Had vet today and could do with some advice

[Orangehorse]

Why not have thin pads on the front shoe to protect her soles? Mine had them, and one set of pads lasted for months and months. I liked them as they had a bit of ribbing on the frog area, which gave the frogs some stimulus. They were a bit more expensive than some, but they lasted.

I think a 19 year old would be better out, walking around and kept warm.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Thank you folks, it is catrofen (sp) your a star!! I can go google it now!! I am really reluctant at her age and having played about with so many different types of shoes over the years to change things again ESP considering the amount of work she does (ie not much) tbh the big horse owes me nothing and as long as she is sound enough to go out in the field I'm happy.

It's really difficult when your on your own to think of all the questions to ask!

I would rather take her back shoes off (ifposs)and manage her on bute as long as she can go out, last time the blacksmith was here I asked if there was anything that we could do for her front feet and he said it would cost about another £100 on top of the shoes and really at her age and if she was sound then not to worry, it's only now the vets involved that there are all these other options.

The problem as well ismthatbthe mud just wrecks her feet, if I would do itnthenfarrier would want her kept in 24/7 in winter but I won't, she gets out for a couple of ours every day but the dilemma now is hat the mud wrecks her feet but standing in causes the arthritis to fare up - probably the dilemma of loads of horse owners I know!

I think I will send him an email with some more questions

My 23 year old has djd in her hocks.
6 years ago she had the steroid injections into the and the adiquan seris 7 after which really helped. We pu back shoes on her while they were fusing as she was really wearing her back hoof down really unevenly to the point it was making her lame. she has always been shod in front.

Two years ago I decided to just take her shoes off to see how she went, she is just on hay and grass, gets two/three days a week exercise in the summer but has most of the winter off as she doesn't do windy weather and rain etc (becomes unrideble) She has not had a single days lameness in the two years she has been BF and she has self trimmed.
I did buy her hoof boots with pads but she didn't need them.

I took my retired WB shoes off at the same time, my farrier wasn't that sure she would be able to cope as she has flat feet, and low heels etc.....after about two months of being hesitant on the stones she is now rock crunching and hasn't had a days lameness (okay she is now lame due to a suspensory tweak but nothing to do with her feet) my farrier is pleased and nicely surprised she proved him wrong.

I would take shoes of and buy her boots if it was me, I would also look at diet but don't go over board. my two BF girls are only on hay and grass. my other bf boy is only on hay, grass, hand full of molasses free chaff pro balance plus and his metformin and is booted when needed. they are all fine and have great feet.

BF doesn't have to be so daunting just have the boots and pads waiting, see what you can tweak in their feed and go with what the horses are comfy with for the first little while while they get used to no shoes.

 

[asommerville]

Why not have thin pads on the front shoe to protect her soles? Mine had them, and one set of pads lasted for months and months. I liked them as they had a bit of ribbing on the frog area, which gave the frogs some stimulus. They were a bit more expensive than some, but they lasted.

I think a 19 year old would be better out, walking around and kept warm.

She had pads on in the past with wedge shoes and after a while they made no difference to her, we also had a problem where muck and grit got beneath the pads and really hurt her so that kind of put me off!!

I Will need to ask that vet what he thinks about taking the back shoes off, He's being so technical about it though, rather than looking at the individual horse he has just given me a text book answer.

I really do appreciate everyones replies..

 

[Gloi]

We had a twenty year old who was lame with arthritis in his hocks. We decided it was time to retire him and he has been barefoot and a pasture ornament out all the time since. He was really quite lame for a while and we considered pts but as he seemed happy in himself let him potter on which he has for the past 5 years. Recently though it's been noticed how much he's been running about in the field and amazingly seems to be sound. We are quite tempted to bring him back into light work and might do so this summer.

 

[paulineh]

In certain circumstances I always feel that although it is very good the vets/farriers are not always up with the latest ways. As I said earlier after going down all the vet /farrier channels and using up all the insurance I decided that she was my horse and after doing a lot of research I have done what I believe is best for her.

