Gravel crunching feet, what?!

I have barely touched the feet since mid-April when the trimmer last came out. Just make sure they are clean and treated for thrush as those heels begin to open and build more. Even the back feet and frogs have improved this way! Just a little maintenance rasping for the toes/wall has been all that is needed. At the end of May, I began walking Shorty barefoot over our gravel/pavement driveway 10-20 mins almost everyday as he was getting more comfortable! This has basically helped self trim his feet so I find I have to do very little. No they don’t look perfect or polished, but I think that’s the problem with people’s expectations! Some horses can still move on short trimmed pretty cut feet. Mine cannot and he is not alone! My hoof care and rehab groups have been littered lately with all kinds of people around the world concerned with horses being sore or even lame after professional trims. These feet are becoming strong and functional with better movement and virtually no trim. He is breaking off weak wall quickly which is good, growth has been quite fast, and hoping to reach a better connected wall soon! Look at this difference though! Here is March some days after a 4 week cycle trim from a barefoot trimmer, VS June with minimal trimming and self trimming since then. Look at those frogs! Shorty is moving so much better and happier and that’s all that is important!

10 months gone!!

We are still observing soreness since after the trim in mid March. It seems it affected his right front way more than I ever thought as I was SURE he would be back to where he was in 6 weeks. Not the case!! In many ways he has been worse!! The only thing that makes sense is the heels were brought down way too much in that one instance and it really shocked the tendons and ligaments. Everyone knows it’s way easier to cut something off than it is to grow it back, so the only thing we can do now is grow the heel back more under and higher. I believe this week is 8 weeks since the March trim and I have taken it upon myself to learn to rasp the toes myself because honestly that is probably all he will need for a while as he grows his feet back to where they are comfortable. I think there is definitely progress!!

I got so sad seeing him continue to be so lame that I wanted to replace my Soft Ride boots that have a wedge in them to raise the heels. His boots are so ripped up and too small I couldn’t get them on anymore. I decided on Easyboot Clouds. We are loving them! The wedge pad is about 2-3 degrees and is very neat bc it will crush overtime as the horse doesn’t need them. You can buy replacement pads if needed. This has really helped!! His right pastern  (the problem foot) had gone back to feeling thickened and angry but just 3 days of wearing these Clouds 23/7 it is feeling so much better! Also moving better. With the physical improvements also happening I am hopeful he can get back to where he was, even better to continue his rehab. This was a major set back and critical learning experience.

Pictures!!

Right

Left

Left

Above are recent sole views and a caudal view. These are huge! This blog does not have any better pictures than this since I began taking pictures of his feet. The sulcus is open (Especially on the left foot which is still quite a bit ahead of the right) and are beginning to fill in all the way through the back of the foot where the frog stay should be. We still don’t have a frog stay but we are leaving the butt crack club of contracted heels slowly but surly!

Above show where we were in April and still very very sore. I took the May pics today and was pleasantly surprised to see a more even hairline (does not drop down so much in the heels) and the heel looks to be growing back and down again like it wants. It was doing this before months ago but my observation is that trim was just simply too much off in one go. The white stuff is Toe Jam hoof clay I put on the cracked hoof wall to prevent infection. I do hope where that last bruise is coming down has better hoof wall connection above. Growth rings are still present around the heel area and will hopefully grow out further along in rehab.

Here I really see the difference in the hairline (It’s straighter)  and it looks like the heel is already more underneath him.

To end, just a recent pic of the best boy doing his walking in padded Scoot Boots! 

8 Month Update - barefoot navicular syndrome rehab 4.0

Eight months is a long time to wait. It’s a long time to do anything really. But I do see the fruits of our efforts every week, every month! I see that this is the way. The way to a longer lasting, healthy, happy horse. It’s not temporary, it’s not degenerative, he continues to improve! I just went back and looked through the hoof pictures I have posted here over the years. I am terrified! Knowing all that I know now, and all that I have learned about hoof care, I am embarrassed to even have allowed my horse to have such poor feet. But I know I have to cut myself some slack because it was 100% due to pure ignorance...and apparently lack of knowledgeable guidance from all professionals I sought help from at the time.  But hey, it’s been a great education for me and has sparked a passion for hoof care.

Diet has not changed since I last updated months ago. However, I did take out MSM. I had to go without it for a while due to a lost shipment and actually noticed Shorty was surprisingly not as jumpy about certain things. I put him back on it when it came in, and noticed a clear change back to being more spooky. I have heard of this before and for whatever reason now believe from this accidental trial that he is better off and more at ease without MSM.  

Okay so what has happened in the last few months?

The heels have been opening up and expanding like crazy. After the casting, he still wasn’t quite as comfortable on his bare feet and I was booting him a lot. We moved to Easy Shoe Performance glue ons for several weeks and he did well! We pretty much stuck to this until he could be turned out barefoot, which was right after this cycle in November.

Here is progress of the left front foot, which is now the stronger foot. It had started out as the more lame foot. Not anymore! Just wow, look at that much stronger heel! He is landing heel first at the walk AND trot on both feet. Very exciting. 

Sole pics next:

March, here is where we are now::

This is some substantial improvement! Way better hoof wall connection from improved diet 

Such an interesting difference here with how the heel is growing more underneath the foot. Better alignment. 

This is where we are now in March. I will say after this trim, he was quite sore for over 2 weeks :( So many people find success in sticking to a shorter trim cycle, but in Shorty’s case it seems like he is not so appreciative getting trimmed so often. He does the best at 4 weeks and more of growth, so the plan is not to touch up anything this time unless really needed. One thing is for sure, this horse has never gone without routine 4, 5, 6 week farrier visits....which actually might have been problematic for him this entire time. People just seem to take too much off for his liking. Who knew trying to do right by your horse might have also been part of the problem.