Posted by M. W. Myers, D.V.M. on September 05, 2003 at 21:30:38:
In Reply to: I need a few opinoins posted by Clint on September 05, 2003 at 20:51:27:
: How many of you have ever delt with a bowed tendon?
: I have been shoeing this hunter for about 5 months, he has typical TB feet with no heel and long toe,he has also been pin fired before which means he has had problems in the past. The horse has been going great in the show pen since i have been shoeing him and the owners are happy, well, they took the horse to the vets office and did a ultrasound and said he had pulled the flexor tendon, remember, the horse is 11 years old and is worked 5 days a week and jumps 3ft 6".
: The vet says give him 8-10 weeks off , pull the shoes off and see where we are then. In this situation what is your advice? I spend 2 hours on this horse every shoeing and he is balanced to the "t". I am waiting to get the blame on this but i know it happened due to the conformation of this horse and how much and hard he works.
: Any advice would be appreciated.
: Thank you,
: Clint
If you need opinions, we can certainly supply them for you.
Thoroughbreds with the long toe and underrun heel problem that are maintaining well on a current shoeing program should not be changed. The old "don't fix it if it ain't broke (unless you're a consultant)" is applicable here. I would confer with the veterinarian if I were you and see if he is aware how problematical it may be for this horse to be barefoot. He is likely unaware of this situation. On the positive side, perhaps your current shoeing of this horse looks so good he thinks the horse would do okay barefoot. If he insists on barefoot then propose trimming every other week to maintain the situation optimally and see if economics will side with you. If this is denied, WRITE your recommendations to the owner and veterinarian so that when everything falls apart as you predict then the responsibility will be shouldered by the appropriate parties involved.
If anyone in this scenario would like a second opinion, I can be reached through the consulting area of this site.
M. W. Myers, D.V.M.