Does remedial shoeing ever work??

[Fun Times]

I am neither pro barefoot nor pro shod, if you see what I mean. Each case on its merits and each to their own in my view. I know there are a number of people who are strong advocats for barefoot and I enjoy reading their posts. The help and advice given is always very helpful and well thought through and its great to see people sharing their success of barefoot both generally and in rehab situations. Especially as the people they are responding to are usually going through a difficult phase.

So I guess what I am wondering is are there as many positive stories from a remedial shoeing perspective? By contrast to all the "pro barefoot" posts you don't often read many success stories relating to remedial shoeing. I presume some people have had some success, surely??

For my own part I had a laminitic in heart bars years and years ago when I was a kid and they really seemed to help her, but I may have misremembered as I was very young.

I don't want this to turn into a thread about barefoot vs shod as that has been done to death. I am just looking for positive remedial shoeing experiences.

Thanks!

 

[chestnut cob]

Yep, IME. My last horse had ringbone in front and when I changed farriers (from one who insisted the only way to shoe was standard toe clips and if it's lame, it's lame) to a remedial farrier, he was immediately put into Natural Balance shoes. The horse walked away from the farrier sound - I could hardly believe it was the same horse. NB shoes made such a difference. He stayed in those for about 12 months I think then farrier moved to wide web, rolled toes that he made himself for him (similar principle to NB I believe). We did once try him in toe clips again and he wasn't right at all so we went back to previous.

 

[criso]

I linked to a study in a previous thread which if you are registered to get access shows a break down of various foot pathologies and the stats are not good

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00081.x/pdf

The study includes both soft tissue and bone conditions inside the foot that are often lumped together under navicular syndrome so would not include ringbone which I have no experience of.

FWIW I think when people start looking for alternatives like barefoot, it's a sign that the conventional approach is not working. There are many people (including me) who would never have thought to take an ex racer barefoot unless I was at the end of the road with him.

As for laminitis I would suggest that what you do to the foot is all about alleviated pain and minimising damage but the condition itself is not treated by barefoot or shoes but by addressing diet and management and identifying underlying conditions like cushings and treating.

 

[ihatework]

I think remedial shoeing can provide a short-mid term solution for many horses.
You can change the foot balance much quicker/easier by applying a shoe.

For some of those horses it can be a long term solution. I suspect for many it's not permenant.

I actually fully support the theory behind taking a horse unshod. I don't think it is rocket science and I do think some people get more obsessed about it than they perhaps should.

These days horses are generally managed in work all year round and less seem to be getting the old fashioned 3 months turned away unshod. An observation rather than a criticism.

I have little doubt in my mind that years of shoeing, no matter how good a farrier, can take its toll on the foot.

It is not some heinous crime to shoe a horse. Ultimately you have to do what is required to keep a horse comfortable. But if you have a horse with tricky feet and you are willing to set aside time to try and get them tight unshod then you could win out long term.

 

[Birker2020]

My horse had remedial shoeing. He had lateral extension on his hinds for his spavin when first diagnosed. He also had his front toes rounded (forgot proper terminology) for his coffin joints to increase the breakover with his stride and Equipak to pad his feet for concussion. The Equipak didn't last very long so he ended up with rubber plates instead. We only shod him like this for about six months and then reverted to no padding at all and he went four or five years before needing steroid again in the joints.

 

[old hand]

yes but only with a very good farrier that specialises in remedial shoeing, who will shoe to the x rays and work with the vet. i have a horse that broke his pedal bone and developed navicular and counter rotated pedal bones 12 months ago. With excellant shoeing, a barefoot diet and 12 months his pedal bones are back where they should be , pedal bone mended in 8 weeks and the navicular barely shows. He has been in full work for three months with three months fittening before that. Also have a horse that was away in a competition yard and who returned fifteen months ago lame due to a spavin caused but a medio lateral imbalance in his feet ( did not have it when he went) has thrown a huge jack spavin and prognosis was not good. the same farrier adjusted his shoes , dumped the toes and shoes with a lateral spur to support the spavin. Sound in two months, started competing after six and still sound a year later. The only other adjustment we have made is to shoe the fronts with Equilibrium shoes to improve breakover and to allow for his toed out front which breaks over to the outside of the toe clip on a normal shoe. I work closely with the farrier and the vet and report any, no matter how small, change to their way of going.

 

[Andalucian]

No in the long term, but can appear to give relief in the short term. Can't bear the thought of it myself.

 

[Fun Times]

No in the long term, but can appear to give relief in the short term. Can't bear the thought of it myself.

Thanks everyone for your replies, I am finding them very interesting and its good to hear some positive stories. Andalucian, can I ask whether you have ever tried remedial shoeing and had it fail? I am not meaning this to be provoking, I am genuinely interested in whst experience you have of remedial shoeing that makes youagainst it.

 

[Michen]

I nearly posted this very thread myself not so long ago. Mine had remedial shoes on for all of 3 weeks (and even when they were going on I felt uneasy about it). He was immediately more comfy but went lame again two weeks later. Whether this was the shoes or the navicular bruising/inflammation that he was then diagnosed with I don't know. But it was enough for me to not want to find out. He's now in some oversized boots borrowed from a friend, and pads. Interestingly despite the fact they don't fit (waiting for him to be trimmed before I measure and order) and are clumpy and big, he has stopped tripping.

Edited to say they were graduated bar shoes and equipak, shod to x rays and farrier working with vet.

 

[Andalucian]

Yes fun times, I followed vet advice and had remedial shoeing for 3 years (a long time ago). Horse had to be PTS due to chronic foot pain. With my knowledge now, she'd still be alive. I'm not speaking blithely about this subject, sadly.

ETA the only situation in which I would advocate remedial shoeing is for a broken pedal bone, to use a bar shoe as a cast to stop movement whilst it knits together.

 

[tallyho!]

I tried remedial for a long time before paying for natural balance which put a smile on my face for a while...

Then.... realised what "natural" balance was doing to my horses hooves... nothing natural whatsoever!

Took every metal thing off completely, tuenred him away for 10 months and got my horse back.

 

[tallyho!]

I tried remedial for a long time before paying for natural balance which put a smile on my face for a while...

Then.... realised what "natural" balance was doing to my horses hooves... nothing natural whatsoever!

Took every metal thing off completely, tuenred him away for 10 months and got my horse back.

 

[Polonaise]

Yeah, kept my "navicular" horse competing BE100 for many years with the help of clever farriers, careful work and occasional medicinal help. Definitely helps if you get it right. BUT eventually it stopped working enough, the last round of remedial shoes definitely made her less lame but not sound enough to work properly. She's now a Rockley Rehab and sound in front for over a year.

 

[vanrim]

Yes absolutely. Heart bars have worked wonders on two of my horses. Plastic shoes have made laminitics much more comfortable. Remedial shoeing can really help but you do need a very good farrrier.

 

[tallyho!]

Perhaps a good question is how many years before remedial fails? Then you would see a good cross section.

For me it was 2 years.

 

[noblesteed]

Yep Remedial shoeing as been a huge help to my gelding with bone spavin in both hocks. My farrier is totally fab though!