Those with horses with PSD ... shoeing query

[CBAnglo]

One of mine was diagnosed with moderate damage to the tops of both hind suspensories. Vet has recommended the de-nerving op.

Question is, should I take his back shoes off? He is shod every 6 wks and will need 2 mths boxrest so he is likely to need at least 1 shoeing this period. Would it be ok to shoe? Obviously not during the first 2 wks when he will be bandaged. He needs to be walked in hand after boxrest and I don't want footiness after taking shoes off to confuse soundness so would rather leave shoes on but not if it would be better for him to be unshod.

Fronts will be staying on - he is a TB with typical flat feet and I don't want to risk rehabbing him to barefoot when he has so much going on already.

He separately was diagnosed with KS and needs 3 vertebrae removing so if we proceed with that we might consider taking off his shoes to give his feet a bit of a rest as he will be boxrested for 3 months.

Warm croissants with jam and milky tea on offer (am comfort eating now).

 

[soulfull]

Hi I am so sorry to hear this. My own story is a sad one. MY lad had surgery on his right hind for psd. however after only a few months it became clear there was a problem in both the other hind and the front.
This is what was diagnosed by my own vet in the end

http://www.doctorramey.com/degenerative-suspensory-ligament-disease-dsld-espa/

If ever I was in the horrid position again I would NEVER go ahead with surgery on one limb or especially 2 without having the front leg scanned to check for DSLD

In answer to you original question, I was wanting to go down the barefoot root however vets.farriers and barefoot specialists advised against it as it is recommended they have shoes with a wedge at the back to relieve pressure on the ligament. If you think about it lifting the back would slacken the ligaments therefore helping the pressure

 

[CBAnglo]

Thanks for that info Soulfull, so sorry to hear about your boy. I am on my BB at the moment so can't see sigs but was this a horse called jester? I remember reading about him ages ago but might have mixed you up with another HHOer. I had heard of DSLD before but not from anyone who had first hand knowledge. Sue Dyson scanned my boy to within an inch of his life so am fairly sure she would have picked this up but I will ask her anyway.

Farrier coming round this week to discuss so thought I would see what others in this position have done. Will check about the wedges I was thinking something similar but never had one with PSD before (this rounds off my lameness record so now I have had everything over the yrs).

 

[soulfull]

hiya glad you have Sue she is supposed to be the best at looking at the whole horse, which I didn't get!!

My horse was called Micah, he is the one in my sig. I lost him a few months ago
he was nearly 9

I am lucky enough to have found a new boy very quickly and while he isn't Micah, he is wonderful

 

[Holly Hocks]

My horse has PSLD in one hind, bilateral spavin and arthritis of the fetlock as well as navicular. I took the shoes off and am currently 8 months into barefoot. My horse is sound and happy although we do use front boots for hacking out still, but long-reining out no boots. I haven't put her under any pressure of schooling yet so who knows how long she will stay sound, but for now it's working.

 

[CBAnglo]

hiya glad you have Sue she is supposed to be the best at looking at the whole horse, which I didn't get!!

My horse was called Micah, he is the one in my sig. I lost him a few months ago
he was nearly 9

I am lucky enough to have found a new boy very quickly and while he isn't Micah, he is wonderful

What a shame - he looked like such a lovely horse, and so young.

My horse has PSLD in one hind, bilateral spavin and arthritis of the fetlock as well as navicular. I took the shoes off and am currently 8 months into barefoot. My horse is sound and happy although we do use front boots for hacking out still, but long-reining out no boots. I haven't put her under any pressure of schooling yet so who knows how long she will stay sound, but for now it's working.

HH - did you try any treatments for the PSD? We are going for the de-nerving op as Sue said she thought that the success rate with the shockwave route was too low.

 

[TwoStroke]

My TB was diagnosed with PSD earlier this year. He did 3 months of box rest along with shockwave and came sound... for a week. Then he did something to his hock on the same leg, so is now turned away. As far as we can tell, though, the PSD seems to be sorted.

He's not shod, though, so can't help with that, really. The vet did initially recommend bar shoes, until I asked exactly how they would support the heel better than the ground . The vet agreed with me in the end! Wouldn't touch a wedge shoe with a barge pole, though - they're awful for biomechanics .

 

[Holly Hocks]

HH - did you try any treatments for the PSD? We are going for the de-nerving op as Sue said she thought that the success rate with the shockwave route was too low.

Hi CB - I tried shockwave, but God knows if it did anything! She's also had Tildren for the spavin which is associated with hind limb PSLD and is under an ongoing physio program - but apart from that everything has just been taken slowly slowly with her...

 

[CBAnglo]

My TB was diagnosed with PSD earlier this year. He did 3 months of box rest along with shockwave and came sound... for a week. Then he did something to his hock on the same leg, so is now turned away. As far as we can tell, though, the PSD seems to be sorted.

He's not shod, though, so can't help with that, really. The vet did initially recommend bar shoes, until I asked exactly how they would support the heel better than the ground . The vet agreed with me in the end! Wouldn't touch a wedge shoe with a barge pole, though - they're awful for biomechanics .

Oh no, that is so disappointing, just when you can see an end in sight. Hope he comes sound. My boy struggled bare foot, the walls of his feet are so thin. I dont want to take his shoes off unless he is going to be boxrested for a long period of time, in which case I will take them off so he doesnt have to raise his hind legs for the shoeing (he will have them off when he has his KS surgery). Will speak to Sue re shoes, she didnt mention bars but then didnt really comment on his feet.

Hi CB - I tried shockwave, but God knows if it did anything! She's also had Tildren for the spavin which is associated with hind limb PSLD and is under an ongoing physio program - but apart from that everything has just been taken slowly slowly with her...

HH - hope she comes sound and her hock fuses. Frustrating but am sure the slow approach is the right one - I dont think I will be getting back on for at least 9 months, if he does actually come sound after the PSD op and the KS op.

 

[loopylucifer]

hiya one of mine has bilateral PSD she is only shod behind and she has Natural balance performace shoes one. These are very wide at the toe and have narrow bars the thoery being it is actually the toe of the foot you want to support as the suspensories split around fetlock and come round the front of pedal bone and attach at the front therfore its the toe that needs support. if you lift the heals you actually put more stress on the sus lig if that makes sense. I went down shockwave route as mine was not a surgical candidate she is sounder a year on but i dont ride her she has other issues too. if i had another horse with this or if she had been a candidate for surgery then that is the route i would have taken.

 

[MrsMozartletoe]

Hope it all goes well.

Sue saw my horse Tiggy. Very thorough vet.

I read up on the op at the time, before I found out that it wasn't an option for Tigs, she was too far gone; but I wouldn't have gone for it even if an option.

I know the op has worked for many horses, so have fingers tightly crossed for your lad. I wouldn't take his shoes off for the reasons you've stated.