that long a lay-up!  Thanks again.   Marti
    
    PS.  I'll keep you posted on what occurs.
    

    
    To update everyone on Rabi's condition.	
    My blacksmith came out yesterday and put pads on Rabi's front
    feet and new shoes on all of them.  He used Oarkum (sp?) under 
    the pads and told me that because his heels are even in back,
    the look of sheared heels is coming from the depth of the crack
    in the cleft of him frog.  He feels that the pads and new shoes
    should help to stabilize his foot and allow the foot time to ad-
    just to being spread out after being contracted for so many years.
    
    I rode Rabi last night and he seemed pretty comfortable with his
    new shoes.  Other than that one foot, his feet look pretty good.
    I am hoping that by the time we are through a couple more shoings,
    his foot will have regained it's proper shape. 
    
    Thanks again Janet for your reply.  I'm glad that Higgins is doing
    so much better.     Marti
    

that's great news marti!  i can see where his heels being contracted for so
long would do this.  and i'm glad you have a farrier you trust--that is so
important.  the only caution i would give you (besides watching it carefully
for any change) would be to keep putting corona or hoof oil on it to keep the
heels soft enough not to crack (although i tried hoof oil and it was useless--
corona is the only thing that helped higgy's heels stay pliable.)

keep up the good work, marti--hope he continues to improve!  

janet.

    
    	Rabi's foot is really coming along fine now.  I can't even
    get over the difference in the short time he has had the new 
    shoe and pad on.  His feet do grow quickly, so that my be con-
    tributing to the recovery of the heel.  The center crack has 
    started to close up and the use of Vita-Hoof on the hortizontal
    cracks has made a noticable difference in keeping the back area
    from becoming dried out and worse.  
    
    	I feel much better about this now that Rabi is showing so much
    improvement.  I also feel that I can really trust my blacksmith,
    Patrick Reilly, to make the right decisions regarding my critter's
    feet.  Thanks everyone for your input and support (I thought I was
    going to end up with a lame horse).  Now I know that I'll be enjoying
    the summer and fall on horseback.
    
    Marti

    i **love** happy endings!

    Has anyone had experience with this? My brother's TB came up lame a
    bit ago, and x-rays showed that the wall had seperated from the hoof??
    The vet recommended a special shoeing and cutting away some of the
    hoof so it will regrow correctly?? There is another horse in the barn
    with a similar situation, the hoof looks awful but the woman rides
    him and he seems fine, also the vet recommended that we ride to 
    keep circulation going and encouraging new growth. I'm not real
    familiar with hoof problems, can't say I've run into any with my
    previous/present horses. I'm sure the vet knows what she's doing,
    we are due to show him in early May and she didn't seem to feel
    it would stop us....but I'm wondering if anyone else has run into
    this?? Is it common?? It sounds terrible to me! She did not mention
    long-term effects, or probable causes, he's not worked hard, only
    infrequently jumped, and has been taking it easy since last fall.
    

    did he say that it was a bruise and abcessed??
    thats generally is what happens... and then you have to cut the
    rotten part of the foot away.. you can see it, especially when a
    horse is getting trimmed
    
    
    		wendy o'
    

    Hi Wendy
    
    No, she did not say it was abcessed, although last spring he did
    have an abscess in that same foot that was taken care of by polticing
    it....I would imagine it could easily be a result of that episode.
    Interesting!
    

    yep...
    i'll bet that was a good chance of it...
    
    i'm suprised the shoer didnt see it..
    you cant miss it!
    
    
    	wendy o'
    

    
    Does the horse have laminitis?  The wall separates from the hoof during
    that also.  A hoof resection is sometimes done in this case to relieve
    pressure from any abscess as well as to allow the coffin bone to slowly
    rotate back up (which is the purpose of the heartbar shoes).  In this 
    instance it takes many months for the hoof to grow out (6-12).  Have
    you seen the shoes?  Heartbar shoes have a piece of the shoe that
    covers all but 1/2 tip of the frog.
    
