Keeping heart bars on....any ideas?

[glamourpuss]

Hi, last week my eventer was diagnosed with Suspensory Desmitis, he was only slightly lame (1-2/10ths on a circle on the hard). A scan showed thickening & some trauma proximally but no big hole [phew]. He is on a 12 week rest & controlled exercise plan with shock wave.
He also has some issues with foot balance - we knew about those & my farrier was slowly correcting them but now we are being a little more aggressive with this.
He has been shod in a combination heart/egg bar with lots of support under the heel.
Now due to his injury not being too severe his vet has ok'ed a short period of turn out in a small grass pen (provided he does just graze & not do any acrobatics)
Farrier however is twitchy & says if he rips his shoes off this would be very bad & he isn't happy for him to go out.

I'm not a huge fan of box rest & he is ulcer prone so I REALLY want to let him have some grazing time!

Please, please can you give me your fail safe ways of keeping these blasted shoes on. I'm thinking of buying 2 of these poultice boots, do you think that will work?

 

[glamourpuss]

Duh... Here is the link to the boots!
http://www.redpostequestrian.co.uk/...gin=pla?kwd=&gclid=CKbd0ZW2yr4CFebItAod324Atw

 

[Finlib]

I have 2 with heart bar shoes on the front .I put long over reach boots on make sure they go right to the floor .
I also tape the shoes with gorilla tape(gorilla tape is really strong much stronger that duct tape and doesn't wear through for about 24hours) put the tape around the shoe then folded up on to the hoof a couple of turns around each shoe.
I assume he is only being turned out in a small paddock .The tape and boots I have found stops the shoes being over reached off .
I would have thought the poultice boots would make the feet a bit smelly and alter the balance of the foot.
I have found this works with both of mine if there is any chance the shoes will pull off.

 

[amandap]

In case the shoes do get pulled off research padding and hoof boot options in the mean time.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I would sedate him to turn out.

 

[Gloi]

Those poultice boots aren't really suitable for your purpose. They are likely to either rub or come off if you turn out in them.

 

[ihatework]

I haven't tried but saw these advertised

http://www.shoesecure.com/Default.aspx

 

[Spottyappy]

Turn out with large over reach boots, and restrict and reduce the area he is turned out in so he can't gallop about.

 

[mightymammoth]

My horse had the same problem when he had egg bars on it was a nightmare. He had them on fronts only and would keep them on for an average 10 days at a time. They were £35 per shoe so when I couldn't find them in the field it became an expensive job.

The farrier refused to keep nailing them on eventually as each time he was pulling one he was losing lots of hoof wall as well. I tried very large over reach boots but it didn't help. He went unshod in the end and still is.

The restricting the turnout area sounds a good idea so that he can't gallop about.

 

[ThreeTB's]

large overreach boots

 

[glamourpuss]

Thank you all.
The turn out area is very small so there is no way he can gallop about.
He did manage to pull one off just on a 15 minute walk in hand whilst wearing 2 pairs of over reach boots
The shoe secure seems a great idea but these shoes don't have the necessary stud holes in so I can't use them.
The gorilla tape looks fantastic I'll try that.

The other things I've thought about are
1) the carbon shield (ouch on the price!) http://www.equiport.co.uk/products/horse/protective-boots/carbon-shield-over-reach-boots-v06/
2) These gel boots...much nicer on price http://www.equiport.co.uk/products/horse/protective-boots/anatomic-gel-hoof-boots-or1/

I'm determined he should get some time out as a horse & will only keep him in as an absolute last measure.

 

[Spottyappy]

If turnout already small- how big approx?- is he turned out alone? Company isn't good as they will play, which heightens risk of shoe coming off.

 

[glamourpuss]

The turnout is about 40 foot square. It is also split in 2 diagonally across with a small opening to allow him to mooch through from side to side....but not get ANY speed up.
It's in the field where his fieldmates are, so he can see, touch but not play with them.

