Can you help, ideas needed

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thatsmygirl

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My tb gelding who has raced for 8 yrs on firm ground, he was a firm ground runner has problems with being shod. He keeps going pottery in his stride. The vet is coming Monday for a full lameness workout and go from there. He has horrid flat feet and unrun heels. Everytime he's shod he can't stand without shoes and for a while afterwards he's pottery and not right. Iv tried differnt farriers and it's always the same. Anybody had this problem?I think there is something not right in his feet and the nailing on off the shoe makes him worst again until everything settles. I'm worried about navicular as he has pottery strides ESP on the turn and coming out off his box and bad walking down hills.
Will know more Monday but can anybody offer any advice for me to think about or look up. Thanks
 
Yes ,this happened to my ex racer, had investigated and he does have navicular, tried remedial shoeing didn,t work!
He is now barefoot and although it will be sometime before his feet come good, he is progressing and moving much better!
 
I would suggest xrays may be needed, see what your farrier says, but I would def get the vet involved.

Go for a Barefoot Diet even if not going barefoot and see if that helps at all.

Good luck xx
 
Thanks guys, I wanted to just go for x rays but vet wants to nerve block etc first to see where we stand. He's already on a bare foot diet apart from baileys no 4 which do work for him but may need to find another feed. He has micro linseed, hi fi molasses free, devil claw and baileys no 4 with equimins advance vits/mins.
Iv tried bare foot before with him but he was so sore I couldn't make it work but if it ends up that way I'm gona have to give it my best shot. After all if it is navicular which is the new I'm expecting in the end and he can't stand being shod what do I do??? Apart from PTS? Barefoot will have to be my next route but will wait until/if that happens
 
mine is nit an ex racer but exactly the same. took me years to get her feet right. i fed her dengie healthy hoofs and slapped camrosa on. took a number of years for them to be almost normal, she also had wedge shoes with silicon pads but now has normal shoes on. habe a fantastic farrier too. i did find out after 4 years of owning her that she has pedal ostitis though but when she went lame i originally thought she had navicular.
 
stupid phone! shed been lame on and off over a period of time and was always a wee bit sore after being shod and the vet could never come to a conclusion. it wasnt until.she took laminitis and was still v lame, vet was getting nowhere and i was convinced she had navicular, i changed vet and we discovered the pedal ostitis but it did look like navicular at first.

i hope you get your boy sorted its horrible whem theyr ill. i did tons of research into navicular and it can be managed!
 
My thinking would be to learn as much as you can about hoof health. Pete Ramey's articles are a great resource and then consider a period of rehab (barefoot) to help him grow stronger healthier hoof structures/hooves. :)

Sounds like he is saying that shoeing isn't working for him atm and is actually making him sore. Arm yourself with learning including how to keep him comfortable with boots, pads etc.
It does sound like hoof problems though of course other things may also be going on. Wish you the best.

If you need it there is help and support on this forum. http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php

modified as I got muddled with him/her. Sorry.
 
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Thanks for the input. I'm hopeing I'm wrong but I think bare foot is going to be his last chance in reguards to soundness. Will see what the vet thinks monday.
 
My barefoot bible is Feet First by Nic Barker (and another lady :o). Loads of info, especially about diet and rehabilitation.

:)
 
Shysmum I brought the book last time I tried barefoot with him but I failed :(
not sure what wasn't right but he couldn't hardly stand as he was so sore so shoes went back on.
 
Oh you poor thing. I do think the only option is to go thru the whole vet workup now - at least you will know what is wrong. i would also suggest posting this in the veterinary forum, as fab advice in there too.
 
Sounds just like my old mare, she used to look like her shoes were too tight when she first had them on, standing on her heels and stretching her front legs, also pottery in front - bit like a laminitic, was navicular. You need to get the vet involved and take it from there, good luck
 
I had tried previously to go barefoot as well and like you I put shoes back on as he was so sore, this time I used boots and pads much more he is turned out in them daily, taking them off at night this has made all the difference as he has such thin soles!
I also have a great trimmer who has been a tremendous help a farrier trim just crippled him, you will get alot of barefoot support on here, I would give it another go! My boy who was crippled if he lost a shoe can now walk down the lane and back bare, it will be a while before I see the true benefits but I really think it will be worth the wait, keep us updated, Good luck!
 
