Seeking experienced farrier who does NB shoes in Loudoun Co. VA

[melvoght]

OK, For years, Henry Heymering has been my farrier, I still rely on him to do fixes, but here is the issue...I live too far away for him. And, the other issue, my standards may have become impossibly high. :o

I live in Loudoun County, VA. A county with a population of nearly 23,000 horses. Since I moved to my new farm, I have had the following:

Farrier 1) decent job, showed up twice, with assistant, then called the day before 3rd appt. cancelled saying his truck was broken, then after numerous calls, had another farrier call me to see if he could help. Unfortunately, at this point, my horses were at 8 or 9 weeks, and I'm a 5-6 week schedule kinda gal....like 4 in summer.

Farrier 2) young, studied with Henry, did 2x, then no-showed on third, he'd started working for a group of farriers and they had his time. Was doing decent work.

Farrier 3) been doing it for a few years, VERY eager to please me, scheduling was top notch, showed up, was on time, but could not seem to see symmetry to save his life. All the horses were starting to go off, and worst was my best/favorite riding horse had her RF and LH almost a full INCH longer than their corresponding feet. She coincidentally developed the nastiest case of WLD and we are STILL fighting that.

Farrier 4) young, but good eye. did a good job, was willing to put the NB shoes on Romeo (the main one I require them for) followed the bulk of those principles on the others using other brands of shoes, but after 4 great appointments, called and let me know he had older clients who had acquired more horses and he was dropping me. He did make a great bar shoe for my mare and put some equithane in her WLD foot after resecting massive amounts. She was at least sound!

Farrier 5) career switcher, great with horses, not so great with organization. Has shown up without the shoes necessary to do my horse 2x. Ended up fabricating something "close" to NB (NOT), and didn't have Equithane for my horse with WLD, she has since gone lame (which could be coincidence), but what is making me start to look is that he does a great job if I'm standing there, studying and coaching...and I really, REALLY don't want to do that, but I've been happy when I've been there for the shoes, when I've had a boarder holding horses, I'm NOT happy with the end results. The heels are all pinched in on the inside heel, the shoes need to be set a bit further back and now, after I've gone and BOUGHT NB shoes myself to make sure he can't use the "the farrier supply didn't have the shoes" excuse, he has now cancelled 2x. First time, he had been sick and had to catch up on other people, and my horse wasn't terrible yet, 2nd time, roads were flooding....and now my horse is at 8 weeks, and, while the shoes are ON, they don't look so hot...and his long toe/low heel is starting to flare up again. Oh yes, he won't do my founder pony, or rather refused to do her 2x in a row, leaving her dreadfully long and making me beg poor Henry to help me out.

So, ALL the farriers I find out names of, based on seeing finished product, they aren't taking on new clients.

My barn isn't full of the simplest horses, but with good, NB shoes and correct application, they are happy and sound. I have

1) founder pony, 24 POA, trimmed only at the moment.

2) 21 yr TB Gelding, he is the one who really needs the NBs. I've owned him for 17 years...Henry has been fixing him for me off and on for 8 or 9. He prefers 4 shoes.

3) 14 year old TB mare, the WLD one, Henry put her first set of shoes on her, and has also done her for almost half her life. Did the current job and resection and I'll be hauling up for her until we get this WLD fixed. Shoes around.

4) 7 year old appy mare. Fronts only. She started wearing shoes when her tough-as-nails feet starting getting something...maybe WLD a few years ago. Putting shoes on seemed to fix her up.

5) almost 2 year old WB Filly. I beat her regularly to insure proper behavior for the farrier. :p

6) boarded horse, 9 year old TB mare, great for farrier, nice, uncomplicated feet...seem to be migrating to two sizes though...which makes owner unhappy.

7) he died, and his replacement is not yet found...so, only 6 horses in the barn.

They are truly well behaved, even when the hunt came through for the last job...and I wasn't even there. I feel bad for my boarder who was holding, but they were ok.

My horses really appreciate a hoof jack/sling (Henry has spoiled them to his kind ways).

