Navicular, torn DDFT & barefoot rehab update

Puddleduck

Puddleduck

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I posted back in November last year as I was thinking about sending my boy to Rockley

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?739528-Rockley

So as they had a 10 week wait list I decided to crack on and give rehabbing a go myself. Shoes came off on 30th November and I got to work.

After 13 weeks barefoot with around 250 miles walked in hand on the concrete yard and gravel car park, yesterday we went for our vet check up (6 months post initial onset of lameness).

My vet was really pleased with the change in his feet. The toe has come back and his heel has widened allowing his frog to develop and start to do it's job.

He also trotted up sound before and after flexion test so we got the go ahead to crack on and start the ridden walk work :o
 
He was always open minded to be honest. When we got the MRI results he advised against wedge shoes and asked me what I was thinking we should do as he knew I would have done some homework. When I mentioned barefoot and Rockley his response was that it was worth a go and if it was what I wanted to do he would support me.
 
Thank you, the support and encouragement I've had from here has been a huge help. I will admit it's been a tough journey at times as I have a demanding job in the day and the commitment to the BF rehab has taken all my free time outside of that. But seeing him trotting up so happily and hearing my vet say wow look at that makes it all worthwhile.
 
so very pleased for you! My horse was diagnosed with bi-lateral navicular and damaged DDFTs by MRI in Jan after long term intermittent lameness. I've tried remedial farriery but did my first ridden trot today and he's lame. done some research over the last few months and have decided on barefoot. vet coming tomorrow to discuss. Rockley e-mail but like you I think I'll want to get on with it.
My horse sound in walk and has looked sound out in the field on all paces but he's out longer now and been out with my other horse who's just turned out after injury so they've both been hoolleying around and I think that's brought on the lameness.
was your horse turned out when his shoes were off?
 
He was kept on box rest with in hand walking. I started with 10 minutes walking for the first 6 to 8 weeks. Once shoes came off at end of November I started to gradually increase the time walking to get the movement for the foot to start healing and to encourage the hooves to start self trimming. We ended up doing about 40 mins to and hour walking by the time the vet gave the go ahead to start the ridden walking.
I reckon over the 6 months of box rest and in hand work we've covered around 350 miles. I've also chopped my way through 50 kilos of carrots for his treat ball.
He's away at a rehab yard at the moment starting the ridden walking. They've got small nursery paddocks to reintroduce him to turnout too. I decided this was the best for both of us as it's been quite stressful and intense getting this far. He settled straight away and is progressing well, it's fairly local so I visit at weekends and hope to bring him home in a couple of weeks to continue the work myself.
 
thats great news!!! My horse tore his DDFT really badly in July last year in his hind leg, they did not think he would ever be sound even with surgery. he is now 9 months on totally barefoot and 100% sound able to jump and the only treatment we did was use the arcequine and take his shoes off. He came back into work in January and spend 8 weeks walking up to 10 miles every time he went out
 
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