It's a year old, I told them 6 months ago it was club footed, vet came said it had just broken the toe off so we patched it with super fast. Vet owns the stallion which has a tendency to produce upright feet. Last 2 cycles has gotten really clubby so he wants to go this route before surgery. Going to Trim the heels as much as possible, the apply shoe and reduce wedge once a week. Waiting on him to get here to put it on. Tom I've already explain my thoughts which are the same as yours, there trusting the vet. I told them they should cut the check ligaments.
I've had some luck with an extended toe on younger horses, but just in making them more usable. Never really fixed one. At least you'll have a package after the checks are cut. On mature horses don't even try to change them. I once had a vet geld a 9-year old stallion. After the job was done. he asked why. I said he was throwing too many umbilical hernia's and high flankers. Vet said "you should have told me, I'd have bought him, stood him for nothing and made my money on surgeries. He was joking, but that vet may have done it.
Justin will be curious on how it turns out. Looks like they will need to cut both ligaments. Good luck; most of the time when I try this it goes south on me real quick.
LOL! Ya know what Albert Einstein said about doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?
Justin, if this doesn't work out do you think the owner is going to find a different vet or a different farrier?
I figured you jump in with that Tom. Neither will get fired. I explain to them the risks of taking this route as well as my hesitation of doing it. They consulted with the vet and he explained to them that there is a small chance that this will work, if no improvement in 6 weeks then surgery will be done. They made the decision to try this first. I recommended surgery. What would you like for me to do Tom, they have 38 horse all but 10 are shod. This vet services about 50% of my clientele and is my vet. He is the only equine vet within a 50 mile radius with the equipment to take care of things. We have lots of cow, dog and cat vets. So playing the big guy that knows it all and walking away is not an option unless I want to go out of business. I have done a lot of stuff that I thought would work and didn't, and some I didn't think would work and did.
Exactly, my point well taken. You don't bite the hand that feeds you. I have been in the same position as are in; you have to do sometimes what the vet wants. If not, you 100% [not the vet!!!] gets fired. If it doesn't work; there is a 50% chance of getting fired. So you take the best chance and hope for the best. Good luck Justin and God's speed in this .
No David nothing was mentioned, I think it will be a good experiment since some say the club leg is shorter than the other.
Leg length is immaterial. I suspect that the leg components are the same length, just the position they occupy in the body that differs. Watch the branches of the suspensory on the open foot tension on the open foot as they pass dorsally to the extensor tendon. While I say leg length is immaterial, the functional difference is not. Why do you think that the club foot would be shorter?
Thanks David, I agree with you, I have always believed the problem starts in the shoulder. Others say that leg is shorter
Seems to me that you and the vet have addressed all the risks and informed the client of the potential outcome. I also like the idea that you are going to be closely monitoring the horse on a weekly basis. And, you have an agreement on a "Plan B" if it doesn't work. As long as the farrier, vet, and client understand that the risk is shared between all parties involved there is no liability. I don't think I would have done anything different if I was in your exact same situation - though I may have tried something more old school like a ram's horn shoe instead of the glue-on and fill.
