Q & A with The Vet

Paint horse with laminitis

Hi Dr.Tom,

The fact that you are a veterinarian and an advocate for a barefoot horse is what led me to you.  My vets here are advocating shoes for a horse with laminitis and I just want to avoid that path. 

My mare is a 6 yo breeding stock paint.  I've had her since she was a yearling.  We board her and she has been in pasture for the past 5 years and never had trouble until this past summer.  My husband had the vet see Dottie and Dottie was lame at the walk (when brought out of the pasture).  She hoof tested positive on both front feet on the sole anterior to the apex of the frog.  She was taken off pasture, put into a rather large dry lot run at that time and put on a grass/alfalfa mix hay (2 flakes in the am and 2 flakes in the pm).  She was given bute and put in Old Mac's boots which were removed daily for a very short time period.  She walked soundly with the boots on in the dry lot.

She has been barefoot most of her life with the exception of shoes for 6 weeks in the summers of 2001, 2002, and 2003 for training.  Her trims were initially done by a farrier who used the Bergy method.  I have been trimming her for the past 2 years.  I did have a farrier look at her because I was not able to differentiate the point of the frog from the sole.  The two structures appeared to have grown together.  He used a small 'blow torch' to soften the sole and then he trimmed some sole from the front of her hooves at the point of the frog.  I had a bad feeling then and there but this farrier came highly recommended by one of the vets in the community.  That was in May, and she developed laminitis in June.

 

What kind of advice or insight can you give me at this point?

 

Thank you.

Hi there,

 

Glad you're going the route of natural hoof care.  Shoes on a laminitic horse is really hard for me to imagine anymore.  And with the mounting information out there, it's getting near-time for it to stop for good.  Blow torches and hooves are not a good mix, either, so I don't believe I'd be soliciting this kind of farrier work any more!

 

Take a look at the many websites out there by doing a search for "natural hoof care laminitis", and you'll have TONS of good information to read over.  Everything from diet to lifestyle to trimming must be evaluated to be successful treating laminitis and keeping it from recurring.

 

Dr. Tom T.

Which boot to use on a laminitic horse?

Q: I have to keep a few boots on hand for a couple horses that can have laminitic episodes.  They have cushings.  I was told that the Bare boot might be too soft for a laminitic foot.  Is this true?  Please give me your opinion.

A: I have used the Epic boots more on sole sore and laminitic horses more than the Bares.  I most always use some of the Easycare comfort pads inside these boots and have really liked how comfortable the horses are with them.  Regular EasyBoots with pads can also be used, but it's nice to have the wrap-around velcro material at the pastern like the Epics have to hold the boots on better.  These boots really stay on nicely.  Since you're looking for boots for these occasionally sore footed horses, I think the Epics will be more flexible and more user-friendly for you. 

Dr. Tom T.