We had hoped to run Sycamore before Christmas, back in November he unfortunately somehow trod on a screw that went into the frog, the part of the hoof on the underside that makes contact with the ground, and that required the farrier to remove it.

We’re not sure how or when he picked it up, as it’s not something we’d use in the yard, so we can only assume it was on the road when he went out to work one morning. Anyway, we applied a poultice to the hoof in question, and after a few easy days, it was all clear.

We then had him working at half speed for a few days, and were able to step up the work to full speed, but every time we thought we were all set to go, he’d go lame again. It was only ever mild, and came and went intermittently, but it’s just meant we’ve not been able to make entries for him. The vets have done a great job, it’s basically just wear and tear that a horse of his age would get.

As things stand, he’s sound, so we’ll keep going with him, and if we can, we’ll look for something in the next three to four weeks. There is a chance that we won’t get another run into him though, at his age we’d always look after him, and give him the retirement he deserves. 

Scott Dixon, Coral Racing Club Trainer