Following on from barefoot post . . .

[melle]

I didn't feel that I had done the research into barefoot sufficiently to make a well informed decision yet so my mare was shod today as usual. She has been lame for two weeks and although initial nerve blocks showed the lameness not in the foot, when the vet came out he did comment on her wide flat feet and collapsed heels.

My farrier has this time put shoes with quarter clips and plastic heel wedges as a short term measure over the summer to try and offer the heel more support. Now reading on here people seem to have nothing good to say about wedges.

Are there any resident farriers on here that would be happy to comment on her feet if I post pictures or attempt to!

The farrier was saying her heels are growing at a very flat angle. IF i went barefoot how long would it take for the horse to naturally correct the collapsed heel?

 

[LouandBee]

Bump.......interested to hear the response after my Vet has recommended wedges for my girl which I am really reluctant to do.

 

[Clava]

This forum is very helpful with regard to barefoot questions.
http://uknhcp.myfastforum.org/index.php

 

[cptrayes]

The farrier was saying her heels are growing at a very flat angle. IF i went barefoot how long would it take for the horse to naturally correct the collapsed heel?

I'm really sorry melle, but the answer to your question really is "how long is a piece of string". If you had perfect conditions, with a track of pea gravel, and if her nutrition is perfect for her, and if it stays dry and her feet aren't soggy all the time, and if she gets enough work on the right surfaces then she MIGHT rebuild them in around 12 weeks, or she might be a horse that takes a lot longer because some of them do. Your worst case, if you got everything right, would probably be not more than 9 months, but she would probably be happy on her feet long before that, they just won't be "finished".

Your best bet is to find a barefoot-supportive farrier or a trimmer who has already got a track record of rebuilding collapsed heels, and get them to come and see your mare and tell you what they think.

You could post photos on here, but photos can be very deceptive and you will find that many pro trimmers are prohibited by the rules of the organisations they belong to from making diagnoses with insufficient information, so you might not get good advice. You really need someone to see your mare in the flesh.