Duplo shoes on back feet plus ulcers - no field turnout???

[JGC]

Having a bit of a nightmare with my new ponio's feet. I'll try to be as brief as I can, but it's a long story ...

She arrived having been stabled without turnout for several years and fed little hay and a lot of grain, with hooves that needed doing (about eight or nine weeks). A week after shoeing the hoof split as shown in the picture - actually both back hooves were particularly bad. It was patched up with resin, shoes back on. Same again another six weeks later. Last week, on one rear hoof, the show came off and the resin too. Farrier took a couple of days to come, hoof had got worse so he couldn't put a shoe on, came back today and has left a message with the yard owner that she has to stay in for six weeks or be on a all-weather surface on dry days until the next shoeing so her feet don't get wet! They're all out on 24/7 at the moment in a herd of 4.

I am royally pissed off that he didn't speak to me (I brought her down, but YO was to take her back and he was still doing another horse) at all about any of this - he also never, absolutely never answers the blooming phone. Mare is being treated for ulcers so although they get absolutely ad lib hay when in, it's not the same. There'll have to be another introduction to the herd when she can go out again. And I'm not sure that I wouldn't rather spend months fixing this issues with her being able to be live out like a real horse.

The flip side is that obviously it's going to be a complex issue and I do think he knows what he is doing foot wise.

I have been looking for someone else to come out most of the day, not many seem to want to come for just two horses. One is going to see what he can do and call me back. My old farrier was the business and is about 1hr away. I could feasibly take her to him for a second opinion, but I wouldn't be able to get enough time off work to take her there every six weeks.

The vet is coming back about the ulcers, so I'm definitely going to ask her.

I have made an appointment to look at a livery which apparently has less mud and more hard-standing in the fields. I would be gutted to leave current yard, which has 24/7 turnout in summer on paddock paradise type fields, fabulous fields, wonderful off-road hacking, an amazing instructor etc. and I'd have to move both my mares as I wouldn't be able to fit them around my job.

For the time being, she is going to be out in the small carpet arena (30 by 8m) with two ponies and hay and in at night. The arena has no shade though.

I am really mad that he thinks he can unilaterally decide her lifestyle without either consulting me or taking any other issues into consideration, and I am really upset at the thought of her being in so much and continuing to suffer from her ulcers (she also has arthritis in a front which was injected by her old owner three times), so I don't know if I am being unreasonable. I perfectly prepared to keep her without riding her, that is not a factor in making any decisions. She's 15.

Anyone have any kind of words of wisdom? I can't seem to see the wood for the trees here.

 

[Orangehorse]

If she is out on a forgiving surface, why not take the back shoes off and let the hoof grow down? Back hooves get strong faster than front ones because they are working harder, odd though it may seem. I don't mean that you would take her out and do a lot of work on stoney ground, but giving the hoof a rest from shoes might be one thing to do, even if you decide to put the shoes back on later.

 

[JGC]

I should also have said (my heads all over the place) that she was not sound on the hoof on which she lost the shoe as she was basically walking on the frog as no hoof wall lower down (I found the picture without the shoe). So she was OK in the field as ground is currently soft, but not on road or tracks.

 

[JGC]

Not to say that I not considering this as an option (or at least turning her out with the resins and taking my chances that they come off), but wondering if she'll struggle when the ground gets harder.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would turn her out if they come off so be it most horses can cope without back shoes and I think they will really benefit from having no shoes, if she becomes foot sore cross that bridge if or when it does happen.

 

[Arzada]

If this was my horse I would remove the shoes and give up all ideas of resin and patching up. The hoof is breaking away at the nail holes so I wouldn't want any more nails and holes. I'd 'bevel' from underneath to protect the broken bits from being pushed into more breaking/splitting. I would also turn her out. I wouldn't worry about the mud because that will give moisture to what looks like a dry brittle horn and will also support the foot. I'd worry about harder ground only if it adversely affects her feet.

 

[angel7]

Shoes off, turn her out, feed a good supplement for hoof growth.
Use boots and pads for the stony bits or if riding out, hoof should function better in just a few weeks.

 

[JGC]

Thanks guys, feeling a bit calmer, she's back out with her friends and I'll just keep my fingers crossed. I've got a barefoot specialist booked to come out in six weeks so we'll see how it goes!

 

[sbloom]

There is also a good chance there's white line disease in there, I'd treat for that too, if there's any HINT of stretching of it, Red Horse has some products that may help, ultimately a Cleantrax soak gets to the bottom of most WLD and other fungal/bacterial issues.

 

[JGC]

There is also a good chance there's white line disease in there, I'd treat for that too, if there's any HINT of stretching of it, Red Horse has some products that may help, ultimately a Cleantrax soak gets to the bottom of most WLD and other fungal/bacterial issues.

Oh thank you, that's very interesting

 

[sbloom]

Oh thank you, that's very interesting

It's exacerbated by the wet but hoof balance/trim and especially diet are the cause - high sugars the main culprit. It's not talked about enough, same as thrush, mild cases get ignored by most farriers. I would not box rest for 6 weeks for feet, I'd have to look at ALL other options.

 

[JGC]

Yes, I've boiled down to that - I don't want an arthritic and ulcery horse onto box rest unless it absolutely can't be helped (and this doesn't qualify!)