Type of shoes for horse with PO

[SpiritHorse]

By PO I mean Pedal Osteitis.

I was reading online about it and it mentioned shoeing, anti inflammation meds, total rest and maintance.

What type of shoe is recommended? If the horse bruises easily and winds up with this I would say barefoot would be out.

[Phil Armitage]

I like to use a wide web aluminum shoe that is deeply seated out in foot side of the toe with a heartbar frog support pad and Equipak. This prevents pressure in the toe onto the distal end of the coffin bone and the frog support aids in supporting the bone. The Natural Balance aluminum shoe or a wide web aluminum shoe will work. The pads I like to use are Myron Mclain heart bar pads. The Equipak is a soft acrylic that fills the void in and under the pad to prevent debri from building up into the sole. Fill the Equipak only to the level of the pad to prevent excessive sole pressure.

You are correct about barefoot being out. If your horse has Pedal Ostietis going barefoot will cause more damage like remodleing or loss of bone, which will affect the health and shape of the foot.

[Dave Whitaker]

Spirithorse,
I currently have a horse in my practice that was referred to me with a Pedal Ostietis diagnosis this Spring. Radiographs and clinical exams seemed to be on the money. The horse was a grade 2/3 lame on the RF at the trot. LF appeared to be normal.

This horse now presents 100% sound and is back to full work schedule, (level 2 dressage ). He was completely rehabed BAREFOOT, so I wouldn't rule out that it can't be done. First PO horse I tried this with. Now, he was very long/low when I got him and was landing with a dramatic toe first landing. Heels terribly underrun and contracted. Apparently very poorly trimmed for quite some time, didn't need to be a brain surgeon to help this guy. The owner had him barefoot for about 14 months, she thought, and he slowly became more and more sore leading up to the diagnosis.

I will say that this owner followed every suggestion that came from the Vet and myself to a T. The horse was taken out of work, left in a nicely bedded stall and given unlimited turnout on a large grass pasture. I simply began to trim the feet referencing the live sole plane, was as aggresive as I felt I could be bringing the toes and the heels back, and trimmed him every 3 weeks for 4 months. Soon after his frogs "exploded" and re-took control of the rear of the foot, his feet improved at a very quick rate. His heels got steeper and wider, the flares stopped, a tough sole callous developed, and the toes came back.

Could I have "rehabed" this horse faster with the application of a proper shoeing protocal? Yep, I think so. Do I have a more complete and durable "recovery" this way? I don't know. The owner really wanted to try this, the Vet, was all for it, and as long as the horse didn't exhibit any unneccesary pain, I was willing to give it a go. I never saw him move prior to him being off, so I have no reference to assess his current soundness against, but all involved are quite happy.

As with most issues, if you don't determine and fix the root cause of the problem, then I don't care what "bandaid" you choose to use, you havn't fixed anything. Hope this helps, Dave

[calshoer]

In mild cases, I use NB aluminum, set so the breakover is directly over the tip of p3 and sole relief is over the edge of the bone,(to insire clearance over the sole there) pour in equipack only in the rear half of the foot .
Or the NB aluminum and the NB frog support pad, pad well riveted down into the sole relief area of the shoe, with soft packing only such as hawthornes or Forshners.
Severe cases,or cases with solar margin fractures, EDSS with the "all purpose" hard plastic plate or the aluminum P3 plate, impression material only in the rear of the foot and something soft like Hawthornes over the sole area. Basically I shoe them like a foundered horse.
Patty

[Phil Armitage]

Spirithorse,
I currently have a horse in my practice that was referred to me with a Pedal Ostietis diagnosis this Spring. Radiographs and clinical exams seemed to be on the money. The horse was a grade 2/3 lame on the RF at the trot. LF appeared to be normal.

This horse now presents 100% sound and is back to full work schedule, (level 2 dressage ). He was completely rehabed BAREFOOT, so I wouldn't rule out that it can't be done. First PO horse I tried this with. Now, he was very long/low when I got him and was landing with a dramatic toe first landing. Heels terribly underrun and contracted. Apparently very poorly trimmed for quite some time, didn't need to be a brain surgeon to help this guy. The owner had him barefoot for about 14 months, she thought, and he slowly became more and more sore leading up to the diagnosis.

