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I'm so sorry to hear this bad news!
> She had none of the identifying characteristics of a horse
> experiencing laminitis....my farrier found it when he pared away some sole to
> reset her.
My husband's horse Major (TB/QH) "road foundered" some years ago and
showed no signs until the farrier saw him about 3 weeks later. He is a
"stoic"! It takes a lot of discomfort before he'll admit to it. (As
opposed to my horse who is a real WIMP!) Road founder was described to
us as a combination of impact on hard surfaces and overheating.) His L
fore has 4 degrees, and his R has 7 degrees of rotation. Now, 10 years
later, he is still going strong in 50 milers. He needs regular (every
5-6 weeks) shoeing, he NEVER goes barefoot in front, & he requires pads
if it will be rocky. We've found that Shock Tamer full pads (not the
rim pads) have been a god-send. They are made of different densities of
plastic, like the sole of a running shoe. Our farrier placed one shock
tamer & one "normal" pad on him once since he'd run out of the Shock
Tamers. There was a <noticeable> difference in Major's comfort.
We used heart bar shoes for the acute phase of the laminitis, but found
that Major pulled them off by stepping on them once we got back into
training. He is currently in keg shoes. We'd thought about
equithotics, but any extra bulk makes his crummy hoof walls break off
(TB ancestory to the forefront).
We have Major re-evaluated by XRay every 2 years if he is symptom free,
to make sure that his angle is appropriate for the P3. If he shows any
symptoms, he is immediately evaluated. (No subsequent relapses since
the original episode.)
> Heart bars are going on today. the vet even
> says I can ride her (well, I have been because I didn't know!).
If your farrier is good, get to be VERY good friends with him! Pay him
on time, feed him well, and encourage him to stick around for the next
time. We've found that consistency in shoeing is very important. Good
luck to you both!
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Ranch
Bruceton Mills, WV
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