Barefoot Rehab Questions

[barefootbeginner]

Is there any reason why he appears to be shod so short in the heels on the front? Does he pull shoes off?

He has done twice in the past three months - stopped his jump training when he began to feel slightly off and we started the investigations, but he loves it so seemed to decide to find other ways to express his very powerful back end, and off came the shoes despite double over reach booting in the biggest size he could safely take!

 

[barefootbeginner]

I've lost track of who asked now, I'm sorry, but I realise I forgot to reply to the question about the plan for the suspensories - my vet was adamant we had to elevate the hind feet to take the strain from the reverse rotation out of the proximal suspensories to get him comfortable now so to her and the farrier's collaborated specification he has had graduated pads put on with soft filler in (dental putty) to keep the stimulation to the frog for this one five-week cycle while we medicate the suspensories with steroids along with walking work. The inflammation is very mild so my vet is hopeful/confident that we'll have it fully settled with that one treatment. Edit: I am sadly somewhat experienced with suspensory issues and this one actually is very mild - that's not just pie in the sky naive hopefulness!

 

[Melody Grey]

Interesting thread- thanks for posting OP. I’m on a similar back to barefoot journey with my horse at the moment after remedial shoeing for de-rotation in all 4 feet and suspensory issues in the hinds.
We currently have hoof boots on the hinds and shod on the front (due to inability to keep hinds on recently in the mud ?‍) but fronts are coming off next week. We were barefoot before, so just making small changes and watching for the results.

 

[barefootbeginner]

Interesting thread- thanks for posting OP. I’m on a similar back to barefoot journey with my horse at the moment after remedial shoeing for de-rotation in all 4 feet and suspensory issues in the hinds.
We currently have hoof boots on the hinds and shod on the front (due to inability to keep hinds on recently in the mud ?‍) but fronts are coming off next week. We were barefoot before, so just making small changes and watching for the results.

Thank you for sharing your journey too, it's so positive knowing there are others on the same path as well as those who've successfully made it out the other side!

 

[barefootbeginner]

Sorry for the delay in getting photos here everyone - some issues on the family farm due to the weather soaked up every spare minute of daylight. An update is: farrier now very supportive of the plan to barefoot rehab, and vet convinced too in the end, so hind shoes are off! Fronts left on until the original next visit as he'd done a full trim for shoes the week before so felt it'd be wiser to take them off at the end of the cycle when he can leave them better prepared for the change. Hopefully the foot photos will attach now as screenshots. Looking at them properly I can see some of them aren't quite angled perfectly etc but having been battling the dark hopefully they're sufficient for now and practice will improve my efforts.

I have now read Feet First and my barefoot novice eye is thinking his digital cushions are woefully underdeveloped? Other hind foot rear view photo was too blurry to be of use (sorry). Which in this case would actually be a hopeful thing as would mean a good chance of success for "undoing" the reverse rotations when I do the work to build it?

Thank you in advance for any further help or advice!

 

[barefootbeginner]

An update on this thread, in case anyone comes across it when in a similar position themselves (which is how I got started on this journey):

The barefoot rehab was entirely successful in reversing the reverse rotation in both hinds! Vet slightly shocked at the extent of the progress I think when re-xraying. There is still a bit of flatness to go, but they assure me his feet are now better than many competing. It was all acheived thanks to the help on here as well as reading and implementing the book by Nic Barker and Sarah Braithwaite - Feet First - and making the management changes and following the "putting miles in over the right surfaces" approach.

I have before-and-after images of the xrays as well as the feet themselves so if anyone is interested I can post those on this thread? Otherwise, thank you again to everyone who contributed and helped me on my way here.

 

[ester]

Great update! Always interested in hoofy xrays and photos

ETA you might need to change your username now though ?

 

[ycbm]

Brilliant, thanks for the update.
.

 

[barefootbeginner]

The worse one: left hind.



Right hind:

 

[barefootbeginner]

Great update! Always interested in hoofy xrays and photos

ETA you might need to change your username now though ?

Edited to remove a couple of excessive exclamation marks (!)
Thank you, hoofy xrays and photos now added. You were a massive help in this process, ester, thank you so much.

Haha, no chance, can't believe how much more about it all I learn every day, and I'm only focussing on one horse with one set of hooves right now!! Besides, looking at those after hoofy photos, still a blinkin long way to go even on this one set!

 

[ester]

They look fab, well done!

 

[Gloi]

Amazing difference. You should save these pictures for all the threads where a vet or farrier has said a horse needs remedial shoeing due to weak heels.

 

[alibali]

I missed this thread first around but thanks for the update, really pleased your research and hard work paid such good dividends Always nice to hear how things turned out.