Ongoing lameness

[Luci07]

My saga is still ongoing. I appreciate it's a long road but if anyone has any experiences and advice to share I would really appreciate it. Horse stil under vet care. Horse is now rising 7 16.3 ISH.

A while ago I posted that my young horse had got caught up badly in his haynet. Cue best part of 8 weeks box rest for horrendous swelling to go down. Then another 8 weeks of walk/ hack work. Vet checks. Sound in a line, lame on a circle. X rays show pedal bone has started to rotate and the ligament over the nervicular bone is inflamed, put into wedges and egg bars. Sound. Now started to school to rebuild muscle, no lunging or tight circles. Been through 2 sets of these,then x rayed again. Pedal bone straight, inflammation gone, but pedal bone tipping forward. Wedges removed and now in egg bars only. Horse sore to begin with, 2 days off to settle to new shoes, then 3 days gentle schooling and stretching. Horse will be checked again in 4 weeks by the vet before shoeing. Horse still does not feel always right, ie odd short step. Vet seems optimistic, I am beginning to worry I will never have a sound horse again, horse is getting peed off with lack of parties and bored. Thoughts? Similiar experience? This started in September and the horse is my would be eventer. Tendons are, however, completely undamaged and hard.

 

[ImmyS]

My saga is still ongoing. I appreciate it's a long road but if anyone has any experiences and advice to share I would really appreciate it. Horse stil under vet care. Horse is now rising 7 16.3 ISH.

A while ago I posted that my young horse had got caught up badly in his haynet. Cue best part of 8 weeks box rest for horrendous swelling to go down. Then another 8 weeks of walk/ hack work. Vet checks. Sound in a line, lame on a circle. X rays show pedal bone has started to rotate and the ligament over the nervicular bone is inflamed, put into wedges and egg bars. Sound. Now started to school to rebuild muscle, no lunging or tight circles. Been through 2 sets of these,then x rayed again. Pedal bone straight, inflammation gone, but pedal bone tipping forward. Wedges removed and now in egg bars only. Horse sore to begin with, 2 days off to settle to new shoes, then 3 days gentle schooling and stretching. Horse will be checked again in 4 weeks by the vet before shoeing. Horse still does not feel always right, ie odd short step. Vet seems optimistic, I am beginning to worry I will never have a sound horse again, horse is getting peed off with lack of parties and bored. Thoughts? Similiar experience? This started in September and the horse is my would be eventer. Tendons are, however, completely undamaged and hard.

I would be looking at doing a barefoot rehab - a lot of people on here have gone down the remedial shoeing treatment route which either didn't help or made the problem worse - they then tried barefoot and had incredible results.

Have a look at Rockley Farms blog who specialise in barefoot rehab - the success stories are incredible. It would be worth getting in contact with them, even just for advice. A number of HHOers have had horses sent to Rockley to be successfully rehabbed.

 

[Leg_end]

I think you're right to be concerned, I'd expect after 16 weeks for an improvement... Worth speaking to Nic @ Rockley as it may be something that can help - or get a second opinion/new farrier. I know Star on here has really rated the liphook farrier as they've turned her horse around and you're not far so may be worth a shot.

If your only reason to be against barefoot is no studs then don't be. I'm planning on starting this season with my boy who was rehabbed last year and he is so sure footed barefoot. I've jumped technical lines (sj&xc) and dressaged on grass without an issue so far. Obviously only time will tell and it depends how far you want to go up the levels - my team believe he could still do a novice/1* barefoot but I'm not convinced yet - as I do think you need to stud or either be careful with the ground or be on such a sure footed horse you don't worry once you move up the levels.

 

[Luci07]

My farrier is doing what my vet tells him to do and she is a very good equine vet. It's just that one thing seems to lead to another. So the original lameness with a horribly inflamed tendon ( we thought he had ruptured it) has gone and he did no damage. The enforced box rest then caused the problem with the pedal bone. I have to say I had no idea how much the pedal bone could move until I saw the X-rays either. My problem with barefoot would be the following. This is a largish ongoing insurance claim and my vet actually took his wedges off for a couple of days before re shoeing to help him. Result, horribly sore and very miserable horse. I will keep my mind open and thank you for your input. I just can't help getting despondent when I have a lovely and lively horse and cannot crack on at all. I was even contemplating buying an older project to run alongside him, but as my retired event mare is still hale and hearty and on part livery too (absolutely tried living out, fine in the summer, dropped condition and was really miserable as soon as the weather changed).. This is not an option I can consider.

 

[ImmyS]

My farrier is doing what my vet tells him to do and she is a very good equine vet. It's just that one thing seems to lead to another. So the original lameness with a horribly inflamed tendon ( we thought he had ruptured it) has gone and he did no damage. The enforced box rest then caused the problem with the pedal bone. I have to say I had no idea how much the pedal bone could move until I saw the X-rays either. My problem with barefoot would be the following. This is a largish ongoing insurance claim and my vet actually took his wedges off for a couple of days before re shoeing to help him. Result, horribly sore and very miserable horse. I will keep my mind open and thank you for your input. I just can't help getting despondent when I have a lovely and lively horse and cannot crack on at all. I was even contemplating buying an older project to run alongside him, but as my retired event mare is still hale and hearty and on part livery too (absolutely tried living out, fine in the summer, dropped condition and was really miserable as soon as the weather changed).. This is not an option I can consider.

Please just look at the Rockley blog - the results speak for themselves. Horses that were only thought to become field sound at most have come back to compete - Horses that were in wedges, egg bars, heartbars etc.. You can successfully barefoot rehab a horse at home, so little cost involved. There is nothing to lose by trying barefoot.

 

[Heelfirst]

I don’t know how many bar shoes I put on during the years I was shoeing, but it was in the high hundreds.
In the late 80’s it seem to be a general rule that egg bars did no good what so ever as they did not support the central column, thus we no longer fitted them and only used Hart bars with different lengths of central support tongue.
Since changing to 100% barefoot referral work 6 years ago I never sees to be amazed how horses repair without shoes, and how the repairs are stronger and more in balance with the movement of the animal.
Rockley is a good place to start if you wish to follow Blogs of horses that you will recognise as similar to the complaint you seem to be experiencing.
At Rook farm (where I consult) we are referred many horses where all the insurance money has been spent, every form of drug and shoe has been thrown at the problem with no long-term cure.
Barefoot treatment does take time, it does require a lot of commitment from the owner, it does need the horse to have the correct diet, it does mean having to move the horse over certain surfaces. And last and most important, it needs to have the commitment of the WHOLE team around the horse.
I never recommend that a client tries to undertake any change in treatment without the support of their vet/trimmer/farrier, but if you feel you are getting nowhere it is worth discussing the options with your team, if that goes nowhere then I always advise asking your team to get help.