Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 16 Hoof Language (4K)

"You don't like eating like this?"

Ogawa Katsu looked at the reed-haired horse in front of him and scratched his head in distress.

I received what is said to be high-quality fresh grass from the horse owner, Mr. Kitano.

But judging from the expression on Mudanma's face, it seemed that he had little interest in this quality of grass either.

"Since it likes apples, how about squeezing some juice and mixing it into the grass?"

Ogawa Kana, who was watching the fun with her hands folded, suddenly spoke up.

"Is this useful?"

Xuhe Sheng was a little hesitant.

There have been attempts in the past to mix diced apples with other feeds.

Meda Hitoma, who was still called Flax2023 at the time, was already very smart enough to accurately pick out the apple pieces and eat them.

As for other feeds, most of them remain the same.

"Who knows about this kind of thing?"

The boy clenched his fists.

But it loosened again after a moment.

He decided to give this somewhat unreliable proposal a try.

If it doesn’t work, come back and settle the score with that stupid sister!

Soon, Ogawa Sheng began to act.

Take out the apples, wash, peel, remove the core, and put them into the juicer with a little water.

Even when I eat apples myself, I am not so particular.

He poured the freshly brewed apple juice into the feeding bowl, mixed it with the grass, and then carefully retreated out of the stable.

Mu Tianma put his head close to the food bowl, snorted, and pouted his upper lip with some curiosity.

Then, he wagged his tail and walked away.

Did it fail as expected?

Xu Hesheng looked at the guy who came up with the idea with a bad expression.

"I never said it would work."

Ogawa Kanna yawned nonchalantly.

"And look, isn't Pegasus eating it?"

The girl pointed behind Ogawa Katsu.

Turning his head, he saw that Mudanma had indeed buried his head in the food bowl.

Although the chewing speed was very slow, even to the point of chewing slowly, he did start eating.

"Great!"

Ogawa Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, and then laughed very naturally.

Beautiful yet fragile, racehorses are just such creatures.

The future Derby horse

No matter which ranch it is, this is what they call their stallions.

The Tokyo Ushun Japan Derby, a high-level competition from the central government, is something that Nishiken Ranch, which was established just two years ago, cannot achieve no matter how hard it tries.

But even producers from local areas will be excited to see Mercedes-Benz on the track.

The horse carries not only the rider, but also the dreams of practitioners and horse fans.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead excitedly, Ogawa Sheng took out his cell phone.

He wanted to tell Mr. Kitano the good news.

"Did you eat it? It's so good!"

On the other side, Kitano, who received the call, also showed a happy expression on his face.

"Ah—did you receive any good news, Mr. Kitano?"

The white-haired old woman beside her asked with a smile.

"I received news from the ranch that the horses' appetites have improved a little, Grandma Takamura."

Grandma Gaocun runs a ranch alone.

Although it is called a ranch, it cannot compare to Nishiken Ranch in terms of size or the scale of the horse herd.

Although both can be called ranches, they are not actually the same thing.

Ranches can be roughly divided into three categories: production ranches, breeding ranches and retirement ranches.

Although primarily engaged in the production of foals, Nishiken Ranch also undertakes the breeding and training of individual racehorses.

Grandma Gaocun’s ranch is one of the very few retirement ranches.

Kitano was invited to perform physical examinations on the elderly horses on the ranch.

In the past, similar commissions were usually given to Mr. Shibata.

However, since last month, Mr. Shibata has been forced to temporarily stop working due to frequent back pain and go to a large hospital in Tokyo for treatment.

Therefore, the inspection commission was handed over to Kitano.

"Really? That's really good news!"

Grandma Gaocun clapped her hands and said with a smile.

"Rather than that, let's finish the inspection first."

Kitano did not forget the task at hand.

"Okay, okay!"

Grandma Gaocun nodded repeatedly and walked in front to lead the way.

"Aru-chan has been a little reluctant to move lately. Even when she was herding, she looked listless."

Aru-chan is the nickname of a nineteen-year-old chestnut-haired horse.

It came to its current ranch when Grandma Gaocun's husband was still alive.

