Fixing A Foundered Pony / Suggestions ?

I picked up a new customer (yes doing drafts I occassionally do ponies also along with the normal horse)
This pony was foundered 5 years ago and x-rays were taken then.
What I came to was 1 pony, 1 dwarf pony, 1 miniature donkey, a pinto rocky mtn horse and a nice quarter horse.
Each of these animals were trimmed by the same farrier. A self taught person who never cleans the souls and leaves long toes on some and on the ponies the heels were never cut back. The pony was trimmed with high heels and it looks like the sole was never touched ever at all. The pony was walking like a person with a corn cob up its butt. Stiff legged, hump in center of back and camped under. I trimmed the pony (after having new x-rays taken) The coffin bone has rotated but in 5 years there isn't hardly any change from the origional x-rays taken back then. I trimmed back the heels and made size "o" heart bars and glued them on.. The pony walked off like a dream, the hump disapeared in 1 day the camped under has never returned. The owners can't afford the cost or glue so we tried nailing on the shoe's. The ponies walls are too thin even for 4 1/2 nails. Sore from the get go so off came the shoe's. I bought the new roll on casting and put the shoe's on with the casting and it worked, but the shoe's moved ever so slightly and everything came loose then we have had constant rain daily and the whole shebang came off. Even after I tried to get them to keep the casting dry with shower curtain wrapped homemade boots. (no pony boots this small) Keep inside at night and then put coverings on the fronts.
Finally we have just let the pony go bare foot. She has grown some wall and seems to be moving fairly well, but the ground is soft and I do worry about her sole getting to water logged and soft
.I am open to suggestions. I do have them painting the sole with turpintine and iodine mixture. Throw some idea's my way !!!
Thanks guys
My 2 cents worth
Bruce Matthews
Alvin, Texas

sorry for the double signatures, just found the save section...

I don't have any suggestions for you but I can say I don't get along that well with glue, casting, ..... I can do that stuff in a pinch if I need to but I don't really enjoy doing it.

Glue and casting would be a good how to on here though. Hopefully we can get someone on here to do one.

LOL, no worries! I'm still trying to get used to how easy this forum is to use. I'm so used to having to click on things and search for things, this forum just seems to know where you want to go.

I was told a while ago that owning horses is a kings sport, and to own one you have to have disposable income. If the people can't afford you to do the correct thing for the pony maybe they need to rethink their priority's ...remember when it comes to some horse owners it's save life or limb at any cost when dealing with themselves ....but save life or limb at what cost when it's a animal.

I think you have showed them what needs to be done and know it's up to them to do the correct thing for the poor animal, either step up and be a responsible owner or go back to the happy hack they had

William I understand your responce and at times have felt the same myself, but in todays world many folks own animals they can't afford to totally care for due to todays economy.
Hay down here is up to $15.00 a string bale and over $180.00 for a round bale.
After 40 plus years of shoeing, I still try to save folks some bucks if I can and I mostly work for the horse's welfare.
In this area folks aren't rich but do more riding than they ever did when I lived the last 30 years in Vermont.

Now knowing that this pony was foundered 5 years ago, and having now 2 sets of x-rays (1rst 5 yrs back and the new ones 1 month ago and there isn't a lot of difference in eitheir set) I am looking to make this animal comfortable.

So have you got any thoughts on a path to take that I haven't already tried ?
You know many heads come up with good idea's....

Every one knows the price of work but only a few owners know the "REAL VALUE "
You did your job now it's time for them to do there's,

good luck is all I can say

I agree with william although he said it so eloquently, LOL. If the owner is really having hardships and I could afford it, I would probably give the horse what he needs. If that means glue then I'd give it to them at cost or what they could afford. I never seems to work out in my favor but I always feel good when I do the right thing. It doesn't happen very often.

Bruce, Have you tried Durasole on that pony?

http://durasole.com

I don't know if they have it. The cool thing is Alvin Farrier Supply is 1/2 a mile from my home and they are the world wide distributor for Durasol.
I know they will buy it if I ask them to.
The main problem around here is all this area used to raise rice and the land is low and floods quite easily. Even though it has mostly been turned into housing developments, with the gumbo/clay the water sits on top and the horses are in water constantly for many during the rainy season.
Tom Stoval comes up here regularly to replenish their stock.
Tom's wife is also a strong competitor in rabbit shows around here.
Sharon (my better half) also is getting back into showing rabbits so am looking forward to meeting Tom either at the farrier supply or one of the rabbit shows.
my 2 cents worth

Bruce michael stewards clog technique was initially introduced to save money as nobody in Oklahoma could afford special shoes. 1st clogs were not even rolled he just cut out a small piece of plywood to fit the ponys foot and screwed it on. After noting that the horses quickly rolled the sides of the plywood he started pre-rolling them before installation on a sander or grinder. Although he now sells premade wooden clogs and likes to equicast them on the old method of making them from a piece of plywood and screwing them on with teflon coated screws from the hardware store is dirt cheap and still works great. In the video they use superfast. They also sometimes use 1/2 roll of equicast per shoe to save money. And if there is enough foot you can just use screws. I had made wood clogs for a foundered draft stallion (size 9 foot) and only used screws.

opps forgot the link here it is.

Bruce, I have a number of these little foundered ponies that I trim. Just trim the pony and get his foot as balanced as you can and he will be fine. I wouldn't worry to much about him, for me they seem to do fine with just some good trimming. Whatever you do, don't but on a DAMN clog. These things are ridiculous. They are only for underskilled people that cant't do anything else. Screwing wood to a foot is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Use your skills and ability to help this pony, not some gimic like a clog.

I meant to say don't PUT on, not but. Sorry.

Pretty bold statement there, the inability to think outside the box when it comes to the horses needs is a serious lack of skill. I agree that the pony in question probably only needs a good balanced trim and some durasole. I'll post a clog set up in the next week when I go reset it.

LOL...You have to understand what is in the "box" before you can think out side of it !!!

Tell yourself what you need to. But MOST people that I have witnessed that get caught up in GIMMICKS, like the clogs, are underskilled. I hope that isn't the case with yourself. But all I have is statistics.

i agree , KISS rules over all gimmicks anyday .

What I have witnessed in the past is, if someone has a gimmick they lack skill , this goes in every profession !