[MsDuch]

Hi,
I've been a long time lurker at the BB (since I read it at work), and have been following this monster thread on and off.

My 15 yo Tb mare normally has (I think) fairly decent feet. I've been struggling with two farriers over the past year to work on getting her to have more heel. I'd finally been making progress when, about 3 weeks ago, we moved barns. Now my mare's feet are falling apart.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/sarahbj10....src=ph&.view=

1. Sand arena, sand turnouts, and hard ground on trails (didn't keep that up for long) are sucking moisture out of her feet. They're chipping up like crazy. We came from a barn with no outdoor, no trails, and t/o in indoor arena. So, presumably, her feet need to get used to it. In the 9 years I've had her, she's never had a chipping/crumbling problem, even when in similar footing conditions. I'm applying Rainmaker and plan to have the shoer put hind shoes on.

2. She was last trimmed/reshod on May 8th. I've had her on a 7 week cycle throughout the spring. Toward the end it is more noticable that her two fronts grow at slightly different angles. However, about a week ago (just over 4 weeks from last shoeing), she started looking like her LF was falling off her heel. It has continued to look worse and worse. Her shoe has also twisted slightly, and she's taken a chunk out of the wall on the inside (can't see it in the pictures).

I'm particularly concerned about the collapsing heel/increasingly long toe/poor angle because she had a slight suspensory strain on that leg a year and a half ago. I was living overseas, she was leased out. I suspect that her shoeing wasn't great (long toes and low heels) and aggravated by being turned out in deep mud.

I've been trying to get a shoer out to do her sooner, but have been unable to find someone to come on short notice. My shoer doesn't come to my new barn, so I'm callng up new shoers (understandable that they won't rush around for a new client). My new barn's primary farrier can't even get to her until Thursday.

I'd be curious in general what you all think about her feet. Any recommendations for dealing with the new dryness? Any recommendations for shoeing (since I'm starting with a new shoer it's an easy time to bring up concerns)?

We do lower level dressage, going to start doing some jumping, and hope to trail ride a bunch this summer.

Let me know if there's any other information I could provide.

Thanks!
MsDuch

[mcmIV]

Wow - I see major underrun heels/long toes. You could probably do a major amount of good in one shoeing just cutting those toes off and bring back the heel. They could look completely different.

I think you are right to be concerned about her suspensory problem - this could easily aggrevate it or cause it again.

As for dryness, I don't know what the experts think, but I know people at my barn soaked their horses feet in water/applecider vinegar or some concoction. Now these people were obsessive weird about soaking feet every night, but I think the process had merit. If you have an unusual dryness problem it might be useful for you.

Ok - I hope my attachment works out. I tried some fake repairs to the front angles. See the current angle compared to my "fix". It's rough but you get the idea! Do you experts think the fix is appropriate to aim for?

My repair might be too upright, looking at it now that ive posted it, but I think its close to the aim, right?

THe shoer needs to set her shoes back under the heel, she needs the toe cut off and the heel brought back - more complicated than im making it sound, but thats what this thread is all about. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...icon_smile.gif

martha

Proud member of the * Hoof Fetish Clique *

I got an album....started at least! http://community.webshots.com/user/mcmiv

[Bensmom]

Martha -- how did you do that?!! That is really awesome to see what her feet would look like if the angles were changed! I don't think that your repair is too upright, but as my farrier says, I'd put club feet on every horse if I could http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c.../icon_wink.gif (his way of teasing me about paranoia about LT/LH syndrome)

I would also be concerned about the suspensory strain and would be very anxious to have those toes shortened and get more support under that leg as soon as was practicable.

So, since it has been a couple of weeks, did you have a new farrier do her and how does it look?

Libby (heehee -- it *is* the thread that wouldn't die!)

*Proud member of the Hoof Fetish Clique*

[mcmIV]

I used some kind of voodoomarphamagic. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...icon_smile.gif

That "repair" was really easy to be honest. Wasn't even done "well".... you can see the editing on it if you looked. But it didn't matter for this purpose!

I was so pleased when I did it that I went and showed everyone in the house I could find... "Look at this!!" and I got a lot of "uhmm.... so?" and eye rolling. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...on_biggrin.gif

Anyway...hope it was helpful. http://chronicleforums.com/groupee_c...icon_smile.gif

martha

Proud member of the * Hoof Fetish Clique *

I got an album....started at least! http://community.webshots.com/user/mcmiv

[MsDuch]

Martha,

Yes, your repair was exactly what I envisioned my mare's feet needing. I was even more impressed when the farrier (a new one for me) came out and did it: it looked almost like your reconstruction! I am hoping to take new photos today or tomorrow and will post them to my album.

Of course, my mare went off three days after the new shoes went on, but I'll post more about that when I have the new pictures...

Thanks!
MsDuch