Arrrrrgh!!! Laminitic Ponies that go lame when shod

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Flame_

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Right, pony with cushings had bad laminitis about 4 years ago. He went on pergolide, got better and has been back in work ever since except for a couple of mild lami attacks which he was over within a month.

Anyway, he's very fit, and did his usual hour's work this morning 100% sound and he's supposed to compete this weekend. Had him shod this afternoon and now he's lame. Left fore, which it usually is. His brother does the same thing with his right fore. WTF???

The farrier has an excellent reputation and I know its the ponies with the problem, not him, but if they were sound before they were shod, its damn annoying that they can't just get shod without going lame.

I've filled him with lami drugs and he'll stand in tomorrow but what would you do with him? Give up and pts? Change farriers? Plastic shoes? Any other ideas or thoughts about what to do would be greatly appreciated because its doing my head in.
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Take them off!!! I know that may not be everyone's idea, but I took shoes off my laminitic horse. Did her the world of good, mainly because she can feel her feet and if, luckily, not too often, she does feel a bit wobbly, I can catch it much sooner!!!
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and avoid an attack

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If you can afford it, the plastic shoes are worth a try.

I used them and found them fantastic for my lami boy. No matter how gently the farrier shod him, it always caused him to be lame for at least a couple of days after. The first pair of plastic fronts he had on, you could see the relief on his face as he walked away and his feet didn't hurt. Sadly can't say the same about the look on my face as I paid!
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but worth it of course.

Had around 3 pairs glued on over the course of one summer, then went back to metal shoes for the winter.
 
Barefoot's not an option. They work hard driving covering fair distances including road work every day when they're not lame. They'd have no feet left without some protection.

Thanks though, keep them coming please.
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We tried two different types of plastic shoe, the first just flat for box rest, and then when he was coming sound, he had a pair with a groove for extra traction. He wore them out in the field and on hacks and they stayed on for 6 weeks (in fact better than nailed on ones!).

Got to be worth a try?
 
Thanks. When I mentioned plastic shoes to the farrier he just said he doesn't know much about them. I use a different farrier for my riding horse and he's coming tomorrow so I'll ask him about them, I know he'll work with plastic shoes. Are they scarily expensive?
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My farrier has been specially trained in the fitting of plastic shoes and is very proud of his ability to fit them (smug springs to mind!). So if your farrier hasn't had much experience, perhaps it would be better to find one that has. They are not difficult, just a bit tricky. Have to dunk them in boiling water for a few seconds to soften the bit that grips on to the hoof, then apply glue, then quickly apply before it all goes hard again. And boy does it stink!

Mine cost about £110 for two fronts, he was barefoot behind when on box rest, then I did mix and match for a few sets.

So yes, expensive, but worth it in order to compete for the summer. You might get away with just one pair of glue ons, as we are near the end of lami season now.

With our pony, his feet were in such great shape after glue ons that he didn't go lame when we had metal shoes nailed on, as he had grown out all the old nail holes and the farrier was able to nail on very easily and quickly.
 
Motor went lame immediately following being shod 5 weeks ago, but was fine this time
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I put it down to his feet growing very fast and either a little too much was trimmed off, or he was bordering on an attack of Laminitis, so took all the precautions and he was fine (ie off grass, contained in his little woodchip paddock and extra Danilon for 5 days) ... he was then bought back into work after 2 weeks ... 'work' for him are Hacks out though
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... and then gradually re-introduced him to a little bit of grass
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He too went down with Laminitis 4 years ago, due to Cushings
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... but I think you know that
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Hope he is ok and I hope you do not have to give up and PTS
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Have you had the ponies xrayed recently?

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Not the one that's gone lame today, although when he did have his worst lami attack he didn't have any bone movement on x-rays. The one that's been "not right" on his RF for ages was x-rayed last month. The vets think his feet look good on x-rays.
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Do they stay lame with shoes on?...

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The RF one does, he's never totally sound, although you have to look hard for it most of the time. The one that went lame today is normally sound shod, except sometimes following shoeing. I'm wondering if shoeing actually triggers laminitis in him - it doesn't take much.
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Motor went lame immediately following being shod 5 weeks ago, but was fine this time
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I put it down to his feet growing very fast and either a little too much was trimmed off, or he was bordering on an attack of Laminitis,

Hope he is ok and I hope you do not have to give up and PTS
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Thank you. Me too, but its getting very tricky explaining to my boss why two out of his three ponies are off more than they're available for him to use.
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I need to get them more dependable if it can be done. You do a brilliant job keeping you boy right with these problems, its interesting that shoeing still sometimes affects him as well.
 
Thank you Flame_
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... it is easier when they are your personal privately owned ponios ... I forgot that you are reliant on the support of your Boss
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... but you do a very good job by the sounds of it and love them to bits
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... keep it up
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it could he was having a mild attack that you did not notice and now you have put shoes on and caused more stress on the lammi. Or you sure it is not nail bound?
 
If the horses suffer from Laminitis they should not be trotted on the road or hard ground as this can set off Laminitis due to concushion on their feet. Their weight should be kept down so that they show their ribs and haunches. This will reduce the chances of them getting Laminitis.
 
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