We all pay the vets /farriers bills and then wonder if they are having our horses best interest or going down the good old ways or maybe making some money from us.

Some Vet/Farriers are moving with the times some are not.

 

[asommerville]

although she must be feeling ok today as she just nearly trampled me when i went to bring her in on my lunchbreak!!

have gone back to work with mud all over me!!

 

[ester]

It does sound a little like he isn't looking at the horse in front of him/what you do with her - I would talk to him about your expectations and other treatment options/shoes off rather than throwing the works at her.

 

[Lucyad]

Hi, you know my horse, who was diagnosed with bone spavin after xrays some 5-6 years ago. I think we have different vets though... It does depend where the arthritis actually is - in our case it was the small bones of the lower hock that can fuse together - classic bone spavin. I had assumed that they had fused, but recent xrays of the broken leg show that they are actually still apart and looking very good now...

But back to when he was first diagnosed - he got Adequan injections which are not expensive as you can do them yourself (intramuscular not IV). it is a course of 7. In the mean time I had to exercise as often as possible, at walk, in straight lines. At least daily turnout, of not 24/7. basically keep moving to avoid seizing up. Cosequin at loading dose (then normal dose after a few weeks), and I also feed turmeric and oil (supposed to add black pepper!). No lunging, no studs, and was shod with a very flat back shoe to allow the foot to twist, avoiding transfer the twist up to the hock. Slight lateral extensions, but never anything too big. No prob with shoes falling off, even in mud. Gradually upped work and he was sound for everything, but I avoided trotting on roads.

he had another flare up 3 years later, did the same, and again came sound part way through the Adequan course.

of course we now have the slight problem of a broken leg, but all looking good progressing the walking in straight lines again.

Hope this helps, give me a shout if you want any more info!

 

[Lucyad]

Oh, should have also mentioned, the reason he kept back shoes on, after discussion with vets and farrier, is that the twisting motion of his mechanical lameness (slight twisting motion) wore shoes down very unevenly - most of our work is on tarmac, so flat shoes to protect hoof, make it easier to slide and not transmit forces, was weighed up against less concussion of shoeless behind.

Shoes got pulled after broken leg healed enough, and I am leaving them off for the time being as he is managing fine - if anything twist has got better (possibly due to added friction, or possibly just because his hocks are pretty good just now). I will monitor the situation though - hopefully his hooves will compensate for any funny action. I have heard that it is likely that he will grow his own lateral extensions too - god knows what he will grow on the end of the broken leg! (interesting barefoot study!).

 

[Brightbay]

I took my retired WB shoes off at the same time, my farrier wasn't that sure she would be able to cope as she has flat feet, and low heels etc.....after about two months of being hesitant on the stones she is now rock crunching and hasn't had a days lameness (okay she is now lame due to a suspensory tweak but nothing to do with her feet) my farrier is pleased and nicely surprised she proved him wrong.

This is very common, I think. It is so difficult to go against vets and farriers who say very authoritatively that the horse will not cope, unless you have actually had the experience of doing it with another horse, or unless you have another horse nearby who's doing it.

In some way, the more "academic" vets and the remedial farriers who work with more severe cases and who work with, dare I say it , more valuable horses are the ones who are less likely to say "why not, give it a try". It's a shame, and the horses are the ones who have to suffer on with yet another kind of remedial shoeing, or yet another kind of stressful/uncomfortable intervention... and then a few years down the line when everything has been tried, sometimes the owner says "I'll just pull the shoes and give them a little time in the field..." and lo and behold they look out the window a month or two later and the retired horse is galloping around bucking and farting.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Took my mare into the vet today, she's just not right behind, sometimes stiff, sometimes lame.

She was x rayed and was diagnosed with severe arthritis, bony changes in both hocks. The vet suggested a courseif unjections(cannot remember the name) but muscular injections, and changing shoes, heart bars in front and shoes behind that will offer her more support.

