Rehab Thru Barefoot Trim

Hi,

First thanks in advance for your help.

I have an 8 yr old gelding that presented acutely lame on the right fore about 1 month ago.  We gave him stall rest for a few days before seeking vet care. After 1 week he saw the vet who first diagnosed an abscess and took x-rays. He was tender to the palpation area on RF leg at hoof/hair line.

After developing x-rays, vet called to say possible fracture to the pastern bone.  Returned for more films. 

Horse was continued on 24/7 stall rest and results of other films sent to NC State Vet School radiology dept for diagnosis.

Vet

School

said bony calcification between P2 & P3.  They suggest steroid injection. 

Can barefoot trim help this horse?

He has improved vastly but still gives on RF when circled but is much better at straight trot.

PB

Hi PB,

Certainly natural hoof care helps horses in general, because it respects their natural abilities to both heal and then perform.  There is a good amount of information available now that demonstrates how well horses do when they get their hoof health back.  I have treated many, many horses with fractures and calcifications/ringbone type changes and have always had some improvement in their condition.

Take care,

Dr. TT

Comments

[Amy]

I have a seven year old Paint mare that came up with lameness issues soon after I bought her two years ago. Her lameness at first was very slight and almost too small to notice at a trot. Since she has put on weight and now the lameness has become very pronounced. I recently had a chiropractor out because she had an issue with not being able to move her back legs smoothly. I found out she had an old back injury according to the chiropractor. At the moment we have her back legs working normally so I went ahead and took her to the vet because her front right leg is extreamly lame at the moment. He told me that the bones in that leg at the fetlock do not line up and that she was born with this. He gave her a shot in the joint and told me this would make her sound for at least 6 months. This has made her even worse. There are days we go out and she is so stiff in this leg it takes 15 minutes of walking her to get her to move her leg properly, and we are still lame on the leg. I started to do as much research as I could and noticed that her left side of her chest is about 1 inch lower then her right side. I believe this is called Limb Length Disparity. I do not want to shoe her as she has always been a barefoot horse and I do not shoe my horses. I was wondering if you thought that the easyboot bare might work in a situation where I want to bring up her left leg to compensate for this difference until I can grow out her hoof. She has always been a barefoot horse and I do not wish to put a shoe on her.
Thank You
Amy