It is not a horse with outstanding achievements or a high prize, and the main winning saddle is just a local special race.

Before being taken in by Grandma Gaocun's husband, he was almost humanely treated.

After arriving at the ranch, Grandma Takamura has always called it "Aru-chan".

"Do you remember what you fed Aru-chan recently?"

Kitano asked while searching for tools.

He noticed that in the short time since he came into his sight, Aru-chan in the stable had raised his hooves and stretched his body forward several times.

This is not normal.

"It's the same old stuff, the grass I cut myself, the radish strips, and so on."

Grandma Gaocun has a good memory and answered immediately.

"Fresh grass and carrot sticks?"

Kitano bent down and began to check the temperature of Aru-chan's trotters.

Frequent hoof lifting, alternating weight bearing, reluctance to walk, and noticeable lameness while walking—these are all early symptoms of laminitis.

Laminitis, literally meaning inflammation of the lobe tissue of a horse's hoof, is a common and disabling disease in horses that can cause the hoof bone to sink, causing the horse to feel unbearable pain.

Kitano touched the hoof walls of the chestnut horse's limbs and quickly withdrew his hand.

Sure enough, both of Aru-chan's front hooves were slightly hot, and the temperature was obviously higher than that of the hind hooves.

However, the diagnosis of laminitis cannot be hastily made based on a single symptom.

Then the extremities pulses are checked.

He then placed two fingers on the sesamoid bones at the fetlock, feeling the pulsation of the blood vessels above the coronal band.

The pulse beats very strongly.

The extremity pulse of a healthy horse is weak and almost impossible to detect with the hand.

Additionally, placing your fingers on the hoof edge will allow you to feel a noticeable stiffness at the transition from the coat to the hoof wall.

The hoof bones have begun to sink.

Kitano stood up.

“It’s laminitis.”

He said.

The old woman pinched the corner of her clothes hard.

"Then, what should we do?" Although her voice trembled slightly, Grandma Takamura asked as calmly as possible.

"First of all, I'm afraid the structure of my diet needs to be adjusted."

As he spoke, Kitano continued to observe Aru-chan's body.

Not too fat and no abnormal hair growth.

The possibility of Cushing's disease (PPID) or insulin resistance (EMS) was initially ruled out.

Even so, for horses of this age, dietary management has to be considered.

"Foods like tender grass or carrots should be fed less frequently in the future, and low-sugar, high-fiber hay can be fed more often."

Grandma Takamura nodded repeatedly, and Kitano then asked about Aru-chan's weight.

He plans to first inject Flunixin meglumine solution to reduce hoof inflammation.

When using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the dosage needs to be calculated strictly according to body weight.

Grandma Takamura took Aru-chan to the special weighing area on the spot.

Although it has been transformed into a retirement ranch for many years, the various equipment on the ranch are still well maintained.

"Remember to take several oral supplements on time and in the correct dosage. If the pain is severe, you can try wrapping the coronary band of the front hoof with an ice pack. However, each time should not exceed 20 minutes, and three to four times a day is enough."

After completing the injection, Kitano began to give medical instructions.

As for the rest of the work, such as trimming the hoof shape or replacing special horseshoes, it is left to the farrier.

"thank you very much!"

After writing down the doctor's instructions on her flip phone, Grandma Takamura bowed seriously to Kitano.

"Nothing, this is all our job."

Kitano quickly returned the greeting to the old woman.

On the way back to the clinic, he sighed softly.

Just now, there was a sentence that was not said.

If the hoof bone sinks through, or if there is completely unrelieved pain -

I'm afraid we have to consider our own well-being.

The time has come for June.

As the weather gets warmer, many tourists have turned their attention to Hokkaido.

Horse enthusiasts often visit the ranch in Niikōng during this season.

Walking on the street, you can see an obvious increase in young faces dressed in fashionable clothes.

Kitano's life hasn't changed much.

Seeing patients, filling out records, and learning about horse racing, these three things alone unreasonably took up most of his time.

Occasionally, in my free time, I would deliver fresh grass and hay for bedding to Nishiken Ranch, and then ask Mr. Ogawa about questions related to horse racing.

