Any Farriers on here? Advice please xx

FabulousFlynn'sMum

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Hi folks, I'll keep this as brief as I can. I have a 17hh ID mare who has dinner plate sized feet, they are also quite flat! Anyway she is shod religously every 6 weeks by my farrier of 15 years who has recently started a lovely guy who is newly qualified and is working with my farrier.

A few times in the past ive mentioned to my farrier could we take a bit more off her feet as she trips quite alot, my farrier has always been relucant to do this and thinks she's fine as she is. The last twice now the new guy has shod her which im perfectly happy about, on the first occasion I noticed how much he'd taken off her feet (I hadnt asked him too, he'd done this off his own accord), they were much smaller and more compact, as a result the tripping/stumbling has stopped which I have been really pleased about. The new guy shod her for the second time on the 22 April.

When I turned her out after he'd gone I noticed a definate lameness if only slight. I just thought she was maybe a bit sore from being shod and that it would wear off. I rode her 4 days later and she definately felt unlevel and not right. I phoned my farrier (his boss) and he said if it was a nail prick or bind she'd be really lame so he just thinks his guy this second time has just trimmed her too short and shes a bit foot sore.

Ive given her a week off and ridden her Friday and today and whereby she's not what I would call lame, she definately feels a bit footy, she pulls to be on the grass verge I presume where its softer. After we rode when I led her back to her field, she was walking along a bank of grass and you could defo see some unlevelness there and slight lamness where she was walking across a slope.

So folks, any ideas, if she is just foot sore from being trimmed too far would you expect it to have cleared up 2 weeks on with new hoof growth etc or am I expecting things too quick?

Anyway nice bottle of vino if youve got this far but any advice or input would be much appreciated.

Thanks, love Jayne xx
 

Guinness

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Im no expert but I have known a couple of ponies that were trimmed too short and were footsore for a good couple of months (they werent shod though). If you think about it, it takes 12 months for the hoof to grow completely down from the coronet so its going to take a while for your horses feet to get back to normal. Shes a big horse, and obviously needs big feet! Maybe you could ask your farrier about roll-toe shoes to help the tripping?
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FabulousFlynn'sMum

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Hi gigglepig thanks for your reply. I suppose I am expecting too much too soon. Something to do with her being shod is the only thing I can think of, she was totally sound and fine up until the day she was shod. My farrier has said he's going to come out and have a look at her feet and see if he can see anything wrong, but I think its just gonna take time to right itself by the sound of things.

He's never mentioned rolled toe shoes he just always said she's such a big horse with huge feet that tripping now and again is to be expected and that he didnt want to cut her feet back too much cos shes naturally quite flat footed anyway. However, the first time his guy shod her the tripping i would say just about stopped completely, it looks like on the second occasion he's gone too far!!! xx
 

TheFarrier

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You need to get the farrier out to have a look, the one that knows her well. Im surprised he didnt.

If she is still footsore then the new farrier must have taken an awful lot off but she would have been much more lame. I have a feeling that the lameness may be caused my a bit much off but also the feet being actually unlevel. this will not go away unless the farrier comes out and levels them off properly.

If too much has come off the horse would have been significantly lamer than you say she was and if she is still pottery now there may be some other cause. Maybe the foot is bruised. Is there any heat in the feet or has there been any?

Is it fronts? or all four? if the sole feels a bit soft (which is a by product of taking more foot off) then get some keratex hoof hardener and apply it to the soles.

Since the mare is flat footed this is also a possibility (the soft soles i mean) and hoof hardener will help.

But get the boss farrier out as he will be able to see if it is soft soles/too much foot off (over dressed feet)/foot imbalance/bruised soles
 

FabulousFlynn'sMum

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Hi there the farrier, i was hoping you'd reply, hehe!

Ive left him a message this afternoon so he should get back to me tomorrow hopefully and ive asked him to come out.

I did wonder about the foot imbalance as she was definately actually lame when she was walking along the side of a hill if you see what I mean?

I just cant seem to explain it but she's just not right since she was shod. In terms of he would have had to of cut alot of foot away to make her sore, i would say overall in the twice he's done her, he really HAS cut away alot of foot and her feet are much smaller! It seems to be just her two fronts and theres no significant heat and no pulse either.

Anyway, thanks ever so much for your reply, we have some Keratex hoof hardener in the shop where I work and I was looking at it the other day and wondered if it was as good as it claims cos its quite expensive. I'll give it a try anyway.

Thanks again, luv Jayne xx
 

TheFarrier

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Sounds good i am glad he will be coming out. The best way to find out what may be wrong is to get him out to check. The first time the new one took foot off seemed to be fine and maybe there just wasnt enough left to be that aggressive the next time round.

I hope its simply and easily sorted and the keratex (it is good) should help if he has pared too much sole away this will toughen the new sole up.

Good luck and you are welcome!
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FabulousFlynn'sMum

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Hi again, yes i'm hoping thats all it is, its just I would have thought if it was just a case of trimming a bit too much off, she'd be feeling a bit easier now two weeks on nearly. I'll definately give the Keratex a try tho.

Thanks lots again for your advice its much appreciated and i'll let you know what happens after my farrier has been back.

Love Jayne xx
 
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