Pony scared of shoe nailing

[RowanCampell]

My farrier came out to put a pair of front shoes on my pony yesterday because she’s been very footy when out hacking and walking to and from the field. Hacking is all I can really do at the moment as I don’t have a school and all the fields are very boggy. My farrier is a very gentle woman who my pony is very used to. She was absolutely fine with the whole process the smoke and everything but as soon as my farrier went to nail the shoe on she was very freaked out. She’s definitely been shod in previous homes before but was very nervous about the nailing, we kept her calm and tried a few times but she was so scared, so we just called it a day. I don’t know if she’s had a bad experience in the past and that’s why she reacted like that. Any advice would be really appreciated, thanks.

 

[ihatework]

I’d use some hoof boots temporarily to hack in to make her more comfortable.

Then in parallel, when you pick her feet out every day start tapping them with the hoof pick gradually then moving on to a small hammer.

When she is comfortable with that, try again with the shoeing giving a couple of ml sedalin 30 mins before (get from vet).

Solved very easily with a bit of patience

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would want to be sure that your pony hasn't got low-grade laminitis if she has become footy recently and then objected to nailing on, although you think she has been shod before. What did your farrier say about her feet?

 

[RowanCampell]

Definitely not laminitis. She’s been footy since I got her a few months ago but we were mainly riding and schooling in fields. My farrier is pretty happy with her feet, she has nice growth but my farrier does agree that she’s footy and could do with a set of front shoes.

 

[Tiddlypom]

^^^^ Very footie + resistant to having shoes on nailed suggests sore feet due to possible laminitis.

 

[nikicb]

I am another one that would want to find out more about why she is footy before putting shoes on her. I think she's trying to tell you something.

 

[Arzada]

Definitely not laminitis. She’s been footy since I got her a few months ago but we were mainly riding and schooling in fields. My farrier is pretty happy with her feet, she has nice growth but my farrier does agree that she’s footy and could do with a set of front shoes.

Agree with others re possible low grade laminitis. Why did your farrier recommend shoes and not hoof boots?

 

[RowanCampell]

My farrier recommended boots after. I initially wanted to have shoes put on her as I’ve tried boots in the past with my other horse and didn’t get on with them. It’s something I’m going to have a look into for her. I think it’s the noise that she was very afraid of as she was fine with everything thing else. She hasn’t been shod in a couple of years so maybe she’s just not used to it. Her weight and everything are good and I’m very careful with her diet. She’s better on roads but to get to the roads and fields we have to walk along a gravel track. She isn’t lame at all, I just want her to be comfortable but thank you for your concern xx

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If she is 'feeling her feet/footy' there is a problem. I would not expect a horse who has been without shoes for over a year to have developed a problem unless there is a health issue. I would involve the vet at this stage. What does she eat?

 

[RowanCampell]

It’s not developed though, she’s been footy since I got her. The yard that I got her from had soft surfaces everywhere so she didn’t have a need for shoes but through here we have harder track. It’s not anything horrendous at all she’s just a bit sensitive on the gravel, I’m a quite a softie and feel sorry for her but it’s not like struggling at all. She is in at night at the moment and has a soaked small holed haynet and is turned out during the day and she gets a small feed to get her supplements in the morning and when she comes in. She’s her usual self and is still very happy to be ridden, she’s fit and a good weight. I’ll ask my vet to come out and have a look at her though just to be safe.

 

[asmp]

Another possibility is calcified sidebones (no, I’d never heard of them too). Mine was footy and wasn’t keen on the farrier banging nails in. Took him to vets who struggled to see any lameness. I asked for his feet to be x-rayed and they showed calcified sidebones which explained a lot. He is now ridden in boots, which he is very happy in (although I do get frustrated putting them on)

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It’s not developed though, she’s been footy since I got her. The yard that I got her from had soft surfaces everywhere so she didn’t have a need for shoes but through here we have harder track. It’s not anything horrendous at all she’s just a bit sensitive on the gravel, I’m a quite a softie and feel sorry for her but it’s not like struggling at all. She is in at night at the moment and has a soaked small holed haynet and is turned out during the day and she gets a small feed to get her supplements in the morning and when she comes in. She’s her usual self and is still very happy to be ridden, she’s fit and a good weight. I’ll ask my vet to come out and have a look at her though just to be safe.

What is in the small feed and the supplements?

 

[ycbm]

How old is she? Has she been tested for Cushings recently?