So, any ideas? I will ask the current farrier, but I'm getting the strong feeling that the current guy doesn't like the NBs, and I don't like nagging for shorter toes and shorter heels always. Do I just persevere? Do I beg my husband to learn and do it? I've already started rasping the founder pony and getting Henry to grade/fix my work...I do NOT want to do this. I would MUCH rather pay.

I do really LIKE this farrier's attitude around the horses, and he is quite good with the horses (farrier #3...my mare did not like, which was a first). He did not attend a farrier school, but apprenticed with a few different farriers, some pretty good "firms". Oh, he lives rather far away, I think he prefers to drive to Loudoun because the market price is considerably higher than where he is

I have never complained about the high, regional price we pay here either. A good job is worth it. If the world was perfect, I could convince Henry that I'm really not too far away, but wait, I am.

Mel

[Roy Amaral CJF]

Do you have a trailer? Why not just bring them to Henry? ;)

[melvoght]

I have taken them to Henry for many, many years.

Unfortunately, I just cannot haul this many horses up there, and uh...way back when I added one...then another, then a third, then my last one, he wasn't taking on new horses.

I can't take a day off work as often as needed, when the farrier comes to me, it is a lot easier, and it is a full day to go up there. Plus, when I have a lost shoe, it is a major schedule issue to get it put back on...not that I ever mind visiting Henry.

So, with Henry's blessing (and promise to take my horses back) I have been attempting to find a qualified, and local, farrier.

Mel

[Roy Amaral CJF]

I can think of probably two dozen really good farriers in VA, WV and MD but none of them are going to want to put up with NBS. :)

There's allways a bigger trailer. :D

[melvoght]

So, you're saying that these great farriers will not use the NB shoes, period?

I have ONE horse who needs them. The others, I am fine with either way.

While I appreciate your humor, I think I'm losing my sense of humor. I have horses who are not sound, or are headed to contracted heels, have WLD in the two feet that were coincidentally an INCH longer, or LTLH, and I have been through more farriers than I want to go through.

Does anyone have a real suggestion?

[Roy Amaral CJF]

So, you're saying that these great farriers will not use the NB shoes, period?

I have ONE horse who needs them. The others, I am fine with either way.

While I appreciate your humor, I think I'm losing my sense of humor. I have horses who are not sound, or are headed to contracted heels, have WLD in the two feet that were coincidentally an INCH longer, or LTLH, and I have been through more farriers than I want to go through.

Does anyone have a real suggestion?

There's nothing that can be accomplished with the NBS brand shoes that can't be with done with other shoes. The NB shoes are difficult to fit properly and the nail pattern is less than ideal.

My real suggestion was to bring your horses to Henry. He has your horse's needs diald in, you have confidence in him, everybody's happy. :)

You're not going to get the best out of anybody by dragging them into something they're not comfortable with then hovering over them.

You're in a target rich enviroment for really great farriers. If your determined to switch find the best one you can and have him give Henry a call to find out what he's doing to keep your horse comfortable.

If you need some names PM me. :)

[Phil Armitage]

You seem like a nice person and have enough horses for a farrier to make a profitable day out of it. I do not understand why you would have so much trouble getting and keeping a farrier.

[Dances with Hooves]

"There's nothing that can be accomplished with the NBS brand shoes that can't be with done with other shoes. The NB shoes are difficult to fit properly and the nail pattern is less than ideal."

OK I'm going to answer your post and tom's. You are completely out of line to be posting this here in this forum. Baron's farrier and hoofcare resource center is supported by the advertisers and many of them have their manufacturers forum hosted and pay a fee to baron for the privledge. How appropriate would it be for you to go the Vettec forum and savage their product line and reccommend equilox instead? Do you go to the keratex forum and recommend another product? I notice that several of the manufacturers forms have moved from baron's site and are now hosted elsewhere he is now down to 4 paying customers. Lets not lose him another one.

