More Thin/Flat Soles Questions

[DarkEden78]

Hello there. I'm new to these forums and hoping for some sound (no pun intended) advice. I'm waiting to be sent x-rays and take pics tomorrow morning, but wanted to give the background tonight because I'm really anxious.

I'll make this as succinct as possible. I have a 9yo TB, off the track for 1.5 years. Over the past year he has had repeated bruising on his RF at the toe. I've tried him in several types of pads, have gotten a bruise through the regular pads (black materials), moderate success with the pour-in pads - although they popped out after 1.5 weeks. X-rays taken Sat and today reveal less than 20mm of sole (difficult to establish how little, but from the vet's opinion - waaay less than 20 mm). He also is very flat-footed. He shows remodeling of the coffin bone on the RF due to the repeated injuries. He also exhibits slight navicular changes, but is NOT sensitive to hoof testers at the heel (only at the toe). However, he drags his toes and exhibits a toe-first landing.

My vet is recommending he wear pads, although I've read that horses can't really regenerate good sole in pads. She's also saying no NB web shoes, although I've read that those shoes are actually MADE for horses that have thin/flat soles and toe-first landings. I've had multiple BF folks tell me he needs to go BF, even though I think this would be a really bad idea.

Due to the x-rays my horse is w/o shoes and currently DEAD LAME, barely able to wander into the aisle for groomings. I have zero faith in my current/late farrier, as he always pared away sole AND put NB shoes on like regular shoes after telling me he had NB training. Even though he knew my guy had thin soles, he pared it away every time! I'm currently looking for a good farrier in the Aldie, VA area that can come and shoe my guy ASAP. All the competent farriers I know through friends/acquaintances are not accepting any new clients!! Even though my boy is a statue for the farrier and I am very flexible and would gladly set appointments during the week, any time.

Any help or suggestions for my situation would be greatly appreciated.

[calshoer]

First, the people at EDSS and the Equine Lameness Prevention Organization (the educational branch of EDSS) are now offering a certification program to encourage farriers to further more completely educate themselves in the proper application of the NB protocol, and to help sort out those who are misaplying the shoes. The first 12 farriers , including 4 from the UK , recieved their certification last week. More certifications to come as fast as they can get the certification clinics scheduled. There's already a waiting list of participants.
That said, you are correct the NB shoes themselves are a great shoe (IF properly applied) to protect the thin soles while preventing sole pressure because they are wide with a nice sole relief area built in. As well, IF the foot is prepared correctly according to the principles, it encourages a heel first landing,and better sole growth due to the frog support.
Please do ask your veterinarian why she specifically thinks the NB shoes are not OK for your horse. It would be interesting to see what she thinks is wrong with them. She may have some misconceptions due to some misapplications she has seen.(such as the paring of the thin soles)
Try calling EDSS directly for a NB farrier referral. Perhaps if you get a name and tell that farrier you were referred by EDSS, they might fit you into their schedule.

If NB is definitely out of the question for whatever reason, at least be sure the breakover is kept under the tip of P3, the frog is suppoted and a wide web shoe used to protect those sole. Sole support material is still a good idea. That all helps develop a more concave sole. If a mesh is used under the shoe with the pour in material, the material should stay in the foot.
Patty

[Rick Burten]

Sounds as though your horse is experiencing some pedal osteitis.
Also, I'm not sure what your vet considers adequate sole depth, but 18mm is considered adequate.

Leaving this guy barefoot is, to me, contra-indicated. At a minimum I would shoe with a setback wide web shoe an a rim pad and probably a frog support bar wedge pad. To this I would ammend a hospital plate so that I could keep the foot protected and also have access to the sole so that I could apply a sole toughner or inflammation reducer on a daily basis. Once the foot had healed/toughened/grown some sole, the plate can be left off .

One caveat: if indeed there is pedal osteitis present, then recovery can take a year or longer, depending. If no pedal osteitis is present, then once the inflammation and bruising is remediated, the horse should be ready to go. I would still use the same shoeing protocol in this instance for this horse.