..."Do you think the imbalance can cause his pasterns and fetlocks to swell like that? ..."

Hi! I have an 8 year old Mustang gelding who is in desperate need of a trim as I have had a hard time finding a dependable farrier around the small community I live in. Anyway, I noticed both of his back pasterns and fetlocks were swollen yesterday but he doesn't limp, bears full weight, no heat, no pain when I squeeze all up & down his legs, appetite is great BUT, I am noticing some hoof flaring starting in his back feet. Do you think the imbalance can cause his pasterns and fetlocks to swell like that? He does stand in one spot in his 1/2 acre paddock most of the day so I'm thinking he may be stocking up but he hasn't had a problem with it before which is why I'm sort of worried since this is a first for him. I am on a desperate search for a good farrier I can depend on to come out when he's scheduled & call me if he can't make it.

Thanks in advance for our response :)

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Missy,

Trimming may not fix the swelling problem, but it would be a good place to start. Other factors, such as heat, humidity and feed could also be causing the swelling, but if you know that his feet are long and flared you should eliminate that as a possible contributing factor.

Herb Richardson, CJF

..."Was my horse quicked?..."

When my vet pulled the shoe on my horse he said that three nails were inside the white line. My horse is lame. The horse is not sensitive to the testers when pressure is applied at the nails. Was my horse quicked?

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Dee,

With nails inside the white line it is likely that your horse was quicked, but not certain. Since your vet pulled the shoe and was able to examine the foot I would have to go along with whatever conclusion he came to.

Herb Richardson, CJF.

..."I am working with another rescue on a horse with severely contracted DDFT's on both front feet (one fetlock frozen, the other still mobile) - he needs an expert farrier in Southern AZ - how do I find a qualified farrier for this case and would either of you be able to help?

..."

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Soleil,

My best suggestion is to go to the website of the American Farriers Association and see if there is a Certified Journeyman Farrier working in the area in question. Cerification won't guarantee that a farrier will suit your needs, but it is the best credential available.

Herb Richardson, CJF.

..."How far back should the shoes be set to support the heels of a show jumper or horse doing dressage. My farrier sets them back for support. Is this correct?..."

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Allison,

To provide maximum support the heels of the shoe should be directly under the bulbs of the heel when viewed from the side. While this approach works for many horses, not all horses can carry that much heel extention and may over-reach and pull shoes. A certain amount of trial and error may be necessary to find out just how much support your horse can tolerate.

Herb Richardson, CJF

..."This time after being trimmed he is still walking on pins and needles, ouch...."

Hi,

I am having a problem with my miniature horse. I have had him for 6 yrs. and have always had him trimmed. But this time after being trimmed he is still walking on pins and needles, ouch. He has not gained anymore weight and nothing has changed in his diet so I can't figure this one out. There is ice on the ground with living in So. Utah but this has never bothered him before. Should I put some kind of boot on his hoofs to protect him? I feel so bad that it hurts him just to walk around even in his box stall with shavings on the ground. Please help me with some suggestions. Thank You

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Cathryn,

While diet and weight are a concern, and snow and ice balling up in the foot is a possibility, if a previously sound animal gets sore after trimming you have to consider the possibility that the horse has been trimmed too short. I don't think any of the boots on the market will fit a mini, so my best suggestion is to tape some styrofoam pads on with duct tape. This approach has proven very effective in dealing with a variety of sore footed conditions.

Herb Richardson, CJF

..."Can boreum shoes hurt my horse over the long haul?..."

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Kenny,

How borium affects your horse depends on how it is being used. If you are riding on normal footing, and use the borium to get more wear from the shoes, you should have no problem. If borium is being used temporarily in the wintertime to keep the horse from slipping on ice, again, no problem. If you ride a lot on pavement, and use the borium for traction and to extend the wear of the shoes, long term use can cause a problem. Because the surface is hard, and the shoe sticks when it hits the ground, a lot of stress is placed on the coffin joint, and can cause lameness. If that is the case, there are other options in the form of rubber shoes that work well for use on pavement.

Herb Richardson, CJF

..."At what age should we have our farrier trim our colt's hooves?..."

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Sarah,

I usually start trimming babies at about three months old. This can vary depending on how fast they are growing, but three months is about average.

Herb Richardson, CJF

..." My filly is 7 months old and one off her back hooves has a long crack going upthe middle of her hoof. What can I do? ..."

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Diane,

At seven months it is probably just a superficial crack, and nothing to worry about. Just keep her feet trimmed to keep leverage off the front of the foot and she should be fine.

Herb Richardson, CJF.

..."advised using a cow medicine injected into the frog, ..."

I have a gelding with a persistant frog infection, it looks like a crack in the frog. My farrier cut him short and advised using a cow medicine injected into the frog, I also have him in a boot with the tar, it seems he has a persistent crack if the frog in 3 of his feet. He was lame and is healing now. My farrier said to leave him bare for winter and keep him in.Any advice?

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Bunny,

How effective the cow medicine is depends on which cow medicine it is. I have had excellent success with a product called Quartermaster, which is made to treat mastitis in dairy cows. I'm not sure about using a boot with tar in it, I think the tar would act as a barrier and prevent the antibiotic from reaching the infected tissue. As far as the infection goes, it really shouldn't matter if he is shod or not.

Herb Richardson, CJF.

..."that hoof is starting to look cluby. Is there hope for him? ..."

I have a yearling who hung his leg up in the panels of his stall last winter. The vet has said all along he will be okay, but that hoof is starting to look cluby. Is there hope for him? Will he be okay for riding? What about competition?

Thanks,

Herb Richardson's Answer:

Kati,

This is a hard question to answer. The big question is: Is your horse getting clubby from the injury, or is he simply developing into a clubby horse from genetics or as the result of growing too fast. In any case, there is hope for him, but the clubbyness needs to be addressed aggressively with trimming and possibly shoeing. I suggest you consult with both your vet and your farrier to come up with a plan to deal with this problem

Herb Richardson, CJF