The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Hoof related lameness question!!

3K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  shesinthebarn 
#1 ·
sorry this is going to be kind of long....


I have a 5 year old QH mare and she IS in FOAL about 6 months along. so back in spring I had front shoes put on her and she got a few cracks while shod..lost a shoe, farrier came back out reshod her and she was dead lame for about 2 days..then she seemed fine..about two weeks go by and she got a huge crack in her front toe..called farrier he came out and reshod her again..poor girl could barely walk again...and in the mean time she ended up with a quarter crack in her back hoof..and her other front started getting cracks.. about 3 weeks she lost a shoe and I pulled the other shoe..called farrier and he never returned a phone call..errrr.. So, I have been calling around to find another but it's so hard to find a "REAL FARRIER" where I live..so now she has complete seperation of hoof and sole in toe area...I took her to our vet clinic they said, I have to find a farrier to work closely with and gave me some white lighting used for treating WLD or seedy toe..She is on a hoof supplement daily treatment with the white lighting and I am trying to find a CJMF in our area that would be willing to come out to our place...yesterday she turned up dead lame in her hind hoof BTW she has hoof seperation in all 4 hooves.. so I guess my question is does anyone have any advice/treatment while I search for a CJMF? I called the vet again and they told me I need to work with a farrier and see what he/she sugguests we do for her.
 
See less See more
#5 ·
They don't have any that they work closely with but did give me a few numbers to try. I called them and one was a real young guy just out of school..His words were I would love to work on your horse and try stuff to see what works and don't so I can have hands on..NO!, I need someone who knows what they heck they are doing NOW! I put in a few more calls.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Did your vet remove any of the wall? This needs to be done to expose the damaged tissue so it can be removed. You will need to debride the exposed area at least once every two weeks until you can detect a solid junction that occurs between the hoof wall as well as the lamina. When this happens, the area can be left on its own, and it will grow out. If it does not, it can be repaired most times using an acrylic substance. We've used a two part epoxy that is purchased fro the farrier supply store.

You'll need a farrier that is well versed in this type of shoeing She may need a full support shoe or if the damage is minor a regular shoe may be okay. You will also need someone who's prepared to come out every few weeks to keep on top of it.
 
#6 ·
yes! they did remove some wall but, that was back on 9/15/09 . I have been soaking her hooves and then putting the white lighting on it every day. her other 3 hooves appear to be doing better and growing out ( I know it's a long process) but she seemed to be fine and coming along but like I said yesterday she came up dead lame and really don't want to move around much and don't want to put any weight on her toe or hoof for that matter. I am starting to wonder if she has a gravel or abscess going on...
 
#7 ·
It kind of sounds like an abcess. I would call the American Farriers Association and see if they have some kind of a directory. Make sure you get someone that is AFA certified if you don't have really good references. The AFA process is pretty thourough and usually means that the person knows thier stuff.
 
#8 ·
Continued soaking isn't the best idea. It can actually cause more problems by softening the wall even more. I would be doing a WL treatment maybe twice a week and the rest of the time make sure the horse is keep in a dry environment.

Once there is a separation in the wall and abscess is almost certain to follow. If you feel there's an abscess starting use poultice pads duct taped on.

Just a question, you say your applying the WL every day.....????? White Lightening doesn't get applied, it's actually the fumes that do the work not the liquid. Are you putting the hoof in a bag and sealing it up after you add the vinegar?
 
#9 ·
I was soaking it as, I was told to by the vet??? then they told me to apply the WL?? never about sealing or putting it in a bag... I did have a farrier call me back this afternoon and has delt with this sort of thing and he's coming out on friday..

the vet said to keep it clean by soaking it everyday for the first 2 weeks then a couple times a week there after.. we have had a lot of rain and it has been wet so, I didn't soak it every day just kept it cleaned out real good and applied the WL... I asked if she should be stalled and they said no because the more she gets around more blood flow and faster hoof growth???

so, I hope this friday brings some relief/help for my poor girl...

Should I keep her in a stall? my stalls are 12 x 12 and I have one foaling stall 12 x 24 with dirt floor...
 
#10 ·
Unless you take her out and walk her around a bit, I would leave her out as long as you can get out every day to keep her treatment going. It is true that she needs to move to keep up good circulation. Or if you really feel the need to stall her, ask your vet about maybe using some of the magnetic bell boots or other things you could do to make sure that she keeps getting good blood flow.
 
#12 ·
If you look at the directions on the bottle of WL it says that it is the fumes not the soaking process. I use a large zip lock bag, put it on the hoof, measure the WL and then add the vinegar and seal up the bag. It needs to say on for 20-30 mins. Your not getting the benefit from just wiping it on.

Ichtimal is great and works even better if you put a Animalintex poultice pad on top and the duct tape up the hoof.

This is from The Horse........full story link posted as well. Thinking has changed when dealing with hoof issues, the "old" style thinking is going out the window.


Forget the foot bath, encourages O'Grady. "As far back as I can remember, soaking the equine foot has played a major role in the treatment of common foot ailments such as abscesses, puncture wounds, corns, foot bruising, and laminitis," he says. "Over the years, I have questioned the therapeutic value of this practice. The principle indication for soaking feet is to soften hard hooves so that it is easier to pare the sole to expose and drain an abscess."
O'Grady says there's no question excessive moisture damages hoof wall. "The more the foot is soaked, the more the hoof softens," he says. "The wall begins to flake and separate, and the loss of integrity allows it to expand or bend outward. At the same time, the white line width increases and the sole begins to drop and becomes closer to the ground. As the softening process continues, the horse begins to walk on the sole, creating another source of discomfort."
O'Grady says many experts believe soaking damages the foot's protective barrier (periople) and widens the sole-wall junction, which allows more microorganisms to penetrate and further damage the wall. "The softened hoof wall does not hold nails well, so it is difficult to replace or maintain a shoe on a chronically soaked foot," O'Grady says. Instead of soaking the hoof, use a poultice bandage (such as Animalintex) or drawing agent (such as Epsom salts). There are kits with all the bandaging materials fitted for the horse's foot (such as HOOFix), or you can make one yourself

The Horse | Healing Hoof Abscesses
 
#13 ·
I agree she is most likely brewing an abcsess. Keep an close eye on her temp, just to be safe. Most bad separation cases have an abcess.
So sorry to hear your poor mare is going through this...kep us posted about your new farrier!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top