Torn between Two Experts! - long post.

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scotia2k7

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Edinburgh, Scotland
www.palegallery.com
I am very fortunate to have both a great farrier Ive used for six years & a breeding & AI expert without whom I wouldnt have my boy.

My boy is a handsome, nicely set & a fab "person" of an 18mth colt now (2yo in May) who was born - well if Im honest - with all four "paws" going in opposite directions. He was six weeks late, smaller than a collie dog (mum is 16.1, dad 16.3) & underwent a plasma trans @ 18hrs.

All I want is a balanced foot & best for him. He *does* stand with his weight on the inside of his feet, which means they wear down & the outside of each hoof gets a flare. He's out during the day & in at night. He has good horn growth & his mama's "iron hard feet" Im told & he has done very well in sport horse showing (Im not a showing person, but a friend lets us tag along with her glorious Welsh Sec D).

"Expert One" (youngstock) thinks I should shoe him - to stop allowing him the inside wear (he's a lazy stance) & to ensure his legs continue to grow correctly & to maximise his potential as the jumper he was bred to be, - but moreover to maximise his legs & keep him straight moving.

"Expert Two" (farrier) thinks that at 18mths its an extreme measure for little benefit & also said that at 18mth lower leg bones are set (which I dont agree with). My colt has been trimmed from 6wks, stands stock still for farrier & I dont *think* would be a problem for glue-ons.

Ive owned mum for 17 years, Pr.St Trakehner & she competed barefoot to Grade A & ran a coulpla x-countries in her (&my) younger days - she still has the best "legs in the business"...Sire was KWPN International jumper VDL Marlon.

My major dilemma is knowing both experts have a point & more than know their stuff, Im a barefoot fan (where its possible for the horse - nothing more) but want the best for my boy.

All advice very, very welcome.
scotia (thank you in advance)
 
first question, are they really experts?

if yes, i would go for the farrier as he should know more about feet than an AI technician.

i trust my farrier 100% and whatever he suggests i go for- he has never been wrong in over 6 years and 15+ horses (mainly youngsters).

have you got an equine vet who can give you an opinion?
 
If my farrier (whom I trust implicitly) said to me "Don't shoe the horse", I would not be shoeing the horse.
 
I would trust a farrier and or a vet they are qualified in these matters, Im no expert but I belive that by 2 years old the joints will have adapted to the angles of the leg as it is.. and any corective work should have been done much sooner when a foal is very young...
 
I think you should discuss the limb conformation of your youngster with a vet who has an interest in equine orthopaedics.
The farrier is right the growth plates are starting to close at that ages to corrective shoing might not be the most effective method to try and correct his limb conformation.
 
I would get your farrier.. your youngstock bloke and a very good Orothotic vet into a room and ask them to discuss the way forwards..

All have a very good point. But I would be more inclined to go with what the farrier has said. (I feel from your post you are more inclined to go witht he younstock man as you have said hes fine to stand up and would have no issues with glue ons)

And also.. jsut as a point.. growth plates in the lower limbs are pretty much closed by the age of 12 months, so this is going to change the foot, not the actually conformation. The window for improvments to conformation has been missed, the bones of the lower limb are now as they will stay.

I suggest you speak to an orthapedic vet, and your farrier.

Lou x
 
qr-The knee, parts of the shoulder and elbow growth plates will not be closed yet but your farrier is right that the lower limb growth plates have closed, meaning the conformation of the lower limb is now set.

Much as you want a balanced foot unfortunately not all horses follow the text book and so you can only balance as far as the conformation will allow. Your farrier is the foot expert, so as such if you trust him and his knowledge/ability then his opinion should be listened to.

I agree with nailed, ask your farrier to meet with your youngstock person and good equine vet to discuss the way forward. A team effort will give your horse the best chance and put your mind at rest that you are doing the best for your horse.
 
I was in your situation (mine was maybe a bit worse!)

On one hand I had one of the best specialised lameness vets in this country, if not wider afield (Jane Boswell from the referal hospital at liphook) saying my horse should be in normal shoes with wedge pads after he strained his ddft within his foot.

The other hand my amazing farrier (who came 3rd in the world farriery champs) who I compleatly trust saying he should have bar shoes with no pads.

Both said the other was (in the nicest possible way) wrong!!

After much wondering I decided to go with the farrier as feet were his thing. It was followed up with xrays etc. It was the right thing to do as his feet never looked better.

If I was you I would get a more specialised vet to see what they think. AI vets are normally busy from say mid feb till late august just with breeding stuff. Get a vet that does lameness and limb issues all the time to see what they think.

But I would say if you really trust the farrier then do what he says
 
His M/L balance will change as he matures and muscles up. I wouldn;t get too hung up about it - the feet are that shapre for a reason - beucase they support what is above it. Who knows if forcing the foot into a perception of an ideal shape might cause more problems than it solves.

Msybe just needs a light trim to take away some fo the flare - but if he grows it back again then he needs it and just leave it alone.

Nature knows best - and your colt is the expert on where he needs his feet to be - not the farrier or anyone else!
 
Like SMID, I think he is growing the feet that he needs for his own body and that if you shoe him you will put a strain on joints further up in his legs. You might get him to look like he is straighter, but at what cost to the length of his working life?
 
Have to agree with SMID. Nature knows best how to deal with what it has, don't try to conform to 'normal' for the sake of it.
 
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