Thanks shysmum I may do that after the vets been on monday and see if I can get any more info

will let you know how i get on :)
 
I would see what vet says but if she is lame every time being shod i would take shoes off and use boots and pads and give him a year. You have a lot of knowlegdable people on here to pick brains, yes it's going to be tuff but in the end if it does work great happy pony if it doesnt at least you have done everything.

X

Ps maybe post on picys so the genius that is Cyprates and Oberon can crit his hooves....pps Sorry if i have made any spelling errors my phone is stupid :o
 
Pines off Rome your horse sounds the same as mine and I think the farrier also wouldn't be the right person to trim mine either after the last time he was bare foot and saw him hack his frogs off. :(
Oberon has posted pics off my horses feet before slightlyconfused :) as I can't post via my phone and don't have a computer. They aren't aren't nice feet but what's on top off them is lovely and sweet with a great charater so I must do my best to find him better feet ; )
 
thatsmygirl said:
They aren't aren't nice feet but what's on top off them is lovely and sweet with a great charater so I must do my best to find him better feet ; )
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Good for you. x

If a barefoot rehab is indicated (to you lol) after the vet visit, do consider getting an experienced (recommended if poss) trimmer to trim and guide you. If I remember her hoof pics correctly I imagine boots and probably pads will be needed for her comfort. That's a whole subject and experience in itself from my reading. lol

Good luck for tomorrow.
 
does your horse have any symptoms of ulcers?

X racers seemingly all have bad feet and usually have ulcers as well which will have an effect on the quality of hoof they grow.
 
PooJay said:
does your horse have any symptoms of ulcers?

X racers seemingly all have bad feet and usually have ulcers as well which will have an effect on the quality of hoof they grow.
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This is a really good point. Another reason diet is crucial in maintaining gut health after any specific treatments and as prevention. I believe if there is gut irritation even mild the absorption of nutrients is affected.
 
He doesn't have any typical signs off ulcers but this is food for thought which is what I'm after so thank you :) and a route to also look into.
He's put weight on, not stressy type and no vices. Looks fab but a high percentage off racers have ulcers so maybe worth trying sometime in his diet to try?
Also does anybody know if I can still feed yea sacc with equimins advance complete? Cause I am at the mo.
 
This is the diet my boy is on, which I must add he had a proper sulk about at first, but fine now
Speedibeet
Micronised linseed
Cal mag
Charcoal
Copper
Yeast sac
D&H Placid (added for flavour really)
Soaked Hay
 
Ok thanks.
My boy get
baileys topline ( need to swap as cereal based, any ideas? )
equimins advance complete
micro linseed
hi fi unmolassed
yea sacc
mag oz
devil claw

so I could add charcoal to his diet which wouldn't hurt anyway and maybe help detox his system as well?
Also seeing on another thread about feet like his, it was explained that the long toes take weight off the heels and put it on the toes so when my lad gets re shod and the toes are brought back, the weight is going back on his heels coursing him the pain? So I'm thinking navicular but could it be a case off simple heel pain.
 
I am no expert on this, I am doing what my trimmer has advised me to do, who by the way is Lucy Priory who often posts on here!
There is loads of helpful info on her blog, which I am sure you will find helpful!
 
Thats good that they have been seen.....would love to see the xrays, how many is he going to take and is it going up past the paston as it might also be something a little further up that is adding to his hoof problems....if that makes sense (just been blown about so brain is a little addled) also would it be worth asking your vet to look for corns as a tb up my yare was going lame on and of, especially after shoing but couldnt walk without shoes. Vet found he have corns so he now has special shoes that leave a gap where the corn is a he is sound as a pound.

Also i get a little peevish when people make assumptions abot tb feet, my sisters exracer has great feet, infact so does a friends.......
 
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