Meet Matilda! Pictures 10/1

[Jarpur]

If you do have to go with boots, I suggest the Easyboot Trail Original. This style was recommended to me by my farrier at the time, who also ran a horseshoeing school, plus worked at a farrier supply shop. These are what we used on our thin-soled horse before his soles thickened from the Durasole.

As boots go, this style is relatively less expensive ($68 each at Valley Vet), and Easyboot claims it’s their easiest boot to apply to the foot. I have small, hyper-mobile hands, and I was able to handle this boot better than other models (not that easy for me, but manageable – I could get them on if I had to).

The expensive Easyboot Clouds were impossible for me, although my husband could manage them (even the veterinarian who prescribed Clouds for this horse, and sold us a pair, had great difficulty applying them).

Our farrier did say to have the horse turned out as much as possible – movement is good for the hooves – and to wean the horse off the boots when able.

Best wishes with Matilda.

[moonlitoaksranch]

My pleasure. I appreciate the input. I’m getting a hoof supplement and toughening agents next time I go to the feed store and waiting on pricing for the X-rays.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Thank you. When you measure for boots, is it supposed to be right after a trim? If the farrier wasn’t able to round up the front of her hooves, will they still fit the boots? She just wouldn’t tolerate the hooves being pulled forward.

[Jarpur]

Right after a trim is best. Here’s the manufacturer’s page with FAQ, videos, etc.:

https://www.easycareinc.com/our_boots/Easyboot-Trail.asp

IME, they seemed pretty forgiving – my horse couldn’t always successfully cooperate, either, for trims sometimes, even though he was naturally very good-natured. But we could always get the boots on him. The velcro flaps are adjustable to some extent.

edited to fix link

[moonlitoaksranch]

Awesome! Thank you.

[Jarpur]

You’re very welcome – that link has an application guide on it, too, with tips for selecting the correct size.

This boot opens up completely. What worked for me was to have it totally opened, and lay it on the ground next to my horse’s foot. Then I had only to pick the foot up a matter of inches to be able to slide the boot underneath the foot and quickly fasten the velcro.

In other words, I didn’t have to bend the horse’s knee a lot and lift his foot high to get the boot on if he was having a bad day (if he wasn’t, I’d pick his foot up normally and simply slip his foot into the boot). Even if he couldn’t hold it up for long, and quickly dropped his foot, I could still fasten the velcro with his foot on the ground.

With these boots, IME, one is not stuck working a tight boot with more complicated fastening onto the foot, as the boot opens so wide and simply velcros on. Easier for an uncomfortable horse to tolerate, IMO.

[candyappy]

@moonlitoaksranch

Morning turnout.

I think you will see the most notable weight gain when she can be on that nice grass all day. I had a rescue ( TB mare) and once I could get her worked up to several hours a day I was amazed. Matilda is looking good.

[B_and_B]

I’ll second that. I’m also using the DuMor Hoof Care pellets. (the regular, not the ultra). I have a tendency to really read the labels…and noted that it was very close to the expensive stuff. More importantly, it is making a genuine difference in my big guy’s feet.
Which…makes me feel a bit guilty, since it means my feed the last few months sucked.
Matilda, though, looks much better. I imagine you have a fly sheet already, but if you don’t, my little pinto mare practically lives in Schneiders’ Soft interlock mesh with attached neck and belly band fly sheet. Many years before I got her she had severe sunburn on her neck, it is all wrinkled and burns very easily. That sheet works, it has also withstood a year of an enthusiastic, mouthy, four year old gelding bothering her every day!

[Calvincrowe]

I’ve been following along since the beginning, but others have had such great advice for you, I haven’t posted. But my aged gelding has had a couple of bouts of Cushings/IR related laminitis (only he would get hind foot laminitis-- vet had never seen a case of just the hinds!). Anyway, when, the second time around, he got a mild case of laminitis in his front feet, we found a sand pit to be his preferred place to stand. Vet approved as he could self-regulate his comfort, lie down and adjust the foot pressure in the soft, deep sand. Since I already had a ‘rolling pit’ we just adjusted his paddock so he had that space alone, not shared. We also used Soft Ride boots for the his initial few weeks.

It sounds like Matilda is passed that stage, so that’s great! My vet put my boy on Heiro foot supplement. I feel it really did make a difference in how his feet grew after his bout. My farrier is thrilled with his recovery-- the separated laminae are hardly visible any more. I did get baseline rads the first and second time to check for rotation-- very mild on front right, none on the left.

You are doing a fabulous job with her-- keep on posting and sending jingles for a sound, comfortable and happy Matilda!

