one with laminitis expierence???

[krissy3]

Hi everyone ,

I have the 4 year old mare that has laminitis . My new Farrier will be here on Sat afternoon , and I will know more about what to do now ...Does anyone have any expierence with this ?She was trimmed 3 weeks before the origional Farrier did a bad job , i believe it was painful during the process , by the way she reacted , and she was VERY lame for the next week or so. Now she has a dark ring around the hoof wall folowing back to the heel , that looks non existant right now. I have a new Farrier that specializes in ponys that have foundered, and with wild horse trims... From what I have seen on the computer about trimming a hoof that has laminitis or founder looks pretty gorey, with blood and cutting way back. If my Farrier has to do this I will pass out... I dont "do " blood. Is the rest of our ( me and pony ) life going to now be filled with blood , pain and vet bills? I am not sure I can handle this.... In the last 3 weeks I have watched her front feet change form , from streight to having a wavey look to them , all of this happend after the Farrier trimmed her . If this is 100 % caused by my farrier and she must be put down , what can I do to this hidious man, other than to torch him down ? Has anyone had a pony founder after a bad trim, or 2? I am absolutly sick to my stomach about this. I hope someone with a laminic pony out there can give me some support to get through this week . Can I buy sneekers? Is there a boot that is safe enough for her to wear all the time if she needs it? Any web sites or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am very scared... and feel very guilty for allowing this monster to carve on by babys feet.... all 4 of my horse kids were lame after the trims. So I really need to get an idea of the aftercare, involved . She is walking , just slow and stiff, and I pray that the bone is still in place.

 

[Minimor]

take a deep breathe & relax.....this doesn't have to be anything terrible, nor does it have to be gorey to deal with! It would be a very, very acute case for you to see the blood and gore you're now picturing.

I once watched a farrier, under a vet's guidance, trim a badly foundered horse. There wasn't a lot of blood, but it was still nasty looking and without the vet's assistance I don't think that farrier would have had the nerve to trim the feet the way they needed to be trimmed.

I've been laminitic horses different times and rarely see any actual blood--it's common for there to be pinkness in the toes, especially in the white line, and sometimes if the hoof has been left too long or the horse has had a recent episode of laminitis the white line will actually be blood red, but there isn't blood actually running from the hoof when I trim.

It IS possible to bring a foot back to normal, or near normal, but it may take some time and it may take frequent trimming. I have to say that I am leary of the "barefoot trimmers" which I think is what you're meaning by this farrier who specializes in wild horse trims? Some may be very good, but others are just too extreme--and I do not believe that those extreme trims are either necessary or good. Instead of a drastic trim I prefer to see frequent trimmings, taking a small amount off each time.

As for boots, yes, there are some good boots available. I would recommend hoofwings---check them out at www.hoofwings.com These boots can be left on for turnout, and for horses with laminitis/founder there are insoles available to give extra cushioning to the hoof.

Yes, this sort of thing can happen after a really bad trim. It can also happen to a horse that is repeatedly galloped on hard ground, and especially if the hoof isn't trimmed at the right angle. Long toes/low heels contribute to the problem.

Something else that is very beneficial (and I've seen results in horses that are being given this supplement) is the supplement Remission. I've got a couple previously foundered horses (Minis) here & have been giving them Remission since last fall--there's been a HUGE improvement in their feet. The one mare was so lame last fall we figured we'd have to put her down by spring if not sooner. she was on grass hay, soft footing, and wasn't at all fat, and she was still dead lame. This spring she was so much better....with Remission being the only change for her....we put her out on pasture (not at all lush grass in this particular pasture) with the other mares. She's still doing great, even getting some alfalfa mix hay, same as the other mares. I give a huge amount of credit to Remission for her recovery, because as I said, that's the only thing we've done different for her.