My 11 year old Hanoverian gelding came to his new home state sound with 15 mm sole depth and shod with a modified eggbar shoes on the hinds for a chronic right hind suspensory. His vet check two days before leaving old home state showed the chronic high suspensory had healed well with shockwave treatment, and he was put on a water treadmill for 6 weeks to strengthen his body and get ready for under saddle work The shoeing set-up was changed to four full-pours to protect the hooves from water damage and trailered shoes on the hinds.
Came to his new barn in new state in May. New farrier advised not to over-trim the horse during the summer rainy months, not to short shod, not to shoe tight, horse does not like to grow a lot of heel, and we must stay on top of the toe length. Sigh … he did all three and we lost the toes which were starting to get too long. The horse went lame in June, and we thought right hind suspensory again. Vet said lameness locator says left front bone spur on fetlock. Injected with Osphos, full pours on both fronts, 2 degree wedge, trim toes, set the shoe back. New farrier did the above, four hours later, the horse is standing in the field, he can’t walk. Called the vet and told him farrier said the horse could tolerate 5-6 mm sole depth with the pours (at which time we told the farrier “no, he can’t” but he had already done the trim and cut off the heels too.). So discouraged.
Vet comes back, lameness locator still says left front and pulls shoe and pour looking for an abscess. Radiographs show 5-6 mm sole depth. We soak, we pack, we are a wreck turning out on the thin soles, go through a couple of soggy hoof boots, keep him in. Finally, say put shoe back on along with the pour to farrier #2. Still limping on rt hind suspensory leg. Trimming 5 weeks later shows a bruise at the toe (never found an abscess, but it made sense there could be one) on and inside of the white line, and he is still limping on the right hind. Vet comes back and says it is still the left front. More radiographs to include the backs which now have lower heels and long toes. Said the suspensory leg is great, so keep bringing the toes back and no trotting, give Equioxx every day for 30 days. Last week was 30 days, horse was fine at walk under saddle. Time to reset the shoes. Horse is very bruised at the toes on both fronts at the white line and the frogs are bruised at the collateral grooves. Finally realized farrier #2 is trimming off everything that is growing. Feeling really lost.
Farrier #3 came last week and did the fronts. He was immediately better on the right hind in trot on the longe line. Where should we go from here? He is still nqr on that right hind, but much better. Thoughts? Giving him loading dose of Biotin 800 for the last 6 weeks.