[moonlitoaksranch]

Thank you for the information about your experiences.

[Posting_Trot]

When I took my previous horse barefoot, and she was a little tender on the fronts, I found the Cavallo Simple boots to be the easiest to deal with. A bonus is that Cavallo will tell you how to measure, look at your measurements and photos, and recommend a size.

Simple Hoof Boots - Cavallo's All-Purpose, All-Terrain Hoof Boot!

[findeight]

Some random thoughts…

Not a foot expert but had a thought looking at the hoof pictures, especially the right front club.
To me, it looks like somebody in the past might have trimmed a bit more off the heel and left the toe a bit long? Perhaps a misguided effort to “correct” or match up the angles of that foot to the other front foot? That would not enhance her comfort. At all. Clubs are what they are and can be managed…but not that that way.

To me, based on these pictures, the last 6-8 weeks of new growth, up at the cornet band, looks healthy. The rate hooves are growing out will increase with proper nutrition and that good hoof supplement will increase that growth rate. Dramatically, as well as skin and hair quality. She’s working on starting to produce that winter coat about now so sooner would be better then later on adding that supplement.

The fact she is trotting and cantering voluntarily at all, even for a short time? Is a huge milestone in her recovery, mentally and physically. Shes not afraid to move out and pain is not preventing it, shes gaining confidence moving wont hurt, at least for a short distance. She can build on that.

Matilda is not ready for exercise just yet but if your son can spend 30 minutes a day just hand walking and hand grazing? Build the bond, get a controlled amount of grass in her as vet advises, plus start establishing simple ground manners- she will get more ambitious as she feels better. Plus they all do better with more easy movement and don’t necessarily self exercise. Hand walking is great.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Great points! We were doing that, but had to stop when she became photosensitive. The vet said to wait a week since her last dose before going back to walking in the sun.

We’re going to call around to find someone to take digital images of her feet and have a copy sent o our vet. Our vet doesn’t have the equipment.

[findeight]

Great idea. No idea what’s going on, and has gone on, inside those hooves. Regardless of those findings, growing a new, hoof with healthy tissue will at least assist the farrier in dealing with whatever issues are identified.

Absolutely need to keep her feet as dry as possible, many good waterproofing products out there, not particularly expensive. Follow the recommended use instructions. Usually sole only, not in the cleft and outside of hoof needs to breathe and is likely hard enough.

[moonlitoaksranch]

We found a decent hoof supplement. Still waiting to schedule X-rays. I have to haul her in, so we’re hoping for the clinic 15 mins away.

[moonlitoaksranch]

I got a quick picture of her during dinner last night.

[moonlitoaksranch]

I have a sticky puzzle here. We know now that she’s not going to die from anaplasmosis or starve to death. She’s on Red Cell for her anemia and not pregnant. Now, we need to switch our focus to her feet and founder rehab. For weight gain, her feed is a mix of alfalfa and senior feed. The recommended rehab for founder says low carb, low sugar diet. I left a message with the vet to see if we need to adjust her sugar intake. I feel like we’re dancing along the edge of a blade here. We need her to put on enough weight to get through our harsh winter, but we also need to “feed to her feet” and avoid a laminitis relapse. Her X-rays are scheduled for the 27th. We have to trailer her to the clinic 20 minutes away.

You can see how she stands to take some weight off the front feet (that right front in particular). She limps a little at the trot on level ground, but it’s more pronounced trotting downhill. We considered boots, but she’s not any worse and the preference for rehabbing is barefoot. The boots, like the shoes, may not really give her relief. She needs to rebuild her hoof for that. This is going to take a lot of time. I keep pushing back the timeline, based on her hoof growth. I’m thinking she could be sound by spring, with regular trims.

[Jarpur]

Have you looked into feeding Nutrena Special Care? It’s 10% NSC:

https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/safechoice-special-care-horse-feed

I realize you’re trying to put weight on her.

[Jackie_amp_Starlette]

I highly recommend that you join the ECIR group - started by a veterinarian. Dr. Keller.

Get on there and read, read, read! Not all veterinarians are educated on the latest, greatest, and she is.

main@ECIR.groups.io | Home

It is awkward to navigate (think old-school boards) but sure worth the time.

[moonlitoaksranch]

Their focus is PPID and Cushings. I need information on rehabbing a horse without those conditions. Is the low sugar founder rehab just for those groups? She is a stock horse type, so she might have a metabolic disorder that we don’t know about, but nothing has manifested itself. I think we would see it by now, but I’m not sure. That’s what I’m asking the vet.