I will say that this owner followed every suggestion that came from the Vet and myself to a T. The horse was taken out of work, left in a nicely bedded stall and given unlimited turnout on a large grass pasture. I simply began to trim the feet referencing the live sole plane, was as aggresive as I felt I could be bringing the toes and the heels back, and trimmed him every 3 weeks for 4 months. Soon after his frogs "exploded" and re-took control of the rear of the foot, his feet improved at a very quick rate. His heels got steeper and wider, the flares stopped, a tough sole callous developed, and the toes came back.

Could I have "rehabed" this horse faster with the application of a proper shoeing protocal? Yep, I think so. Do I have a more complete and durable "recovery" this way? I don't know. The owner really wanted to try this, the Vet, was all for it, and as long as the horse didn't exhibit any unneccesary pain, I was willing to give it a go. I never saw him move prior to him being off, so I have no reference to assess his current soundness against, but all involved are quite happy.

As with most issues, if you don't determine and fix the root cause of the problem, then I don't care what "bandaid" you choose to use, you havn't fixed anything. Hope this helps, Dave

Dave, no disrespect, but a horse bruiseing the distal end of P3 needs protection. Protect that coffin bone at all cost, you cannot replace loss of bone from excessive damage. If the horse you spoke of was landing toe first with Pedal Osteitis, this also indicates pretty severe pain in the caudle aspect of the foot. I cannot imagine a horse with Pedal Osteitis landing toe first, that would be like a foundered horse landing toe first. I quess it could happen if not protected with proper shoeing and landed hard heel first, eventually there will be pain in the caudle aspect. Anyways, I do not know if I would go along with rehabing this kind of a problem by going barefoot. I agree with the proper trimming and gaining protection in the toe and engageing the frog. this is the whole idea with frog support pads and a wide web shoe.

[Dave Whitaker]

Phil, I generally agree, and prior to this horse, I have treated 100% of them pretty much to a T the way Patty described. This situation was very unique and probably will never come up again in my carrer. ( Vet and owner very interested in addressing it barefoot, AND a horse so terribly trimmed it couldn't have landed on his heels if the coffin bone was through the sole).

Most of these cases that I have seen I wouldn't consider a barefoot rehab appropriate...... this one though was interesting.... AND the horse is doing very well and everyone is happy..... ALWAYS my bottom line.

oh yea.. I've blocked 4 days off..I'm going snowmobiling! see ya!

Dave

[SpiritHorse]

Interesting replies...I have a mare that is now shod on her front feet with pads and the blue and white putty stuff she seems better but still sore.
Weither it was PO or not the vet never said when we had Xrays done but he agreed that we should get her shod ahead of her trim schedule.
She had a nickle size bruise and wow what a difference those shoes made.
I am considering re-shoeing the other two mares and the filly when she gets ready to be broke as she gets a stone bruise now and again.
No more taking chances period.

They are maintained farrier wise and always has been, just has been a rough year.

Our new blacksmith is a great guy and really knows his stuff.

I asked because I have seen posts on other boards and wanted to know more about this.

Thanks again!

[Phil Armitage]

If it is PO and any of the blue stuff is in the toe the horse might get sore. The blue stuff is called impression material. It is a two part puddy when mixed together sets up to a firm rubber consistancy. The best way to use impression materail is to apply it to the foot and duct tape a firm flat pad and let the stuff set up. Once it is set up the stuff in the toe can be cut away as far back as a 1/4" behind the tip of the frog. This should help remove pressure to the distall end of P3 (PO).

[JMPalmer]

The Equipak is a soft acrylic that fills the void in and under the pad to prevent debri from building up into the sole.<<

Actually, Equipak is a urethane, not an acrylic. Good stuff though. :)

Jan

[Donnie Walker]

SpiritHorse - there is an excellent article in the Dec. 05 issue of the American Farriers' Journal that will add to your quest. If you do not have access to that journal and would like a copy by fax or mail, let me know, or contact the AFJ for a copy.