Thrush, Sheared heels, hoof imbalance - Lameness

[Dregish1950]

17th October my horse went lame in front right, farrier came and advised he has sheered heels and thrush.
Shod him with some avanti rail shoes to help with the inbalance that has occurred in his front left hoof.
3 weeks later he came sound treated his feet daily and packing the frogs with red horse.
Week 5 farrier came out to shoe him Tuesday 22nd nov, he was happy with his heels they were no longer sheered and the frogs were in much better condition and not a sign of thrush.
He decided to put him in heart bar shoes, next day he looked pottery. Saturday he removed the front left shoe as he looked lame, cut the frog plate off and put it back on. On trot up he thought he looked off on the front right. Told me to see how we get on. Hacked that day and then the following day.
When we got back from the hack he was hoping lame.
I had another farrier take a look on Monday 27th nov and it turned out that he had bail bind as was sensitive where one of the nails had been. Had the shoe out back on without that nail.
He already sounded better in walk.
Saturday 2nd dec farrier came back to remove the heart bar shoes because he was converted about the frog plate bending on the front right, he was fitted with normal shoes, 3d pad and packing. He did have brushing on the inside of the front right sole under the shoe we believe this was the way he was compensating for the nail bind as it was in the outer toe of the front right.
Next day the boy could hardly walk…
Fast forward to the following weekend 9th dec he’s much better on the hard in trot, only slightly off on the odd stride. Lunging this week as totally sound on the soft. He’s also turning in a circle better.

My question is, should I be getting the vet? I have held off because he came sound after the sheered heels but his poor feet have had shoes on and off in such a short window. It’s understandable he’s sore.

How long after bruising would you expect the horse to come sound?

Many thanks

 

[ycbm]

Can I ask if the farrier trying to correct the imbalance is the same one under whose care it happened?

How long is it since your horse had 3 months or longer at one stretch out of shoes?

To answer the question you asked, yes, you could probably do with some foot balance x rays to see what's going on, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that your horse could really do with time with no shoes on.

 

[Fransurrey]

I would be changing farrier I'm afraid and looking at resting his feet over winter (cushioned hoof boots if necessary). Sounds like he's using your boy as a guinea pig (assuming it is the same farrier) and I don't believe sheared heels can be resolved in 5 weeks - it requires prolonged corrective trimming/shoeing and new hoof growth. Three kinds of shoes in the space of two months is a lot!

 

[Dregish1950]

My farrier has also advised for me to ride him through it, unfortunately he’s not a fan of the school.

Can I ask if the farrier trying to correct the imbalance is the same one under whose care it happened?

How long is it since your horse had 3 months or longer at one stretch out of shoes?

To answer the question you asked, yes, you could probably do with some foot balance x rays to see what's going on, but I'd bet my bottom dollar that your horse could really do with time with no shoes on.

He’s been under this farrier for 12 months, he’s is prone to sheered heels which I learnt after it had happened.

If I am totally honest I believe he has had an apprentice at times. I also believe it was the apprentice that put the front shoes on causing the nail bind.

the farrier that removed the shoe who identified the nail bind said that the hoof balance is much better than when he looked 5 weeks prior.

 

[Dregish1950]

I would be changing farrier I'm afraid and looking at resting his feet over winter (cushioned hoof boots if necessary). Sounds like he's using your boy as a guinea pig (assuming it is the same farrier) and I don't believe sheared heels can be resolved in 5 weeks - it requires prolonged corrective trimming/shoeing and new hoof growth. Three kinds of shoes in the space of two months is a lot!

In his defense I had already been treating the trush and had messaged him a week before he went lame as I was concerned with how the hoof wall had started to break away on the inside left hoof, which has never happened before.

The bar shoes and the current shoes were 13days apart which is why I believe it’s foot/farrier related as he was sound before he was shod.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

The first thing I would do is sack the farrier (and his apprentice). Ask your vet which farrier they work with and get a 2nd opinion. I would have the shoes taken off and give the poor animal a rest from all the messing about.

