Horse with founder

[NHFarrier]

I was recently called out to a new customer. When I got there, it was a sad story. A family who didn't have a clue about horses or their care, who had purchased a horse and a pony from a dealer who saw them coming a mile away. He definitely took advantage of them and sold them a horse who had foundered. These people had owned the horse for about a year and the "farrier" they were using never mentioned that there was a problem - which should have been blatantly obvious to anyone working with horse feet. Anyway, the horse has never been treated and his feet are a mess. The fronts are so dished that if you placed a straight edge from the coronary band to the end of the flare on the toe, you could stand a quarter up in the gap. His hind feet each had several cracks all the way to the coronary band. I explained the problem to the owners but was given only blank stares...they do not want to pay for shoes....can I correct this with trimming? I don't have faith that they will have me to come out every 8 weeks - it had been six months between my visit and the previous farrier's.

This is what I did - I removed as much separation/flare from each foot and rolled the toe. I left as much sole as possible, I didn't notice any abcesses and the coffin bone had not protruded from the sole. On the hind feet, I trimmed the foot and rolled the toe. I rasped under each crack to stop that area from being ground bearing and smoothed the edges so they wouldn't catch on the ground. Any help would be appreciated.

[Phil Armitage]

We all run into this now and then. First off keep in mind these folks are new to horses and probably have no idea of what your talking about. Now all of a sudden they went from happy new horse owners to discoveing there horses may have a serious problem and there hearts are probably broken. Tell you what, take some digital pictures and post them here and lets take a look at them. Sometime feet are very deformed and they are not foundered but just out of shape from poor nutrition, wet enviroment and negleted feet and can be put back into shape in a few trims, like 6 months. the best way to get them to commit to a regular schedule is to reschedule them every 6 to 8 weeks before you leave. You would be helping these folks out and it sounds like they need your help. If you think these horses have foundered, I would recommend they have there Vet come out. There Vet is in a better posistion to diagnose, find the cause recommend a solution. There Vet can also give them information about proper feeding and care. This will also help you figure out what is going on and what to do.

[Ronald Aalders]

In a mild chronic case you just might get away with just trimming. Let's face it, how many shetland ponies did we not try to help out by trimming just because a decent shoeing job would cost more than the pony itself? When the feet are stable you could get lucky and at least improve the feet a little here.

You should realise though that without a vet and proper X rays, you're seriously handicapped at least! But if it is of any comfort to you, I'm pretty sure we've all been there once or twice.

If you really want to do best for the pony convince the owners to have a vet come out and come up with a plan for this horse. If you can not, do as Phil says, make photo's of the feet. Make sure those are good pictures! Pure lateral and frontal pics (you'll have to get on the ground for these), use two blocks for both front feet. Also be sure to include a solar view picture. On the solar view be sure to get your lens prependicular to the middle of the foot.

I also like a full picture of the horse and preferably its legs, but see what you can do.

We're glad to help out as much as we can from here, but we need pictures!

Good luck,




Ronald Aalders

[NHFarrier]

Ok, thanks for the input so far. I will get pictures and post them next time I go up there. I don't schedule appointments ahead of time, but I ask people if they want to be called when the horses are due. She said she wanted to be called, so it will be about 3 weeks before I get pictures!

[Dave Purves]

Like Phil said we've all seen this before. Next time you go out there take as much literature and pictures and references as you can to educate these poor people on what they are dealing with. They probably think you're trying to sell them some snake oil, cause they just don't know any better. If you take proof with you that explains in detail to the lehman (sp). Maybe they will give the horse the attention that it needs. If you can't make an appointment, call them and tell them that you have some information that you would like to send them about laminitis in the mail, maybe this will light the fire to get them to make the appointment. And why in the world don't you make appointments in advance?
Dave Purves CF

[NHFarrier]

I know it would be easier to schedule in advance, but I work at a farm as well, and my schedule changes from week to week. It's easier for me to talk with the horse owner a few days before they want me to come out. Once my business picks up a little bit, it will be easier for me to set my schedule. At least this way, I am able to get to the customers with in two days of their call, if not the same day. You all remember the days of being a "new" farrier!

[Jason Maki]

The advice with the pony is sound, I will not beat a dead horse ;) . However, the only way to grow a bussiness is to know what bussiness you do have. When I started, I would offer horse owners a couple of days and times, tacitly letting them know "YOU NEED TO SCHEDULE!" Most backyard horse owners are thankful that a farrier will come out at all, so jump at the chance to schedule. If they hedged or said, "We'll call ya", I wrote them off and forgot about them. My mortgage has to be paid every month, and I did not need to fill my book with part time horses. If they happened to call, I would fit them in my schedule, if the environment was good. They would need to wait atleast ten days, though. They did not need to think I was sitting byu the phone( even if I was... :D ). You must set the rules, or this game will run you ragged, leave you broke and broken, looking for another job in five years!
I am not trying to preach to you, but so many people helped me, I cannot help but pass on a little of what I was taught! Besides, I like to hear myself talk(or write I should say).
Good luck,
Jason

[NHFarrier]

Yeah, it's definitely a good idea to schedule ahead and if people do want to schedule ahead, I have specific days every week that I will write them in for. Our area is very competative and it's full of "wish farriers" - those who go out and buy some "tools" and claim they can shoe a horse. I find a lot of people don't want to commit to a farrier until they see that the horse is still walking after you've been there and the shoes are still on 2 days later. Luckily for me I have a good year-long appreticeship and four months of schooling to help back me up. I still work with other farriers, but I am trying to build up clients at the same time. I think once people realize that I know what I am doing, and am willing to ask for outside help if I don't, that they will be more likely to schedule ahead. Thanks for the advice, you are right about not wanting people to think you are sitting around waiting for business.