    My horse had this done.  
    
    Kathy

    The corrective shoe is not on yet, so I can't say what it is exactly,
    but we were told that there is no laminitis, the coffin bone has
    not rotated at all. The farrier is coming in a few days to do it,
    I'll be interested to see what he does. My understanding from the
    vet was that the hoof resection and the shoe will relieve his
    pain and that she expects the hoof to regrow fine. She did not
    say how long it may take, and I was surprised to hear she recommended
    riding him as usual. It sounds so nasty, we were considering letting
    him rest at pasture for a while, but she seemed to feel exercise
    would be better.
    

    
    Last year the horse I was beginning training with tore his hoof
    in the paddock (barefoot).  It was actually a crack from cornet
    to bottom, he went to tufts and had the section that tore away,
    removed.  They did find a chip that had to be removed when they
    worked on the hoof, so that did make his recovery a bit longer.    
    This was a different situation, but he was in a cast for
    about 2 months, then he had a special boot for about 3 (during the
    initial growth of the hoof, (complete stall rest, hand walking)
    then when the hoof was about 1/2-2/3's grown - he was given a corrective
    shoe (boot in the mud) and finally let out after 6 months.  He will
    begin work soon but his hoof is almost complete, I understand the
    shoe he is wearing is especially made to fit so there is no contact/
    pressure on the side where the hoof is growing down.  He is being
    lightly lunged (walk/trot), its not been about 8 months since he
    injured himself.
    
    Good luck, Nancy
    

    re.linda
    
    I would say, if they said keep riding him/her.. the horse isnt
    lame, i wouldnt worry about it. I agreed about the circulation tho'
    If the horse had the abcess I would say that was proably the caused.
    You notice it in the leg sometimes, if not the shoer should have known
    it as well..
    
    
    wendy o'
    
    
    
    
    

    
    BRUISED FOOT.
    
    	Ginger my mare recently has bruised her foot.  The Black
    	smith has come over and created a hole so that the infection
    	can come out.  (that was last saturday march 9).. 
    
    	I have been soaking it with Iodien(sp) once or twice a day.
    
    	I called the Black smith back last night and told him
    	she is still very tender but is walking alot better.
    
    	He said to continue soaking the foot and he will come
    	out on saturday (march 23) and check her if she is still
    	soar.
    
    	What is the best way to get this healed..?
    
    	Should I keep her in and keep it padded..?
    
    	What other hardners can I use to clean up the infection?
    
    	Thanks
    Donna

    Has a vet looked at it as well as the farrier? Sounds similar to
    the problem we're having with my brothers TB (who is having a
    hoof resection this afternoon). Read the previous replies in this
    note, you may find something helpful. Good luck!
    
    Linda
    

    as far as soaking it.. i would try a poultrice (sp?)
    and then see if you can use a lacqueur, something to seal of the 
    outdside of the hoof wall to keep the moisture in and then 
    if she/he ios still sore i would get the farrier to see if the hoof 
    wall is rotten and cut that away and see where that is....
    and try an anitseptic liek iodine...
    
    		wendy o'
    
    

    The blacksmith was over last night and said my gelding has a case of
    hoof root.  Only on the left front hoof.  Don't know the technical name
    and of course I'm having the vet over Monday...
    
    It seems that this fungus grows between the wall of the hoof and the
    foot.  This can cause the wall to seperate ..In this case the out hoof
    has to cut away and you can probably imagine the rest.  I guess it's
    treated much like founder.  Being here in the north where we have
    dampness, rain, snow, mud etc our horses are prone to it.  He's not bad
    enough yet to require treatment, but what if he gets worse.  
    
    Has anyone had any experience with this???  Is there anyt hing I can
    use.  I bought Kopertox yesterday (have used Iodine before for thrush). 
    He's a healthy horse and we'venever had any problems...but is there
    some nutritional supplement that might help.  Keeping him dry is next
    to impossible, cause they have a walkout and come and go as they
    please.
    
