Long story short my gelding got foot X-rays a few months ago and my vet noticed he needed a bit more heel to be lined up correctly. Farrier and vet came up with plan to use wedge pads for a few cycles until the angles become more correct. Once wedges went on he was much more forward and had his own motor (always been a bit lazy) fast forward a couple shoeing cycles and farrier feels angles are good now and wants to wean off the wedges over the next couple shoeing cycles. (Less of a wedge used last time and no wedge used this time). I have a feeling he was happier with them on, he has gone back to being more lazy and “scrunchy” to the leg. With them on he had a much more open stride - but it was harder to get him to jump round and he wanted to be very flat everywhere. Now he is actually jumping better and has started offering flying changes like a grown up, but is lazier and gets more scrunchy to the leg. But also he is due for a saddle fitting so could be coincidental timing… I think re X-ray the feet and see if farrier corrected angles as much as he thinks?
Try the PLEXUS frog pads. Not necessarily the wedge ones. It may be the frog support he likes. Lots and lots of them benefit from frog pads.
This. You can try a flat 3D frog pad instead of a wedge, but some X-rays might be a good call regardless. That way you KNOW what’s going on in the foot.
I’m not a fan of open heeled “regular” shoes anyways, but a composite wide webbed shoe or a 3D frog pad is a great compromise for the ones that need shoeing.
More heel, or less tow? Can you post the xrays?
It’s hard to know whether he preferred the wedge, or just the pad. The simple answer would be to put proper padding, either just a frog support pad, or a full pad WITH material underneath to help prevent thrush, and see what happens.
If he’s in a flat setup now, it shouldn’t require xrays to see if there’s a good hoof-pastern alignment. If you can get a ground level, direct side view picture of a foot in question, that will help. He needs to be standing square, with the cannon bone vertical.
I don’t have copies of the X-rays, but I will ask my vet if they can send them to me. My farrier works very closely with my vet so I tend to trust his opinion, I was just not sure how likely it was to be more the pads themselves than the wedge. To my eye the feet appear to be well aligned, but we were all surprised that they weren’t already after the first X-ray. I have not discussed with farrier yet, I tend to be paranoid and over think every tiny thing so I wanted to make sure I gave him well thought out feedback lol and it just seems odd that some things have actually gotten better, but overall feeling of going forward is worse. I didn’t want to jump to the conclusion the wedges need to go back on if maybe they don’t. He was in the smallest wedge pad farrier could get so wasn’t a massive difference, would it cause that much of an immediate difference in comfort? Maybe sensitive soles? Would something like keratex or Venice turpentine help? Will try to get pics of his feet tonight. Thanks all
I have never, in any of the horses I’ve used them on, been able to use pads consistently without some other issue full-stopping it. The issue? Abcesses, general foot rot, and thrush. This still happens, even with stalls picked 2x a day and living mud-free.
I hate pads with a passion. I know what they’re capable of therapeutically, but the side effects are just not worth it (to me).
The new open toe frog support pads are amazing. My horse had some kind of coffin issue and they have made him completely sound.
if your farrier isn’t filling under the pad with something that contains copper sulfate or something similarly anti-fungal/bacterial, that’s why. lots and lots and lots of horses are properly padded, with some sort of “stuff” under them, without thrush or other gunk
Yes! Creating the frog stimulation is all most feet need, they don’t need full pads.
Are you talking about 3d pads? Because that’s the most current one that caused issues on both hind feet. This, after being fine for 8 months with them on.
It’s only a matter of time before something gets stuck under there.
@jb this has happened with 3 different farriers, one of which is regarded as one of the best in the country. It’s a risk you take with pads. No air means potential problems.
that doesn’t tell me if there was any packing material in there. If the proper clay/etc is in there, and not allowed to squish out (many farriers use a mesh barrier between clay/etc and pad), then there isn’t room for things to get in, or for anaerobic bacteria to take over (because of the anti bacterial/fungal properties of the clay). Lots, and lots, and lots of horses have this setup all or nearly full time, without hoof funk, and this includes the likes of Florida where hoof funk is a much bigger issue.
that said, there may be specific environment that just doesn’t allow full pads at all, no matter what you do, but that’s not a reason to think that pads are more trouble than they’re worth for the rest.
This has happen with DIM, with open toed pads, with pour in pads, with leather pads. Front feet and hinds. It has happened in a mud environment, and a no mud environment. Yucky stalls, and stalls picked 2x a day.
At the start the packing is all tight and good, but at the end of the cycle I don’t think there’s a way to prevent the gapping that is always seen at the heels. I try and dump that “no thrush” powder in there, but there is a 1-2mm gap visible at the end of the cycle.
I’m not saying don’t do it if you need to. I’m saying there are real risks with making that an anaerobic environment.
To my knowledge, DIM on its own has no anti-funk properties, you still need to add something like copper sulfate mix. Like I said, it’s not enough to just use the pads or to use fill material, it has to also provide anti-funk properties
He kneads something into it before application, it’s blue and a powder.
I can take pictures of the gap at the back of the shoe on my mare, as she’s due to be reset next week (5 week cycle). She’s in pour ins in the front, after being in 3ds for the last many months. I am not saying don’t use them. I’m saying be careful, and be aware issues can arise even with perfect application.
ok, the blue powder is almost guaranteed to be copper sulfate. Your particular environment may require the cs application right on the sole, as well as mixed in. And sure, nothing is 100% perfect 
Try the PLEXUS ones. They are a different material. Squishier I think. Must use with DIM. My farrier invented them so my horse was a test pilot and loves them. He puts something on first before hte DIM, I forget what but I’m sure it’s some kind of anti-funk.
No the kneading stuff is the DIM
My farrier’s how to, with explanatoin of grey stuff (CS?), then blue copper sulfate powder, then DIM.
Exactly, the video I posted says some kind of grey stuff (he calls it CS?), then blue powder, then the DIM. He explains and shows: Support not Pressure!
Yes, I know - she said blue powder was kneaded into it before application, and that’s very likely copper sulfate powder
The video I posted is pretty cool! It goes through the whole process. My horse was the inventors’s test pilot and loves them. Has worn them for months without issue. Thought the video might interest you, since you are so well informed about feet and shoes!
