Nerved this week, best shoes & pads?

[brl_racer]

Background: 15 year old mare, navicular, lolli-pops, LARGE adhesions of the DDFT to the navicular bone on one leg (one navicular bone is about 1/2 the size of the other navicular bone). Good leg, some navicular changes to the bone and some pasturn bone damage (suspected from compensating for the other leg for so long). 7 - 8+ years with navicular. The mare got to the point where she barely could walk, most of the time had leg in air or wouldn't stand at all. Had several chemical nervings over the years, injections, medications, supplements, tried lots of shoes/wedges, including barefoot. Nerved her on Monday (nerved low on both fronts - removed about a 2" chunk from each leg) to relieve her pain. She's a completely different horse, happy, walking, reining spins in her stall, standing underneath herself, etc. If a horse can smile, she is.

Questions: With the adhesions being large, calcifing, etc. we know that they could rupture at any time, especially from her feeling good and over using her leg and when that happens, we will relieve her pain for one more, final time. Surgeon told us that she most likely will rupture before the nerves regrow. In the meantime, what would you all suggest for a pad and or shoes for her. I am leaning towards Thoro'bred World Racing Plates with a 2 degree wedge pad or KB Wedge Open Shoe. Important to keep as much pressure off the DDFT adhesion and help her breakover. If we go with a pad, I'd like some frog pressure - what do you guys think about the NB Wedge Pad with a shoe like the World Racing Plate? Other shoes that we should check out?

[calshoer]

Basically shoe her with the same principles as if she had not be nerved. Breakover back under the foot. Wedge to relieve tension in the DDFT, ease breakover medial lateraly as well. The choice of brand of shoe/pad is more up to you and your farrier dependant on the environment . I would not place to much support directly pushing up onto frog, Maybe a passive support like equipack fill or a soft full wedge with no frog piece, but no 'pressure' upward onto it. . Im assuming her work days are over to help revent the DDFT rupture, so the world plate may not be the best choice as the breakover is very directional to the center of the foot and she may want a more rounded breakover. Maybe regular NB or StCroix set back, or a wedge heel aluminum shoe with Equipack filler ,or with wedge pad.