    Any suggestions....I don't want to see the poor guy laid up for 3
    months!!!
    
    Caryl

    Does anyone feed their horse dry powdered milk as a hoof supplement?
    I recently had a conversation with a vet from Vermont and he said he
    has seen better results using powdered milk instead of Biotin.  
    
    JB

    
    What are some causes of the hoof being too soft to hold nails? I am
    having a heck of a time keeping shoes on my gelding, his feet are too
    soft so the nail tear out the side or chunks of his hoof break off. 
    What can I do to correct this?
    
    
    
    				Karen

    Don't use any hoof dressing or hoof paints on the nail holes.  If you
    want to paint the feet, do the coronary band, heels and soles only.
    Bedding a horse on straw will also help the feet dry out.  I had the
    same problem this spring with my mare, and have stopped painting her
    feet all together, though I continue to poultice her front feet on
    a regular basis.  Too much poultice will also make their feet too
    soft.  
    
    Linda

    
    Yes, use Toughen Up on the nail holes, and use hoof flex on the
    rest of the hoof. Also buy Farrier Formula ($100.00).  A horse
    at my barn had terrible hoofs.  Very week and cracky/falkey.
    
    We did all the above everyday and his hoofs are 100% better then
    they were last year.  He lost a shoe a week.
    
    We also keep bell boots on him at all times to help revent him
    from over reaching and pulling the frount shoes off.
    
    We started off w/ just the thoughen up (it did good on the nail
    holes) but the top off the hoof was very flakey .. so we added
    the hooflex (it did good on the appearance of the hoof) .. then
    we added the farriers formula and it made the whole hoof inside
    and out GREAT!
    
    2 other farriers and my vet told me to allways use Toughen up
    on the nail holes...espally after the rain and in the muddy
    seasons .. it helps prevent White Line Desiese
    
    Good Luck
    
    

	Source also works wonders on hooves - I had a gelding who had the
	opposite problems - dry, cracking hooves. By the time they grew
	out (unfortunately a year+ later) they were in excellent shape.
	I know that doesn't help you today; and it's a slightly different
	problem - anyone have Source (or another additive) improve soft
	feet?

	-julie

    I am using a product called HT20 for my horses feet as she is
    very prone to heel and quarter cracks.  I really won't know if
    it's any good for a couple of months because my blacksmith
    says it takes 6 months to see an improvement with a hoof supplement
    on a horse with cracks.  By the way, HT20 is a supplement that is
    added to her feed.

    
    
    	Since walkers are always over reaching we have toe clips put on the
    front so they wont pull them off
    
    	I have also head of using iodine to harden feet, we use it when we
    take the girls shoes off for the summer.
    
    Donna

    What is "White Line Disease"?
    
    Dawn

    
    I don't know the clinical defination of White Line Desease, but
    my vet & blacksmith told that germs can get into the cracks of the 
    hoof and nail holes (espally nail holes)
    
    When the germs get inside it causes an infection and the infection
    will cause a white line to appear on the hoof.  Once this  happes
    it is incurable 99% of the time and the horse will need to be put down.
    
    During rain/muddy weather, the hoofs gets soft and can expand and this
    allows the germs to get inside the nail holes.  
    
    If you keep thoughen up on the nail holes (espally during rainy
    weather) this helps pervent the germs from getting in.
    
    Lou

    We used Source on a couple of our horses with dry feet...did do an
    excellent job.  Easy to feed as well....they ate it up.
    
    The horses that stay home don't have shoes on so we don't have the nail
    problem...but we do get dry feet (especially with the light colored
    feet) when the weather is very dry.  Haven't had the problem this year
    due to all of the rain.
    
    Good luck...
    
