white line sepearation

[joanne1920]

does anyone know about it? whats the future?
my shetlands just been diagnosed with it, apparently its a combination of the way she walks and her feet being out of balance, the vet has recommended to get them rebalanced which the farrier should be doing anyway, and to get the farrier to scrap the wholes out and fill with kerratex hoof putty.... anyone else had this problem? will it grow out and go away?

 

[brightmount]

I would get a new farrier - would you continue to use one that has let your pony's feet get out of balance? The trim may also be responsible; ask you farrier to roll the edges, it takes the stress off the outer hoof wall. Also ask if there are signs of white line disease, as this can cause separation, and you may need to do a cleantrax soak (PM me if you need a supplier). Grit catching in the white line once it separates can make it worse and introduce infection, so hoof putty is a good idea but only if you have dealt with any existing disease beforehand.

 

[Nari]

Jim is prone to this despite an excellent farrier

. It's due to his foot shape & poor horn & not helped by his size.

His feet MUST be kept in balance, he's shod every 4 weeks & my farrier is meticulous about the trim. His feet ae kept short & he wears Fitzwygram shoes as this helps us keep the toe & flare under control - if his feet get even the slightest flare then the white line starts o seperate. I also find regular use of Antibac helps no end since it hardens the hoof & kills of any bacterial of fungal infections that may try to take hold. I'm also very careful of him on hard ground, to the extent that this year I've restricted his turnout when the ground was hard & he has been on a small patch to limit his charging around.

Interestingly my farrier is against usng putty as he feels letting Antibac & air in is more important. I just keep his feet clean to try & limit any grit that may get in.

At the moment Jim's are looking really good (for him) but it does tend to go in cycles, usually they start to go wrong when the silly sod tears a shoe off hooning around in the field & it becomes a vicious circle.

I'd start by talking to your farrier. If he is dismissive of the problem or doesn't offer you suggestions on how to manage it then get another farrier in ASAP. WHite line seperation can make a horse prone to abcesses which are painful, damage the hoof & can lead to a lot of time off.

 

[joanne1920]

thanks for advice. Shes a 36" shetland and doesnt wear shoes.... farrier says he cant get any on as her legs not long enough to get the correct angle to nail in the nails? wanted her shod last year so i could drive her more as she gets very foot sore...

 

[Fairynuff]

Eh! Sorry, I may be having a dumb moment but what has the lenght of her legs got to do with nail angles? Could the truth be that he doesnt want to bend his (blacksmiths) back? Tell him that glue ons have been invented for quite some time now. M.

 

[Nari]

Well I've seen plenty of shod Shetlands in the past - I think I'd be looking for another farrier!

 

[joanne1920]

he told me glue on shoes would be approx £100 ????????????

 

[eventing_chick]

Get your vet to refer him to a farrier who does a lot of remedial.There unfortunately are a lot of farriers out there that can't shoe a problem horse for toffee......Although they will lead you to belive that 'they are the one and only'. See what the remidal says and does.Farriers hate shetlands!!!!

 

[pidgeypony]

Inerestingly, my farrier also advise NOT to use Hoof putty or anything else, but to leave it open to the air. Getting too wet will make the problem worse so, if your ground gets too squidgy, stable her for a while.

 

[Nudibranch]

One of my shetlands (now retired) was shod for driving, sometimes she had lightweight "racing" shoes and sometimes normal weight. She is only 9.3hh. I've never heard of a sheltand being too small to shoe! Change your farrier?

 

[joanne1920]

i think he is a remedial farrier anyway.... he comes wednesday to do other ponies on the yard i will speak to him then and see what he says. Do you think the white line will ever grow back and she might have normal feet again? she had the wholes in her feet all winter and was up to her knees in mud and stabled at night and never had problems... oh dear... i do worry alot....

 

[brightmount]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you think the white line will ever grow back and she might have normal feet again?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I do, hoof wall is regenerating all the time. It just needs a GOOD farrier or EP, careful management and patience.

 

[Nari]

Yes it will grow back, just look at it as a management issue.

Even if he is a remedial farrier it doesn't sound as if he's doing a good job for you or your mare. Any good farrier should be able to help with white line seperation & any farrier who can't (or can't be bothered to) correctly balance feet shouldnt be doing the job IMO.