[dalpal]

The Barn's farrier was very nice and came out today for me....I was totally impressed...I'm not even a regular client and he fit me in his schedule. (although he did shoe my mare for me when she was at Eqtrainer's a few years ago)

He spent alot of time looking over my gelding....he did not feel that the horse had a bad case of thrush at all...(he did treat it with "Tomorrow Cow Dry")...When he got his hoof testers out...horse was very sore in both front heels. DAMNIT..this has been the problem since I got him in February. His guess was that the pour in pad actually made the situation worse, because it is so hard, once it was popped out...the heel pain was worse than before.

I have to say, I was impressed at how much time he spent addressing the horse's rear end and how he moves. He showed me the difference in the horse's shoulders (Yep, no surprise there...the horse's entire right side body looks atrophied compared to the left) He felt that the horse's inital lameness issues probably started in the hind (his right hip is lower than the left...which he felt happened due to mechanical mishaps along the way). Horse started compensating in the front to take the weight off behind...then then it just started spirling out of control.

Yep, made sense....The horse wasn't coming underneath himself on the right hind at the canter..thus why I called the vet for hock injections. So the fact that he quickly picked up on the right hip issue impressed me. He also told me that he saw the horse short stepping on the right...Yep, that's been happening the entire time.

So long story short....We decided to reshoe the horse with a more orthopedic game plan. He took his time chalking the bottom of the horse's feet...and trimmed according to what the horse told him with the chalk lines. He then put a pad on the diganol pair of hooves. Not only did he put a leather pad on the left front, he put a pad on the right hind..so the diagnol pair would be consistant.

Gave me two hoof caps to use with Magic Cushion on the left front because it has heel pain as well. Wants me to use that to help that foot.

Work lightly for four weeks.

Assistant walked horse away from us after he finished and damn if those hips weren't swinging better already. We'll have to wait and see if this fixes the front issue. If not, he said it was probably something soft tissue. So fingers crossed that it is heel pain and not soft tissue. Like I said in the previous thread, horse was going incrediably well in the pour in pad.....then was dead lame after it was taken out. Of course, having the week off due to injections....who knows, he could have done something to hurt himself in the pasture.

Okay....so who has dealt with heel pain issues and what was your method of madness.

[FatPalomino]

Okay....so who has dealt with heel pain issues and what was your method of madness.

Make sure they aren't contracted, run under, and generally just unhealthy.
X rays to start.MRI if I could afford it or if he was a creature that worked for a living.
Lots of shoeing options available. Mine likes eponas and clogs. Magic cushion is obviously some good stuff too. If needed, drugs for the pain.

But, it sounds like your horse has several issues. Instead of having the vet out "to inject the hocks" why don't you ask the vet to come out and do a thorough exam and give their own thoughts. Did you have a PPE done? I'd address it sooner than rather diagnostically than later if it's been there since Feb....

[dalpal]

Make sure they aren't contracted, run under, and generally just unhealthy.
X rays to start.MRI if I could afford it or if he was a creature that worked for a living.
Lots of shoeing options available. Mine likes eponas and clogs. Magic cushion is obviously some good stuff too. If needed, drugs for the pain.

But, it sounds like your horse has several issues. Instead of having the vet out "to inject the hocks" why don't you ask the vet to come out and do a thorough exam and give their own thoughts. Did you have a PPE done? I'd address it sooner than rather diagnostically than later if it's been there since Feb....

We DID do a through exam..including hoof testers when the vet was here.. Horse has seen vet three times in the past five months....trust me, I haven't been skimping on vet exams. Horse was given to me....history is on the thrush thread. No need for a PP...he is a rehab case....there is LOTS of history that I am aware of with this lameness issue. Been working diligently with vet/farrier to help this horse.

[BrightandClear]

He felt that the horse's inital lameness issues probably started in the hind (his right hip is lower than the left...which he felt happened due to mechanical mishaps along the way).

Has your horse been chiropracted? FWIW, My OTTB mare's hips are like this, and once the chiropractor was able to unstick the left side of her pelvis and hip, it really evened up her movement (and resolve the remaining swelling from a fetlock sprain on the opposite hind, but that's another story). She'll need to see him again as it's a reoccurring problem, but I'm saving up to be able to do a combination of massage and chiropractic work over the span of a couple weeks, as that's what was recommended as most effective. Anyway, just a thought...

[dalpal]

Has your horse been chiropracted? FWIW, My OTTB mare's hips are like this, and once the chiropractor was able to unstick the left side of her pelvis and hip, it really evened up her movement (and resolve the remaining swelling from a fetlock sprain on the opposite hind, but that's another story). She'll need to see him again as it's a reoccurring problem, but I'm saving up to be able to do a combination of massage and chiropractic work over the span of a couple weeks, as that's what was recommended as most effective. Anyway, just a thought...

Yep, we've done chiro...granted, I've only had it done twice....money is tight this summer...plan to pick it back up on a monthly basis come fall. I have no doubt that he is going to need some chiro adjustments soon.

[EqTrainer]

Hey there, I will call tomorrow

Do some reading up on Esco Buff in the meantime.

[dalpal]

Horse went from dead lame this weekend....to 25 percent better (an guestimate on my part...but better) yesterday to about 80 percent sound today. He is just a wee bit foot sore still on the front...but OMG, the difference in his back and rearend is amazing, he is balanced and very free over his back at the walk...swinging those hips.

I have to say....I'm a believer in the Esco Buff program.