    Kathie

    I've used Source, too, on a TB with the stereo-typical lousy TB feet.
    He had thin, shelly, weak walls.  The Source did seem to help quite a 
    bit.  At the recommendation of my farrier, I also painted his soles
    with iodine daily to toughen them up.  This, too, seemed to work
    nicely.  
    
    My mare is having a bit of trouble with dryness right now, but won't
    touch Source.  I've always used Tuff Stuff on the nails as a matter of
    course, and I've been painting on 'Rainmaker' once a week over the
    whole hoof.  Seems to be helping.  Her problem really isn't bad,
    though, she's not chipping or cracking, just her frog was getting dried
    out.  My pony, on the other hand, has always been barefoot and has the
    nicest feet I've seen in years! Tough little feet on this old girl,
    even though she's ridden weekly on rocky trails and roads she doesnt
    seem to chip at all.  
    

    re: .28
    
    I happen to have first hand experience with white-line disease as
    my horse is prone to it.  He developed it earlier this spring and
    it took 6 months to clear it up.  Louisa is correct in that it can
    be quite serious if not treated properly and right away.  And, from
    what I understand, a resection is the treatment used in severe cases.
    
    The disease started in the quarters of both hind feet - where the 
    foot was literally disintigrating and had very little contact with
    the shoe.  I put him on Blue Seal EZ pellets right away and once
    a week poured bleach into the affected areas.  I stopped using hoof
    dressing (except on his heels for the summer - but then I only did
    this a few times).  And he got a minimum of baths (2) this year.
    
    All of the above, except the pellets, was recommended by two
    blacksmiths.  One blacksmith suggested Farriers Formula - which I'm
    sure would work just as well, given the ingredients are similar to
    EZ pellets.  (FYI: EZ pellets were developed to prevent 'foot rot' 
    in cows.  It contains biotin, methionine, lysine, etc. for about
    $9/100 day supply and is also recommended for use in horses by the
    Blue Seal company).  
    
    Both blacksmiths recommended *not* using Tough Stuff on the nail
    holes when white-line disease is present - you'll be sealing in
    a perfect air-free environment for the fungus to grow.  Keeping the
    feet absolutely dry was key - which is why they said no baths - and
    no dressings.  Also, they would not use acrylic filler on his feet to
    even the contact surface to the shoe - again - this would provide an
    airtight environment.
    
    All in all - I was able to work him during all but a few days this
    summer (while we were waiting for a lost shoe to be replaced).  He was
    not lame from any of this.  As of the last shoeing (last week) all the
    affected tissue (< 1/4") was finally trimmed out.  Whew.
                          
    Hope this helps someone with this problem.  It's not a fatal disease
    unless it's allowed to progress so severely that you have to choose
    between euthanasia or expensive foot resections.
    
    - Janice

    
    Janice, Glad you horse is okay!  Thanks for telling us all about
    white-line disease!  It's amazing how meny equiners out there don't
    know about it.
    
    Louisa

    RE:white line disease
    
    I didn't know about it until I got a new shoer, now supposedly, both
    my horses have it, along with every other horse I know that has this
    shoer. I figure one of two things, either 1: they've always had it,
    it's nothing to worry about, or 2: they didn't have it and he gave it
    to them somehow. I'd rather think #1 is the case.
    
    My vet took a look at it and isn't too worried, she made a comment
    about this being the latest malady, don't worry about it.
    (not that I put all my eggs in her basket either, but after 2 years
    it hasn't seemed to progress or digress so I suspect she's right)
    
    Perhaps there is a difference in what is interpreted as 'white line
    disease'. In my case the hoofs are hard and healthy but there is a black
    line at the white line area in some areas.  It is under the shoe so I 
    couldn't treat it anyway. I did have a problem at one time when a 
    winter pad got thrush growing under it. At this same time the white
    of the hoof at the toe was mushy, you could push a hoof pick right into
    it. I think this was really serious, and what the medical books would 
    call seedy toe or white line disease. I think there is confusion on this 
    subject between the farriers and the vets.
    
