[horselover61]

Hello. I'm new to this forum (recommended by a friend for your advice!). I purchased a new horse that arrived last week. This horse had terrible hoof care with long long long hooves. I noticed the one was chipped in front with cracks & suspected white line. Had the farrier come out asap (within 3 days of arrival) & indeed he did have the disease. His white line is VERY stretched around the toe and he cut out some of the wall, but you really can't tell now that he's shod as not much came off. During the 3 days I had him before being re-shod he would buck & play during turnout, not really being 'off' -- but there was heat in the hoof that went down considerably after 2 days of packing with hoof packing. Anyways, had the horse shod & after turnout the next day (turnouts dry) he was very very noticeably sore. Heat in the hoof is so hot you feel like your hand is burning (really!). I've been putting the following on his hoof twice a day since the day he arrived (had some left over from another case 6 months ago on a horse that came in from Florida with it).

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product...cd2=1249319045

What else can I do? Farrier said the x-rays wouldn't show anything & to just keep treating it with the hoof disinfectant. How long will the heat last....i.e. how long till this gets cured? The other WLD case never had any heat & really didn't bother the horse (was a hind hoof whereas this is a front). This gelding can't even be turned out now as when he's turned out he'll be sore for 2 days before going sound enough for turnout again.

Here's a pic of the front two hooves (right with the WLD) right after he stepped off the van. I will take a pic tomorrow of what they look like now.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/t...ronthooves.jpg

[ChocoMare]

I would pull the shoe and have White Lightening or Clean Trax on hand to treat with. Yes, the Life Data product is good but AFTER Clean Trax. Also, the WLD needs to be exposed to air. Keeping the shoe on just traps the critters inside, which allows them to keep munching away.

[hollyhorse2000]

Does the horse have a digital pulse? I'd have the vet out in fear of laminitis myself . . .

[horselover61]

Does the horse have a digital pulse? I'd have the vet out in fear of laminitis myself . . .

There are two vets here everyday & neither suggested x-rays although I may insist on it tomorrow. No real high digital pulse (although a lady had a horse founder last year that never had a high pulse & the hoof was always cold as could be...he eventually sunk through & they put him down). This is what I found on the 'net which may be why they didn't suggest x-rays:

..."At this point, the affected area can
be readily found on examination of the foot, and the extent of
the hoof wall loss can be determined with X-rays. With extensive
hoof wall damage, the painful stage can mimic laminitis both
clinically and in x-rays..."

[horselover61]

I would pull the shoe and have White Lightening or Clean Trax on hand to treat with. Yes, the Life Data product is good but AFTER Clean Trax. Also, the WLD needs to be exposed to air. Keeping the shoe on just traps the critters inside, which allows them to keep munching away.

I had thought this also as when he was being shod I asked if we should leave the shoe off that hoof & he stated that the liquid would still seep into the holes and better to leave the shoe on......

The thing that's so puzzling about this horse is he didn't lose much hoof but the other horse I had lost about 1/2 the front of the hoof to the disease & it never really bothered her.

[ChocoMare]

Well Clean Trax/White Lightening turn into gasses to, basically, fumigate the hoof -- hence the need to bag the affected hoof and seal it properly. Gasses go and permeate where liquid just cannot.

[Rick Burten]

The excessive heat in the hoof may indicate that there is a nail quick or a close nail or there may be some sole pressure from the shoe. It may also be due to the feet being trimmed up and the soft tissues having to adjust to the trim.

Regardless, I would want that shoe off just to make sure that the aforementioned possibilities were not the cause.

Also, if the WLD is extensive enough, it may be causing a mechanical founder to occur.

[horselover61]

The excessive heat in the hoof may indicate that there is a nail quick or a close nail or there may be some sole pressure from the shoe. It may also be due to the feet being trimmed up and the soft tissues having to adjust to the trim.

Regardless, I would want that shoe off just to make sure that the aforementioned possibilities were not the cause.

Also, if the WLD is extensive enough, it may be causing a mechanical founder to occur.

Thanks Rick.....I'll have him pull the shoe in the morning. In-between the Fungicide paintings is there anything else to do?...or just keep painting so many times a day. I'm waiting on the White Lightning & Clean Trax (ordered BOTH) to come in....till then I'm still using the Life Data stuff.

[fourmares]

Sounds like an abcess.

[horselover61]

Well -- had the original blacksmith (after arguing over it getting removed) take the shoe off this morning. I asked if there was anything dead that could be removed from the wall & he said no.... but when I went back in the stall to brush off the hoof to put the fungicide on -- there's a HUGE hole at this horses toe where you can stick a hoof pick in the whole way (metal part).. scared me to death as I've never seen this that bad. Plus it smelled really bad.. The shoe was covering the hole. How could he not have seen this the day he originally shod him (just recently)?...or today when removing the shoe?

Anyways, I poured some of the fungicide in the hole & went & called another blacksmith that just came into the area from down south & has a lot of experience with WLD (so he says) -- he will be at the barn around 2:00 & see what he has to do with the hoof.....

Hopefully this guy can make a full recovery as how do you know when it's too far gone??

Also wanted to note that the horse was sound walking this morning before the shoe was pulled (bucking & kicking, too), but immediately when the shoe was pulled (no flinching "while" it was being pulled) he went pretty much dead lame but walked out of it pretty much...

Do you think x-rays are still in order?....taking this one step at a time -- waiting to hear blacksmith #2's opinion on that, also....