Farrier recommened an Osteopath ... Normal?

Antw23uk

Antw23uk

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Hi All
I've had my new mare five weeks this Saturday and she was shod today (slightly late, my bad :o) and the farrier said, via the YO because i was at work, that she needs to see an Osteopath because she is very short and restricted on one of her front shoulders/leg!

Is it normal for a farrier to suggest stuff like this? .. please forgive my ignorance and i mean no offence. Im back into riding after a very long period and this is my first horse (this time round) so feel like with all the best will in the world and help im still struggling to get my head round it all :o

She has been slightly lame since Sunday which i thought was caused by a spacky fit lunging on the right rein but today it turns out she had a small sharp stone between her heal and shoe so this was more than likely the cause (Cant believe i didnt see it because im always picking her feet out)

Can anyone help or give some first hand experience? I have no idea what kind of prices an Osteopath charge but i guess im willing to give it a go :confused: .... Although the way we feel about each other right now with her rude and incredibly agressive behaviour .... but thats another story :mad:
 
Im confused. She was shod today so I assume barefoot til now yet you found a stone between her heel and shoe? You pick her feet out all the time but didnt see the stone? Lame since Sunday & farrier suggests osteopath = theres your answer? Sorry I am quite tired so might be misinterpreting this!
 
TChamp said:
Im confused. She was shod today so I assume barefoot til now yet you found a stone between her heel and shoe? You pick her feet out all the time but didnt see the stone? Lame since Sunday & farrier suggests osteopath = theres your answer? Sorry I am quite tired so might be misinterpreting this!
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You are :p
She was shod before i got her. Ideally she should have been shod a week or so ago. She was shod today instead. The sharp stone was buried between her heal and shoe so although i say i cant believe i missed it, by the sounds of things it wasnt visible until the shoe came off .. apologies for not being clearer :)
 
Cool.....got it. Yep farrier sounds observant so id try the osteo but was he providing info on the basis she had been lame for a few days, coukd she still have been a bit sore after the stone? Or was it simpky from feeling her restrictions while manoeuvering her to shoe? I would call him first to clarify but thank him vvv much!
 
Farriers lift horses limbs at different and greater angles than we normally do.

It is perfectly feasible that the farrier, having lifted both forelegs the same way to fit each front with a shoe, that he felt a distinct difference in the flexibility and movement of the horse on one side to the other.

This is a good farrier if he is going to pick up on and advise on this stuff.

I would get the horse seen to. The can be so many reasons a horse becomes tight in one shoulder or one area, a good practitioner can do wonders in no time very often.

Also, check your insurance, some policies cover this work when needed, but you may then need vet referral. X
 
my osteopath and barefoot trimmer work "together" in that they will refer to each other when needed. So when one sees a problem that may be related to the other they will tell you to call the other out. Perfect! :D
 
TChamp said:
Cool.....got it. Yep farrier sounds observant so id try the osteo but was he providing info on the basis she had been lame for a few days, coukd she still have been a bit sore after the stone? Or was it simpky from feeling her restrictions while manoeuvering her to shoe? I would call him first to clarify but thank him vvv much!
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I believe it was from feeling her movements whilst shoeing her. I plan to call him today to get the low down.

Very thankful for the replies. Much appreciated :)

Now I just have to find one .. didnt seem to come up with anything on the BHS website last night! Should I try my vets?
 
Antw23uk said:
Hi All
.... Although the way we feel about each other right now with her rude and incredibly agressive behaviour .... but thats another story :mad:
Click to expand...

Aggressive behaviour is very often a sign of the horse being in pain ! If you cannot pinpoint something wrong you could try a bute/danilon trail to see if the behaviour improves whilst on pain relief.
 
Sounds like a great farrier to me. Mine picked up on a problem with one of the ponies fetlock, he wasnt lame and was going great but when the osteo gave him a check he was locked in that area. I dont think me osteo travels as far as you though I am afraid. I found mine through the local horse ads paper and checked she was qualified and then met her and she is great .
 
Yep sounds like a really good farrier to notice and make useful suggestions. I pay about £40 for an Osteopath to come to the yard and treat my horse and have found it beneficial in the past. You need your vet to give permission to treat but they can normally do this over the phone.

I'd also echo the suggestion that aggressiveness and/or bad behaviour could be linked to pain so the shoeing and a couple of sessions with an osteopath might help with the behaviour. Also bare in mind that 6 weeks is a pretty classic time for new horses to start testing the boundaries etc.

Something like a bruised foot (from the stone) can also make the horse hold tension elsewhere and lead to tightness in the back or shoulder or neck etc

My Osteopath reckoned that if osteopathy was the right treatment for a horse you would expect to see an improvement with two treatments (a week or two apart) and that three or four should be the maximum required in one go to resolve the issue (although some horses have a pre-disposition to certain things and may need treatments six monthly or annually). So it isn't an expensive way to resolve a tightness or shortness - but if the horse is lame you should have the vet out first really.
 
Thanks all, you have given some really great advice :D

Pushing the boundaries? .. Have you ever seen the film Aliens? This was us the other night ..... :p

caffyinabadmood.jpg
 
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