    Sharon

I started feeding my 3yr old Farrier's Formula in March - she had very flaky
crumbly, pointy feet. Six months later - she is growing her feet out of her
shoes in 4-5 weeks (I have always been able to get away with 6-8 weeks,
depending on time of year).

It has also given her a gorgeous coat - and her mane and tail are growing like a
weed (I have stopped pulling it - I can't keep up with it - I am going to wait
'til spring to start up again). I just started feeding it to my older horse too.
My blacksmith asked me "please" don't feed the Farrier's to him because his feet
are already so healthy and *hard*. I just can't resist - if it does the same for
his coat!

Am I attributing to much to the supplement, and not enough to the filly's age? I
have used Source, Clovite, and a variety of other products and nothing has
worked like this has.

I highly recommend it!

BTW- Louisa, my farrier only charges me $65 for a 25 lb tub! Sounds like you
shoer is making a tidy little profit on it!

    
    Joanne, my farrier does not sell it.  I got the price from the
    tack store in Grafton and I did not price it yet at stateline, since
    I never get up there.

I've never had a first hand encounter with it(knock on 
wood) but you'd think that our horses would have it all the time 
if it were caused by rainy/muddy conditions. It's muddy here for
at least 9 months a year! The horses have favorite places in the
pastures that we call "The Deli". They're all low spots where water 
collects and the grass is always tender...They come in every day 
covered with mud halfway to the hock.

Anyway, I found a couple interesting things in a recent discussion 
of white line disease on internet. 

    John
    
Article 45803 of rec.equestrian:
From: Jo Crain
Subject: Re: White line disease

hasler writes:
>One of our farriers (very experienced and very skilled, but now retiring) says
>that white line disease is primarily a disease affecting the farrier's wallet.
>He says the symptom is an insufficiency of green stuff and the cure is a
>transfusion from the client's wallet, effected via a diagnoses of "white line
>disease".   

Then why does my friend (vet & research scientist) not only know
that the stuff exists, but is actively searching for a solution
to the problem?  She has a horse that has a very bad case.  

Someone recently posted a long article about this "disease".  
I printed it out and gave it to my farrier, because it said
exactly the same thing he'd been talking about for years.
I have never had any problems with this, but I do know some
people who are.

Actually, my farrier says he makes more money off people who 
DON'T treat it (if their horses have it), because their horses 
lose shoes more frequently.

Jo Crain

Article 45949 of rec.equestrian:
From: [email protected] (tom stovall)
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: White line disease

  * Please note:  This post is intended to be generally informative *
  * and is not specific to any animal. As always, your veterinarian *
  * should diagnose and treat any pathology.                        *

In a message to all, someone wrote anonymously:

=The white line refers to the laminae (sp?) of the hoof...

The white line is the junction of the stratum internum of the hoof wall
and the sensitive laminae.

=Anyway, disease of this white line usually refers to a fungal or
=bacterial infection that spreads up the laminae...

White Line Disease affects the stratum medium of the hoof wall, it does
not affect the laminae; however, the infection sometimes offers an
invasion site for other pathogenic organisms to attack the laminae.

=Lots of farriers won't go after it aggressively because there's no hoof
=left to support the horse...

It's a bit difficult to convince a trainer with a paid-up futurity colt
that the colt needs to have a radical resection done when stop-gap
measures may keep the colt serviceably sound for a couple of years.

=If the infection isn't too bad, you may be able to treat it by brushing
=on a bleach sol'n every day and keeping regular trimmings.

Lots of anecdotal "cures" are used with varying degrees of success: a
regimen of 10 minute soaks in bleach, 3 x daily; cleaning all the
infectious material that can be reached; partial resections; absolutely
dry conditions; tincture of merthiolate; Durasole (tm) and other
desiccants, etc.

In my experience, all of the above are palliative in nature and will not
usually "cure" the disease; most however, will arrest the progress of
the infection with varying degrees of success.

