Feeling blue

[JanC]

Chris has been barefoot since March of this year and for the first 3 months was transitioning really well with strong, healthy little feet. At end of June she got the dreaded lami and its been a constant rollercoaster of worry ever since with hours spent researching diet, environment, boots etc. She is still footy, has had an abscess and now pretty bad WLD. I took her out for a walk yesterday and, even with boots on, she was wanting to walk on the grass verge. I'm really tired, frustrated, worried I've caused this pain and am a bad mummy, confused over the diverse answers and recommendations for treatment and just wanting my horse back. I would love her to have her strong healthy feet back and think it must be me that has done this to her by taking her shoes off. She is totally doted on and I hate to think of the amount of money and time I have spent in the last 10 months on her feet. Tomorrow I'm riding my friends horse and feeling guilty about that too!

[gingeremmie]

Now come on, how logically can taking her shoes off make her have laminitis? She'd have got the laminitis anyway whether she'd been shod or not. You're doing the best you can for her, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm in the same boat, my boy is still lame, and he had his laminitis attack last January. This lameness is inexplicable, the xrays show it isn't laminitis, but no one knows what it is :rolleyes: I too am reading and asking questions and confusing myself but I'm just going to give myself time to think about it. My boy's front feet still aren't half decent, there's still lots of false sole and no concavity and no connection between his sole and his wall at the bottom of his foot and that's nearly a year after the attack, and I suspect your horse's feet are still healing themselves too.

((hugs))

[Big Ears]

Rosie has had two bouts of lammy and was shod both times and on soft ground. Sure concussion can cause laminitis but it is less likely than diet.

Rosie's latest trick is now that she is sound from laminitis - you can see the rings on her hooves, it is about 50% grown out - she loses shoes as a special trick, then looses boots (four days after purchase at £100!), and as she is pottery without shoes, she can't be worked.

So you are not alone! Laminitis is a horrible problem to deal with, it is one foot forward, 3 back all the time. You just get used to it.

[JanC]

Thankyou both. Stopped feeling sorry for myself now:) Chris hopping lame today - abscess on the other hoof! Actually happy to see it!!! At least that expains the footiness.... Already it's draining and I feel on top of it. Sorry for my lamenting. X

[JanC]

Back to blue!! Both fronts had abscesses at the beginning of January. One of them was producing huge amounts of gunk for 10 days. She now has a huge hole which my trimmer stuffed with cotton wool soaked in apple cider vinegar on Monday to stop stones getting into it. We had our first dry day for weeks yesterday so I went to pop her boots on and go out for a walk and there is now a big crack/flap at the hole. I'm sure this is going to tear and I don't think rasping will work because of the direction of the tear. It looks like she's going to lose that back edge of her hoof. Worried that there was too much pressure on the hole from the plug of cotton wool. I have one hoofeze boot but I think its too small for her. Will wait for daylight (its 3.55am) to have another look.