Problem Feet

Hi Dr. Tom,

I have an 11 year old thoroughbred with more feet problems than I ever could have imagined. Currently we have hit a dead end because he has white line disease in a front and back foot which we have been chasing for 2 1/2 years now and it always comes back.  He also has navicular, moves on his toes and stumbles a lot at the walk.  He can no longer keep shoes on his feet, as there is not enough hoof wall to nail them to.  I have been looking into barefoot or natural trimming but I am scared to death to pull his shoes because he has very sensitive soles, has had beginning laminitis and is prone to quarter cracks.  I have been told boots are out of the question since we are going to have his
foot re-sectioned (re-scected, I'm not sure of the correct terminology) and it needs to be open to air. 

Our vet has been removing the pockets of white line disease.  Gelding is in a dry stall with a run, re-checked by the farrier every three weeks, and I clean the foot with miconosil spray daily.  Nothing works.  How can I get these shoes off him without devastating effects and how should he be trimmed?

I feel as if we are tampering with a time bomb.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Amy

Hi Amy,

 

Quite an adventure you have going there with this horse!  Problems going on for years like this indicate improper remedies having been applied for years.  I would immediately stop using any farrier or veterinarian who has seen this horse before, and find someone dedicated to natural hoof care who can not only tell you how to treat the white line disease (this is easy to remedy compared to your other problems), but also fix you up with hoof boots that can be taken OFF and ON, instead of having the steel shoes in place which have destroyed the horse's hooves up to this point.  Visit EasyCare to learn more.

After dealing with infection, and allowing more normal circulation and sensation to return, your horse will begin to grow a more normal, stronger hoof.  To expect complete recovery in a case like this is too optimistic, but "complete recovery" means many different things to different people depending on what they use their horses for.  (He's not likely to win the Derby, but could probably end up outdoing many horses on trail rides.) 

 

You have nothing to lose by trying to find someone willing to take you and this horse as clients in natural hoof care, as it would seem at this point the horse is, and has been for years, on a sure road to destruction.  Some horses don't recover from such problems, but only because of improper and/or ignorant hoof care, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.

 

I would NOT allow any resectioning of the hoof to be done for any reason.

 

I WOULD continue your research into natural hoof care, as you are finally on the right track for your horse.  Starting on an adventure which will be educational and real, rather than continuing in the one which has been killing your horse up to this point.  Lots of horses are in the same boat... the more you learn, the more you'll have huge "blind flashes of the obvious" in the weeks and months to come.

 

Type "natural hoof care" in to any search engine on your computer, and start reading.  Find someone in your area to help.  You could also bring the horse to me here in Arizona, but not sure where you live (although I've had horses come to me from all over the USA).

 

Keep your chin up.

 

Dr. Tom T.