Horse "mis steps" in walk after corrective shoeing foe laminitis.

[rmasterson]

12 weeks ago my mare was shod correctively after suffering a bout of laminitis. (Her toe was taken back and the angle of her foot changed)

She has been sound since however she takes the odd "mis step" in walk" it's hard to describe, it's not a trip but its a funny step and startles me every time.

If I keep her engaged and working properly it reduces it dramatically and disappears altogether in trot and canter.

She never did this before and I'm convinced it's to do with the shoeing. She's due to be shod next week and I'm wondering if anyone has had experience of this?

 

[shortstuff99]

Did you have x-rays and has she been shod in conjunction with them?

I don't think I would be happy with that and would be having a chat with the vet, the farrier and even a different farrier.

 

[chaps89]

Has she gone 12 weeks since last shoeing? Sorry, it's not clear from your post if she's been shod in between times.

If it was a dramatic change to how shes trimmed/shod it might be her adjusting, if it is something that's started recently and she hasn't been re-shod since then it could be related due to that.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Has she gone 12 weeks since last shoeing? Sorry, it's not clear from your post if she's been shod in between times

That’s what I was wondering, too.

 

[rmasterson]

Sorry, i didn't think how that might sound!! No she was shod 5 weeks ago for the second time with the new angles. Due to be shod for the 3rd time next week.

 

[Gloi]

It may well be her adjusting to the change in foot angle. How big a change has there been and has it been done with X rays?

 

[chaps89]

Sorry, i didn't think how that might sound!! No she was shod 5 weeks ago for the second time with the new angles. Due to be shod for the 3rd time next week.

Thanks for clarifying. If you're almost at the 3rd shoeing cycle I think I'd be wanting a conversation and review with vet and farrier present, and possibly new x-rays. Has the horse seen the physio in between times? Could be the body has had a bit of a shock due to the new way of going and is feeling sore/adjusting?

 

[PoppyAnderson]

You can't just cut toes back and change angles. It would hugely disrupt a healthy foot, let alone a compromised one. I'm a huge advocate of barefoot and very anti remedial shoeing. It causes more problems than it solves. Is barefoot something you have considered or looked in to at all? It can be a godsend for laminitics.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You can't just cut toes back and change angles.

Ha, that’s what my EPA full member barefoot trimmer said when he defended the awful long toe/low heel foot balance that he got two of my horses into. What it meant was that he did not have the skills to improve the duff angles that he had created without what he called ‘dumping the toe’.

It took a farrier to sort the horses out, one entirely without shoes, one with a short period in shoes, both now unshod.

 

[rmasterson]

I think whats happening is she is putting her toe down first, then the heel (which I realise indicates pain in her feet) then it's like her knee locks at the back for a second. Does that make any sense? I've discussed it with the vet and I'm going to try get it on video as it's so hard to explain.

 

[Goldenstar]

Any body who tells you you can balance the feet of a compromised horse with out a set of xrays is talking nonsense .
Op needs to let a vet see her horse walking and probably get a set of images .
Remedial shoeing can help lamed horses barefoot care can produce badly balanced feet.
Theres no black and white way forward in all this .

 

[PoppyAnderson]

Ha, that’s what my EPA full member barefoot trimmer said when he defended the awful long toe/low heel foot balance that he got two of my horses into. What it meant was that he did not have the skills to improve the duff angles that he had created without what he called ‘dumping the toe’.

It took a farrier to sort the horses out, one entirely without shoes, one with a short period in shoes, both now unshod.

I meant in one go. Of course it can be done but not in one round of shoeing/trimming, which seemed to be what was being implied.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I meant in one go. Of course it can be done but not in one round of shoeing/trimming, which seemed to be what was being implied.

I agree that if major changes to the HPA angles are necessary, it needs to be done in stages over a period of several months, not all at once.

However, OP had clarified before you posted that the farrier has reshod the horse in the interim, and is shortly due to come out for the third time. Hopefully this farrier is changing the angles gradually.

I agree that more x rays would be very helpful now even if a set were taken at the start (hope they were).

 

[holeymoley]

Photos of the hooves or a video would be ideal to understand exactly what you mean. Definitely agree with that you can’t trim without xrays when there’s been laminitis. Regardless it sounds like she’s not been corrected as such if another problem has arisen.