Posted by Phil Armitage on September 14, 2003 at 21:38:12:
In Reply to: Re: Hind foot problem after a stifle injury. posted by Bill Adams on September 14, 2003 at 12:10:44:
: : : : : : : I am working on a horse that has recovered from a stifle injury, I think it was a pulled tendon. Anyways it has been about a year since this horse had the injury and the owner and Vet let it heel with rest and no shoes for 6 months. I noticed that the horse will rest that leg with the inside of the toe resting on the ground at a funny angle, also when she moves she lands inside toe first and there is tissue build up above the correnet that almost looks and feels calsified. I am thinking about wedgeing this foot to try and get a heel first landing and see what happens. My thoughts are that if she keeps landing toe first more there will be more damage to her lower joints and distortion to her hoof. Has anyone run into this and what are your thoughts. She is not lame, however she does pull that leg away alot while I am shoeing her, probably stiff or sore in the stifle. She is riden alot on trails, every weekend and at least 1 hour 3 times a week. Her age is about 21.
: : : : : : : Phil
: : : : : : Phil,
: : : : : : If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the horse is not lame, do not change things. I learned that one the hard way once, years ago.Do, however learn from how the horse adapts.Nature is the best teacher. Don't expect her to be normal on that leg....she isn't. Just my thoughts.
: : : : : : Meg Oliver
: : : : : I'm with Meg on this one, The horses age suggests that something else will put an end to her serviceability before this problem. she probably holds the leg strangely to get away from some scar or inflammitory tissue that's present it's not too likely that a wedge or something on the bottom of the foot will change the way she swings the leg, but it probably won't hurt either. If she's difficult about letting you hold the leg you could try holding the leg from the inside "Euro" style (if she's real gentle) that will put less stress on her stifle and hip.
: : : : : Ron West
: : : : : Westcliffe Colorado
: : : : Makes sense, probably best I leave it alone. I could go either way with this horse, the owner trust me enough to try whatever I think will help her horse. She has her good and bad days with range of motion, but considering her age she is not doing bad. I will try the Euro Style, she is pretty good. Thank you Mdg and Ron, I appreciate both your inputs.
: : : : Phil
: : : Woops, I spelled Megs name wrong, sorry.
: : Phil,
: : Don't feel bad...I misspelled my own name once on a posting. Also you might try a hoof cradle or a Horseholdup since she behaves well.It'll save your back. Be safe.
: : Meg Oliver
:
: Phil,
: I've had a TB filly to work on who hurt her stifle, and was rested, sounds like your project. Once I started shoeing her again, I let the foot and shoe whair, like Meg said, tell me were to put and how to shape the shoe.
: Also, like Meg said, I used a foof stand with a cradle. I made mine but it's like the "Hoofjack" you can find online which is a lot lighter.
: So I set my stand at it's lowest, about ten to twelve inches, pull the leg back as a normal horse, but the foot is below my knees and parrell to the other hock, sort of under the horse , and she stands with her weight on the cradle, stifle comfortable, and very easy on me.
: I use the low cradle on other hind injuries, real young or real old, and "learning" horses. You have to train some of these dinks to the stand, but I have a lot of horses that will leave their hind foot up on the cradle while I go back and forth to the anvil, I mean I allways get the shoe shaped perfect the firse time, but if I ever had to go back and forth half a dozen times the horse would stay... oh well I busted myself there.
: You probably know this stuff and Meg and Ron covered this well,
: My $0.02
: Bill
Thanks Bill, every little bit helps. Even though she is a good horse sometimes she will pull that hind leg real hard and once she cut her opposite leg with an inside nail. I have the hoof jack and it has a cradle that goes real low that I can try. One more question, did the horse you worked on seem to hit the inside toe first and develop sidebone or show any swelling in the correnet in that area?
Phil