With these shoes in her hund feet he has said she would have to stay in until the fields dry up as mud will pull them off.

My dilemma is that at 19 my mare I lightly ridden, by her sharer. For years she has had problems with her front feet, with flat feet, low heels, thin soles and is not a candidate for barefoot.

I am loath to mess about with her shoes and I really don't want to have her standing in, I don't think it's fair on her. I asked the vet about retiring her and he said that quite often horses get worse when they are retired.

I just don't know what to do.

I would not retire - I have seen to many who got retired only live a few years as they got stiffer and joints seized


I would put her on a good joint supplement - cider vinegar and light exercise and in the winter get some stable wraps to keep joints cozy as arthritis does not like cold

go to the web in my link then veterinary then A for arthritis for previous advice and things to help from previous members here.

Also these are great I used them on my mare. http://www.harpleyequestrian.co.uk/equine_magnetic_therapy_hock_wraps.htm

 

[Pebble101]

Thank you folks, it is catrofen (sp) your a star!!

I tried Cartrophen with my horse, the injections alone were around £400 - I didn't notice any difference. I gave them myself which saved the callout as it is a course of 4 to start then one every six months if they work.

I would not stable an arthritic horse either. Much better if they can live out with good shelter and rugs.

 

[Pebble101]

This is very common, I think. It is so difficult to go against vets and farriers who say very authoritatively that the horse will not cope, unless you have actually had the experience of doing it with another horse, or unless you have another horse nearby who's doing it. .

So true, I took my old pony's shoes off and neither I or the farrier thought he would cope, but he was absolutely fine with it from the start. My current retired lad had his shoes removed 4 years ago and I thought he would be fine, but he really struggles on the short bit of stony tarmac he has to walk along in winter. You just never know until you try!

 

[Ditchjumper2]

Keep her out!! The problem with vets is they do not think of the rest of the horse. Leave her as is and try joint supplements or bute. To be honest I would go for bute as it does work. If she is happy in work then carry on, retiring her will make it worse.

Remember vets, especially young ones, do not look at the bigger picture.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

This is very common, I think. It is so difficult to go against vets and farriers who say very authoritatively that the horse will not cope, unless you have actually had the experience of doing it with another horse, or unless you have another horse nearby who's doing it.

In some way, the more "academic" vets and the remedial farriers who work with more severe cases and who work with, dare I say it , more valuable horses are the ones who are less likely to say "why not, give it a try". It's a shame, and the horses are the ones who have to suffer on with yet another kind of remedial shoeing, or yet another kind of stressful/uncomfortable intervention... and then a few years down the line when everything has been tried, sometimes the owner says "I'll just pull the shoes and give them a little time in the field..." and lo and behold they look out the window a month or two later and the retired horse is galloping around bucking and farting.

Lol yep, though I have to admit my reasons for taking the 23yr olds shoes off was I was noticing she was getting grouching and flinching being shod so just though "****** it's, let's just see what happens"

The WB was just I wanted to save money and she was retired and not going to get back into work because of of the KS that I didn't see the point in shoeing anymore. Lol they both now, will be two years in oct, have really good hooves and haven't been trimmed at all as they do it the self! So happy horses and happy me! Lol
I have a every even thought on shoes, they are a tool to be used if needed but I think most of the time they aren't, but a lot of people don't have the time etc to do the transition. One of ours came to us BF but after six months we put a front set on him because he kept getting stones up his white line, his diet is right, he is on a lot of exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a metabolic issues but at the moment he is doing very well. So in his case the shoes are a help were as with my lami they are a hinderance as he kept pulling them off and getting abscesses. He is now doing fab and is still sore on stones at certain points but he is IR so he feet are different.

 

[asommerville]

The reason I took her into the vet was because she was so off when she was shod last time, I'm so glad I did. Those boots look great leviathan!