Thoughts on Old Injury

calatar · Thoughts on Old Injury

I have a friend that has just pulled the shoes on her horse and she asked me to post pictures of her mare's feet (she doesn't have an account on here...yet

). This mare had a puncture wound to her left front that is several years old, and the mare has been shod for the last several years. She has really long heals on both fronts and the frog on the injured hoof is very strange. She wants to give barefoot a try and the mare is currently sound, but I am worried we may have trouble finding hoof boots that will stay on. Her farrier is still trimming the mare but the owner is considering using a barefoot practitioner for the next trim and is open to getting current x-rays. Any thoughts you guys have are appreciated. I know these feet are "scary" and the owner is very interested in learning so please keep things constructive.

Left front.

Right front (forgot solar

)

PasoBaby_CarolU

Alayna, is the horizonal line on the heel bulb a scar?

I think that could definitely change the growth out of the coronary band and frog, all along the back.

I see a lot of horses with 'stacked' feet like this. Just because they look long doesn't mean there is a lot of sole there.

appellativo

IMO this foot can definitely benefit from a chance for decontracting and shortening....gradually! It may take this horse quite some time to get back to a more normal shape. The owner is going to have to be very dedicated and very patient. If a boot wont fit (and I'm pretty sure it wont in the current shape), then maybe use casts with this foot. It won't be cheap (around a hundred for materials, and the casts may not last more than two-4 weeks depending on footing). In other threads there is lots of good talk about using the epona shoe (google for the website and lots of info about it) which may not be cheaper than casting but maybe you could try them both to see what works the best for the horse and owner. Definitely get some xrays to see what you're working with.

edit to add: insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

The current farrier, depending on how long he's been working on these feet...I wouldn't trust this person to rehab the hoof. I'd be finding someone who has experience in rehabbing feet using the barefoot method. That would not be me by the way. All nine of my current customers (it's not my job, its my passionate hobby) have healthy sound barefoot feet who didn't have problems when I started trimming, and still don't have problems. So I can repeat what I've heard from reading gobs of rehab cases, and watching videos on rehabbing hooves, but no actual experience. So this is my disclaimer!

Is this owner willing to read up on the lifestyle changes and implement them, that are going to make a difference, hopefully, for this horse? (diet, footing, turnout etc)? Does she have the money that it's going to take?

calatar

Carol, not exactly sure what line you are referring to, can you mark the photo in photoshop and then post it?

Erin, the mare's current living situation is not perfect for barefoof rehab but it's pretty good. 24/7 turnout and she is on very little low starch feed, the only "issue" is the grass at certain times of year, but I think there are enough horses on it now that they may not even be a problem.

PasoBaby_CarolU

I only circled the part I could see. She's a black horse and in shadow. That line may extend across the back of the hoof farther. But it is right in the new growth area for back of the foot.

kristie

PasoBaby_CarolU

I have to look for the source, but my husband found cast material on-line for $8/roll. Compare that to $15-20 at the vet or other sources. Quiet a savings if you go that way.

Remember that cast material is pretty slippery on concrete and asphalt. I wouldn't use it if the horse's environment includes paved driveways and aisle ways.

Glove type boots would work.

appellativo

Stressed/short grasses are just as bad as lush green grass at the peak of day. If there is NO grass, then of course you don't have to worry about it

calatar

Carol, I will check to see if that is a scar when I am out at the barn but I don't think it is. It is my understanding the puncture wound was lower down where that really weird frog material is. We tried the glove fit kit and found a shell that might work but I am not sure if the gaiter will. Going to try mine on her this weekend and see.

Kristie, I am worried that because of her heel length I will not be able to find boots that will work.

Erin, I know stressed grass can be dangerous as well. We have more consistent pasture management/rotation now so I am not too worried about it.

jokersmama

Is this horse sound?

What I would do is start with rads before she decides on anything. Find a really good barefoot trimmer or vet recommended farrier and get those heels down/ hoof capsule shortened.

IMO that frog just looks like it is seeking ground. It looks like the sole has dropped some and it's going to take some time for it to move back up and the hoof capsule to shorten.

You can see the different growth angle coming down which makes me wonder where exactly that CB is and if there is some lamellar wedge involved in the toe area.

I really want to see rads :D

Autumn

I really hope we get to follow this horses progress.

calatar

Alona, shockingly this mare was sound with shoes and has stayed sound after they have been pulled. Looking at these feet scared me and so I started providing material for her owner to read....with that sort of hoof conformation I felt like she was on borrowed time regarding future soundness. The owner is now learning about hooves and realizes that healthy hoof conformation is crucial so she is giving barefoot a go; in hopes of getting healthier feet. I know the vet will be coming out in the next few weeks and the owner is open to getting rads so hopefully I will get to post those. I think there is definitely some lamellar wedge, especially in the left front and it will be interesting to see what the coffin bone is doing.

Also, wanted to put these next to each other to better illustrate the differences between the injured foot and the uninjured foot. It is interesting because the injury appears to have prevented that foot from becoming as contracted as the the uninjured foot but the heels on the injured foot are definitely longer. Looking at them next to each other just amazes me that she is sound and picks up both canter leads equally...it seems like she should have some skeletal issues but so far nothing is visible.

appellativo

How interesting!

jokersmama

WOW! Some horses are sound no matter what! They amaze me!!

I can't stop staring at those side by side. The contracted one looks like a muffin

think I'm hungry...and a dork

Good golly there's a lot of hoof material there.

How long have her hooves been like this? How old is this horse? Gosh it's scary to start changing things when she seems to be sound. You're right though just because she is sound doesn't mean there isn't damage being done. Borrowed time sounds right to me. But then again horses are amazing- you hear of ones with hooves like this that never take a lame step and then ones with the "ideal" hoof conformation that are lame no matter what..

Look at the difference in the hairlines, the one on the injured hoof is almost straight across.

Please beg her to get to post the rads

If her puncture wound was near her frog I suppose that frog looking material could be weird scar tissue.

Type in "Westman Farrier Service" on FB and look at his hoof pics he's got one of a REALLY weird growth from an injury.

calatar

I will confirm age but I believe she is around 10 and believe the injury occurred at least 5 years ago. Will get specifics and report back.

OMG that Westman Farrier picture is something else, really bizarre!

appellativo

are y'all talking about the one of Hercules that looks like a resection's been done?

calatar

No, it's under "Photos" and then "Hoof problems and solutions", the caption is "interesting heel injury result"

PasoBaby_CarolU

I am quite surprised the mare can be sound with two different length hooves. I had that once with Zar, she was shod about 1/4" shorter on one side then the other. From compensating for it, she got a sore shoulder. It was an expensive lesson about measuring side to side.

appellativo

(re: the westman farrier service photo....freaky! how do you trim THAT? LOL)

calatar

jokersmama

Isn't that crazy weird?!

There is also a really great pic of "false sole" I didn't want to take someone's pic and post it on another site, but that would be a helpful visual for the false sole thread.

Kim Cassidy

calatar

Some new photos. I apologize for the lack of focus, light was challenging and I had limited time.

Left heel (injured foot) has been brought down some.

Right heel not balanced, the lateral side is longer...

Looks like some good strong new growth at the top. Sugar intake is now being managed and it seems to be producing good results.

Still a work in progress for sure.

Owner has not gotten rads yet.

Left Front (January, July)

Right Front (January, July)

sorry the new one isn't straight on

Heels January (left front, right front)

Heels July (left front, right front)