Today is such a day.

"How do you usually judge a horse's suitability for racing?"

Kitano asked curiously.

"Currently, the distinction between grass and mud horses can only be made based on experience."

Mr. Ogawa shook his head and poured the chilled beer into the glass.

"Would you like a drink, Mr. Kitano?"

It was the same invitation as the previous ones.

"No, I have to drive back later."

Again, Kitano gave a similar answer as before.

Although he didn't hate alcohol, he wouldn't take risks just to satisfy his momentary cravings.

"That's a pity."

After saying that, Xuhe Zhang picked up the cup.

With just the first sip, the glass was almost empty of liquid.

"And what about bloodline?"

Kitano continued to ask.

Both Ogawa Jo and Tanaka seemed to have mentioned Medaima's bloodline when discussing its suitability.

"Bloodline can indeed be used as a reference, but it can sometimes be inaccurate."

Ogawa Jō raised a gnarled finger and continued, "For example, Golden Master, a legendary horse active on turf, has produced quite a few offspring that demonstrate stamina on dirt tracks."

"Well, things involving genetic inheritance are indeed difficult to deal with."

Kitano nodded in response.

"That's right--"

Ogawa Jō also nodded.

Ogawa Kana suddenly pointed at her father's face, covered her mouth and began to laugh evilly.

Xuhe Zhang immediately reacted and wiped the foam from his lips with the same smile.

"So it really is all about the hooves!"

Ogawa Katsu picked up the straw, shook the glass and spoke vaguely.

The cup contained iced lemon juice that Kana Ogawa had prepared specially for Kitano and his brother.

He doesn't like drinking something sour!

"Hoof. Any idea?"

Kitano turned his head and asked curiously.

"Of course!"

The three of them all looked at him, and Xu Hesheng subconsciously felt a little nervous, but after a few dry coughs, he continued, "Grassland horses' hooves are usually sharper and narrower, while mud horses' hooves are usually flatter and wider. This is all my own observation!"

As he spoke, Ogawa Masaru's tone unconsciously became a little proud.

Then he looked at his father nervously.

"What Ah Sheng said is not wrong, but even with this kind of experience, there will occasionally be deviations."

Xuhe Zhang nodded slightly, agreeing with his son's statement.

"Isn't there a more scientific set of rules?"

Kitano continued to ask.

"Maybe."

Even Ogawa Jō became a little hesitant when answering this question.

"I heard about this when I was young. It seems that American trainers would measure the decay of a horse's stride when going from grass to dirt to determine whether the horse was better suited to dirt or grass."

"However, such measurements may be difficult to achieve in Japan."

He then raised his glass with some helplessness.

The NAR is nominally a whole, but in reality it is just a loose combination of local autonomous horse racing organizations.

The massive database required to measure stride decay is simply impossible to create at just one or two racecourses.

In the center of the world where financial resources and technology are more advantageous, clay track events have long been in an embarrassing position of being ignored.

"By the way, Mr. Kitano, have you ever noticed Pegasus's hoof?"

As if noticing that the atmosphere was beginning to become somewhat heavy, Ogawa Jō immediately changed the subject.

"A Pegasus hoof? My impression is that it's more rounded, with good growth of the hoof wall, and the connection between the hoof and the fetlock isn't too stiff."

Kitano had indeed had several experiences of observing Medubai's horse hooves up close in his memory.

But at that time, the judgment was made more from the perspective of veterinarians, and the standards used tended to be health rather than good or bad according to racing standards.

"That's right. It's not the largest type, but the shape of Pegasus's hooves is quite good for a mud horse."

Ogawa Jō said with a smile.

【Soma’s Eye: C→C+】

It seems that the evaluation of ability has increased.

Kitano calmly closed the panel and continued communicating with Mr. Ogawa.

After this, he said goodbye to Nishiken Ranch.

On the way home, most of the people I met had already taken off their sweaters and coats.

Even the sunlight, which had been as soft as a cat's back not long ago, began to become a little hot.

(End of this chapter)