Barefoot experts -- need advice for fictional horse

[Caol Ila]

Making a few tweaks to the novel. Some real life faff -- not my horses, thankfully -- has given me a better idea for one wee section, lol.

I've skimmed through Nic Barker's Performance Hoof, Performance Horse, but that doesn't include any actual case studies.

Can anyone here come up with a lameness problem where the vet (hah! that's how you know this is fiction -- aye, high fantasy -- 'cause the vets around here LOVE shoes) might recommend transitioning a shod horse to barefoot and going through the rehab?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Navicular. Have a look through Pete Ramey's Hoof Rehab pages

 

[Highmileagecob]

PS Definitely not an expert!

 

[criso]

Making a few tweaks to the novel. Some real life faff -- not my horses, thankfully -- has given me a better idea for one wee section, lol.

I've skimmed through Nic Barker's Performance Hoof, Performance Horse, but that doesn't include any actual case studies.

Might be worth looking at her blog which has stories of horses that have gone through and will give you some ideas for diagnoses and progress

Rockley Farm

Barefoot performance and lameness rehabilitation

rockleyfarm.blogspot.com

 

[j1ffy]

Kathy Morgan has had one or two storylines like that: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Kat...ramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Otherwise definitely look at Rockley Farm as suggested by Criso. There was one vet who did a few referrals there but I can't remember his name!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Our old vet (now sadly retired) recommended mine went barefoot after a nasty little episode of white line problems - which resulted in the farrier practically needing to do a dorsal re-section - and meant she ended up with what looked like a cloven foot. It was horrible.

 

[ycbm]

Making a few tweaks to the novel. Some real life faff -- not my horses, thankfully -- has given me a better idea for one wee section, lol.

I've skimmed through Nic Barker's Performance Hoof, Performance Horse, but that doesn't include any actual case studies.

Can anyone here come up with a lameness problem where the vet (hah! that's how you know this is fiction -- aye, high fantasy -- 'cause the vets around here LOVE shoes) might recommend transitioning a shod horse to barefoot and going through the rehab?

@Michen UK vet is very pro barefoot rehab.

 

[tda]

Where do we start, long toes, high heels, navicular, laminitis unidentified lameness take your pic

 

[Caol Ila]

@Michen UK vet is very pro barefoot rehab.

'Here' being my immediate area!

 

[ycbm]

I think I misunderstood your question.

The only vets I know who will recommend a barefoot rehab is when the horse has a ligament/tendon lameness in the foot, had all the diagnosis, rest, rehab and treatment possible and is still lame, when they turn round and say "well there are only 2 options ..." And even then they usually recommend PTS.
.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Edit: I think I misread

 

[Caol Ila]

"My" vet is a bit more forward-thinking, 'cause fiction!

Using it in a scene where I need some friction between vet and an owner. Owner hasn't made any of the management changes -- which vet had previously advised -- needed for a horse to transition to barefoot, and then is whinging to vet that the horse is super footy and she wants shoes back on it, though remedial shoeing and all that had failed to fix the initial problem. Navicular seems like a good one for this.

 

[criso]

If you're just looking for a diagnosis rather than a full case history, Navicular is a bit general and these days is more a syndrome describing a collection of problems. The vets at my practice err towards caudal foot pain to describe.

If a vet was forward thinking enough to recommend barefoot then maybe they would be more specific?

My horse that did go to rockley (sceptical but supportive vet) had desmitis to the ddft, dsil and collateral ligament.

Collateral ligament might be a good one as it seems reasonably common on MRI and resistant to a traditional approach.

 

[Caol Ila]

If you're just looking for a diagnosis rather than a full case history, Navicular is a bit general and these days is more a syndrome describing a collection of problems. The vets at my practice err towards caudal foot pain to describe.

If a vet was forward thinking enough to recommend barefoot then maybe they would be more specific?

My horse that did go to rockley (sceptical but supportive vet) had desmitis to the ddft, dsil and collateral ligament.

Collateral ligament might be a good one as it seems reasonably common on MRI and resistant to a traditional approach.

Oh, yes, that's the kind of info I'm wanting!

 

[tristars]

you could introduce a theme on hoof boots for the tender hooves and make a miraculous overnight difference to the poor uncomfortable horse, who is really just transitioning from a multitude of metal induced ailments

 

[Gloi]

Can anyone here come up with a lameness problem where the vet (hah! that's how you know this is fiction -- aye, high fantasy -- 'cause the vets around here LOVE shoes) might recommend transitioning a shod horse to barefoot and going through the rehab?

Not a lameness problem beyond being tender without shoes. Horse was not an easy horse and needed sedating to shoe. He then became very needle phobic, oh joy! This was before really effective oral sedation. Glad he wasn't mine. He did transition to barefoot to the farrier and vet's relief.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

My vet supported our barefoot approach with one of mine with a ddft injury, and poor quality, crumbling feet.

Her feeling was that whilst she would have recommended wedge shoes to take the pressure off the tendon, my horse’s feet didn’t have the structural integrity and infection might set in if we had hoof wall breaking up.

Instead we went into pads and hoof boots, and cut the pads as a wedge.

 

[paddy555]

I think I misunderstood your question.

The only vets I know who will recommend a barefoot rehab is when the horse has a ligament/tendon lameness in the foot, had all the diagnosis, rest, rehab and treatment possible and is still lame, when they turn round and say "well there are only 2 options ..." And even then they usually recommend PTS.
.

Unless it is an owner who is determined (or experienced) on BF rehab I have never known a vet, out of the blue with no prompting, suggest it as a first course of action. Insurance, failure and eventually they get there If the owner has never heard of BF would it even be suggested.

However I would ask if they are allowed to? I do remember a vet saying to me (about something) that there was a specific course of action for various treatments and junior/employed vets wouldn't (couldn't) stick their necks out. Possibly a partner may be different but employees have to account to their boss.

Hopefully that is clear so perhaps if the "normal" treatment is wedges, remedial shoeing or whatever that is the route they go down as a matter of course as they would not be allowed to "think outside the box and go off on a different route" so to speak.

 

[criso]

Unless it is an owner who is determined (or experienced) on BF rehab I have never known a vet, out of the blue with no prompting, suggest it as a first course of action. Insurance, failure and eventually they get there If the owner has never heard of BF would it even be suggested.

Actually I have heard of a couple of vets who did recommend though it's rare. I seem to remember there was a vet who sent more than one to Rockley after the first and heard of a vet (not mine) at my practice suggesting it. Pretty rare though.

Just to add my vet recently said to a vet student with him when they were looking at my tb's feet something along the lines of "this wouldn't be the easiest horse to keep without shoes but this is exactly the sort of foot/horse that needs it."

 

[paddy555]

Actually I have heard of a couple of vets who did recommend though it's rare. I seem to remember there was a vet who sent more than one to Rockley after the first and heard of a vet (not mine) at my practice suggesting it. Pretty rare though.

Just to add my vet recently said to a vet student with him when they were looking at my tb's feet something along the lines of "this wouldn't be the easiest horse to keep without shoes but this is exactly the sort of foot/horse that needs it."

I wonder if the vet in your first para had any prompting from the owner? (or the vet who first heard of it)

I do remember one holistic vet who I went on a KC course with who did suggest to another vet their client's problem could be sorted BF. However his suggestions for many things were very different from normal (and it was his own practice)

I've one vet who is a personal friend of many years and we often discuss feet and he would come up with BF solutions if I asked (because he knows me and my involvement) but I'm not sure he would for others unless they were very BF orientated.