New horse is lame after a trim

[eventer28]

I bought a lovely 4yo, 16hh Irish draft x connie/arab mare last week. She was slightly underweight and had overgrown feet - farrier said she probably hadn't been trimmed for 6 months, feet were long with flares and small crack in front hoof. Farrier trotted her up before the trim - he then trimmed all her feet, removed flares, trimmed the frog and sole. Her feet look totally different after the trim. We trotted her up again and all was fine, turned her back out with her new friends for the afternoon. When I brought her in at tea-time she was very ouchy on the concrete yard and was shifting her weight when stood on her shavings bed. Called the vet who came and prescribed 10 days worth of danilon and 10 days box rest on a deep bed. He suggested the trim was the issue but I am worried that she has lamintis....
She seemed totally fine on her feet this morning when I mucked out so the Danilon is working!

 

[Auslander]

Sounds like he did far too much in one go - I'm not surprised she's sore. I'd also shoot my farrier if he took frog or sole off

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Sounds like he did far too much in one go - I'm not surprised she's sore. I'd also shoot my farrier if he took frog or sole off

Exactly - he shouldn't touch the sole and only remove any raggedy bits on the frog, nothing else. I would assume trim too!! And make sure you tell the farrier.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I would also say his over trimmed the foot he should have cut a bit off to start with especially if she has not had her feet touched in so long

 

[tallyho!]

I think it is all of the above but also consider that if he had made radical changes to the hoof angles then this will have a direct effect on the tendons, muscles and fascia.

The tension will have changed radically in one fell swoop. Imagine if your tendons had got used to a particular “shape” or way of functioning in high heels, then you decided to go on a long walk in flip-flops. Your legs and back would probably ache like mad. Little changes make big differences, especially to a large animal and ones that aren’t obvious to us.

Pain medication is a good idea and take things easy with him.

 

[ester]

It is possible that the trim triggers laminitis so the two aren't exclusive unfortunately.
Have you told the farrier?

 

[eventer28]

Yes the farrier came back the next day to check her and he suggested the angle changes

 

[eventer28]

Yes I phoned him as soon as I saw that she was sore.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

She may have had slight laminitis which has compounded the problem by trimming too short. This was the exact thing that happened to my friends horse. He was lame the day after he was shod. Thankfully she got him x-rayed a few days later to find that although he was foot sore through being shod a little too tight, laminitis was the primary cause and his pedal bone had rotated very slightly. Few days of box rest and no riding for a couple of weeks, and he will be okay. Luckily it was caught early.

 

[Andalucian]

Difficult to judge this one. If untrimmed for 6 months, then any trim was going to make a big difference to the horse. Hard for the farrier to judge "how much" in one go. 3 successive 3 weekly trims might have been the best route for the horse, but some owners wouldn't want to pay for these additional visits.

I wouldn't apportion blame in this instance, at least the farrier had the balls to return the next day and discuss it.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Difficult to judge this one. If untrimmed for 6 months, then any trim was going to make a big difference to the horse. Hard for the farrier to judge "how much" in one go. 3 successive 3 weekly trims might have been the best route for the horse, but some owners wouldn't want to pay for these additional visits.

I wouldn't apportion blame in this instance, at least the farrier had the balls to return the next day and discuss it.

Agree. I've had somethng similar recently and although my own excellent farrier did a good job of starting to address the problems he found, the horse was still very sore the next day.

All good now after vet, x rays, 3 weeks of box rest on a deep bed and continued good farriery.

 

[tallyho!]

Difficult to judge this one. If untrimmed for 6 months, then any trim was going to make a big difference to the horse. Hard for the farrier to judge "how much" in one go. 3 successive 3 weekly trims might have been the best route for the horse, but some owners wouldn't want to pay for these additional visits.

I wouldn't apportion blame in this instance, at least the farrier had the balls to return the next day and discuss it.

I'd have to disagree with you on the "any trim" bit here... having trimmed unhandled horses with overgrown hooves, I have never made one lame. You can for certain judge how much to trim and where in order to keep the whole horse sound. I think the key is not to do it "in one go".

So I fully agree when you say several trims were needed ideally and yes good that the farrier returned.

The young horse will certainly recover.

 

[Bellalily]

Sounds like he did far too much in one go - I'm not surprised she's sore. I'd also shoot my farrier if he took frog or sole off

Ditto

 

[Andalucian]

I'd have to disagree with you on the "any trim" bit here... having trimmed unhandled horses with overgrown hooves, I have never made one lame.

A ha, but I didn't mention lameness, just that any trim would make a big difference to the horse, musculoskeletaly.

 

[FFAQ]

I feel for your farrier! Well done to him for coming back. Weird that the horse trotted up sound after the trim and became lame later.

 

[ester]

why weird?

 

[ycbm]

Weird that the horse trotted up sound after the trim and became lame later.

The farrier took away sole callous, the horse walked around for hours on a baked hard field with soles no longer protected by the callous, and was made sore.