=This is all my opinion....You have to talk to your vet.

If you talk to ten vets, you may get ten different opinions. I've been
to several clinics addressing WLD, including Chapman's. The consensus is
that all of the following must be done to effect a cure: a radical
resection removing all infected material, tincture of merthiolate (or
similar preparations) under an air-permeable bandage, and a change of
environment resulting in clean and dry conditions.

WLD is a minor annoyance if caught early and treated aggressively. If
allowed to progress high into the wall, it can be debilitating because
the hoof wall removed in a resection cannot be replaced with prosthetic
hoof wall without creating conditions favorable to the spread of the
disease; i.e., anaerobic conditions.

Tom

    hi-
      I'm new to this notes file and I think it's great.  I have two
    horses- an 18 year old QH gelding and a 19 year old QH/Arab cross
    gelding.  Both are terriffic horses.  I've never met a horse more bomb
    proof, people ask me if I regularly take their pulses to see if they
    are alive but once they are out on the trail they truck along.  I used
    to show but now I don't have the time to really dedicate to that any
    more so now I do a lot of trail riding and an occasional hunter pace. 
    I am faced with a bit of a problem at the moment though.  My farrier,
    who also happens to be my father ( a former digital employee that some
    may know) found the start of white line disease in my Qh's two front
    hooves.  It's not that bad and he's sound but I don't want it to get
    any worse.  Has anyone out there dealt with this problem before?  I
    would appreciate any help I can get in dealing with this problem. 
    Thanks for lending an ear and for any help you can give!
    
    Samantha

    Hi and welcome to the notesfile!
    
    My horse is prone to white line disease and I've found that feeding
    him a biotin supplement has kept the problem in check.  When I've 
    taken him off of the supplement, the white line has developed and 
    then, in order to clear it up, the farrier suggested I soak his 
    feet in bleach (which I've done).  One year it got pretty bad and 
    the quarters started sloughing off.
    
    For a biotin supplement, I use EZ Pellets - which was designed for
    foot rot in cows.  It's cheap and it works!  I've fed it for over
    10 years on two different horses: 1 with really bad feet (no walls)
    and my current horse with the white line problems.  Both have
    responded well.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Janice 

    
    From Equus mag (product line)
    
    equine HOOFPRO
    
    copper based low pH solution to combat thrush, heel cracks, scratches,
    gravel, seedy toe and WHITE LINE DISEASE.  To provent these conditions,
    spray on a balanced solution of Equine HOOFPRO and water, or to treat
    specific ailments, soak the hoof in one ounce of HoofPRO mixed into one
    gallon of water
    
    Hoofpro has a very low pH to kill bacteria, but we detoxifield the
    acid so it wont burn you skin or your horses, says Richard Beard, VP of
    sales at SSI corporation, that maker of hoofpro.  Also, unlike other
    copper treatmetns, the copper in our soultion will not settle and stick
    to the bottom of the container unless it is frozen
    
    Cost: 19.95 (plus s&h) for 1qt, which is enough for nearly six months
    of daily preventive treatments
    
    SSI Corp
    13108 Frances St
    Omaha, NE 68144
    800-851-5134

    Thanks for the quick responses!  I'm looking into the hoof pro as we
    speak.  I did have a question about the bleach though.  How long is
    appropriate to soak the hoof in bleach? 
    Again Thanks!
    Samantha

    Hi,  I do want to mention that I wasn't crazy about soaking his feet
    in the bleach -- I did it for about 5 or 10 minutes.  I did dilute
    it (Farrier told me to use it straight) and used a low, flat pan with 
    only enough water and bleach to reach just below the coronary band to 
    prevent drying.
    
    Using bleach is dangerous for the fumes and if you get it in your
    eyes.  My horse likes to paw and splash so I held up his other foot
    to keep him from doing this.  Safety glasses are probably a good idea.
    
    I soaked his feet just a few times and this did the trick.
                                                                          
    - Janice