Yes, we have used it successfully in a situation like this. Obviously, you use the minimum dose possible, and yes, the farrier must be observant on how the horse is balancing. But your vet will look after to dose to the best of their experience, and may start with a small dose, and give more if necessary, to get it right, and keep the farrier adequately safe.
I second Removing the shoes and just deal with trimming. I trim my own despite my old broken body. I never use a
hoof jack because my horses don’t really like it and if they’re sore somewhere it makes it worse to force them to balance.
I keep the hoof low to ground and I just lean over more for their convenience. I don’t contort or twist or yank on leg. I lean the hoof on my crouched leg/knee and trim w/ basically one hand.
If your farrier is inexperienced he may not know there are easy ways to trim for the benefit of the sore horse.
I say remove the shoes, but make sure the trim is done right and balanced. And ask farrier to make allowances for a sore horse.
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It’s worth a shot - horse I mentioned above, vet didn’t think he’d be able to go barefoot, but he is now. He did spend about a year in the polyurethane Equiflex shoes (can be nailed or glued) , which I loved, bc metal shoes created too much concussion for his sore foot, which was even worse during fly season, I could see it when he walked. After that, he successfully went barefoot, has been for about 2 years now.
If she isn’t comfortable barefoot, you could also try glue on boots, for a little less concussion. I’m using some now & they are working well on a horse who is healing a coffin bone bruise. That would also allow skipping the nailing process. Easy care has great how to videos for farriers too.
For fly stomping, if she will wear fly boots, they make a huge difference.
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Can you provide a place for her to get away from the flies? I hang tarps over the fronts of the stalls and run-ins, and that makes it dark enough inside that the flies don’t bother them when they’re in there.
I’d get the shoes off too, and find a trimmer who can trim “from the top” so that she can put some weight on the hoof stand so that she doesn’t have to shift it all onto the bad side.
Also, as her hooves recover from the shoes and start to get stronger you can set up a gravel path so she’ll self trim more, and that will help extend the time between trims. (Google Pasture Paradise and Rockley Farm for ideas.)
I have a horse with hock arthritis, and I taught her to cock her hoof with the toe still on the ground (using clicker training) so that I can trim her hinds with the nippers so she doesn’t have to flex the hock so much. Like your mare, she’ll trot and canter on her own out in pasture, but if I flex her back legs to trim then she walks off very lame, so I don’t flex them.
Sometimes it’s more about thinking outside the box than continuing to try to repeat what isn’t working very well.
I don’t hold the tongue at all, I position the tube under the tongue. My horse is very suspicious also, and he really purses his lips. I have to put the tube though his lips and discharge under his tongue. I make it easy by not grabbing anything. I have also put half on one side and half on the other side when he’s extra fussy. I push up on his lower jaw so he can’t spit it out. I usually take my horse inside because a) nibbling grass encourages swallowing the dose and b) he likes to be groomed and putting the dosed horse in a relaxing situation helps them relax into the drug. Stressed horses won’t relax into it. I groom for about 45 minutes (he always gets so relaxed and just jives with the sedation within 40 minutes - I have this well timed) and my shoer comes no later that 50-60 minutes later. Does your horse like being groomed, or pet, or whatever to help her relax for 45 minutes so she can let the drug take over? I think keeping her moving is counter-productive and might be why you’re having problems with the sedation. Try tying her to the fence (or looping the lead around it if she doesn’t tie well) and grooming her so she can relax. Try putting her in a stall or tying to the outside of a fence so she can experience “me” time.
Thanks for all suggestions! I have a lot to work with and think about.
I’ve been sedating my horse for the farrier for probably going on 4 years now with IV ace. So far that has worked great without any type of diminishing effect. I’ve used dorm paste for body clipping a few times and I’m not that big a fan. I don’t feel like it actually sedates the horse to any acceptable level. Perhaps its the horse’s metabolism, but I’d still much rather use ace or a stronger sedative like xylazine. I used xylazine to body clip as well and never had a problem picking up legs or moving them around. Obviously dosage matters in that situation.
I agree with sedating her with something stronger for the farrier. I had a hellion little mare - total screw loose, and then she got injured. Knowing now what I do, I’d never have put her through the recovery; I’d have euthed the next day when my regular vet arrived to see what the emergency vet had botched up. Long story short, she ended up not being able to bend at the knee in the right front (she had about 15% bend left). A nightmare for any farrier.
My vet came to sedate her every six weeks for about a year; after that, she’d become used to the farrier and the process, and he was good enough to know how to work with her. The first few times, we actually laid her down; after that, it was just enough to make her drowsy while we worked fast.
