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  Discussion on Farrier trimming problem - needing help
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Member:
stacie

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 - 3:53 pm:

Hey all - I have a problem again and I need your advice please. Back late last year, Ben had a massive abcess blow about 2 inches above his coronet band in his front right foot. He was down for about 2 weeks or so, then up but lame for more than a month, and had to mend as well all the bed sores he had gotten. We got him over that and comfy again. Thank goodness. But his left front leg has suffered in the meantime supporting is huge body of about 1400lbs. It looks to me like atrophy in his chest muscle on the left leg, it is much smaller than his right leg's chest muscle and when I attempt to lift his right foot, his left knee tries to buckle and collapse and his left chest muscle gets hard as a brick. He either forces us to let go or he begins to go down. So we release his foot. Last week we had the vet out the same time as the farrier. She decided to sedate him some. We brought him to his stall to trim him, that is all we do to him, no shoes. The farrier spent 2 hours getting him trimmed well enough to wait another 5 weeks. His foot grows that quickly that he needs trimming that often. We just could not keep his foot up long enough to do much of anything. We backed him in the stall to where he was basically sitting on his homemade food trough(no worry's, it is bolted in with lag bolts)to allow the farrier a minute or two to trim a little and release the foot again. The vet could not believe he was that lame on the knee or chest and she felt he was just being hard to get along with. I do not think so, the other 3 feet - he basically held up for the farrier, so I truly feel he was in that much pain to give us such a hard time. I kept telling him, I was not gonna put him down because we could not trim his darn foot, but with his major ringbone and navicular, we have to keep the foot as trimmed as possible, without it, he would be crippled quickly. I thought about either a sling (homemade) as I cannot afford $1500 for a real one or a chute, where we can put him in and put a belly band under him so he can relax and not DrOp to the ground for his feet trimming. Any ideas would be so greatly appreciated?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 - 6:22 pm:

Stacie perhaps large doses of bute for 24 hours prior to trimming along with the sedation will allow you to get him trimmed? If his condition is greater than moderately thin, perhaps reducing his weight might help also.
DrO
Member:
canyon28

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 - 6:26 pm:

I would try giving him a good dose of bute about 4 to 6 hours before the farrier comes, prob 2 to 3 grams since he is so large. I have an old gelding that is navicular, plus has a broken sesimoid bone in one front foot and before we figured out how to make him comfy in his raised up heel shoes, I had to bute him sometimes to get him shod in front, or to even get his foot off the ground. He is only shod in front, and is my weanling babysitter. He doesnt need bute anymore at farrier time now, but my farrier also only removes one shoe at a time to trim him and replace it. He could not stand to be without his shoes unless he was medicated. with his shoes he is doing great. I also have a mare that came to me foundered and with a huge abcess in one front foot and the tip of her coffin bone broken off in the other. We did have to sedate her to get her shod in front for a while,(but I think mainly this was because she had never been shod before )until the abcess grew out. She was pretty good until my farrier would try to pound in the nail, her feet could not take that shock, shock shock of the hammer. she is doing great now, I also keep her in front shoes all the time, and she is pasture sound and we dont have to sedate or bute her anymore either. She is a super nice brood mare with performing offspring and since the abcesses are gone and she has shoes to protect her feet from the rocks, she has learned there is no more pain. good luck to you, I hope you can figure out a way to take his pain away while trimming. I dont like the sedation idea, since he is already having trouble standing.
Member:
alden

Posted on Wednesday, Apr 11, 2007 - 7:23 pm:

I have an old horse with ringbone and we have worked out a process. I trim until he feels the need to have his foot back, I can tell when and I give it back. I'll let him stand 5-10 seconds and go back to work, it gets the job done and there's no fight.

I'd do as DrO. suggests and give the farrier an extra $20 for the hassle.

Good day,
Alden
Member:
stacie

Posted on Thursday, Apr 12, 2007 - 4:28 pm:

Actually Alden I did give him an extra $20 for all his help - he is very patient with Ben for sure, my husband is self employed as well, so I know it is appreciated, which is why I love to tip. I would say Ben is average weight - I do not believe he is overweight now. I will take a picture of him for you to tell me. I feel his ribs, when the sun hits the right direction I see them. How much bute is a large dose and what time frame prior to him coming to trim?? I have attached a website if someone can look at - this chute is what I was thinking of and adding a belly strap under it once he steps in so he can give weight to the strap and not go down. Let me know what ya'll think - Thanks so much for all your ideas
https://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/hchute01.html
Member:
scooter

Posted on Friday, Apr 13, 2007 - 6:46 am:

Stacie my old mare has big problems holding up her rear legs. The day BEFORE the farrier is due I give her bute in the morning and that night....1 gram each time. Then the day the farrier is due I give her 2 grams in the morning, it usually works. If she doesn't get the bute she can't be trimmed. It may be worth a try.
Member:
paul303

Posted on Friday, Apr 13, 2007 - 5:37 pm:

I do the same as Diane when my 27 yr old navicular mare is due.
Member:
sunny66

Posted on Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 - 1:32 pm:

I also do as Diane and Lee... but when my horse is really sore, I start it 2 to 3 days before the farrier, once a day, then a heavy dose night before and morning of.
Member:
freshman

Posted on Saturday, Apr 14, 2007 - 10:38 pm:

If pain is causing the horse to buckle, your vet may be able to do nerve blocks on the bad leg to get him through a farrier visit. It might be worth trying before going to the expense and difficulty of trying to rig up a sling system. Hope he becomes more comfortable on his own, though, so he doesn't need any assistance at all!
Member:
stacie

Posted on Monday, Apr 16, 2007 - 7:38 am:

Thanks to all your input. I will try the Bute starting a few days before this time and see. Nerve blocks the vet did not want to do as it is his knee and/or shoulder and she said these were very hard to block. Not like the foot which is easy she stated. I think we are gonna make the chute - my husband said it shouldn't cost more than about 50-75$ to build it. Try it starting out without the chute and if it does not work, than move him into it to help. He is such a relaxed boy that it should not scare him. He did not panic when we put him in the corner of his stall to let him sit on the wooden homemade feed bucket they have, so hoping that walking him into the chute if necessary will not scare him either. I will let you know next month. Thanks again
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