 

[Hollylee1989]

Experienced all of the above, 6-12 month xrays with trimming tweaks when needed, and pulling the shoes have helped us massively. (navicular and mild ringbone also)

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Been there, done that, sacked the farrier, found a good trimmer, and the horse did very well unshod. I wish that I had done all of that sooner, but popular advice for all of the issues we had (sheared heels, some thrush, imbalance, and quarter cracks) involved shoes, pads, and whatever else. Going back to basics and getting a good trim really was the solution. Horse did wonderfully unshod.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Thats a lot of changes in a short period of time.
If he was mine id x ray the feet to see what your working with and take atleast 3-6 months without shoes on
Some pictures of his feet could help if you wanted to post any.

 

[Goldenstar]

You need a vet and some X-rays .

 

[GypsGal1718]

I would rest him and get the vet out and try to leave it be a bit more so it has a chance to heal

 

[HeresHoping]

Shoes off. And if hoof wall is crumbling, time for a sugar free diet with some good hoof help feed. And a vet who doesn't want to throw shoes back on until your poor horse has grown a new hoof capsule that balances the way he wants to be balanced. Sorry you have to go through this.

 

[sbloom]

For a farrier to say a horse is simply prone to sheared heels shows a very old fashioned attitude and lack of understanding of how a hoof functions. Sure, we've not bred horses with hoof health as a priority, but it doesn't mean to say that a well cared for hoof shouldn't be able to avoid them.

Sack the farrier and get x-rays. Read up about good barefoot trimming as well as the new kinds of shoeing protocols from people like Mark Johnson Farrier - Another Way, Progressive Equine Services and The Equine Documentalist, all have good pages on FB.

 

[ycbm]

I don't believe sheared heels can be resolved in 5 weeks - it requires prolonged corrective trimming/shoeing and new hoof growth

These days the term is used about any condition that splits the two heel bulbs down the middle. If it was caused by foot imbalance, you're right, of course, but if it was caused by thrush splitting the central sulcus then it can heal very quickly. I had one this year go from holding medicated wadding until it was replaced several days later to nothing to get wadding into in less than 2 weeks.
.

 

[Dregish1950]

These days the term is used about any condition that splits the two heel bulbs down the middle. If it was caused by your imbalance, you're right, of course, but if it was caused by thrush splitting the central sulcus then it can heal very quickly. I had one this year go from holding medicated wadding until it was replaced several days later to nothing to get wadding into in less than 2 weeks.
.

I agree, I believe it was the thrush that caused the sore heels. I suspect that he was the landing funny to prevent the discomfort which then in turn caused the hoof wall to split slightly from the impact on the inside wall.

I was also packing the central suclus and within 3 weeks I was struggling for the packing to stay in because they had grown and it wasn’t as deep as it was previously.

I am reluctant to get X-rays because he was sound until he had the heart bars fitted, he then unfortunately had nail bind and bruising. Which he won’t recover over night from.
Hes sound in the school on the lunge, sound trotting up in hard ground. But not on a circle on hard ground but the could simply be because of the nail bind and bruising and still slightly tender.

If he hadn’t come sound since the heel issue then I would get the vet but he was until he was then shod again.

Unfortunately unable to upload pictures as it tells me the files are too big.

 

[Goldenstar]

My experience of sheared heals is it’s a symptom of serious problems elsewhere .

 

[Highmileagecob]

If the imbalance has been caused by thrush, your farrier's corrective shoeing is preventing the hoof from growing back to its normal shape and function. Totally agree with removing the shoes, find a good barefoot trimmer who will take time (6 - 12 months) to get the feet back to shape and prevent navicular changes. I would be wary of asking your farrier to trim as he is already trying to correct through shoeing. Perhaps look into getting a good pair of boots and pads sorted.

 

[Dregish1950]

My experience of sheared heals is it’s a symptom of serious problems elsewhere .

He’s been known to suffer with them all his life and he competed to Grand Prix. So confident there’s nothing wrong else where other than poor stable management.

 

[Dregish1950]

If the imbalance has been caused by thrush, your farrier's corrective shoeing is preventing the hoof from growing back to its normal shape and function. Totally agree with removing the shoes, find a good barefoot trimmer who will take time (6 - 12 months) to get the feet back to shape and prevent navicular changes. I would be wary of asking your farrier to trim as he is already trying to correct through shoeing. Perhaps look into getting a good pair of boots and pads sorted.