Lets support baron in his efforts to make a buck while providing us with this venue and save the attacks on EDSS products for any other forum other than the "Manufacturers and Suppliers Products and Services Forums > EDSS - Hope For Soundness".

[melvoght]

You seem like a nice person and have enough horses for a farrier to make a profitable day out of it. I do not understand why you would have so much trouble getting and keeping a farrier.

Whew, finally found this. I had to hunt and hunt for it. I thought I'd violated some rule and had my topic deleted!

Phil,

I am trying to figure it out.

I am not trying to price shop.

I am not saying they HAVE to use NBS shoes on all my horses, but I am saying that I have ONE horse who I've owned for 17 years and I while Roy thinks that the shoe is hard to fit, it fits this horse perfectly, with very little modification....For the first 7 years I had him, we fought LTLH, then finally started to try the NBS on him and it works for this horse.

The first one, he was busy, and I know a few of his other barns are 40+ horses, making my 5-7 a drop in his bucket.

The second, he was young and the job was a perfect opportunity.

The third, the only one whose work I was truly unhappy with and I feel like we are STILL recovering from that...he also was super responsive and really, REALLY wanted my barn. I just couldn't do the lame horses and assymetrical feet.

The fourth was the big mystery. He says he was too busy, but he'd been doing my barn for 3 or 4 cycles. No horse had been bad, my friend who recommended him after I liked her horses feet said he told her that he'd gotten too busy to keep me.

The current one, like I said, I like him, but I think with my combination of issues, founder pony, WLD, one horse who NEEDS the NBs, I am really, really pushing the edge of his knowledge and abilities. He has admitted that he is uneasy with the advanced or corrective things he is having to deal with. He actually has done very well with my application tips (I'm a bit of a geek and since my horses don't really need to be held, I spend 90% of the time watching the farrier work and have spent 10 years asking questions, looking at angles, lying on the ground comparing to the Strasser template, learning some of the various theories...so I do have a pretty good foundation on why we need more heel to come off Romeo and his shoe needs to come back further, but I'm NOT a farrier and don't claim to be one).

My biggest issue seems to be that the farriers whose work I admire and like (and no, they aren't JUST using NBS, but do seem to keep a lot of navicular horses sound) are too busy to take on a barn my size....

Do I have a few too few? Or too many? Or do I just ride too much? Is it no small coincidence that the horses whose feet I admire (and whose farriers are booked solid) are in the higher end barns, both dressage and jumping?

I have always treated my farriers with respect and courtesy, offering refreshments (including beer when I'm the last stop of the day or hot tea if it is cold), pay when they are here, or mail a check promptly if they come when I'm not here, have my horses in and waiting, with dry feet, and not caked in mud, have a pleasant, WELL lighted aisle to work in, horses who stand nicely so long as the farrier isn't trying to yank the leg to 3' high levels for extended periods, and I am baffled.

Mel

[Mike Ferrara]

lying on the ground comparing to the Strasser template, learning some of the various theories...

That might run some farriers off.

[Rick Burten]

Sounds like you need to move to central Illinois so I can be of service to you. :D

You definately sound like the kind of client any farrier worth his/her salt would like to have in their practice. Even better, you get along with Henry. :p

[EileenHughes]

Mel, I feel your pain. I didn't have the staying power you seem to have though, and ended up going to school and doing my own.

I'm going to have to go along with those who say "haul out". I know it's very difficult to do this when you have a work schedule, but it'll pay off in that your "high needs" horses will stay on schedule. I have to do this for my vet as the local vet is an excellent cow vet but my good equine vet is 45 minutes one way. A pain, but worth the quality of service.

You may want to see if the farrier who you like has a facility at his house that you could drop your horses off at and then pick them up the following day. I have done that with a neighbor when he needed his horse done and I was busy with whatever. Then if I wanted to work on him at ten at night when it was cool and the kids in bed I could. :)

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is maybe not ask so many questions (augh, I can't believe I just said that!! :eek: ) as it may make some farriers feel as if you don't trust them or what have you. Possibly wait until they're done working on the animal to ask a question. Personally, I love to share what I know, but when I'm working I've got to stay focused on what I'm doing and can rarely carry on a conversation because I will get my mind jumbled and lose focus and forget what I'm doing. (My children even know to not speak to me when I'm measuring ingredients in the kitchen! :o )


I don't know if this post will help you at all, but I hope you do find a solution because you sound like a very conscientious horse owner; the kind farriers like to have. :)

[melvoght]

Thanks for the feedback.

