December 28, 2012
Three of our horses had shoes put on their front feet today. Two of these horses, Shorty and Bryant, have been diagnosed with disease of their Navicular bones in both front feet. Shorty has very small feet for his size which dramatically contributes to his disease and he also has very tender soles. Bryant was fitted with special shoes with a rubber wedge made to lift his heels. The difference was immediate and stunning. After a few minutes of testing the shoes, each of these horses walked more comfortably and more naturally. Bryant turned like a normal horse, actually crossing one front leg in front of the other as he moved forward on a turn, and even briefly cantered. Shorty walked confidently and in a relaxed manner rather than displaying his usual hesitant gait. Equamore staff and volunteers were tearful watching the relief the shoes brought to these two lovely horses.
Thor also received a pair of shoes, and we will see over the next week or so how they are working. He seems to have bruised his right front sole and has been limping a bit. We are hopeful that by lining his stall with shavings under the straw to keep his feet dryer and keeping him out of the mud where his hooves get packed, his sole will heal and the shoes will give him just enough distance between the ground and the soles of his feet to avoid further soreness and injury.
Sassy received a new trim to adjust where her weight naturally falls, as well as a pair of padded boots, all under the watchful eye of her best friend Chance. Likewise, Magic received a trim adjustment that helped him immediately. Their laminitis is so advanced that treatment options are extremely limited. Our goal is increased comfort in any way possible for these two personality-packed horses.
Sassy, Magic, Shorty and Bryant all receive daily doses of Previcox for pain and inflammation, and Thor, Sassy and Magic have started a new supplement for support of horses with laminitis which will hopefully help improve their condition over the next several months.
While we are primarily a “barefoot” barn and believe that barefoot is almost always preferable, we made the decision to try shoes for a few of our horses that had lameness issues that trims simply could not address because of the deterioration of the bones in their feet. We will keep you posted!
