Collapsed heels

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Posting for my friend whose 10 yr old TB has recently been diagnosed with collapsed heels. He has bilateral front foot lameness that was only picked up by accident when the vets were investigating a relatively minor hind foot problem. Her vets still need to come and take further x-rays after the farrier removes the shoes, as the shoes were hiding a critical part of the foot.

She now fears the worst, ie never able to be ridden again, as she has heard some horror stories. Please could anyone with experience of this condition (part of navicular syndrome I believe) share their stories, good or bad, so she has more of an idea of the next steps. She is terrified he will have to have eggbar shoes which would mean he can't be turned out for months, unless he could bear a tiny electric fenced square which she thinks he'd try to jump out of. Thanks all x

 

[Bosworth]

Well you def can turn out with eggbars, I did and for several months. Just had to make sure he had overreach boots on at all times and that they were long enough to cover to the ground. Veredus do an overreach boot which covers the foot and shoe so prevents it being pulled off completely.

 

[cellie]

I turned my 8 yr old tb out with eggbars and kept over reach boots on he was fine.The farrier made huge improvement in around 5 months his heels are good now but unfortunately he still has soft tissue injury problems so has been retired.Hope your friend has more luck

 

[Birker2020]

Hi BOF

I've found a link to a similiar post put on new rider

http://www.newrider.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-45301.html

I've also found another link to a farrier item

http://www.thenaturalhoof.co.uk/18.html

and another link to sore front end problems due to broken back foot/pastern axis http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/horse-h...rse-part-2.aspx

I think the last link might be of interst to your friend as it relates to TB's in particular x

 

[sally2008]

Reassure your friend that collapsed heels can be very successfully treated by a good remedial farrier and that there are more modern and effective treatments than eggbars, which can cause issues in their own right. I recommend she discusses all the available options with her farrier.

 

[Marchtime]

Well mine wasn't a good story, hence I won't bore you with it. What I would say is that bilateral heel pain is in itself not a diagnosis. It could be navicular, navicular 'syndrome', soft tissue damage, minor coffin joint arthritis, or it could be something as simple as poor foot conformation leading to concussion and bruised soles. Unfortunately x-rays in themselves aren't a great diagnostic tool for heel pain as they only show up some issues and are often inconclusive.
As a plan of action your farrier is key. I'd be using the x-rays to best work out how the horse should be shod. Hopefully with the right shoeing the horse will come sound and your friend will not have to worry any further about it.

 

[Flame_]

[ QUOTE ]
Well mine wasn't a good story......

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, I tried to write something along the same lines before then gave up.

OP, get the farrier to do his best and try different alternatives, including unshod if its feasible. Either the horse will respond or it won't, IME.

 

[Jericho]

Have a look at some of my previous posts as I am going through the exact same problem - they havent diagnosed navicular definitively - have just labelled it nav. syndrome. I was recommended a new farrier who has had lots of experience of TBs in Newmarket with collapsed heels. The farrier at the vets put my horse in pads then heart bars to no avail (in fact he was worse and has pulled the heart bars off within the week - 2 pairs of very large overreach boots seem to be doing the trick for the moment though - my lad is out 24/7. The new farrier is suggesting natural balance shoes with equilox which is like a cushoing filler - he is saying that he has had 100% sucess (60 or so horses) with this and most cases of diagnosed navicular is more to do with the conformation of the feet / collapsed heels than any bony degeneration, which supports my horses cases as his xrays showed nothing untoward on the navicular bone.

My horse has also had tildren IV which apparently has a 60% chance of working after 2 weeks if it was due to Navicular, but he is still lame after 13 days....

I am thinking now that his problems are definitely hoof / shoeing related and it will be my farrier that can sort it if anyone can - fingers cross!

Unfortunately my boy is most definitely unsound at the moment and if he cant be improved the only option is to make a very sad decision......so I am doing everything I can to not reach that point...

 

[shirley123]

hi i have had similar problems to cellie and marchtime, - mine due to conformation issues i.e. collapsed heels. just put over reach boots on and you will be fine. the collapsed heels were in conjunction with soft tissue injury within the hoof, but fortunately my horse although being given a very guarded prognosis is now sound and back competing in showing and dressage successfully. i have him shod every 4 weeks to maintain the correct foot balance i also don't jump him anymore and i am very careful with him - i am totally paranoid good luck to your friend.x

 

[TheFarrier]

There are many ways your friend could tackle the collapsed heels and possible Navicular as well is it? Good methods for Navicular to help the horse come sound is a turn away period and the most beneficial thing for collapsed heels in this case would be to remove all shoes and have very regular trims.

Egg bars while good for Navicular are not always so good for collapsed heels as the can crush the heels further. An Easy walker shoe (i recommend these) are plastic and over time mould to the foot to mimic natural barefoot movement (great for when the horse comes back into work) and are a bar shoe, they can help with heel groth as they do not compress the heels as much as a steel shoe would while still giving the needed support etc.

Dont let your friend jump to too many negative conclusions before she has researched all her options and this includes talking to her farrier.

 

[Britestar]

One of ours had badly collapsed heels. We knew about for a while, but could never get them up, and it was a vicious circle.

He ended up wearing PG shoes for about a year, and there was a noticable difference after 3 months. After a year or so his heels were so good, the farrier put him back into 'normal' shoes, and his heels stayed in good shape until he was PTS (for a totally different reason).

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Brilliant everyone. Many, many thanks - I'll pass on all experiences/suggestions. Membership of this forum is a real pleasure when other members so helpfully take the time to pass on information like this. Thanks people and virtual cookies and hot choc to everyone or a sniff of the bag the lettuce came in to anyone on a diet like me x