Dry Frogs

[Champion1969]

My mare is on box rest due to laminitis, had the vet a farrier out for more x-rays yesterday and they couldn't get over how hard her frogs are. Now she is on shavings due to her strick diet and they have told me to try to not keep her bedding so clean, but what else would anyone reccomend, Ive tried standing her in a bucket of water but shes having none of it? Any homemade remidies would be apprieated before I go and buy unnessary stuff.

 

[be positive]

I cannot think why hard dry frogs are a bad thing in a laminitic who requires strong frogs to support the pedal bone, having a damp dirty bed will mean the ammonia will build up and have a negative effect on her health and may make her frogs weaker, my laminitic always grew strong frogs and very deep tough soles which my farrier felt was natures way of trying to support him and never said it was a bad thing other than making trimming hard work for him.

 

[Ruby's Mum]

I too cannot understand why there would be concern over hard frogs, I have four on shavings and one on straw and their frogs are all firm/hard (and one is laminitic prone) they have never had an issue. I personally wouldn't be changing the cleanliness of bedding.

 

[Queenbee]

The only time a farrier ever commented on the hardness of the beast's frogs was when we had shoes on and he wanted to cut back/shape the frog slightly after a long period of barefoot, he really struggled lol. But as a barefoot horse, there is no reason for the frogs to be tampered with and IMO there is no such thing as 'too hard' when barefoot is being considered.

 

[Champion1969]

Me too, I have been reading up and yes I agree about it not being an issue, she is shod on the fronts so not barefoot Im listing to all advice but I too am a bit baffled.

 

[be positive]

Me too, I have been reading up and yes I agree about it not being an issue, she is shod on the fronts so not barefoot Im listing to all advice but I too am a bit baffled.

I thought they may have given you a reason, are her frogs growing beyond the level of the shoes as I could see that possibly putting a bit too much pressure on the pedal bone and causing a bit of discomfort or if they wanted to put on heartbars that may be tricky but the frogs being hard should make heartbars unnecessary, she may benefit from having the shoes off as she recovers it will allow you to monitor her so much more easily.