Can anyone recommend a hoof supplement?

[Jazpaige]

I just want advice on a hoof supplement for my tb. As he is currently permanently lame but incredibly inconsistent and we have no idea why? Vets think it could possibly be a repetitive strain injury and could be down to having imbalanced front feet... Also if anyone has any tips on how to help him come fully sound again let me know, bute didn't do anything! And anything on how to strengthen their ligaments would be good even if it's just a additive to his feed. The only things he has in his feed are garlic granules for respiratory and flexijoint.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

No supplement will make a horse sound on its own unfortunately.

Has the vet nerve blocked the legs to actually pinpoint where the issue is?

If the front feet are unbalanced you need to change farrier who shoes to the horse and not the other way round.

If the nerve block suggests it's feet, not further up then Google Rockley farm - even if you don't want to subscribe to the barefoot camp, it offers advice about feeding for foot health. There would be no harm done if you did a barefoot rehab (and stick it out and not give up when it gets too difficult, which it will do) and then put shoes on later.

Look to the diet and the way you ride. No ground will make the horse lame, what makes the horse lame is not having the fitness or the conditioning to deal with the ground or workload. There has also been research into joint supplements that suggest in certain circumstances they really don't help.

For a good balancer look to ForagePlus, or FreeStep is a botanical version which is coming back with good results. Also help with insulin issues which could also be the reason for lameness - just because your horse isn't the normal stereotype for it doesn't mean it should be ruled out.

And if the horse is shod, there is a very strong chance there is thrush present and this can cause lameness too.

 

[Jazpaige]

The vets don't want to put nerve blocks in because they are pretty adamant it's repetitive strain injury in his ligament behind his tendon, they done all sorts of checks with his hoof and couldn't find any soreness whatsoever, my farrier had been doing balancing remedial work but then stopped to see how he would be and if he still needed it, so maybe it's because the remedial work has stopped.

At the end of the day this lameness came on very sudden and random, we had been in training to start BE this year so his fitness was excellent and was in amazing form, hit the middle of winter when he couldn't be exercised as much and farrier stopped the work and this happens... I will get my farrier to check for thrush etc and see what he can do

 

[missyclare]

"but then he stopped stop see how he would be and if he still needed it" I have never heard anything like that before! If you are in the middle of transition, if you quit, you either go uphill or downhill from that very moment. I'm not worried, though, I'm sure he comes regularly and stays on top of the trim. There are also all kinds of clues to tell you that a hoof has thrush, that you should be able to recognize. The farrier is only there for an hour, the rest is your homework, an ongoing war that is not over until you see wide heels, a huge burgeoning frog and no central sulcis crack whatsoever. Thrush can cause this intermittent lameness. Imbalance can also. It can pull tendons, crunch them, create aggravation that promotes bone changes and promote arthritis.....with every step. If the farrier has trimmed and the vet comes along and says imbalance, then, in my book, you need a new farrier. These two issues, getting balanced and fighting thrush may just see you over the hump on this. It can also depend on the pathology present as well. If the hoof is flared forward, this pulls on the DDFT tendon at the back and Extensor tendon in the front gets crunched. The DDFT in the back has to flow past the navicular bone. Xrays will tell you the truth on that one. The vets at a glance only, will say there is pain in the back of the foot. If there is a deep-seated thrush, frog atrophied, heels contracted...the back of the foot is crunched together like an accordian. Once this is healed, all is well. If it is navicular, just leaving the heels a tad longer will give his DDFT the relief it needs. Boots with pads for awhile, will protect from abscesses, give him confidence to move properly (=proper growth) and lots of movement will develop the hoof stronger. So, if its time to get back into shape again, with a good trim, protection against setbacks, your homework done... go ahead and move to develop and strengthen. By the time harder summer ground comes, horse and hoof should be ready.
Pictures posted would help a lot for getting into specifics, if anything is wrong, a second opinion can be enlightening, if only for a better conversation with the farrier next time. Maybe I can help with that. A heel shot helps me determine the best. ( pick up leg, let it hang from the fetlock joint, lean forward and catch from the ergot to the toe on the horizon.) A solar shot, (camera directly above the bottom of the hoof) and a side shot, (hoof on the ground, camera on the ground, 5' away, directly from the side) If you care to, I might be able to feel the horse's discomfort from what I see. The hoof has tons of information available and it just needs to be listened to and respected before the rasp comes out. The horse is the boss, its his hoof and he deserves someone to listen to it, not dictate....or quit.

 

[Jazpaige]

It was my farrier who stopped remedial work as he said my horse seemed to be getting so much better. I'm not dictating or quitting otherwise I wouldn't be open to other people's opinions. I am simply worried for my poor horse and want advice on anything that could help him. I am only 16 so I don't know anything so don't go accusing me of quitting on my horse. I am doing anything but that. Like I said the vets assessed him for over an hour and said his feet seemed absolutely fine, but said that because his front two feet are completely difference it could be due to slight imbalance. His hoofs look absolutely fine hence why when my farrier comes I will be getting him to re evaluate the situation.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I really would look into Rockley and the findings about balance of the hooves they have. They aren't anti-shoe per se, and ultimately sometimes shoes are needed for some horses.

However!

No horse is completely symmetrical, so there will always be an element of 'unbalance' when we intervene either through barefoot trimming, or through full farriery. Horses, like humans are very good at adapting and making the best use of what they have. There are many, many people that have one leg up to an inch shorter than the other, or a slightly rotated lower leg, but you would never know to watch them walk.

If he was my horse, and there was money in either my pocket or in the insurance policy, I would push for at least nerve blocking. In my opinion, they are making quite large assumptions based on - I assume hoof testing - and what it looks like. If they are still adamant it is an RSI injury they should be guiding you on the next steps, but I should imagine it will involve more bute, physio and possibly steriod therapy.

It could just be the sudden decrease in workload, combined with the change in direction with the farriery (but not doing something for one cycle should not lame a horse, if it does it suggests something underlying).

Or, maybe look into turning him away for a year with his shoes off and a sugar/high starch free diet and let him decide how his feet should be. You can still event without shoes

 

[Jazpaige]

Yeah the vets don't want to nerve block because they are adamant it's to do with ligament or possibly muscular, and nerve blocks won't tell them anything. But I am getting them out soon and they will reassess and possibly go for x Rays and ultrasound

 

[skint1]

I agree that there appears to be a lot of assumptions being made on not much solid evidence, ad I have been there with my own horse. Based on my own experience, this is just my opinion but would it be worth just going for the the xrays and u/s sooner rather than later, that way you can establish precisely where the issue is and figure out how to address it?

 

[Jazpaige]

Yeah that's exactly what we are going for but the vets aren't coming out to re asses until the 17th so it is just a waiting game