Rehabbing navicular feet - follow up photos

viola

viola

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For all of you who might find it as interesting as I am finding it, here are some up to date photos of Kingsley's adventures with barefoot rehab.
I would love to read what you think but could I please ask for this thread not to become yet another "fight" between barefoot enthusiasts and those believe in shoeing/remedial shoeing...
I'm posting the photos for reference and because I wanted to share the quiet excitement we all feel for our boy getting better. The changes in the hooves are one thing but the most amazing improvement is in the way he carries himself. Kingsley has been extremely one-sided and very crooked but this has now changed so much in just 2 months.

6th December 2010 (two months without shoes; w,t,c on hacks in straight line, all terrain, no tripping, improved vertical and lateral body balance; correct sequence in trot on left rein, right rein still crooked)

IMG_1574.jpg


16th April 2010 (lame as a duck; unable to trot on a circle, trips in walk regularly)

16thApril2010.jpg
 
Be excited VERY excited..........i am sooooo happy for you, Kingsley was there when my boy was (Bailey W). This week my friends horses had to be reshod after only 3 weeks hacking with me!!!!!!!!!!!x
 
Hi, thanks for posting again, I hope you're grinning from ear to ear, the journey is well on its way now, another 4 months or so and he'll be fantastic. I hope you reap the benefits and get back more horse than you ever expected to have again (with his other problems considered).

Brilliant.
 
Great isn't it. Nature is wonderful when we stop messing her about!

If that's the change in 2 months, imagine what he will be like come spring time! :D Big hug for Kingsley! :D

When I took the shoes off Link, a few months later I noticed that I was less frequently collapsing with stabbing pains in my right hip when walking around. Was a daily occurrence - I'd actually fallen a couple of times in the main street, with people walking by thinking I was pissed! Honestly they were like a needle being put in the joint and wiggled!

I think he had been very one sided and was putting me where it was comfortable for him and doing me some injury. I certainly was always sore after riding for any length of time. Now it's a real pleasure to ride, and the lumpy stilted trot is now a free flowing ground covering smooth amazing beautiful thing to ride :D so smooth I hardly need to post, and often don't need to!
 
Yeah! Way to go!!

Viola with a foot change that huge don't be surprised if he is a little bit sore when that great big "fold" gets nearer the floor. My rehab had something similar and I let him move too enthusiastically one day and he managed to bend his foot at that crease line. He was lame for a few of days and then fine again. Hopefully yours won't do it, or has feet strong enough to withstand the leverage, but just don't be upset if it happens, please.

As I recall you doubted whether he could come completely sound (and were happy to accept that he would just be "improved") because he had more issues than just the navicular. It's looking pretty likely that his other issues may also be related to those feet and you will, as you so much deserve, get a totally sound horse at the end of this.

Well done!
 
I'm sorry but the reason he tripped with feet like that is that his toes are far too long! I think the farrier is the problem! If he had been shod correctly he wouldn't need to regrow his feet and go through loads of pain to get his natural alignment back again.
 
TheBlack said:
I'm sorry but the reason he tripped with feet like that is that his toes are far too long! I think the farrier is the problem! If he had been shod correctly he wouldn't need to regrow his feet and go through loads of pain to get his natural alignment back again.
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I don't think anyone's arguing that the farrier was the problem!! He must have been in loads of pain for years to get like that! Great that he is now sound.
 
That's just not the same horse - the whole horse looks so much better and less "just holding himself together" - and he has a lovely relaxed and easy spring on the trot. He's getting his hocks working much better there.

Right rein still not 100% but what a mahoosive improvement eh?!!! :D Well done Kingsley!

I bet Mum really notices the difference when she gets on board - mind you if he is feeling this much better that might be interesting to watch. :D

Maybe too early to see if there are any muscle changes across his back end?
 
TheBlack said:
I'm sorry but the reason he tripped with feet like that is that his toes are far too long! I think the farrier is the problem! If he had been shod correctly he wouldn't need to regrow his feet and go through loads of pain to get his natural alignment back again.
Click to expand...

This horse has had 4 different farriers assessing him and giving their views on general soudness issues. I'm not sure if I said that but all of them said his feet were in a very good condition and that they couldn't be trimmed at the toe anymore than they were being trimmed already.
You are probably right that if he was trimmed and shod correctly before we bought him he would not end up in such a state. As it was his feet were severely neglected.
Our farriers advice were wedges and raised aluminium shoes in which he just went lamer and lamer.

I too was worried he will be in big discomfort during transition into barefoot but he was never any lamer without shoes than he was in them.

I am not against shoeing when necessary but this horse just wasn't being helped by them at all.
 
cptrayes said:
Yeah! Way to go!!

Viola with a foot change that huge don't be surprised if he is a little bit sore when that great big "fold" gets nearer the floor. My rehab had something similar and I let him move too enthusiastically one day and he managed to bend his foot at that crease line. He was lame for a few of days and then fine again. Hopefully yours won't do it, or has feet strong enough to withstand the leverage, but just don't be upset if it happens, please.

As I recall you doubted whether he could come completely sound (and were happy to accept that he would just be "improved") because he had more issues than just the navicular. It's looking pretty likely that his other issues may also be related to those feet and you will, as you so much deserve, get a totally sound horse at the end of this.

Well done!
Click to expand...

Funny I was thinking that about the weak old horn! I was going to ask Nic about it.
I really believe in him and still think he is/can be a super little horse but yes, I tried not to be too hopeful in case the issues went too far...

But now...we might as well start being more optimistic ;)
 
brucea said:
That's just not the same horse - the whole horse looks so much better and less "just holding himself together" - and he has a lovely relaxed and easy spring on the trot. He's getting his hocks working much better there.

Right rein still not 100% but what a mahoosive improvement eh?!!! :D Well done Kingsley!

I bet Mum really notices the difference when she gets on board - mind you if he is feeling this much better that might be interesting to watch. :D

Maybe too early to see if there are any muscle changes across his back end?
Click to expand...

I really wish now I have kept the worse videos I took of him in the summer...they were after Tildren when we hoped for some improvement. They were so bad I deleted them.

Both the owner and I noticed the difference straight away. :)
 
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