Foot lamness /Using Aluminium Shoes

S

Shanny

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 July 2008
Messages
93
Visit site
Hiya.

My mare has been lame with foot lameness for months now. Other than the lameness, she has lovely feet and I've never had any lameness problems with her before now. The vets confirmed this with nerve block and x-rays. The vet also advised that her shoes should be taken off, but all her feet are sore and she appears worse now she's barefoot. The farrier's suggested using aluminium shoes to help. Just wondered if anyone has had this problem before or used aluminium shoes with foot lameness and the outcome as I need some advice!

Thanks.
 
Hi Lou,

The vet felt that the x-rays showed that her foot was 'boxy' and the lameness could well be coming from the foot. He did the nerve block to see if the lameness blocked out to foot level. The foot lameness was confirmed and he advised me to remove her shoes.

I think the farrier thought that the aluminium shoes could help with the impact.

Shanny
 
they wont make a diffrent to impact. they are exactly the same as normal steel shoes.

Boxy feet need to grown out and down, usually the farrier may 'dropped the heel's' to reduce the boxyness, But the easiest way is to scrap the shoes.

You can now get a sole filler for use without shoes which might be an idea if you horse is foot sore.

Lou x
 
vet/farrier is now questioning pedal ositis, which is why the farrier suggested aluminium shoes I guess. Any information on this would be really helpful .... thanks to anyone who replies x
 
Ah.. Now Pedal ostitis is treated easily.. ish..
The most effective method of treatment is to turn the horse a way for six months.
The main cause of pedal ostitis is concussion, which would link into why your farrier is trying to reduce impact.

Other treatments include seated out shoe (the foot surface of the shoe has the inside edge (that next to the sole) beveled off slightly to reduce pressure, along with the use of a hospital pad made of plastic or leather.

Another option is normal shoes with equi-pak. this is a sole filler which is used to cusion the sole and prevent bruiseing. It is made by VetTek and is easy to use. Again speak to your farrier.

Pedal Ostitis is most common in horses with flat feet or those that to excessive amounts of hard road work. It can also be a secondary condition cause by Laminits and other foot conditions.

Hope this helps,

Lou x
 
We did do to a lot of road work before she went lame and she is quite heavy footed, and she does have flat feet, which is more noticeable now her shoes are off .... All the bits of the puzzle seem to add up.

Is there anything else I could do to help her.

Would a joint supplement, like Newmarket help? Or even a Hoof Supplement?

Thank you for your advice Lou, its really appreciated! I guess I'll just have to try and make my girl as comfy as possible.

Shanny x
 
Shanny,

Maybe my experience can help. I have a 5 yr old warmblood who has been off for 13 months now. In the end through MRI we discovered significant damage in her feet. She also has flat feet but the opposite to yours and has dropped heels. She has been up to Newmarket several times and after lots of failed treatment we opted for rest and corrective shoeing. Im not sure where you are but if you are in the South of England pm me and I will give you my farriers name. In 13 months my mare is the soundest she's been thanks to him. For the first 2 months she had the solar packing described above, avoid plastic soles as they made my mare worse, there is nothing to absorb the concussion whereas the packing does. Then we took her shoes off behind as they were sound and healthy. In front she has been gradually shod for the last 6 months every 4 weeks with a reducing wedge shoe. It has really made a difference and her hoof shape is responding. Newmarket are really impressed with the results. However it is a long haul. we have decided to leave her until the end of May, a total of 18 moths as she is precious to us and we have come so far. At that point we will re MRI her to assess. All I can say to you is that we were desperate and exhausted all surgical and medical interventions and this has been a godsend so if you are able too I would recommend this course of action. Good Luck!
 
Shanny,
Please don't take this the wrong way but your vet doesn't sound very definite in his diagnosis and if you ask me sounds like he is guessing. Sadly when I had Sammy five years ago he had lameness issues and it was found to be in his foot after nerve blocks. I was at boarding school with him at the time and so couldn't use my normal vets. The vets who treated him diagnosed navicular through x-rays despite there being few changes. He never came sound despite treatment and after six weeks I brought him home to my vets who immediately sent him to Newmarket for an MRI. Sadly he had a ruptured collateral ligament and was pts. Early diagnosis may not have saved him but it would have saved him suffering unnecessarily (the vets had told me to work him through the navicular). If your vets aren't sure of the diagnosis push for a second opinion.
Also agree with Lou re the aluminium shoes. If it is what the vets suggest then silicone pads might help - I use them on my flat footed TB.
 
Thank you all so much for your advice. I do lack on the extra 'horsey knowledge' about stuff like this, but I guess you learn through experience.

I'll keep you posted xxx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top