I should clarify that I don't usually ask questions of the OTHER farriers, I've just spent 7-8 years doing that with Henry. Over time, because he likes to educate.

And, the Strasser trim comparison was when he was studying the Strasser materials in preparation for the Tufts Panel that was done last year. We were comparing what that trim would have my horse's feet looking like and I have to say, I do not think it would ever work for my small sample of horses.

And, I have my boarders who like to use the same farrier I do. No, I don't charge them enough to have them expecting the full services I provide, but they are good and help me hold horses on days when I have work.

I HAVE had my horses in tow for a few hours at work, in the trailer, and let me tell you, Metro DC is not the best place for hauling a 4 horse rig around, the parking lots really aren't designed for duallies, much less full rigs.

So, while I am grateful that I CAN haul out when I have to, and I haul on a regular basis, usually 7000-8000 miles a year, I have hit that age where I realize that for some things, it is worth it to have the service provider come to me.

Although, I do still haul out for some vet stuff, and the like...and Henry has agreed to keep doing my WLD horse until we have her back to "normal".

I am not a wimpy female, but I do know that I would not hold up to doing shoes. I do saddle flocking (well, only for select people these days) and that is about all my arms can take. I am also not talented with hammers and nails, and I am smart enough to recognize my limitations.

As for getting along with Henry, we've been friends for a long time. Met first through the Compuserve Horses forum. We used to go trail riding, then team penning, now he has me coming up for cowboy action shooting. I also do jumpers and dressage....you might say, I'm all for trying it if it sounds like fun and involves a horse.

Mel

[Dave Whitaker]

I think the "make it work with Henry" idea is the ticket. Just keep uping the ante until its a win win for you both. I have a client that pays me a day's pay to drive about 2 hours each way to shoe her two TWH's..... she just kept throwing more money at me even after I agreed to work with anyone she could find to take them over. Now when she pops up on the schedule, I can't think of anything I would rather do that day.

Roy, as to your blanket NB statement, wow........ I do suppose that there is "nothing that can't be accomplished" with a piece of flat stock or for that matter a lump of steel either....eventually. I can eat with my fingers too..... don't need that damn fork..... but my wife isn't real good at tolerating the stares in the restaurants......

Dave

[Phil Armitage]

Hey Mel, if you were in my area, I would love to have you as a customer. You have enough to do to make it worthwhile and you sound like a neat person to get to know. Hang in there you will find someone that will work with you and I am sure it will work out where you both appreciate each other.

[melvoght]

Phil,

Thanks for the encouragement.

I caught a hunt hound today and the new huntsman who came to pick him up mentioned he is also a farrier.

He has just moved up here (the former huntsman was killed in a motorcycle/truck accident) and he says he has been a farrier for 14 years. We chatted briefly about the shoes, he came in and looked at my horses, I may call and talk with him more, but he had to leave, they still had 6 hounds missing...sounds like it was quite the day out hunting!

I also got another lead (but no phone number yet) on a farrier at a barn who I've admired the work of their other farrier. Hopefully I can get his number.

Mel

[calshoer]

[There's nothing that can be accomplished with the NBS brand shoes that can't be with done with other shoes. The NB shoes are difficult to fit properly and the nail pattern is less than ideal.
Roy, Natural Balance is a whole protocol which encorporates a specific hoof preperation,aswel las the shoe.
The NB shoes make correctly applying the protiocol a lot easier, and as well the NBshoes have certain specific design features a that are difficult (but certainly not impossible) to forge into another shoe.
Each part of the design of the NB shoe has a specific purpose. If you are going to duplicate the NB protocol accurately, you must forge into your other shoe ALL the varuius features. It is a lot more than just the breakover at the toe.
Most farriers who do not routinely or sucessfully apply the NB shoes are not really applying the NB protocol.
As to the toe shoe fit and nail pattern, it works extremely well, IF the NB shoes are actually being properly set according to NB guidelines, and applied to a foot which has been prepared to the same guidelines. The NB trim compliments the shoe, and visa versa.