I had another farrier look and he said the balance is much better than the time he saw him before. As I said previously I genuinely believe we caught it early enough.
For once cycle he was out in the avanti rail shoes so he could file the shoes down in the relevant place almost creating a wedge. He was back to hacking and was sound. He was shod then went lame but as I said he had nail hind and bruising from that.

 

[Reacher]

Unfortunately unable to upload pictures as it tells me the files are too big.

You can select the resolution of the photos when you upload (small / medium / large)

 

[sbloom]

Unfortunately unable to upload pictures as it tells me the files are too big.

You can select the resolution of the photos when you upload (small / medium / large)

Or open them in an editing package (or even within your own photos storage on the phone) and resize them. Or host them online a provide a link.

I don't think sheared heels can be caught early, as there are more mild stages before sheared heels, that can indeed be "caught early" but as @ycbm says it depends how the term was used.

 

[Reacher]

As an aside, my horse is a little toed out conformation and due to the way he lands has a tendency to grow the outside heel higher than inside heel so we have to keep on top of medio- lateral balance.

I have had him BF for several years (using a BF trimmer) but last summer put shoes on to experiment with studs for eventing. I tried to discuss the balance issue with the farrier who said shoes would stop /reduce the uneven growth in the heels - but he was unable to explain why. I genuinely wanted to understand from a farrier’s point of view but felt I was getting baffled with BS.

(The shoes came off straight after the competition and is back to being BF!)

Sorry for going off at a tangent

 

[Dregish1950]

"sheered heels" then fitted with the rail shoes for the imbalance in the black foot.

 

[Dregish1950]

Came sound, then shod with heart bars, black foot had plate cut off the frog 4 days later as he was off on the left fore. 2 days later he was hopping lame front right fore from nail bind. The green circle there was bruising in that area 7 days later. Believe he was landing to prevent pain in the otter toe of that foot.

 

[Dregish1950]

fitted with the 3d pads 2 weeks ago, he had the Chiropractor this morning, she doesn't think he is lame but he is striding shorted in the front right fore. (White foot) which is the one he had nail bind and bruising on. He is totally sound on the lunge and more than willing to walk/trot/canter and prance about.

 

[ihatework]

Looks more like a deep thrushy cleft - stay on top of the thrush, packing it religiously.
Get some foot balance X-rays.
I’d imagine the additional pressure of a bar shoe made it more uncomfortable.

Vertical split up front although reasonably superficial might indicate balance slightly off too. Treat that seedy toe too

 

[ihatework]

In all honesty I wouldn’t expect a good farrier to allow the foot to get to that stage

 

[Dregish1950]

Looks more like a deep thrushy cleft - stay on top of the thrush, packing it religiously.
Get some foot balance X-rays.
I’d imagine the additional pressure of a bar shoe made it more uncomfortable.

Vertical split up front although reasonably superficial might indicate balance slightly off too. Treat that seedy toe too

Thank you. I’m still continuing to treat the frogs. We caught it pretty quickly as it improved dramatically in a short period. Unable to pack the frogs as it doesn’t stay in any more, but am still spraying it every 3 days or so to keep anything at bay.

Unfortunately the line down the front has been there previous to this farrier. When he took us on he had to go 2 shoe sizes up as he had no heel support and long toes.

Farrier checks it’s every time and he doesn’t believe it’s seedy toe, but we are ontop of it to.

The frog plate did bend on both fronts which is why we changed them to these but in between he had the nail bind along with the bruising.

 

[mini-eventer]

I wouldn't be surprised if your farrier is making your horse lame. He is trying to fix this with shoes and it is time without shoes that your horse needs. I am not a barefoot fanatic - I shoe my own horses.

Your horses heel is contracted and it is extremely difficult to fix in shoes. There will be someone who is clued up in barefoot horses who can help here.

 

[Dregish1950]

In all honesty I wouldn’t expect a good farrier to allow the foot to get to that stage

I am disappointed because when I was concerned I sent a million photos of his feet a week before he went lame and I was told they looked water logged but that was it, I was concerned about the cracks on the wall in the other hoof too as he’s never had that before. ( I had just hosed them off to get a good look at them). Then he went lame…