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Post by horselady on Oct 30, 2015 19:57:23 GMT
I have a customer coming saturday to see my place for retirement of her 27 year old horse. she mentioned to me the horse is flat footed and is wearing shoes and pads. and is on previcoxx for artheritis and the horse is also on meds for that.
My question is how do we fix flat feet. and does anyone have an idea if we should take the horse off all those meds??? i know what i personally would do it she were mine. thought this would make a great conversation topic.
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mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320 
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Post by mingiz on Oct 31, 2015 0:08:12 GMT
Found this..
The Flat-Footed Horse
When horses are described as having flat feet, what is really being said is that the sole of the hoof is more flat than concave. A flat-footed horse is walking on the sole of his foot as well as on the hoof wall and frog. Flat-footed horses are often sore-footed or lame, since the sole of the hoof offers little protection against rocks and other rough, potentially painful objects. It should be noted that no scientific evidence exists to suggest horses are born flat-footed or that the bone structure within the hoof is responsible for the development of flat feet. In most cases, flat feet are the result of poor or incorrect farrier care. Horses with genetically misshapen, weak or flawed feet may be more likely to become flat-footed over time.
Horse Shoes
Horse shoes are the fastest means of making a horse who is walking on the sole of his hoof more comfortable. Horse shoes are nailed into the hoof wall and will add height to the underside of the hoof wall, effectively lifting the sole off the ground. Your farrier will be able to determine the most effective type of horse shoe to meet your horse's unique needs.
Corrective Trimming
Corrective hoof trimming and maintenance can help lift the sole and return some of the concavity to the underside of the hoof. In most cases, your farrier will need to shorten the toe of the hoof and add height to the heel. It will take an extended period of time to correct the shape of your horse's hoof enough to eliminate the appearance of having a flat foot.
Also this www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/18360.html
Boots would be the best way.. instead of shoes and pads..
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Post by horselover4life on Oct 31, 2015 10:49:25 GMT
The only horse I have ever seen that was/is "flat-footed", if you call it that, is one who has foundered.
Without proper farrier work the horse immediately coming to my mind is now sole touching the ground....and sore.
The "now" farrier is mediocre in ability to some other farriers work I know of but the owner is pleased with the work of the current farrier, so..... 
Otherwise, to me....poor farrier work preceded and added to the horses "now" ailment of "flat-foot".
I can say though that here in my location that horse would not be getting pads, maybe shoes while better care is being done of the feet to see if a better hoof and sole structuring can be developed with time.
As for Previcoxx.... tread very carefully!!
This is why... I found this {below}, copy and pasted it for you, now can't find the resource it came from to give you for point of reference...sorry!
The problem is that Previcox for horses is an off-label usage, not because fibrocoxib hasn’t been tested in horses (it has) but because it is illegal to prescribe for horses because there is an equine approved form on the market. FDA regulations prevent off-label use of drugs when the same drug exists for that species.
I am sure you are aware of this, to me though it opens you to a potential lawsuit if things go wrong.
The drug for horses is "Equioxx" which is the same drug but much more costly per dose.
I was under the impression that movement of the horse, turnout... is one of the best remedies along with some supplements of the Omega fats and glucosamine chondroiton {excuse the spelling} have been found to work well.
I don't know about the advanced cases of arthritis though. I do know that many "drugs" are ulcer instigators and then you need to push pills for those too...a nasty circle of woe you get on.
I went searching and found this article and truly you need to read it and consider a clause in your contract that is ironclad in case something happens, and it could.
www.claramasondvm.com/previcox-in-horses.pml
So, bottom line is be careful and protect yourself and your business at all costs with this boarder.
I am sure you are getting a full history of ailment and treatments rendered and access to those vet records for your vet to use as a guide if medical treatments are needed at the farm.
The horse probably has quite a history and is loved by his owner....
Just make sure you are well covered in "administering" a drug not intended for horses but dogs.
 ...
jmo...
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Oct 31, 2015 16:45:23 GMT
Do the pads cover the sole HL? Or are they just between the shoes and the hoof for cushion?
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Post by horselady on Oct 31, 2015 18:48:16 GMT
as i was told the pads cover the entire sole.. sounds like a lot is being done to keep this mare pain free.