Lastly, this IS the natural balance, EDSS website bulletin board and if you wish to steer this person to something other than NB, you are on the wrong board. They came *here*,to the NB board, asking for a referral .

To the original question, please contact the people at EDSS directly, either through Email at edss@ris.net or by phone, at 729 372 7463, weekdays mountain time and see if they have a Natural Balance farrier referral for you.
Patty

[melvoght]

Calshoer,

In Roy's defense, I did originally post this in the General section. Someone moved it when he added the statement you pulled out and quoted.

I do find it interesting that my mare had gone lame, in her LF, which is NOT affected by WLD, no heat, swelling, or abcess to be found, but when Henry changed her back to the NB protocol (and shoes now, he used to use St. Croix Eventers on her) she was initially still off at the trot, but is sound now...I think that whatever it is in the angles is making her shoulder sore, or something above the lower leg structure, because I've been through this "nothing looks wrong except the feet are not quite symmetrical/right" and she is not sound.

I am open to using a farrier who is not 100% NB, but who knows and understands how to apply it to my horse (s) that may need it to stay sound.

I want sound riding horses. I spend an awful lot of money to keep too many horses and that adage of "no foot no horse" is quite true.

Mel

[melvoght]

Oh well, the joys of not posting everything anonymously. Farrier #5's wife was doing some research (to try to help as I asked if he would maybe work with Henry once on the NB methods for the one gelding) and took major offense because I said "career switcher". I did not mean that negatively, just that the person is not a youngster. Disorganized, well, that is how not having the supplies appears to me, the customer who is on the receiving end, and it isn't the first time to do my barn.

I guess she did not see all the positive things I posted, so, while I wanted to see if this would work out, oh well. I shall certainly keep his number and pass it on to any others who might be looking because I didn't think his work was bad, just that my barn is 1/2 full with difficult cases/special needs. I did have all intentions of trying to make this work, but needed to get some numbers, just in case.

My apologies for not being anonymous and hurting your feelings.

Mel

[Phil Armitage]

Ohh, gosh, well, I remember those days, use to tick me off when I heard something negative about me or my work. Now that I am 46, I want to know how others percieve me positive or negative, but mostly the negative. Can't make the right changes for success if you do not know what you do wrong. I can understand judgeing someone on the appearance of there truck. An ole timer who ran a Oil burner service once told me the most important part of his image was his trucks, they were cleaned and orginized every day. Just good buisness sense if you ask me.

[Bill Adams]

Do I beg my husband to learn and do it?
Mel

Mel,
An outgroth of the Farrier trade is that sometimes we become marriage counselors (though we usally hear just one side). With the hubby sweating and straining, and you pointing and telling, I see trouble a comin'.
As to the fellow finding out people know he's not ordering on time, he should take the lesson.
It sounds like you may have a good lead with the guy with the hounds.
My county is bigger than your state and we don't have half the horses you do. It sounds like a Farriers market, but the cold beer, hot tea program ought to get one hooked soon.
Take care
Bil

[melvoght]

Bill,

An outgroth of the Farrier trade is that sometimes we become marriage counselors (though we usally hear just one side). With the hubby sweating and straining, and you pointing and telling, I see trouble a comin'.

Good point. :D

I'm cautiously optimistic about a couple of prospects.

You are right about this being a farrier's market. With many olympians and top notch riders here, it attracts a lot of serious riders. I mean, Joe Fargis is 20 minutes away, he won Gold in 1984 and still wins a lot of grand prixs every year. The O'Connors are just over the border in the next county.