 

[cundlegreen]

Check out these...http://www.eponashoe.com/My mare has bone spurs on both hocks, but is sound and eventing. Her front feet were compromised due to her loading them to help her backs. I've had two years of broken feet leading to no heels and long toes. I gave her 5 months off, and we've shod her with these. Her action has improved 100% and her feet are growing well and she has heels. I did a lot of research on all sorts of shoeing, and these shoes seem to be the only ones that you can glue, or nail, or both, and they come with stud holes. Bit of a faff to get through, but I'm very pleased with the results. PM me if you want to see pics. I have them with carbide tips, which look like road studs and are around the toe, and heels, so I haven't had to stud eventing yet, because of the good grip. So far haven't lost a shoe whether jumping or galloping, let alone hooning around the field!

 

[ester]

I'd think the gel ones might be worth trying though wouldn't want to take them on and off! I don't think the others will come low enough?

 

[ihatework]

Check out these...http://www.eponashoe.com/My mare has bone spurs on both hocks, but is sound and eventing. Her front feet were compromised due to her loading them to help her backs. I've had two years of broken feet leading to no heels and long toes. I gave her 5 months off, and we've shod her with these. Her action has improved 100% and her feet are growing well and she has heels. I did a lot of research on all sorts of shoeing, and these shoes seem to be the only ones that you can glue, or nail, or both, and they come with stud holes. Bit of a faff to get through, but I'm very pleased with the results. PM me if you want to see pics. I have them with carbide tips, which look like road studs and are around the toe, and heels, so I haven't had to stud eventing yet, because of the good grip. So far haven't lost a shoe whether jumping or galloping, let alone hooning around the field!

Interesting. How long a cycle do they last? Can I ask how much a pair/set costs in total incl shipping & fitting?

 

[glamourpuss]

Condlegreen they look really interesting. I'm very lucky I have a farrier who really listens & cares. So definitely something to discuss with him!

Today I used a huge amount of the gorilla tape + massive pull on over reach boots. He's been out in the rain all afternoon & come in with all shoes on.....hooray!!

Thank you everyone for your help & advice!

 

[sjp1]

I use Professionals Choice Ballistic Over Reach boots. Happily my boy who had a shoulder issue which is why he constantly pulled shoes off, we have managed to resolve the issue, but I always turn him out during the day in these, just in case of high jinks. My farrier is constantly texting me and asking me what the boots are so that he can advise other clients to get them, because for farriers with horses who have issues, it is a proper PITA to come and re-shoe every week.

In my experience, over reach boots have to be slightly too big to work properly in turnout situations, and must have a ballistic strike pad and a no turn knob. I found the Premier Equine ones to be absolutely useless as they are the wrong shape altogether. They need to be curved, and the PE ones are too steep which cause them to turn inside out.

 

[cundlegreen]

Interesting. How long a cycle do they last? Can I ask how much a pair/set costs in total incl shipping & fitting?

Rather hard to say, as one front (glued and with two nails) lasted 4 weeks, the other fell off during a quiet walk and trot hack and I lost it. I've now just had a new one nailed on as the glue seemed not to work in under 3 weeks. My farrier finds that this is the same with the imprint shoes. The more you glue, the less time it seems to stick. Cost is approx £35 a pair, plus £45 for my farrier to fit them. Its a bit of a pain if glueing for various reasons. P&P in the UK is £5-50, a lot more from the states obviously, but I had a lot of trouble getting the agent in the UK to sort out delivery.

 

[Fanatical]

The turnout is about 40 foot square. It is also split in 2 diagonally across with a small opening to allow him to mooch through from side to side....but not get ANY speed up.
It's in the field where his fieldmates are, so he can see, touch but not play with them.

Mine is rehabbing for the same issue and initially had a 12x12ft paddock - literally stable sized. We just kept moving it every couple of days. He has just had his second check up and is now in 30x30ft. I would keep it very small.