Toe Dragging Getting Worse with Work

[Scribbler]

I’m surprised about this attitude to IM Adequan. I’ve seen it be effective on arthritic horses.

As far as the lease goes, that depends on your contract. If you are going month to month, you say:

I would like out of this lease until Pony is totally sound and cleared for work again. I can’t keep up my end of the bargain of schooling him for you if he’s off behind.

Send horse home and see what happens.

It’s not up to you to take on talking sense to them about price or value or expectations. Send the horse back on the expectation he is then out of your life.

You do not want to buy a horse that is breaking down under your level of schooling. If you already owned him you would need to do the hard work of diagnostics, treatment, rehab, stepping down, etc. But you do not own him.

Send him back, let go of the situation.

[joiedevie99]

@blue_heron

Ok. Owner showed her vet the videos. Everyone on agreement that it’s right hind (though I could see SI too). I’m not complaining that the owner wants to take the ball on talking to her vet and using her vet, I’d rather that be the case even if they are 2+ hrs away.

So, I’d have a few issues. I love Adequan and think it is a tremendous drug that can be really successful in helping some horses. That said, you have no idea if this horse is one of them. It sounds like you’ve done no diagnostics, and the vet hasn’t even seen the horse in person. I would not want to start anything before figuring out what’s wrong. If it’s arthritis, then Adequan makes a lot of sense as a first step - especially in cases where there is minor arthritis in a few different places. Based on the description, I’d be surprised if that was the case here.

[Equkelly]

Mine drags both of her hinds pretty severely at the walk and her hinds are always squared off. She always has and we didn’t know if she was just a growing baby being lazy with her hind end or something else. Now she’s going on 5 and it’s actually looking like PSSM. Hers however seems to get better with conditioning.

[blue_heron]

I guess as @joiedevie99 mentioned I’m hesitant to use if it’s not arthritis. I know it basically harmless, but it costs enough I’m not willing to shrug it off like two weeks of Ulcergard (been there already) unless owners want to pay for it. I work in biotech and my mom is a vet and we’ve both looked at the clinical studies (and who sponsors them) knowing how all of those GAG’s and said eh… if it was my horse and I’d had a full work up done and money to blow, I’d do the Adequan.

I am sending the owner a long message that essentially says unless they are willing to pay for diagnostics, I want out. I am a little worried I’m going to be hit with the argument that it’s my responsibility, but my lease does have a “sh*t happens” clause and although I’m supposed to have him until end of July, I can give him back.Thanks for the reality check.

[blue_heron]

This is the fittest this horse has been in his life. He is not lazy. We will consider PSSM depending on where this goes, I need to learn more about it as I’ve never had a horse with it

[LilRanger]

I agree that ending the lease is the right move. He’s not going to be able to do what you initially paid to lease him for.

[Scribbler]

End the lease, send him back, and refuse to take him on again until he is truly sound.

Also realize that if you keep riding him the owners will blame you for “ruining” their horse. Get him back to them sooner rather than later.

[Gesaffelstein]

I would have sent him back a long time ago.

[skydy]

Is My Horse Neurologic or Lame? – The Horse

[blue_heron]

I talked to the owner who wanted him on NSAIDS for the weekend and bring him back into work to see if it was an overworked issue (lameness might be, toe drag is not). Lunge day on Sunday and he was crazed because the door on one end of the arena was open for the first time this year, yesterday he was a gentleman under saddle and a little tired. Lesson on Wednesday and stopping bute today. Toe drag is still evident but no lameness on the bute.

I told the owner I am happy to see this out until the end of March but if it does not improve significantly I worry about something neuro. I also told her if she wants to go the Adequan/injection route I will bring him home and she can do it and let me know when he’s back to 100%.

[TBKite]

If your farrier thinks she is going to “open up” the heels on a conformationally upright foot by lowering them, this is going to become a problem. Not sure if this is what you are saying or not, but the bones need to be aligned at whatever angle that leg’s conformation dictates. If it is so upright that doing so puts the heels below the plane of the frog, then hopefully the farrier has a bigger bag of tricks than just cutting them off.

[blue_heron]

No, we are hoping to reduce the extent to which they are contracted and get rid of the thrush with an antibacterial. This is a process eight months in the making and just starting to see an improvement. A tall heel isnt an excuse for an unhealthy foot.

[CanteringCarrot]

An Iberian will always have a taller hoof, as they should. You don’t want it to get too crazy, of course. A lot of the time their heels are a bit contracted too.

My PRE is unshod now and this has made his hooves so much better. He’s still a bit contracted though.

Thrush is hard to get rid if when the central sulcus becomes so deep and narrow. I often treated and shoved some cotton in there when it was really bad.

[blue_heron]

It’s an unmatched foot from poor shoeing and management. His other feet are healthy and normal for the breed. He was barefoot behind but we live in a very rocky area and he needed the support.

The heel wasn’t as much of a concern when it wasn’t the wet season, but I am worried about it getting worse. He loves mud and being filthy. We have the antibacterial in a little plastic syringe to get it all the way into the cracked heel, but a cotton ball isn’t a bad idea.

[Scribbler]

How do you know it’s mismatched from poor shoeing? Generally poor shoeing affects all feet similarly. It’s more likely he has some high/low imbalance inherent and his feet may never be identical.

[blue_heron]

Because the rest of his feet were shod and trimmed poorly. Like I said, we are not trying to make the feet even, but try to mitigate the issues associated with the tall heel.

[CanteringCarrot]

Yeah, really shoving it (the cotton) in there with the hoof pick or a tongue depressor works. Cotton, guaze, or wool works.

My PRE has a more upright frot hoof. Taller heel and more contracted on that one. We’ve been working on it, but it’s always been that way and probably will be to some extent. As long as you identify the issue and have a competent professional, it just takes a bit of time.

I wish you and this horse all the best. It’s great that you’ve been attentive to these issues.

[TBKite]

You may find this website interesting. There is much more to high- low syndrome and contracted heels than just lowering them.

https://www.equipodiatry.com

Trust me, you do not want to learn about this the way I have.

[blue_heron]

@TBKite

https://www.equipodiatry.com

Cool resource. I’ll look at it more in depth but ultimately I trust my farrier and her connections to make appropriate decisions regarding a single case.

[2tempe]

@CanteringCarrot

An Iberian will always have a taller hoof, as they should. You don’t want it to get too crazy, of course. A lot of the time their heels are a bit contracted too.

My PRE is unshod now and this has made his hooves so much better. He’s still a bit contracted though.

Thrush is hard to get rid if when the central sulcus becomes so deep and narrow. I often treated and shoved some cotton in there when it was really bad.

Can you explain the comment re Iberians and taller hoof? I’ve never heard this but I have 2, one new to me, and they both do…