ShoerChar
07-26-2006, 02:19 PM
First off, I don't have pictures, so that will probably make this a whole lot more difficult, but i will try my best to give a thorough explanation.
One of my clients has a 12 year old Paint mare (not papered) purchased last November. The shoes were pulled and the feet were trimmed right before my client picked the mare up. The mare lives outside with a run-in shed, fed grassy hay. She was apparently intermittently lame on the right front over the winter. The client didnt call me until APRIL to do her feet, she was unaware of how often they needed to be done (newbie horse owner). Feet were VERY long but not deformed in any way, mare appeared sound. I recommended a 6 week trim schedule and have thus been doing that. IMO the mare has a decent foot for her body structure, however her feet are rather soft, and very flat. I do think that she has nice wide heels and a decent frog BUT she had thrush. The owner was told how to treat it, but the thrush ended up getting pretty bad in all four, splitting the heel bulbs. About 2 weeks after the last trim (and me INSISTING that the mare get REGULAR daily treatment for the trush {thrushbuster and bleach solution}) the client said the mare started limping, lame on the right front.
My initial thought was lameness from the thrush, but why in only one foot when they are all equally as bad. Then i thought abscess, because at the last trim there was a good sized hole in the sole that looked like an abscess HAD blown out. I was due out there this morning, went out to trim the feet.
Mare was/is lame, right front, crippled over the gravel, lame on soft ground. She stood fine for me to trim her feet though. While moving it looks like she is landing Toe first. Not alot of toe growth, mostly heels and bars. Soles and overall hoof are still very soft, LOTS of brusing present, as well as a bloody white line around the toe in all four. Thrush IS clearing up, its still there, but is TONNES better than it was. She was a little less lame after being trimmed.
I tried not to pare out much sole since they were so soft. On the right front, medial part of the toe, looked like the beginnings of WLD (a small hole, black goopy stuff inside, very mushy)
NOW TO MY QUESTION (after all that!!!)
is it possible that the mare is foundering due to the softness of her soles? or is she a *sinker* in the right front?? Or is it possible that there is some sort of navicular area pain? I am not entirely convinced that it is a FOOT problem either, just its hard to tell because the client was not able to jog her out well on the grass, and like i said, she is crippled on the gravel driveway, they have no other flat surface to jog her on.
As it was i left her with instructions to keep treating the thrush, and to use coppertox on the soles of all four to try and harden them up a little. The client wants to avoid shoes if she can, but will put them on if it will help the mare.
suggestion and/or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks, and SORRY for the long post!
One of my clients has a 12 year old Paint mare (not papered) purchased last November. The shoes were pulled and the feet were trimmed right before my client picked the mare up. The mare lives outside with a run-in shed, fed grassy hay. She was apparently intermittently lame on the right front over the winter. The client didnt call me until APRIL to do her feet, she was unaware of how often they needed to be done (newbie horse owner). Feet were VERY long but not deformed in any way, mare appeared sound. I recommended a 6 week trim schedule and have thus been doing that. IMO the mare has a decent foot for her body structure, however her feet are rather soft, and very flat. I do think that she has nice wide heels and a decent frog BUT she had thrush. The owner was told how to treat it, but the thrush ended up getting pretty bad in all four, splitting the heel bulbs. About 2 weeks after the last trim (and me INSISTING that the mare get REGULAR daily treatment for the trush {thrushbuster and bleach solution}) the client said the mare started limping, lame on the right front.
My initial thought was lameness from the thrush, but why in only one foot when they are all equally as bad. Then i thought abscess, because at the last trim there was a good sized hole in the sole that looked like an abscess HAD blown out. I was due out there this morning, went out to trim the feet.
Mare was/is lame, right front, crippled over the gravel, lame on soft ground. She stood fine for me to trim her feet though. While moving it looks like she is landing Toe first. Not alot of toe growth, mostly heels and bars. Soles and overall hoof are still very soft, LOTS of brusing present, as well as a bloody white line around the toe in all four. Thrush IS clearing up, its still there, but is TONNES better than it was. She was a little less lame after being trimmed.
I tried not to pare out much sole since they were so soft. On the right front, medial part of the toe, looked like the beginnings of WLD (a small hole, black goopy stuff inside, very mushy)
NOW TO MY QUESTION (after all that!!!)
is it possible that the mare is foundering due to the softness of her soles? or is she a *sinker* in the right front?? Or is it possible that there is some sort of navicular area pain? I am not entirely convinced that it is a FOOT problem either, just its hard to tell because the client was not able to jog her out well on the grass, and like i said, she is crippled on the gravel driveway, they have no other flat surface to jog her on.
As it was i left her with instructions to keep treating the thrush, and to use coppertox on the soles of all four to try and harden them up a little. The client wants to avoid shoes if she can, but will put them on if it will help the mare.
suggestion and/or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks, and SORRY for the long post!