Please help - at my wits end with flat feet - now holes in heel

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Janetterose

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My TB has very flat feet and I have spent the best part of 6 months dealing with the complications - bruising, abcesses etc, etc. He was shoed again successfully on Wednesday and I was just starting to think things were going our way when tonight I have found holes in his heels which are soft due to the wet ground. The holes are about the size of a finger nail. It doesn't seem sensible to ride even in the arena as it is woodchip. Am I right and how long should these holes take to harden?
 
Have you phoned your farrier and asked his advice? What do you mean by holes in his heels? Is it in the horn or the bulb of the heel?
 
No, I haven't rung him because its sunday. Will do tomorrow but feeling quite anxious because I have been nursing him for 6 months and am going to have to consider sending him back to rehab centre from where he is on loan. The holes are in the bulbs
 
TBH Id work out if he really needs to be shod? Do you compete? Otherwise, Id go barefoot with him. 2 of mine went properly barefoot last year, one had always been shod as he had messed up hooves from serious laminitis many years ago, and the other kept getting lami on and off (no matter what we did). Both are sound and both have never had such good hooves! It doesnt work for all horses, but if yours is having hoof problems now then Id probably try it.
 
If bare foot is not an option, have you discussed with your farrier using some corrective shoes? perhaps egg bars or the like?
I had a similar problem several years ago and my farrier put some eggbars on him and we continued with this until his feet were where we wanted them. When we were back to normal shoes, I had to make sure that we never went over the 4 weeks for reshoeing.
 
Have considered barefoot but just not an option as he is so easily bruised and his owners are not happy with that option. The rehab centre keeps very close watch on their horses - which is really good. Egg bar shoes are also not an option because the bar would be resting on his bulbs and causing more pain. My farrier does these kinds of horses all the time and does a great job - unfortunately I just need to find a way of protecting the bulbs in the meantime and I need to know if these holes are a long term problem - how long will they take to heal and is he rideable in the meantime.
 
Can you post a photo of the problem? It might help us to offer some suggestions
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Maybe tomorrow - have spoken to farrier who says might be secondary infection due to recent shoeing. My question is if there are holes in his bulbs and he is ridden in a woodchip school or on rough ground then he is going to get muck in the holes or even make them bigger.
 
Can I just add - that the bulbs of the heal can quite often be soft and fleshy - predisposed to looking a little odd sometimes which can include 'holes'.
 
hi Amy may, thanks for replying again - you do know your stuff! The holes are very weird looking - they look paper thin with no flesh underneath. So basically like a piece of paper with a hole in it.
 
Flat soles - if you did take the shoes off and hand walk him in Solemates (very thick plasticy material made for the purpose) you would be amazed at how quickly his feet stopped looking flat. The Solemates apply the correct amount of pressure to the foot, and it acts a bit like massage. Also because it is so thick it protects the foot from stones and the horse can walk comfortably.

I cut a Solemate in half and put it inside a hoof boot and you can almost see the sole lifting up from the ground.

If your horse is really bad, you might consider taking the shoes off for a few months, doing the in-hand walking/riding in boots and then put the shoes back on if you want to compete.
 
I have tried this - problem is he needs shoes to turn out in. I have been asked by his owners to keep him in shoes. They are very experienced with Tbs and flat feet - Grace Muir of North End Stud (Heros) and were shocked to hear he had been without shoes for a few weeks - not an option now
 
Having had a TB myself with absolutly awful feet, I agree that it is important to do what works for the horse - and if keeping the shoes on is it, then so be it.

I took Freddy's off (he was retired) and it was the worst thing I ever did. He just could not cope.
 
Gel pads?
The silica gel filler stuff is fab and has kept one of our flat footed beasties sound.

Have you tried plastic shoes?
 
Yep ours has very similar stuff. It wont cover the top part of the bulb but it'll stop it contacting the ground if his feet are that flat, plus it'll solve bruising
 
Sorry can't help you with the holes but my TB has dreadful feet, very flat footed she had to keep her shoes on right up until very late pregnancy as she cannot cope atall without shoes. Fortunately my farrier has performed a miracle on her feet...he uses 'Natural Balance' shoes on her and her feet have never looked better. I would recommend you asking your farrier about them.
 
are those the stick ons? If so we tried them and they lasted about 5 mins. Also his feet are so flat that the pressure on his eels and frog byt h shoe was huge. We have shoes on that are too big at the mo, which takes the pressure off
 
NB aren't stick on, they're a slightly different style of shoe based on natural wear & four point trimming. I have a flat footed ID who is prone to long toes & low heels & similar shoes (NB don't come in his size) applied by an excellent farrier have worked wonders at keeping his toe back & supporting his heels. It's the trim that's crucial though - make sure he's shod often enough & that the farrier is keeping the toe back enough & any flare under control.

Have a look on www.tfp.uk.com for links to NB shoeing.
 
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They dont help bulbs of heels - having said that have looked at equitec cs on www.vettec.com. The pictures look as if they cover heel as well - anyone any experience

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Yes my farrier used Equi-build on a TB I used to own, to get him through a stage where he had nothing to nail onto. He did say at the time though that if I was serious about improving his feet and could put in the commitment I should take his shoes off for 3-6 months, even if it meant keeping him in. In the event, his feet did improve with Equi-build and he went back into normal shoes, but he got a stifle injury from being kicked and was rehomed after rehabilitation (long story).

So yes, I can recommend Equi-build, the only drawbacks being the expense and the fact you can get grit work its way under the pad and then you have to have it re-done (more money).

Still interested to see pictures if you can manage it.
 
Ah the joys of TBs with awful feet.... Firstly farrier is clearly the key - getting a good farrier who is prepared to try lots of options. I have tried a number of options with mine, some more successful than others. Firstly natural balance - they cover slightly more of the sole and offer better support, mine is currently sound in these although when the ground hardens this won't be the case. Next if this doesn't work I'd try pads. Talk to your farrier about what he recommends but I use silicone gel pads. An absolute life saver in summer when the ground is hard. They protect from bruising and also if used for a few shoeings actually push the soles up. I'm getting some put back in next shoeing as mine ones soles have dropped again having not had pads for three months. Finally and very controversially there is the option of Cytek. I have mixed views but I have to admit my boy stayed sound in them for a year. They cover the whole sole and offer protection. However there is debate they put strain on other areas of the leg etc, so I'd suggest that as a very last option. PM if you want more details, I think I've tried most things with mine!
 
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