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Post by horselover4life on Oct 31, 2015 20:25:31 GMT
Do the pads cover the sole HL? Or are they just between the shoes and the hoof for cushion? Posted by horselady as i was told the pads cover the entire sole.. sounds like a lot is being done to keep this mare pain free.
You shoe the horse to raise the hoof off the ground and stop the concussion of sole hitting Earth and then you put pads on that will exert continual pressure to the sole.... 
Some type of packing material is in the "hollow" area or you would have a ton of debris and bacterial fungus from damp, wet conditions prevailing....
You lost me.... 
I can see shoes to raise the entire hoof, that should be stopping the concussive force of hoof sole hitting Earth/ground...
But not the pads....
Leave the pads off or do a rim pad if the concussion is to great for the animal...
My husband says.... "get a farrier, a good one and bet most of the issues will disappear when they redefine the hoof back to the way it was meant to be, not the way the current farrier does his "magic" to it."
Unless I saw xrays and spoke with the vet and farrier answering a multitude of questions....
Gotta agree with my hubby, his logic and what he learned alongside his best friend, our farrier ...
He spent to much time with him not to know some stuff and why it is done or not to do...
Waiting HL to hear more details on your new boarder....
At least if the horse has shoes and pads you won't be removing ice balls from those shoes...talk about sore soles... wag finger
Although they would be on ice so maybe the cold would help with pain... 
There is more here than you are being told....GUT FEELING!!
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Post by carshon on Oct 31, 2015 22:00:36 GMT
My Horse Steve was always flat footed and wore shoes and pads. We switched farriers last Oct and now I do his feet (took a class) and for the first time in his life I can say that he is getting some concavity. As in you can see he is getting more concavity. The issue we had was too high heels and a strung out toe. I need to trim his feet at least every 3 weeks in order to keep his heels where they should be and his toes in line.
As for Previcoxx we use this on my husbands mare and it has been a godsend. She was on Bute for years because of Navicular changes and started showing signs of Ulcers - we switched her to Previcoxx this spring and she is a lot better. And to mention good farriers she is more sound now than she has been in years due to getting her horrible thrush taken care of and getting her hooves trimmed the way they should be.
I would not take her off of the meds completely but would start with really good farriery and then wean her off the meds to see where she is at.
It took me a long time to find a good farrier and a lot of education on my behalf to really know what a good trim looks like and how the horse feels with one. My horses are all really really sound in the pasture - Steve and my hubbies horse both wear boots when we trail ride - but the Navicular mare has been ridden bootless this summer. Hopefully Steve will be riding bootless by the end of next summer
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Post by horselady on Nov 1, 2015 0:17:32 GMT
I posted this to see and get input on my thoughts and i did get them. from all of you. and thanks for verifying my gut impression of this mare.
My first impression was to take off the shoes and pads and get in a farrier who knew his feet. literally inside and out. and have this horse go barefoot. as for the arthritis, to keep her from being in pain have a vet out to re- assess her situation and perhaps have lyme test done. ( i did not ask the owner about this. in our first conversation) but having pain in all 4 legs is also a sign of lyme. I have read the links and find them interesting and mostly getting into detail about side effects and how to prevent flat feet is imperative. and since most horses get flatfeet from improper trims. than proper trimming can bring back the normal hoof.
The final discussion i had was via text with the owner that she is not going to retire this horse as of yet. so a horse with flat feet. arthritis in it's legs is not coming here to live out it's life but rather kept in a stall with little turnout and be ridden a couple times of week.
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Post by horselover4life on Nov 1, 2015 12:16:12 GMT
Wow...how do you "like" ^^^^^^^ when the owner thinks about doing the right thing then continues along the path of not?
Did that make sense?
The other thing that makes me is, "is the arthritis from arthritic bone changes or a underlying infection attacking the joints", actual bacterial infection I refer to and not the nasties of Lymes.... 
Lymes, that is a whole other topic and one so many should know more about and don't especially in NYS ...again at the cost of their animals!!
All 4 legs though HL...and they not look further for a cause but ride, ride, ride...
jmo..
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Post by mustangsavvy on Nov 5, 2015 2:41:54 GMT
Typically corrective shoeing, supplements and management. It would be interesting to take radiographs to see what is really going on as well.
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