Shoes off, shoes on, shoes off again?

stencilface

stencilface

High upon a hillside
Joined
28 February 2008
Messages
21,078
Location
Leeds
Visit site
So, horse bf for nearly two years, but not really in much work. Some issues with footiness, soreness and an abscess last summer. Feet otherwise good and solid looking, although did get some thrush over winter which made that foot more sore.

I upped his work in April to try and prep for RC eventing. He went lame, and didn't seem to improve and seemed footy, so I put shoes on in front. Still lame. Farrier found abscess (28 May), shoes put back on 2nd June. He's still lame!

Vet came out last friday 12 June, suggested that he's not head nodding lame, just not wanting to move forwards on either foot in front, so bilaterally lame really. Suggested taking shoes off, buting and taking out for ridden walks to help his feet, and his weight! I haven't managed to get the farrier out yet to take them off, and he's been on bute since last friday, and is now much happier on his feet obviously. So someone has suggested that I leave them on as he's fine now, and what if he's still footy when I take the shoes off. Argh, and now I'm confused! I think the best plan of action is get the shoes off this week, continue buting for another week, and then see how he is. Does that sound reasonable? I'm always made to feel that my decisions are unreasonable and stupid, and just some reassurance that the plan sounds ok, and if it doesn't work, then at least in theory it made sense, even if I have to go back to the drawing board!

Cheesecake for anyone still awake reading that! :)
 
Not sure how an abscess was found,, then four days later shoes were re applied?
Can one be sure it was all clear?
Horse was lame so you put shoes on without being sure of the reason for lameness ?
If horse is overweight and not sound is she stabled and bedded and fed on soaked hay?
Sorry for all the ??s but they might be relevant.
I would not ride a lame horse barefoot or otherwise, get yourselves fit and start walking in hand once the horse is sound and the shoes are off.
Are you supplementing minerals? Salt?
Is this an experienced equine vet ?
 
Last edited:
There's a reason the horse is lame .
What does the vet think the reason is ?
That's your start point bf or shod try to find out why the horse has pain .
Are you sure I mean really sure it's not a low grade laminitis .
 
Horse isn't really that fat, just a bit of grass belly, and is muzzled a few times a week (anymore and he won't let me anywhere near him. At all!).

Abscess had cleared afaik, and don't think its lingering as otherwise would still be lame on that one, and not shuffly on both. You can have abscesses with shoes on too, just took it off as it was close to the shoeline so poulticing would be easier without it on. First lameness I'm sure was due to too much canter work on the grass, and the ground got harder, I had upped the work too quickly I think, but its a learning curve, and he's not been in real work (due to job/baby) since having his shoes off. I thought shoes would fix this problem, which it didn't.

Vet thinks the horse is unhappy in the shoes (nailbind essentially I imagine)

Horse is fed pro balance and linseed.

I am fit btw, just the horse could do with more work, he's far from obese, he's just not trim and fit.

I'm not normally one for riding a lame (albeit sound on bute) horse, but I've done a lot of rehab work on this horse and honestly being on top is better! Long reining on roads is an ass, especially when he is!
 
Did the the horse show signs of heel pain or sole pain when the vet examined it ?
Is it a badly fitted set of shoes ?
Did the vet do a nerve block ?
 
He didn't mention any no, but that doesn't mean he found some and didn't tell me.

Shoes are great, the farrier is good, but I think maybe he's just not used to having them on anymore, if I've learnt anything from his succession of illnesses its that he's a sensitive little flower and is lame for things other horses just wouldn't be (like our old pony who we only discovered had had an abscess when it grew out - he was tough!)

No nerve block no, not at that stage yet really. I think I will be riniging the vet tomorrow if I get the chance
 
I think if I where you I would be trying to understand what the vet thinks exactly is causing the pain .
I would not ride a bilaterally lame horse without a diagnosis .
The horse was lame without shoes and is lame with shoes so why does the vet think the shoes are the problem ?
Abscesses are common in horse suffering metabolic stress ,that's one worry ,but there are so many things that this would be making me worry about I could not type them out .
 
If you knew this horse past history of injury you would try to not worry about everything! :o

I just take it one step at a time these days....
 
Just an update.

Spoke to vet last week, who agreed after he left that it could be something else. Norman is being blood tested for EMS tomorrow and is penned around the stables area and along our access track. He still has some grass to access as without box resting him it's impossible to stop the grass completely, and I'm not box resting him.but there's a lot less grass and a lot more walking to do to access it.

I can still find pulses in all feet, but to be honest after taking him barefoot I didn't know if this was normal for him barefoot iykwim due to increased blood supply.
 
I think that's a good idea. My other thought is if vet does think he is bilaterally lame and not lami the only way that can be proven/find out how bad he is is blocking one and see what he looks like on the other?
 
So nothing came back positive on the blood tests. He is on bute (one a day) but much happier so started walking out, and will start to phase out the bute and increase the riding (well, will still be only 2-3 times a week) and keep his grazing restricted.

We now have the sheep on our field so I';m hoping they're hungry and will scoff it all so I can turn him out again sometime soon :o
 
On smooth tarmac he was fine pre shoes, never got used to gravel though over two years. Not sure how he is walking now with the shoes on. His frogs widened out and his heels uncontracted, overall his feet looked much better out of shoes (no raggy frog etc) but for the moment I think he is more comfortable with the shoes on - certainly on gravel he is a happy chap. I think my method shoe wise might be to take them off in the winter when he gets ridden less and grass isn't an issue, then re shoe in march ish.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top