Hoof rehab

[LadyGascoyne]

I don’t know why I posted my previous thread in the Feeding section but here is one in the right place!

Lovely, soppy sweetheart of a mare arrived shod (and lame) in early June.



We did a few weeks of Forage Plus hoof and skin supplement, let her settle and then took shoes off. She wore boots with pads to start with - and socks to stop them rubbing ? bless her, she is the most tolerant, lovely mare. Watching the wear on the pads was really interesting.



16 July:



18 August:




This week we had our first week of looking considerably sounder.

Our trimmer came today and this is the progress from first consultation to today:

 

[GinaGeo]

What a difference- love seeing poorly hooves getting healthier ?

 

[ycbm]

You're doing a fab job there LG.

ETA just look at that angle change and the restacked heel ?
.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Fabulous! Are you planning to keep her barefoot?

 

[Pinkvboots]

That is a drastic change a very good job well done.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

You're doing a fab job there LG.

ETA just look at that angle change and the restacked heel ?
.

I hope she is sound soon! I have never been so keen to ride a horse. Usually I am so patient but I just cannot wait to get on and go.

Fabulous! Are you planning to keep her barefoot?

If she’s happy that way, definitely. I’m very much in the camp of “assess based on the horse in front of you”.

 

[ester]

Great

 

[SEL]

Nice to see those heels developing!

 

[Goldenstar]

Gosh they look better .

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mare is now awfully lame ? she threw a party in the field and galloped about like a total loon and has bleeding into her white line. Box rest and danilon.

Vet otherwise pleased with progress.

Horses…

 

[Surbie]

Difficult to press 'like'. Really sorry she's so lame.

 

[twiggy2]

Nooo that is so frustrating after all your effort

 

[ycbm]

Mare is now awfully lame ? she threw a party in the field and galloped about like a total loon and has bleeding into her white line. Box rest and danilon.

Vet otherwise pleased with progress.

Horses…

This is why I used to have a real problem with one barefoot expert who used to post repeatedly that a long toe does not lever at the laminae and should not be rasped off.

This happened to a rehab I had a once. He was unsound for a few days and bled into the laminae and you could see it also in the fold line of the toe where it bent.

Try not to worry, LG, I think this will be similar, with the lameness from sore laminae and not from setting back the progress of anything that's healed inside the foot.
.

 

[ycbm]

This was the horse LG. When this event line that's holding the craft knife reached another inch further down the foot, this horse went for an absolute blast around the field. He pulled up pretty badly lame, got blood in the white line at the bottom and a blood line at the event line. It was years ago now but I recall he was unsound for a few days, then carried on his rehab to become a sound horse (which he still was 10 years later) , after being diverted to me from an appointment to have him PTS after every other intervention had failed.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

This was the horse LG. When this event line that's holding the craft knife reached another inch further down the foot, this horse went for an absolute blast around the field. He pulled up pretty badly lame, got blood in the white line at the bottom and a blood line at the event line. It was years ago now but I recall he was unsound for a few days, then carried on his rehab to become a sound horse (which he still was 10 years later) , after being diverted to me from an appointment to have him PTS after every other intervention had failed.

View attachment 100050

Wow that is quite amazing! What a bizarre / incredible photograph.


Reassuring to hear that yours came sound. My vet seems fairly relaxed about this set back but of course my heart is in my mouth.

Poor little thing came absolutely hopping up but still with such an expression of happiness to see me, I just wish I could fast forward to having new feet for her.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

She is looking so much better today!

Rest and pain meds seem to be making her much more comfortable. Now we just need to grow some more horn and try to keep her quiet and happy for the next few weeks while that happens.



(Photo taken by the lovely pro photographer Lotte Simons but I own it)

 

[Hepsibah]

Oh my gawd she is beautiful!

 

[HashRouge]

Oh I forgot how lovely she is LG, such a stunning girl!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Just a thought....as hooves are changing shape, there will be stresses placed on areas that are slowly coming back into play, and she may well throw an abscess. She is a bonny mare, can see why you took her on.

 

[Barton Bounty]

She is beautiful lady g!

 

[Jeni the dragon]

She is stunning looking! Such a pretty mare.
I really hope her feet continue to improve.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Poor lovely girl was so unbelievably lame yesterday that vet is back today to do X-rays.

I am so so hoping that this is an abscess!

There isn’t a lot of heat in the foot at the moment but she is getting worse despite being on 2 danilon per day, and being box rested. Although she has been fussing in her stable.

I am so worried about her.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Fingers crossed here for abscess. Good luck for later.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I hope its nothing serious but my first thought was because of the bleeding white line she may have brought on a stress laminitis from galloping about, I really hope not but at least the xrays give you some answers please let us know how it goes today xx

 

[twiggy2]

Fingers crossed for an easy to treat single abscess

 

[LadyGascoyne]

X-rays show nothing of concern - not even an abscess. But such huge relief that we aren’t dealing with a broken something or a rotation.

*The vet even said there was nothing that she didn’t like about the foot ?

The verdict is that she has bruising, and is very sore but she’s not in any danger.

*I should add, that would be the inside of the foot. We are all agreed the outside is a dogs breakfast!

 

[Pinkvboots]

X-rays show nothing of concern - not even an abscess. But such huge relief that we aren’t dealing with a broken something or a rotation.

*The vet even said there was nothing that she didn’t like about the foot ?

The verdict is that she has bruising, and is very sore but she’s not in any danger.

*I should add, that would be the inside of the foot. We are all agreed the outside is a dogs breakfast!

Am glad it's nothing horrible ? it might be worth padding her feet while she is in if they are really bruised, I padded Arabi's when he had bruised soles it really helped.

Sedalin is really good if she is freting often a few mls morning and evening can help them settle, if also has the added benefit of increasing blood flow so can speed up healing in the feet, vets often use it for laminitis for this reason.

 

[ester]

Also if it's bruising round the bone it can also take an age to come out. Can you stick her in clouds/similar?

 

[OldNag]

Wow what a change already.
Sending soundness vibes your way.
Ps she is gorgeous!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Also if it's bruising round the bone it can also take an age to come out. Can you stick her in clouds/similar?

I have cavallo trek boots and I’ve just ordered some more pads for her. She is on a ridiculously thick bed of lovely straw at the moment. The vet has said weeks not days in terms of recovery time, poor girl.

The current thinking is too much hooning around, not enough hoof.