tb horse. Stay barefoot or try heart bars?

J

Jim bob

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I am after people's opinions on this, if this was their horse about my current situation.

Background;
Horse in normal shoes but kept going lame, tb feet 1+years. Tried pads and fillers in different combos for 4 months. After horse been lame for 4 months. no improvement still lame some made him worse. We pulled the shoes may 2016. Went in pads and boots a lot , still sore but feet improving. August 2016 diagnosed with lami, rotation in left right changes in right. Pen rest for 3 months, wouldn't do box rest.Vet wanted bar shoes. Nov 2016 diagnosed with cushings. Vet said shoes again for support rather then pads/boots. Early 2017 vet spoke about running out of options, 12 weeks of shoes and if it doesn't work call it a day. We carried on barefoot/ pads boots when needed. Sound on soft ( without boots) still sore on hard without boots Moved yard in May. Was able to start long reining in boots and in very light work June/July. Happy in boots. Vet still wanting shoes. Nov last year. With no boots, sound on soft less then 1/10 on hard. Dec last year. Went on a lusher field for too long, feet sore, pulses and heat in feet Back to other field though turned out early due to work, out on icy hard ground. this month. Farrier says he is feeling his fee. Vet this month said possibly lami from grass now soft thin soles, wants heart bars and pads. I am unsure of heart bars due to masking issues. Previously shoes hasn't worked for him though barefoot has taken longer. I am willing to try heart bars as a temp thing though.

Very very confused. What would you all do?
 
Check The Laminitis Site - their barefoot recovery protocol works well and has a high success rate, they will advise you if you contact them. Have you had xrays, have you checked how effective the Prascend is by having levels checked again, and how experienced at lammi rehab is your farrier?
I would never any longer hammer nails into feet with inflammation issues. I got rid of my highly regarded but arrogant farrier in favour of a VERY GOOD barefoot trimmer who worked on his feet with the benefit of knowing what was going on inside (x rays) and also diet played a huge part. Low sugar/starch (cereals) and high protein, particularly methionine to rebuild the tissue in the feet.
It does sound to me as though your vet and farrier have been employing a "sticking plaster" approach rather than rehabilitating what the inside structures are presenting with?
Good luck - despite conventional wisdom there are very few cases that can't be successfully rehabilitated, you just need to educate yourself rather than relying on the so called experts
 
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Is the cushings regularly tested for and coming up as well managed? It sounds as though it might not be?

There are arguments for not periphally loading a laminitic foot. I think I'd also only want imprints or similar on really, not nailed on bar shoe. They are sticking plaster but there is an argument for doing it if they make the horse more comfortable. I am obviously very pro barefoot but am unconvinced that in some metabolic cases if control of that side of things cannot be achieved that it isn't better to allow the horse to be more comfortable for as long as possible. But only if diet, boots, medication, trim have all been optimised an are not working.
 
I can't help but I do sympathise. Cushings can be a devil to manage barefoot, I would not blame you at all if you shoe.
 
with experience of horses like this and cushings then don't take the boots and pads off. Cushings horses are easier to manage BF as you know what is happening more quickly. Boot and pad for every single inch of your riding. Don't let him out on hard frozen rutted ground he will get sore feet. I don't let my lami out on frozen ground at all. She remains on the yard booted.

I don't think you will be able to treat him as a normal horse again. You may have to considerably restrict or remove grass. My cushings has been off grass for over 10 years. Booted for all work and yarded. With this regime he is almost normal, can be ridden daily and has thick soles. Unless you protect his feet at this stage I suspect you will end up with abscesses.
Is he on prascend? In the circumstances you describe I think you are beyond the diet part. It is a case of making him comfortable, protecting the feet from damage and removing grass.. If you can do this he may well carry on with his riding career and the feet will start to improve. I don't think however you will "get there" Mine hasn't after 10 years plus of this regime. He is normal to ride etc booted but his management and lifestyle will never be normal ie in a field and some/all work unbooted. I tried. I was bashing my head against a brick wall. It all worked perfectly when I accepted I would have to always maintain him differently.
 
I know you from elsewhere & I'm afraid that whatever route you decide to take you need to be more committed & pro-active in your management of him. Things start to improve so you back off what you do & with this type that isn't an option if you want them to have any sort of a life. You need to get a good team of professionals & then discuss things with them fully & listen to their advice because unlike those of us on the internet they can actually see the horse. Get a farrier or trimmer regularly, not wait until his feet have a problem or are out of balance (thus increasing stresses on them). At this point it sounds like both vet & farrier are saying he isn't coping and they can see him. Talk to them & discuss your concerns, but for God's sake do something other than just talk!!!! Shoes do not have to be permanent, though from the sounds of it he isn't coping without on your current routine & you maybe don't have the scope to set up one where he will. Yes shoes may mask the problem BUT if that means he's comfortable & can come back into some work is that the end of the world? You'll still have to be careful with his management & monitor pulses etc very carefully - never mind having too long on a lush field, he shouldn't be on a lush field at all. But I've said all this before elsewhere & you'll do what you want anyway, taking bits from various managements as they suit you & then failing to see why it never works.
 
I am concerned by this statement and worry exactly how sore the horse was as this is not something most vets would say lightly

'Early 2017 vet spoke about running out of options, 12 weeks of shoes and if it doesn't work call it a day'.

Regardless of whether the horse has shoes on or not you definitely have to be totally on top of the management all the time for this sort (and by that I mean metabolic, not TB).
 
Thanks for the update I think barefoot can solve a lot of problems if managed correctly, I am really glad your horse has has come sound well done to you its not always an easy choice, should have started another thread as this is an old one now!

I have been having hoof problems with one of mine and his currently barefoot but is a bit of a struggle as we have good days and bad, I did rehab my navicular horse successfully so not giving up yet
 
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