Re: No Heel, nees shoes

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Comments:
: : : I have a 6yr old mare who has had sore feet for two years. Had Ibex shoes on one time, helped a lot, but bent the aluminum inside. Now barefoot and sore again. Also doesn't grow heel, or what does grow tends to grow towards the front. : : : Could I use your product with Ibex Glue-ons, and what would you recommend my farrier use to help her grow some heel, or help it grow downward and not forward. : : : By the way, she is overweight, but dieting has not helped. Is on dry paddock since June, limited hay, 12 ozs oats a day to get supplements into her. Could her excess weight be causing her heel problem? : : : Will you product still help if it is. She cannot be exercised with extremely sore feet, basically walking on her bulbs right now. : : : Any suggestions and guidance would be appreciated. I understand that without seeing horse you cannot be sure. Her front feet are at 55 degrees, nice thick sole now, not soft or sore there, just the heel area where she is walking on her bulbs. : : : thanks. (Back feet totally normal, per farrier) : : Hi lida, Thanks for your inquiry. Yes, you can use Equi-Pak with the Ibex shoes. I would fill the sole and frog areas to ground level w/ Equi-Pak to help take some of the load off the wall and heel. Another product we have is called Equi-Build, this is designed specifically to truly share the load with the hoof wall to stimulate heel growth. There is a little more technique involved with this so it would be best if you had your farrier call us for details. At 55 degrees though, it sounds as if you have a decent angle. I don't know it the toe is too long or not. Your farrier is a better judge of that. The Equi-Pak is more of a cushion material while the Equi-Build is firmer to share the load but without putting pressure on the foot. Maybe some farriers reading this can offer some more advice. If you have any questions, please call us at 800-483-8832 or on my cell phone at 816-305-6984. Again, thanks for your interest. : : Frank : : : : Hi Lida, : Since your mare has been evidencing this problem for several : years, you're most likely looking at a situation where the : internal structures are distorted just as the external hoof : capsule is distorted. Subsequently, you're talking about re- : orienting growth and relieving stress, and--like Frank--I would : lean toward thinking that Equi-Build would be the appropriate : material. : As you suggest, the fact that she's overweight could well be : exacerbating the problem, and I would think that you would do : well to contact an equine nutritionist and aggressively : investigate ways of addressing this problem. Ibex makes a : fine shoe, but since you're opting for a glue-on, I'm guessing : that you're experiencing other hoofwall problems as well, and : these, too may be associated with nutrition. : Finally, without benefit of a clinical assessment, I'm just : taking shots in the dark here, but I've rarely seen a horse with : this kind of angulation (55 degrees) that is down on its bulbs. : What have your farrier and vet had to say about this, and what : have you previously tried to address the problem? : ~~Dan