Heck, the number of quality trainers available is one of the reasons I stay in this region. I love it for horse stuff. I could go to a rated show every single weekend for most weekends of the year and travel under 3 hours....for most, that would be under 2 hours.

I will stick around and continue to read/study.

Mel

[THamilton]

Ma'am,

While I may of no service to you as I live across the States from you, I do have a suggestion for your WLD. It is common here is Washington where the climates and conditions vary. ( NO! I am not in the Seattle area. That is a seperate lanet. ) :) I am in the Spokane area.

It sounds like you must place the Vettec product over the area that haas been sected from the hoof in order for your horse to function or appear "normal," correct? WELL... I have been around this procuct for many years now and have extensive experience with it. THey key to [preventing the WLD or other funguses from growing is that you first have to kill them completely BEFORE you apply the product. IF you do not you have actually created an environment htat harbors and promotes the growth of the fungus. After secting the hoof my recommendation is to wrap the foot after appling a topical dressing like betaine or Iodine. This will help tp cornify any sensitive tissues run into. Wrap it to keep it clean and stall the horse ina dry area for three or four days, applying the iodine once a day.

The idea is to kill hte fungus using air. The bacteis that cause this malidity is aerobic which means that the air kills it. Now you should be able to safely apply the product. WHAT OFTEN TIMES HAPPENS and it has happened to me before I realized what was happening, is even a pin head size amoout of the black fungus left under the Vettec will cause the bacteria to fester more.

As for farriers embrassing the ideas of NB, Well... change is hard to embrass especially if it goes against ones thinking that has been instilled in them since they began their career in shoeing. It can often times be harder whenyou have an owner who is standing there trying to tell you every aspect of the work. A farrier is less willing to try someting new to them if this occurrs. IF an owner works with the farrier and trys to help them and not tell them that is better. Possibly you could have thenew farrier visit while someone you trust to do NB is there doing it. A farrier will take advice/help/tips/instruction better in this format that the owner telling them what to do.

I hope that this informatio helps you.

Tony

[melvoght]

Tony,

Thanks for taking the time to post!

Let me clarify, we have not ever used the equithane on the surface of her hooves that were resected or covered the resected areas with anything. They were the pour in pads, on the soles, to provide additional support from below, with a bar shoe.

She just went up to get a 2 week check up today and the prescription is inside for a week, DRY DRY DRY feet, daily treatment with the Mersol/Merthiolate, and I am going to do a cleantrax treatment on both affected feet again.

A new farrier has come, and while the steel NB shoes don't work for him, the shoe he took and modifed, looks astonishingly like a NB shoe in fit, so I'm quite happy with it. And, my gelding LOVES them. He is moving very freely and they seem to work quite well. The new farrier does espouse/embrace EDSS principles, even if he doesn't use the shoe, and the way he does it works for him, and since the long toes and underrun heels are being corrected, I'm happy.

Mel

[THamilton]

I do not know what to tell you... WLD and pour in pads go hand in hand. I haae never had one htat did not get it. The moisture comes from the hoof itself. THe pads seal it in and waala you haave fungus growing environments.

With my last post I did not knoiw that you had a bar shoe on the horse with this set up. Keeping the horse in a dry area will help, but willnot atke care of the issue. I have tried seomthign that seems to help the condition of the foot when I have run into this issuse before. Here goes:

After preparing the foot for the shoe and pad, us a medicated hoof packing to fill the bottom half ot the grooves around the frog. also if there aare any areas in the white line that had to be excavated out use it there too. Spread a thin layer outon the other areas of the foot. It does not have to be thick. I have used a product called "Sole Pack" with great success. I then nail the shoe normal. I then use a 3/16 square styrofoam board that has one sticky side (you get these at farrier stores or EDSS website I believe) Stick that to the bottom of the shoe. Place duct tape around the bulbs of the heels so no pad material comes out. Oh! before you place the foam pad on the shoe, drill a hole the size of the mixing tip. Then you use this to squeeze in the pour in pad material. Then you uiswe another piece of tape tp cover the hole and place foot onthe hard ground.

