little_flea
Well-Known Member
Our lovely mare suddenly suffered a massive change in hoof quality - suddenly her feet which were always pretty ok, just started crumbling - inside they seemed "wet". She was always in shoes with side clips but there wasn't enough to attach to so she got toe-clips, and as there wasn't enough good hoof to nail to, she briefly went lame and pottery. Hoof walls were filled with glue and shoes nailed through that instead. Trouble is that this just doesn't stay on - had to re-do it twice in 5 weeks.
Then our physio came out and said Maggie was bilaterally lame in both front feet. Farrier out again and Maggie has sore heels because they have collapsed with the sudden deterioration in hoof quality. Discussed what to do - bar shoes, etc. The problem is that there really isn't enough hoof to nail to, so farrier suggested to simply take her shoes off for 6 weeks and just let her be in the field. Without shoes she is really footsore (though ok on grass), feet are really flat so the hoof pastern axis is all wrong, and there would be some rotation of the pedal bone as well. There will obviously be a strain on ligaments and tendons as well in the long term.
My farrier is a AWFC remedial farrier and he is really not a fan of barefoot and thinks it generally damages horses, but he just felt that as the hoof is so poor, leaving the shoes off for a bit might stimulate more growth - and also the fact that it is near on impossible to keep the shoes on.
I am awaiting the opinion of another remedial farrier on Monday. In the meantime Maggie is just in the field.
Now, what would you do? I realise there are many different approaches here. I am worried about everything about being barefoot - navicular, tendons, rotation of pedal bone, the fact she is footsore. I am also worried about putting bar shoes on as there is such a difference in opinion on how well this really works for collapsed heels.
Shall I get her to a vet for x-rays? Will these be at all valuable if she doesn't have shoes on? Do you think barefoot for 6 weeks will damage her more? Do you think barefoot in the field for 4 days might be harmful?
I have never had this before, and it happened so suddenly and I don't know who to trust.
Then our physio came out and said Maggie was bilaterally lame in both front feet. Farrier out again and Maggie has sore heels because they have collapsed with the sudden deterioration in hoof quality. Discussed what to do - bar shoes, etc. The problem is that there really isn't enough hoof to nail to, so farrier suggested to simply take her shoes off for 6 weeks and just let her be in the field. Without shoes she is really footsore (though ok on grass), feet are really flat so the hoof pastern axis is all wrong, and there would be some rotation of the pedal bone as well. There will obviously be a strain on ligaments and tendons as well in the long term.
My farrier is a AWFC remedial farrier and he is really not a fan of barefoot and thinks it generally damages horses, but he just felt that as the hoof is so poor, leaving the shoes off for a bit might stimulate more growth - and also the fact that it is near on impossible to keep the shoes on.
I am awaiting the opinion of another remedial farrier on Monday. In the meantime Maggie is just in the field.
Now, what would you do? I realise there are many different approaches here. I am worried about everything about being barefoot - navicular, tendons, rotation of pedal bone, the fact she is footsore. I am also worried about putting bar shoes on as there is such a difference in opinion on how well this really works for collapsed heels.
Shall I get her to a vet for x-rays? Will these be at all valuable if she doesn't have shoes on? Do you think barefoot for 6 weeks will damage her more? Do you think barefoot in the field for 4 days might be harmful?
I have never had this before, and it happened so suddenly and I don't know who to trust.