Shoes off for soft tissue injured box rest pony - advice please!

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Jericho

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The history is here.... http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...dvice-please&p=12026368&posted=1#post12026368

But basically vet has advised keep shoes on to avoid too many changes to the foot, bruising, being unable to condition foot etc but I really really would like them off as am a great believer in the natural hoof. Just need some advice from bare foot experts really as to how to go about this ... and if I should? She is at home so can manage how i like. I think has been shod on all four for most of her life. Her feet are in good shape for a shod hoof and the X-rays showed no problems with thin soles. I did however think that when her back shoes came off she looked very flat soled and frogs are quite contracted (as you would expect really) She is a good solid type welsh x Arab so in theory she should cope.

So if I do take front shoes off and she is on box rest what else can I do to help her? Keratex, added biotin? Currently on tiny handful of Purefeeds Easy feed with a cup of very watered down kwik beet to mix in the following: forage plus summer balancer, linseed and MSM and Glucosamine.

Any help much appreciated?
 
Take a look at rockleyfarm.blogspot.com for other barefoot rehabs.

I would question whether she should be on box rest. No horse at rockley is box rested yet they all improve.

You need to get her diet perfect, PM Oberon for her diet sheet.

Good luck.
 
our pony is also injured and up to this was shod all 4. However his backs were taken off ( injured back leg) and have been left off. He is on box rest / walking out and has been fine, I would now like his front off to which hopefully vet will agree to .
 
I've just checked your original thread. Three months box rest without a diagnosis?

I wouldn't subject a horse of mine to that.

There is no decent evidence that box rest for soft tissue damage inside the foot is the right treatment. Shoe removal and graduated exercise has a much better prognosis than shoes and box rest. At least four times as good.
 
I am stating to put ‘Box Rest’ up there with
Studs, O/R boots, wraps, pads, fillers, hoof oils, hardeners and anything else that is a treatment not a cure.
There is nothing I like more than to start with a client that has a horse with no shoes on, eating the right hay, drinking spring water and out 24/7.
If it then has a problem we are starting from the right end.
To have a horse referred with shoes on, box rested, along with other treatments, I find impossible to assist in any diagnostics due to the compromise being possibly one of so many things.
 
Heelfirst I wish you'd been my farrier!

I'm not sure the OP realises that you are one so I thought I'd point it out.
 
Heelfirst said:
I am stating to put ‘Box Rest’ up there with
Studs, O/R boots, wraps, pads, fillers, hoof oils, hardeners and anything else that is a treatment not a cure.
There is nothing I like more than to start with a client that has a horse with no shoes on, eating the right hay, drinking spring water and out 24/7.
If it then has a problem we are starting from the right end.
To have a horse referred with shoes on, box rested, along with other treatments, I find impossible to assist in any diagnostics due to the compromise being possibly one of so many things.
Click to expand...

Thank you cpt and heel first!
I absolutely agree with you and have made the call to farrier today to remove her shoe- she is out in small paddock and will bring her in out night...

Just very hard to go against a vets advice ...
 
Jericho said:
Thank you cpt and heel first!
I absolutely agree with you and have made the call to farrier today to remove her shoe- she is out in small paddock and will bring her in out night...

Just very hard to go against a vets advice ...
Click to expand...

It's very hard indeed.

Just remember that if the owner of my first rehab had gone with vets advice he would be dead, and the second would be a paddock ornament and the one of my friend's would probably also be a paddock ornament.

In the case of lameness in the feet in particular, current vet treatment appears to be well out of date.


If you need support without risk of criticism, you will find it on the Phoenixhorse forum.
 
I'm afraid I wouldn't box rest either, esp as abcess is still themost likely cause. Three months in prison because the vet can't think of anything better is just cruel.

I'd def take shoes off and is the ideal time to start as you have complete control of her diet. I'd put her in an area she can't run around in so maybe a paddock with a maze built or a track system with regular 'gates' she has to navigate. A friend too for her sanity if poss. As little grass as you can reasonably manage and soaked hay. For supplements I've had good results with Pro Hoof from progressive earth but others will be better able to advise on mineral supplementation.

I'd also hum and har about potentially soaking or poulticing her feet for an abcess. If you need to get hoof boot initially to make her comfortable then it would be fairly easy to do.
 
Wow I had exactly this, although my story turned out somewhat better and quicker. My gelding went barefoot in Aug 12 and was fine till about Dec when came in hopping lame on near fore, suspected abscess and treated accordingly, so poulticed and padded and kept turning out in day, got a bit better but not much so after 4 days my trimmer had had quick look as I'd spotted a soft bit of sole, she dug bit and it looked like a puncture wound, so called vet for xrays.

Had xrays and all clear, no sign of abscess, bones all ok, did couple of nerve blocks, but nothing much showed up. Vet suspected just some soft tissue damage to said to keep turning out, pad out foot and give bute till comfortable without. I ended up using hoof boots for a short while as he struggled on frozen rutted ground in the field.

I would say it took about 1 month for him to be completely sound, there is a ridge on his hoof from when it happened.

I'm surprised you've been told to keep yours in as much as you have, my vet was pretty adamant that moving around and putting weight on it was the best course of action.

I also think that mine suffered as it was quite possibly the worst winter to go barefoot with all the rain we had, his feet just didn't get a chance to toughen up, added to that he had the winter off work as he as young so that didn't help.

Good luck
 
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