Please can someone give me a hug and tell me it will be OK

[bellybulger]

I'll try and keep it brief - Alice is still lame (front leg) 4 weeks on - just seems to be when she first comes out. Vet has been twice and there is no reaction to hoof sensors and no heat or swelling in leg. He asked me to get the farrier to take the shoe off just in case but the farrier has rather taken over and has fitted egg bar shoes on the front as he thinks she has 'concussion' from been ridden on the road.

Vet agreed it could be bruising but not sure about the new shoes! Farrier told me to walk her out and see how she goes but my gut is she is no better and if anything seems more uncomfortable.

To cap it all last night when walking her in one of the shoes came off-luckily no damage to hoof. Its Easter weekend so can't get hold of anyone. I have put her in the small paddock as she hates been in during the day but am gutted. She is a shire cross and seems happy in everyother way - eating and drinking and mooching around.

I'm going to call the vet again but I have a bad feeling - the vet said to be patient and these things can take time but the farrier did a lot of sucking in through his teet and implied it was something deadly serious - hence me shelling out £120.00 for 2 front shoes! He has shod her 3 times for me and each time has fitted different size shoes, and studs.

Please someone say something calming!!!

The only good thing to come out of this is I have spent so muh time fussing round her and taking her out on the lead rein that our relationship has developed really well.

Hope evryone is enjoying the break

[QuietTiger]

If your farrier is messing about with shoes, i.e. 3 different types/sizes etc, and he hasn't dealt with your mare long term, so is not going on previous experience of the horse, plus he's not doing what the vet says, suggests to me you need a new farrier, PDQ. Simply because every time your mare is shod, there is something different to adapt to, IYSWIM?

Might be worth taking all the shoes off for the time being and seeing if she comes right by being bare foot. Just an option. Disclaimer: I'm a card holding member of the barefoot taliban, all my horses are barefoot, so take my thoughts as a suggestion only, and under advisement from your vet

[LisaD1]

Agree with Quiettiger, get rid of the farrier! I bought my mare as a 7 year old that had been written off as "unable to cope with ridden work" by the previous owners farrier, who also told her the mare was laminitic.

I have had her 7 years and she has been in full work the whole time, she is also not laminitic, he was a useless farrier who was basically crippling the poor horse with his crap shoeing!

I hope your mare comes good for you, good luck

[Booboostoo]

I am afraid I would not be very happy with a farrier who went against a vet's advice and there is no reason why a newly shod horse should just lose a shoe when walked in hand. Can you get a different farrier?

What is your vet's plan of action? Four weeks of lameness is quite a long time and while most problems are in the foot, after this time he should be looking at nerve blocks to try to pin point the problem and then possibly x-rays and scans. Is he a specialist equine vet? If not perhaps it's worth getting a second opinion from a specialist equine vet.

[bellybulger]

Thanks for the replies - the vet is a specialist equine. His gut feel was it was nothing too much as she is sound within 15 minutes of walking out - that said he didn't expect it not to have resolved itself by now. Next stop is nerve blocks so she will lose her feather. I know bar shoes are notoriously difficult to keep on. I just feel uneasy as I know she is a heavy horse but my instinct tells me the farrier is wrong to blame the road work - 3 times week on the road for an hour, mainly at walk, does not seem 'excessive' to me. I do feel he likes to make a few quid where he can (hence the studs and handmade shoes etc!). I did ask about barefoot options but he tld me she was 'too big' - I will speak to the vet Tuesdy. She is a smashing horse and I will never part wih her so I hope it can get sorted. thank goodness for insurance!

[Booboostoo]

Is she sound after flexion tests? On the lunge on a soft surface? Ridden?

If yes, then try lunging her on a hard surface on a small circle in trot. Be very careful this carries a risk of the horse slipping so only do it if you think you can do it safely but it will exacerbate most problems and they become easier to see.

I am not much of a barefoot expert but I don't think the size of the horse makes any difference to the horse's ability to go barefoot. My HW cob is barefoot with no problems and they don't get bigger than him! I also agree with you that 3 hacks a week on roads is not a big deal.

[CatPussWithACrownOfThorns]

FIRE THE FARRIER! This is why we trim our own feet! We've had 3 farriers, neither we're able to trim the wee beasties feet consistently!

Have you thought about the lameness being muscular? It sounds like she stiffens up inside, then works it out when she starts moving. It could be in her shoulder or back. A brewery shire would be working daily in hard roads, long term. 3 hours hacking a week is nothing!

[frostyfingers]

It does sound like the farrier is not helping here - they should work in conjunction with the vet, not against. Perhaps you could ask the vet if he could recommend a farrier. I know a large percentage of lameness is often in the foot, but not always, and the vet would be the one I listen to in this case. I'm lucky in that my farrier is absolutely brilliant, and was willing to call my vet and discuss my horse with him when we were stumped.

My horse had a weird lameness not long after I bought him, when his front leg swelled up, he was hopping lame and then after a week in and I started walking him out he was lame again. He had a scan after 3 weeks which showed nothing so we just box rested him, and brought him back into work slowly. We had another mystery lameness at Christmas which we decided, well the vet and the farrier between them, that he had a deep seated bruise - there was nothing visible, and he didn't flinch when it was tapped or pincered and it came right in about 3 weeks. Lameness can be very difficult to pinpoint sometimes, so it may not be anything scary, just nothing obvious either!

Could you ask your vet about a scan? Mine has a mobile scanner which cut the cost down a bit. Also ask if he would recommend or suggest a physio or osteopath - you have to be referred by your vet so he should know someone. Also, if you haven't already, alert your insurance company before you start shelling out too much money!

Be patient, don't panic and have faith - it will come right, eventually.

[AlpinePony]

I agree with everyone saying "fire the farrier".

Ok, not going to get in to it all, but as far as the mechanics go, "concussion due to roadwork"? Wtff? Oh yes, concussion indeed, in the cannon bone, in the knee, the shoulder and so forth - that's where the concussion will be. The hoof itself is nailed to the shoe and the impact does naff all (to a degree) to the hoof itself, it's the jarring action further up. If this is however the case - and this is why I distrust your farrier:

1. he's re-written the laws oh physics
   
   
2. he's throwing new shoes at the problem - IME this ends at the knackers...
   
   Too big for barefoot? My nag is 17.2hh and "kaltbluts" (heavy horses) certainly don't need shoes as generally their own hooves are like cement! ;)

[AlpinePony]

Ps my nag gets mystery lameness, the vet, the barefoot guy and the osteopath can't find anything between the three of them. I think she's just got a gamma leg - and like Alice she soon walks it off. In addition when she's properly working (I.e., impulsion darling ;)) there's not a sign of it...