Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

tatti said:

latest photos, at week 10/11 - frogs are covered in sudacream. the outer layer of the hoof will still end up coming away, but underneath its getting tighter and the sole is sounding more like a nut when you knock it.  look at the purple mark in the middle of his hoof (this was when he had his accident) and look now 11 weeks later to where it is now, you can see how much the hoof has grown

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Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

Hi Micki, just messaged you on the other blog - the two sort of got mixed up and have kept both updated - so, just to keep everyone updated, its not good I am afraid, and I have lost sleep and drunk a lot of wine over the weekend, I am having to boot him to get him out of the stable, he is so sore on his feet, that he looks lame, one much more than the other. My BFT has been fab with giving me advice on the phone and said that the feeding of new hay (I didnt realise that you never ever feed new hay to any horse, particularly a bare foot one) would have given a sugar over load. So, that could be the cause of the 'footyness' or, the thrush has been very painful in the front frogs but, to be honest since the cleaning with acquious cream and water, drying and packing with sudacream, they are looking much better, or perhaps with his 'self trimming' that took too much away pushed him over the edge and his feet are sore, the same as if I pulled my finger nails away or, worse he has LGL. Soreness will rectify itself, thrush can be solved, the hooves will grow but if its laminitus, then its a different ball game and my vet will want to bute and pop some pads on but, I cant see him in obvious pain. He walks fine on concrete with pads and boots and goes down the stony track but where he used to stride out on the stones, he is now taking careful small steps. Still sound in the grass field and cantering around. No improvement will mean a visit from Clinton, my vet. Big sigh, totally, totally fed up with the whole barefoot thing at the moment, cant ride, costing me a bloody fortune and cant really just pop shoes back on, as I know he shall start pulling them off again in the field and then we shall be back to poulticing sore feet.

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

I would stick with the advice you're getting from Lucy. If he's cantering around when turned out, then he's not that sore, and definately not laminitis, sounds like just sore on the harder/ stoney ground,  which you are protecting against by using his boots.

Also, a farrier wouldn't put shoes on a lame horse - your cavallo boots are taking the place of shoes, and I have to say I always have the farrier deal with feet issues, not the vet.  In your case that's Lucy. 

 Don't give up. you're doing a great job, there's bound to be what feels like steps backward, before all comes out well. Give him time. Have a few more glasses of wine too!

Best wishes Jen

Edit - just thought of something else; if he has bute, it may mask any subtle signs of laminitis,  and he could get it badly then.- I have a pony who was on bute for his arthritus,only half a sachet every other day, and he came down with bad laminitis suddenly, I only realised afterwards that the early signs had been masked because he was having bute.

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

Had someone look at my chap this morning as no better. OK - I dont think the thrush is so bad that its making him so sore, he looks as if he has burnt feet. My barefoot trimmer said that he may be absecessing in both front feet, my vet thinks that if that was the case he wouldnt be sound in his hoof boots as even they cant mask such pain. Plus, the heat isnt getter worse and the pulse has actually gone down a bit when you take it. I didnt realise that you are looking for 30 - 40 beats per minute, learn something every day. Suggestions are either LGL and to keep in for 3 or 4 days or, he is just sore. When standing on the yard without his boots (only to treat for thrush), he is slightly lifting his heel up a tiny bit and then down again and then does the other foot, he is not spreading his legs or leaning back. I can push down hard on the soles which are thickening up really well, they sound like a nut being knocked together, the stretched white line underneath is tightening up, I can really see it from the first photos and the last ones. I cant see any holes or bruising from perhaps a stone bruise. If he does have an abscess brewing, he would be better off out in the field and walking around. He is totally sound in the field. The only way I could really tell I guess, is to have x rays done (vet suggestions) to see if abscess is there, or if anything strange is going on or LGL. He isnt looking sad, or off his feed, isnt laying down in the stable, doesnt hold any leg up but, I can describe his steps on the hard ground as little ones and they both appear very sore. He is worse than when we took his shoes off, which were more of an ouchy type step. Have been todl to ditch the Lucy Fibre Cubes from Simple Systems as they are alfa alfa based, so now have more feed to add to my growing collection of what not to feed. Told to use speedibeat as a bulk to add his supplements in. He wont like that, as its bitter.

Re: horse losing shoes constantly in field

SuzuA - thank you for the smiley!! - He never could walk out accross stones, too early stages, especially with his flat feet and soft soles - I would be happy if he could just go back to walking on the concrete yard area outside his stable. We always booted him to get him from the field to the stable and vice versa as its a farm track with big boulders, stones and gravel. I remember when we took his shoes off, the farrier had had enough at that time, that I tried to get him down there to the field, he refused to move!, We had to use foam, nappies and lots of tape and then left him in the field for 3 days while I rung around desperately trying to secure hoof boots, bless him. the last 3 months have felt like 3 long years. It was so easy when you just had to wait for the farrier to turn up every 7 weeks, job done! - Its the not knowing whats going on, I am ruling out the thrush side now, abscess brewing on both feet, is still a possibility, LGL could be a big possibility, or simply sore feet. Its not easy on a yard when it looks to others that I am deliberately crippling my horse. And of course, Thoroughbreds are NOT suposed to go barefoot, especially a ex racehorse who would have been in shoes from a very early age, sometimes 6 months! No dont want to use Bute, it always upsets him anyway. My vet not happy he is barefoot. Suggesting perhaps pads put on. Another glass of wine again tonight, me thinks! - I feel sorry for my daughter, its her horse and she has had a pretty crap summer holiday so far, but he is a keeper so, we can only do our best and shall take advice from Lucy.