Posted by Jan on July 09, 2003 at 16:03:59:
In Reply to: Re: Eggbars Vs. Backwards shoe? posted by Anne (Tree) Coley on July 08, 2003 at 09:01:57:
::It always amazes me when someone sees a foot from a dead horse on which they have NO history and assume the shoe causes harm. If a shoe is *improperly* applied then sure it will do harm ,but how does anyone looking at a cadaver hoof that came from hundreds in the scrap bin know why that horse died?::
:::Patty,
It always amazes me how anyone can assume to know how badly a horse is without seeing the horse in person. We're both easily amazed I guess.
I do not assume that all cadavers having shoes still on them died as a result of the shoes. I can only study the conditions before me with each foot. Coroners do this and learn a great deal having little more than a body before them to study. Poor hoof form is obvious. The feet don't lie.:::
I'm always amazed at how many vets/farriers/barefoot trimmers can tell what's wrong with a horse's foot without ever having seen a radiograph. While the feet don't lie, they are only evidence of the result, not the cause in most cases.
::Did he eventually die from the unresolved hoof problem despite a good shoeing, did he die because of some serious systemic problems or illness?::
:::Again Patty, poor hoof form is self-evident. Hooves plan an important factor in blood flow throughout the horse's system. Long-term hoof problems take their toll. How many metabolic conditions have hoof problems as their origin? The healthier looking cadaver hooves obviously died from other causes than those with poor hooves.:::
Well, Tree, I would think you've got that backwards. Does poor circulation in a human foot cause diabetes or does uncontrolled diabetes cause poor circulation that can result in foot problems? Will better foot care help? Sure, but it won't lessen the diabetes or the catastrophic cascade of events that will ultimately result if the diabetic condition is not addressed.
:::Patty, if there are cadavers who were never shod and died from severe laminitis I've yet to find one in a bin. Of the ones I've come across, there were either shoes attached or nail holes still visible with rust stains still remaining on the weigh bearing areas of the walls. I wouldn't dare assume that a barefoot horse couldn't die of severe laminitis without ever wearing a shoe. If the trim applied (or neglect of such a horse/pony) did not address the problem and only made it worse, it's quite likely a death sentence for that animal. They don't all end up in a slaughter house or renderers. Many are quietly buried on the owner's premises or cremated (at a lab).:::
I realize you're not saying barefoot horses never founder but you are sort of implying that IF they do and are, it must be from lack of proper barefoot care (neglect). This is not always the case. Going barefoot can actually make a severely foundered horse worse due to lack of coffin bone/boney column support after the laminae fail. My horse is a good example. She was doing relatively well even with questionable shoeing and went downhill within days after the shoes were removed, even though she was receiving frequent barefoot care (at considerable expense) by a noted barefoot trimmer. If I didn't love this horse so much and take the time needed to learn how to deal with her problems effectively in a holistic manner, her badly damaged feet (months sans shoes, i.e. no nail holes) could have wound up in one of those bins. Then some student farrier could exclaim, "hey, this horse's foot is very damaged because it did NOT have shoes. My instructor must be right. Those eggbars he just showed us how to apply would have prevented this!" And he/she would be wrong.
Jan