Any experience of wedges on hind shoes?

wormhugs

wormhugs

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I arrived at the yard today after my farrier had shod my horse. He mentioned that he had noticed that Sam (my horse) tends to stand with one of his back feet further back than the other and often with the heel raised slightly of the floor. To my shame, I had to admit that I hadn't actually registered why he might be doing this.
Sam is 23 and has had arthritis in both hocks for many, many years and the farrier suggested putting slight wedges in his hind shoes to 'give him a bit of relief'.
I have no experience in wedges, and don't know how they work. I am a bit concerned about giving him high heels incase it further aggravates his joints.
I did mention that I would maybe give my vet a call to ask him to evaluate Sam, but the farrier said 'well, you know he has arthritis, what is the vet going to say?'
Does anyone have any experience of using wedges for arthritic horses?
Thanks!
 
Your farrier and vet should work together really to decide what shoes are best for your horse. Ive tried wedges we had them for 3 sets of shoes and worked great to help at the start but after a while made no difference, then we tried extreme latural extensions and i mean extreme other farries made jokes at them they did help in her walking however seemed to add pressure to the pelvis and we are now back in normal shoes due to how bad her feet are maybe due to other shoes?
 
my experience was a bad one i am afraid it totally crippled my horse, made his walk on his toe and physically couldn't bare weight on his heel due to the pressure on his frog. he never kept shoes on for more than a week as the nails weren't physically long enough to hold them on properly. i would never do it again even on the vets or farriers recommendations. it as very traumatic for both the horse and myself.
 
mine has a wegde on one foot due to foot x rays showing an unlateral foot balance issue cant say it made any major differance but then for other reasons had them off for a short stint did seem bit odd. another one i know had a fall then few months later went very tight had physio and they noticed how her heels had droped and how she was standing oddly though the pressure of her back and pelvis being out had caused her to compensate and suggested some wedges to help give her more support while her pelvis and back sorted themselves out and have to say she has been a different horse since. will say this was with chats to both farrier and vets and everyone one was in aggreement to do it. so would say depends why?
 
Hmmm, all the reponses have made me really quite wary about them. I'm not sure what the wedge would give him 'relief ' from, why it would help with arthritic pain.
Thanks for all the replies, I think definitely a chat with the vet before I give the farrier the nod to go mad with stilettos for my beastie :-)
Thanks all!
 
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