I have a 5 yr old AQHA mare, barrel horse, that is base narrow who lands outside in. The vet and I believe it is causing her soundness issues in both front feet. When on asphalt in circles both directions she is lame. When we block her she is no longer off in the front. I will upload some films that we took after trying to force her to land flat by trimming her asymmetrically . We left her inside wall long and took her all the way down on the outside. Her left front was corrected ok by trimming alone. Her right front we had to use a 2degree wedge pad on the inside only to get her to land flat. In the films her left front looks like it might need a wedge pad to increase her Palmer angle just a bit. In the right fils you can see the brad from the wedge pad. I purchased some Denoix Aluminum collateral shoes to use to offer more support. I hate trimming her crooked but I don't know how else to get her to land flat or break over correctly. I thought I had some films showing the medial lateral balance but I cannot find them. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks
Yes I can get those from my vet today. I also have video of her walking that I took. Not sure how to put that on here.
Looks like she may be a good candidate for a wedged heel banana shoe. Most horses land slightly lateral to medial and stopping them from doing that often does more harm than good. In truth, there is not enough information yet to even begin to offer good advice. David got it right.
Use the "Upload File" button on the lower tight side of the screen. If you're using Internet Explorer, set it to compatibility mode.
Stop trimming it crooked. Am I right in thinking the DP X-rays are a year older than the laterals? Have you got the laterals from 31/1/13. ?
the key part this post " The vet and I believe it is causing her soundness issues" This horse's lateral landing wasn't caused by a hoof trim and it won't be "fixed" by any out of balance trim or sideways wedge pad "therapy". It's conformational issues and repetitive stress is the cause of it's lameness. This horse is loading the lateral sides of it's feet because it is the least painful option it has; outside of laying down. Take that option away, what have you left it?
It's certainly open for debate that. What I can see is that it has what should be a high low heel that in the more recent photos the left foot which is now got quite a low Palmer angle is quite contracted which is unusual and a broken back axis, has it been trimmed like this. The right has a fetlock deviation which you won't fix..
Were hoof testers used? Was a flexion test done? What are your farriers thoughts on the situation? Has this been going on for a year? Longer? (other rads are a year old) Don't trim for a flat landing, trim for proper balance. May want to consider coffin joint injections along w/ proper trimming/shoeing. If your vet doesn't do them then find one that does, they'll have more exp dealing w/ the type of problem you most likely have. Prepare yourself for the possibility that the answers to your lameness may not be the ones you want.
I am posting pic from my phone. My vet conducted a standard lameness exam with flexion tests and hoof testers. When I bought the mare in Oct 2013 she was due to be shod. I felt at that time she was off. She was wearing an Aluminum NBA rocker shoe. She had negative angles according to films we took then. So for two shoe ins we put her in a 1 degree wedge pad and a kerckheart (spelling) roller shoe so she could break over where she wanted. She was tried flat or level at this time. In Jan I still felt that she was off. So I took her back to the vet did another lameness test. Lame in the same situations. Straight lines on asphalt she is ok...circles on asphalt she head bobs. More to the right than the left. So...New shoeing idea..trim her so that she is forced to land flat by trimming her asymmetric. Insert most current films. Those were taken with the shoes on as you can see. My husband is my farrier so he is tolerable to my requests! Lol These are of the denoix shoe we put on today.
If it isn't being caused by trying to avoid landing on a sore spot, as Brian Robertson said, your mare probably lands on her outside wall first because that's how she's made. Purposely trimming her uneven until she lands flat is going to hurt her further up, in every joint space above the sole of her foot.
That Is What My Husband thinks. If this doesn't work then back to the rocker shoe with wedges and inject. I just want to find the most comfortable least painful way to shoe her. Thanks for all your input.
If you put a wedge in one side of your shoes, and tried to walk and run, you'd be convinced first hand. It isn't going to "work".
Can I just recap, you bought this horse a 5 year old 4 moths ago. You feel it has been short in front but not lame, is that off? You have put various packages on this horse in a short period of time? This horse has some conformation issues for sure that YOU won't fix! you may struggle to ameliorate them also. My advice won't be your first choice but I'd back off this horse on the Shoeing front before the lesions become permanent. If you continue aS you are you will fuck it, I'm sure your husband will agree. It may be with that crancked fetlock the collateral strain may mean that you are restricted to the surface you canwork on with it it feeling the strain. While there is inflammation present which there is at the min you will only exasibate the situation..... Listen to hubby he knows ........
