Trimming and Shoeing

Jim it sounds like the client doesn't want to invest the money into X-rays so forget about an in depth fix If it were me I'd slap a shoe on backwards, charge "accordingly" and call it day :)

Hello Jim,

I often see dropped soles when dealing with all the foundered horses I'm involved with. Two thoughts on this issue.

First, involves if the horses founder has stabilized and you believe the coffin bone will not continue to try and penetrate the through the sole. Usually the sole in these cases is harder, not too soft. With this type you can go ahead and shoe the horse in whatever manner as long as you make sure there is no obvious sole pressure or contact from the shoe. You may even have to put a hospital plate on to protect the sole. Over time I've seen many of these types re-model and eventually the dropped sole look will disappear.

The second, would be if you believe the horse has not stabilized and the horse is still foundering. Usually the sole in these cases is soft, mushy, and/or even painful when pushed on with just your thumbs. In this case, my treatment would be arresting this condition with a correctly placed rigid steel heart bar shoe.

In either case, I would err on the side of professional caution and advocate for radiographs so you can see what your dealing with, measure how much sole depth there may or may not be, determine any coffin bone degeneration or other issues, obtain the veterinarians diagnosis and opinion, etc...

Blessings and Merry Christmas,

Esco Buff, PhD, CF

I totally disagree with Dr Buff. I am not a vet but I do rehab laminitic horses under veterinary supervision here in Australia. Dropped soles are a precursor to pedal bone rotation thru the sole. Dished dorsal walls are external evidence of laminar separation. Laminar separation can best be fixed/reversed by taking the horse's weight OFF its hoof walls (toe nail). This is exactly the opposite of what shoers recommend. Although a heart bar shoe or one that supports the frog also incidentally takes some of the weight off the hoof walls so in that regard is better than a regular shoe.

 

But if you think about the mechanical physics of the hoof, a shoe (or indeed long hoof walls) mean that the horse is slinging all its weight on its hoof walls. Who said the horse was supposed to walk on its toe nail? We have always THOUGHT this to be the case. But science now suggests this is incorrect.

 

So if you believe that a shoe protects the hoof (as we all did at some stage, cos that is how we were brought up!)...just try imagining that there might be another way. And then think about the pressure points a shoe imposes on the hoof. And then you will begin to get a glimmer of the idea that a shoe actually puts pressure on the already weak laminar. And that maybe if you could take the pressure OFF the laminar then the horse could grow its foot together again (very simply put).

 

What we do to rehab laminitic horses is get rid of any shoes and also take off any hoof wall right round to the heel buttress (leaving the heels at an appropriate length). We do this by bevelling the hoof wall away.

 

Ok so now the poor laminitic pony is down on its sole and frog. OUCH!! It still cant walk. So we stick 12mm foam with duct tape to the hooves to give it some SOLAR support. Maybe if we have boots to fit the horse we put the hoof pads in boots. It gets a bit manky after a day or so but can be removed, washed with bleach and then put back on.  The horse is generally able to move MUCH MORE COMFORTABLY in pads. We find that most horses are ok out of the pads within a couple of weeks.

 

However diet ini particular is important as this may have been the initial trigger for laminitis. I'm talking laminitis here because any horse with dropped soles has laminitis - maybe not acute but has had laminitic separation.

 

If the horse has deep collateral grooves associated with this dropped sole, you may well find that the 'dropped sole' is a false sole. In which case bevelling the hoof wall away will see that sole exfoliate in a matter of days. It may even be (particularly in ponies) that the soles are not as bad as they appear, if what you are looking at is false sole. Because the real sole will have some degree of concavity probably.

 

Not sure if that's helpful. But its the alternative view.

 

Cheers

Rebecca in Oz

Rebecca,

I shoe and consult with over 300 laminitic/foundered horses a year.  Only one or two a year have to be euthanized.  Many of these are the most severe of cases.  You can find many of the pic and radiographs on my facebook account.  Sinkers are my speciality. 

 

Some points to clarify some misinformation.

 

"Laminar separation can best be fixed/reversed by taking the horse's weight OFF its hoof walls (toe nail)."

Laminar seperation is removed by rasping the distortion or dish away.  Putting weight on or off the hoof does to remove the seperation.  Removing the downward force can lessen the amount of distortion but will not remove it.

 

"This is exactly the opposite of what shoers recommend."

No it is not.  Remove dorsal dishes is in nearly every farrier book to date.  Maybe best said opposite of what you recommend.

 

"Although a heart bar shoe or one that supports the frog also incidentally takes some of the weight off the hoof walls so in that regard is better than a regular shoe."

A heart bar shoe does not support the frog.  It applies pressure to the frog and stabilizes the bone column from rotating or sinking further.  It does not take weight off the hoof wall.  It utilizes the frog to help spread weight distribution thus restoring blood in the circumplex artery.

 

"Who said the horse was supposed to walk on its toe nail? We have always THOUGHT this to be the case. But science now suggests this is incorrect."

Science has shown that the horse is designed to walk on its hoof walls.  The debate over sole contact is still being researched.  SCIENCE does not suggest this is incorrect.

 

"And then you will begin to get a glimmer of the idea that a shoe actually puts pressure on the already weak laminar. "

This is untrue and unfounded.  Not repeatable research has shown this.

 

 

"So we stick 12mm foam with duct tape to the hooves to give it some SOLAR support."

Using foam which provides solar support actually goes against vascular anatomy.  Solar support can cause more reduction of blood in the circumplex artery and pericuneal artery.  this has been validated by such researchers as Dr. Chris Pollitt from Australia, and many others.

 

"I'm talking laminitis here because any horse with dropped soles has laminitis - maybe not acute but has had laminitic separation. "

A dropped sole is due to a rotating and sinking coffin bone.  It is a sinker at that point, not laminitic.

 

"Not sure if that's helpful. But its the alternative view."

Yes.  I want to see postings of alternative or better said, other view or different points of view.  We need to have open and friendly dialog.  Your posting if an example of how people can post opporsite or different points without attacking a person.  Everyone has a right to agree to disagree with each other.  How done the most important.  It needs to be done respectively and accurately.

 

Blessings,

Esco Buff, PhD, CF

 

 

 

 

 

That's so good to hear Israel. I've never seen a foundered horse and hope to never see one. If I ever do, though, I'll know what the best course of action is. Call the vet for X-rays at least and a good farrier to work along side him!