Lameness, back with a vengence - shoeless retirement?

sheep

sheep

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I posted here a few months ago regarding my boy, a 17 (now 18) year old ISH who had been intermittently lame over a period of a few weeks. Investigations showed he had problems with the coffin joint, arthritis in his hocks and mild kissing spines. On the recommendation of the vet, we opted to medicate the joints (hocks, fronts and back), box rested for 10 days on danilon and began light lunging after 2 weeks, and hacking after about 6 weeks. The vet also recommended remedial farriery, and he was shod in wedges initially towards the end of October.

All was going reasonably well (we managed about six hacks in total) until he presented as lame again almost two weeks ago. He is sound enough to potter about the field, but as it stands, I don't think he will ever be sound enough for ridden work again.

I am now considering removing his shoes completely and letting him go out 24/7 to chill out and do his own thing. Evidently the poor conformation of his feet has made a significant contribution to his problems - I have only had him for 18 months and while he was sound when I bought him, his feet weren't in great shape, although the quality of the hoof has improved the overall picture is poor.

Does anyone have any advice for preparing an older horse for shoeless life? I hope to let him go out 24/7, but for the time being we will probably be on daytime turnout and in at evenings, hopefully I could turn him out full time from the end of March.

He is fed hifi light, speedibeet, micronised linseed, devils claw and riaflex complete joint supplement though I am going to pick up some danilon from the vet this evening as he is becoming rather stiff in the mornings. As long as I can keep him comfortable, then I am very reluctant to remedicate the joints, even if it did mean he was 'sound' enough to ride - the problem is obviously advanced, given that the treatment has worn off after only 3 months and the longevity of it reduces each cycle - plus the associated risks of laminitis etc, along with the financial side of things, mean it is probably not a realistic option for me. I am happy to give danilon daily if it keeps him comfortable enough to be turned out and enjoy life.

Anyway this is a rather lengthy ramble, just wondering if anyone has any advice or anecdotes from what they have done in similar situations. Any opinions welcome, I just want to do the right thing by him!
 
I would, and he might improve more than you think if he grows his own feet. Frank was 19 when his shoes came off and although I had some worries with him being older I really didn't need to be. I might add a good hoof supplement (forageplus/pro hoof/ I use equimins advanced complete).
 
ester said:
I would, and he might improve more than you think if he grows his own feet. Frank was 19 when his shoes came off and although I had some worries with him being older I really didn't need to be. I might add a good hoof supplement (forageplus/pro hoof/ I use equimins advanced complete).
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Ooh yes I forgot that he also gets a hoof supplement - he's been on it for so long now that I forgot about it, oops. I was working on the theory that he isn't sound with shoes anyway - so what's the point? I may as well give him time out to enjoy life and if he improves then that is a bonus.
 
My theory too- Frank wasn't sound in shoes, coffin joint injections didn't really work so if he was retiring I wasn't paying for him to be shod anyway :p. (and now he is sound and going on 12 odd mile hacks/competing and might go hunting if it dries out a bit!)
 
ester said:
My theory too- Frank wasn't sound in shoes, coffin joint injections didn't really work so if he was retiring I wasn't paying for him to be shod anyway :p. (and now he is sound and going on 12 odd mile hacks/competing and might go hunting if it dries out a bit!)
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That's pretty much it - the joint injections haven't really improved things enough to warrant a second go - given that he has barely done anything before going lame again. I am happy to keep him as a big pet, if I want to ride I can steal my bf's mare or help my friend out with her boy. He's been out of proper action for so long now that it hasn't really come as a shock that he may not be ridden again, bless him!
 
I would go for it. 12 months ago mine (then 23) was increasingly unhappy and not sound. We've gone barefoot (he was already on a suitable diet so had a head start) and I now have a content horse that has grown the feet he needs to be comfortable and we have gone back to hacking twice a week. He is a TB and lives out 24/7 - he stables himself every night in the field shelter which has been a hoof-saver in this wet weather. Nice dry deep litter straw bed, no thrush and he can have a lie down :-)
 
I have a 20 year old mare that went lame a couple of years ago. Via MRI she was diagnosed with Navicular, Side Bone and damage to the coffin joint. I went down all the vet route (Egg bars Shoes with and without wedges , which made her worse, Medicating the joint etc) In the end I took her shoes off at the end of June last year. She was trimmed by my farrier but did not seem any better. In desperation I started her on Tumeric (New Years Day). I joined the user group to gain more information. I slowly built up the amount of Turmeric.

Last Monday I got an Applied Equine podiatrist (Barefoot trimmer) today my mare is moving better , not sound but better ,more comfortable.

It would be worth looking at the FB Turmeric Users Group
 
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