THe next time you havae the horse shod, the qualityof the foot will be improved as the hoof pack aides in elimating the fungus. The sole pack also acts similar to the pour in pad material and does not break down. I hae tried this af e wtimes and have seen improvment in the quality of the foot.

Hopes this helps you to remedy your WLD issue.

Tony

[melvoght]

Tony,

I should get my digital camera out and take pictures. It would help tremendously. That and a treatment history, all in one post.

Early 2005, old farrier, angles are getting bad on best mare. RF and LH are almost an inch longer than their corresponding pairs. This was bizarre, and after 2 times of attempting to get it fixed, I had to find a new farrier.

May/June 2005, new farrier, corrects RF and LH angles and finds signs of WLD. He did not resect though.

July 2005, angles good, farrier realizes WLD is getting worse, does some resection, and leaves me some cleantrax. I soak RF, not realizing at that point, LH has it also, or not realizing it was bad.

August 2005, new farrier realizes he is overbooked, recommends a different farrier, but does a full resection on the WLD before he goes. The RF is resected more than ANY of the posted pictures in the Farriers helping Farriers WLD section here. The LH is resected about 2.5" wide, in the front to about 1/2" from the coronary band. The RF has so little hoof wall, missing over 1/3 of the radius, this farrier did the bar shoes and used equithane. There has been no more WLD from the bottom of the hoof since.

September 2005 - Replacement farrier resets bar shoes and does use Equithane, still no more WLD from bottom.

Late October 2005 - Replacement farrier does not have equithane and doesn't want to use it, so it has been gone.

December 2005 - I realize that the RF and LH are getting bad angles again, which is hard to see as the entire front of the hoof wall is gone on the LH, but make an appointment to take mare up to Henry in January, when I return from a trip. Upon return, mare is sore in RF.

January 2006 - Henry corrects angles as much as possible, LH still not quite right, but he also discovers that about 50% of my new growth, up the hoof wall is being undermined as the WLD is NOT gone.

late January 2006 - 2 weeks post shoes, Henry requests I bring mare back to check on WLD. I go up again, there is a tiny bit, Henry gives the prescription of 1 full week in, daily Merthiolate treatment, gives me wire brushes to clean resected area with.

We are coming up on week 5 and she goes for a reset Saturday. All my digging up in the resected area, poking w/ a shoe nail, I cannot find soft now. I am really, REALLY hoping that she gets to keep what hoofwall she has left. I'm doing the Merthiolate about every other day now. They are all in because it is disgusting and wet outside now. They'd just make mud.

Amazingly, this horse is sound now that her RF angles are fixed again, there was no sign of bruises or abcesses.

I really hope that we find no more WLD up high again, because if it looks like it is now just growing out, I am pleased with the work of the newest farrier that comes to me that I can let him take it over.

This has been a LONG saga, and I have not been able to jump my mare (not with that much foot missing). I'm just grateful that I've been able to keep doing dressage and trail riding on her.

At this point, it looks like the un-resected parts of her hoof are clean, it is just the top of the resection that shows up.

We are not using any pads at all right now, she is in steel NB shoes, front and hind.

Mel

[mwmyersdvm]

Would a veterinary podiatrist do? If you care to check my credentials you may contact Gene Ovnicek or Patty and I do believe they will vouch for me. You may also check with Ric Redden, D.V.M. or Andrea Floyd, D.V.M. in the podiatry circles. I am the consulting veterinarian for this site.
I come to the Northern Virginia area weekly and could probably fit your barn in on my travels. I can handle lameness, laminitis, and other issues and have no problem working with your regular veterinarian. My purpose is to handle podiatry problems, not to add to a client base for vaccines, etc.
You may email me directly or through this site if you need my assistance.

M. W. Myers, D.V.M.

[calshoer]

If Dr.Myers is available to come to your area, (I didnt know he was until now) I would highly recomend him. If anyone in your area can get your horse dialed in on the right track, he can.
Patty