Hi
Dr. Teskey,
This horse I'm trimming has had problems, (sore after trims, I was thinning wall too much), but now I am faced with another problem I hope you can explain to me (or my customer).
I have been trimming a draft cross (3 trims total) who had flares and long toes. This young horse was in training to be sold as a trail/low level dressage horse. It was sound with minor tripping problems behind. Just days after my 3rd trim on him, (going almost to white line on toes behind) a pre-purchase vet check was done with 6 flexion tests. Pulling the hind legs forward, the horse BECAME sore. (the horse protested by starting to kick). The vet failed the check (said no x-rays needed) and blamed the soreness in the hind end (some where?) on too short/backed up toes (no club feet). The foot is not sore, but he said the lack of traction because the toe was too short\backed up caused the hind end soreness. The horse, in his eyes, was traveling short behind. The horse then was shod by a farrier with an 1/8 inch toe extension, heel caulks, and front shoes.
This horse I'm trimming has had problems, (sore after trims, I was thinning wall too much), but now I am faced with another problem I hope you can explain to me (or my customer).
I have been trimming a draft cross (3 trims total) who had flares and long toes. This young horse was in training to be sold as a trail/low level dressage horse. It was sound with minor tripping problems behind. Just days after my 3rd trim on him, (going almost to white line on toes behind) a pre-purchase vet check was done with 6 flexion tests. Pulling the hind legs forward, the horse BECAME sore. (the horse protested by starting to kick). The vet failed the check (said no x-rays needed) and blamed the soreness in the hind end (some where?) on too short/backed up toes (no club feet). The foot is not sore, but he said the lack of traction because the toe was too short\backed up caused the hind end soreness. The horse, in his eyes, was traveling short behind. The horse then was shod by a farrier with an 1/8 inch toe extension, heel caulks, and front shoes.
I am not asking you to agree or disagree with this vet, I just
need to know if this is possible and sounds correct. I can not see if the horse
is sore behind, how making break over of the toe harder and sticking the heels
to the ground with caulks helps. I feel this vet is use to seeing long toes,
creating a bigger stride. I think this horse must be sore to react to the
vet check as he did, but the cause I feel is not from traction/short hind toes.
Am I incorrect in my thinking?
Thank you for your valuable time to us out here who believe natural trimming is best.
P
Thank you for your valuable time to us out here who believe natural trimming is best.
P
Hi
P,
The
horse was still transitioning (in so many ways) and trying to get better. All
bets are off if the horse has been now trimmed and shod. Your previous work is
destroyed, and the horse is back to having to deal with all that's bad about
shoeing.
For
the vet to say the feet were definitely the cause of other problems is
irresponsible unless they isolated the lameness using anesthetic, acupuncture,
imaging, etc. Of course horses have muscle and joint issues very commonly
from poor hooves. Feet aren't the only problems horses face, though they
certainly play an important role in keeping and/or maintaining a horse's
soundness. Flexion tests stress joints, not hooves in general. To me, it
doesn't really matter. The horse obviously has numerous issues to work
out- hooves, legs, body, joints. It all takes time, and the people surrounding
the horse (other than you), aren't willing to give it time to work things
out.
I'm
suspicious the horse was subtly laminitic from your description of its
gait and of course if it's now shod, it's on a highway to hell more than
ever. Nutritional issues are critical, as well as housing/movement.
I
wouldn't keep the horse or these people as clients. They are not dedicated and
haven't educated themselves well enough yet.
Dr.
TT
Gates should be locked after hours and when not in use, rubbish and other items should be cleared.
Posted by: security system | May 12, 2011 at 03:48 AM