Foot sore

[trickishrose]

Hi guys. My mare is foot sore and is being shod on Tuesday (currently barefoot) so will be on box rest till then. I'm just wondering if shoeing her will ease her soreness or make it worse? Has anyone experienced this and would be grateful for any advice as never had a foot sore horse before. T.I.A

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If your horse is so sore that she has to be box rested, I'd be worried as to why she's so sore.

Yes, shoeing can help depending on the cause of the soreness. For example, if you have upped the workload too quickly or have started working the horse on more challenging surfaces, then shoeing allows you to get on without taking it slower and letting the horse adjust at their own pace. If the cause is laminitis, then no, shoeing won't help.

 

[trickishrose]

Sorry I didn't phrase that we'll. I have chosen to leave her on box rest and it is a change in surface so I think maybe stone brising only is the problem. Just wasn't sure if shoeing would delay recovery

 

[Meowy Catkin]

OK, so she's on box rest anyway for something unrelated? I wouldn't shoe in those circumstances as my preference would be to use hoof boots/pads to keep the horse comfortable while getting to the bottom of the foot soreness, before going for shoes.

Are her hooves healthy and well balanced, is her diet BF friendly, do you have time to walk her out on surfaces which she is comfortable on etc..?

She's your horse though, so you must do what you feel is best.

 

[SadKen]

Yes, I tried to take my girl barefoot and she ended up very footsore so we had to put shoes back on. She already had a low sugar diet, I think she would have been ok except that the route from stable to field is gravel chipped and very stony. She was initially ok on concrete but after a few days going up and down the track she was quite sore. She was immediately sound as soon as she was shod. I'd have definitely done hoof boots if she had been at home, but I can't expect yo to put boots on every day to turn out and bring in. I still prefer barefoot but I think I'd have to send my girl away to transition if I wanted to do itwithout causing pain.