Three days ago client calls and said she thinks her mare has an abcess. i go down and see the mare ,she is really lame on the left but also seems sore on the right. can't locate any brewing abcess. i tell her i have concerns that the mare may have laminits, and she should have the vet out to look at her. i pulled the shoes and did her up in animalintex . she said she would have the vet out tomorrow. today the vet calls me and leaves a message on my phone that he xrayed the mare and she has rotation in both feet. the right worse then the left, also some ringbone. he left the films at the barn for me to look at. i went down and took pictures of them with my camara. i rasp a rocker toe and put her on styrofoam. i'am going back tomorrow to change them.owner will scan the xrays and mail them to me if needed.pictures aren't very good but maybe you all can give some opinions. not much sole i hope she's not a sinker. left front right front

I think the RF looks to have a stonger laminar attachment. LF looks like it's sunk a bit IMO.

You have any feet pics / plans?

Looks like the picture i had last week almost the same ,there the laminitis was 5 years back.

Looks very much like rotation of P3 the difference in pain is the amount of pressure that tip of P3 bone has against the sole..
I had a mare with the same problem last week .
Try bringing the heels down/back to get the possition of P3 more in line with the sole ,set a shoe back from the toe with quarter clips and then using a wedged full pad with IM under the back of the frog..leaving the space where the tip of P3 is free of and pressure at all ,floot the dorsal wall between the clips a little.
Worked wonders on the mare here and she is now ridden.

Joey Aczon wrote:
she is sorer on the left.my thoughts were that she is sinking. i'll take some pictures of the feet tomorrow when i change the foam as for plans i will talk to the vet tomorrow but i'am thinking give her 3 or 4 day's on the foam and hope the meds help her along. then i can think of a shoeing plan.

dave murray wrote:Sure looks that way to me.Why are you going to change the styrofoam? Just add a new layer to the 'base layer' you have just created.I prefer to leave them on the styrofoam until they are no more than a grade 2 - 2.5 on the AAEP lameness scale.

What ever you do, you are going to have to be rather aggressive in getting that toe out of the way.

everyhorseisapersontoo wrote:
Iam thinking of something along those lines, maybe filling the back half with equi-pac then a shoe with a metal plate with the shoe rounded all around. maybe even a clog. i'll see what the vet wants. don't want to get between the vet and the owner. right now it would be a tough job to nail anything on ,she pretty sore.

You might consider 3-4 weeks on the styro with stall rest. That horse doesn't have very much between them bones and the ground.

Rick i was going to cut the front half off put the back half back in and then add a new layer.

dave murray wrote:Excellent and spot on!

brian robertson wrote:
you are probally right but this mare is a 40 minute drive from me and the help at the farm isn't the greatest. i'd hate to think of her with nothing protecting those feet should she get the foam off. thats why i'am kinda wanting to get something on those feet as soon as she is sound enough to let me.

If the mare is that far away, and you are worried about maintience of the styro, would it be a possibility to get the vet to block the front feet so you could go ahead and shoe the horse.

chad rice in gray

If the mare is that far away, and you are worried about maintience of the styro, would it be a possibility to get the vet to block the front feet so you could go ahead and shoe the horse.

I don't think you'd want to nail/glue/tape any kind of shoe/pad to the foot until the victim is stable, especially if she's trying to sink. Let her stabilize on top of the Styrofoam, then go from there. There are very few hard and fast rules in farriery, but this is one of 'em: Founders don't improve until the bony column is stable.

The vet seems to want this off his shoulders,(i don't blame him). he wants them to take her to the clinic and let them deal with it. as far as shoeing he told , maybe just nail a shoe and pad on and let them take her to the clinic. he made an appointment for them but they can't get her in till next friday. the vet there Mike Pownell who is also a CJF is away till next week. i have no problem with her going to the clinic i've worked on cases with them before and mr pownell is great to deal with . my only concern would be her bounceing around in the trailer for 2 hrs each way. i went down today and changed the foam . she is about the same as yesterday still pretty sore. i'am going to leave her on the foam for now and see how she does. i took a coulpe pictures . left

right front

You might suggest to the owner to bed the trailer deep with slightly wet sawdust(1"-2"), re-do the styrofoam and drive slow and careful.