Lame after Shoeing

[baxter]

Had my gelding shod last night and he is lame after shoeing, this happened 6 weeks ago also, but he looked generally unwell in himself and had a week off and came back sound and happy... he's well in himsefl but definitely lame... not noticeable in walk, but defintiely in the trot, called farrier back , he took shoe off investigated and put shoe back on again but he still trotted up lame, nothing obvious, and he wasn't lame before this. He has natural balance shoes on his front feet, is barefoot on his hinds, it's in his near fore that he is lame. Farrier stumped, so have a different farrier coming out tomorrow for a second opinion. He also seems to be growing new hoof wall, has a ridge about 4 months old on each front foot, nothing has changed dramatcially in his lifestyle except i have been using keratex hoof moisturiser on his feet for about 4 months... coincidental or cause?
Any tips, thoughts , advice appreciated, especially regarding the ridge, has this happened to your horse? it's def not laminitus btw. thanks in advance.

[eventerbabe]

hmm, have the nails been put in too high? or the toe trimmed back a bit too far? as for the extra hoof wall, i'm stumped!

[baxter]

yeah me too! he's so odd, why would he need to grow extra hoof?
nails definitely not too high, farrier took shoe off very carefully checked all nails for blood, just in caseof nail prick, shoe not on too tight, toes rounded off as thats how they do natural balance, i'm just concerned this extra hoof wall has coincided with two lameness episodes both after being shod.....

oh why do i have to have the wierd horse?!

[MelanieD]

Ridge could just be a growth ring, maybe from when the grass started getting really good at the start of summer? Is the 'new' bit at a different angle than the hoof wall below? The growth ring could be nothing to do with the lameness but can't be sure without actually seeing it. Have you changed farrier recently or is farrier doing something different from when he wasn't going lame after being shod? Getting a different farrier to look is a good idea.

[baxter]

The hoof growith is above the under hoof wall, so his feet will ultimately be wider (and more in proprtion) when he has finished growing his new feet.... this is only on his front feet though, not on his back feet... i should have taken some pictures to show you all...
i don't think the farrier is doing anything different and he has had the same farrier for a year with no probs other than these last two times... my instructor thinks somehow he must be shoeing him differently but to the untrained eye we can't tell?!
glad you think i'm doing the right thing getting another farrier to have a look, i don't want to ignore my own farrier, but i can't keep having a horse lame after being shod, we were supposed to be out this weekend and have a sponsered ride next weekend, last time it happened i was due a a show... grr..

[eventerbabe]

just remembered i have the farrier out on monday, will sound him out about your problem, see what his take is on this extra hoof wall. i'm really curious to know aswell!!

[baxter]

thanks appreciate that, will let you know how he's doing on Monday, a super fit anglo arab on box rest is a recipe for disaster, i checked him this morning, early (some ungodly hour) and he positively pranced (like a fairy) out of his stable to be trotted up, just a lame fairy at the moment... :(

[kedwards]

Ack, my horse has had a chronic problem with his right fore being sore after shoeing (even with glue-on shoes). In his case, he's stumped all the experts I've consulted thus far, but in trying to find causes and corrections, I have learned a bit about the most common causes of horses being lame after shoeing.

1. A close nail (it needn't draw blood to cause pain).
2. Improper trimming (either the horse is trimmed too close or the angle is altered in such a way as to cause strain).
3. Sole pressure (due to the shoe, the way it is placed, or the manner in which the horse is trimmed).

[Loopslou]

the gelding from hell in our yard came with natural balance shoes and my farrier was saying that it can be norm in some horses to come up lame after shoeing with natural balance for a few days. I think he said it was something to do with squaring off the foot and the fact that there is a very little margin for error when putting the nails in because the go in extremely close to laminae. Even if there is no blood on the nails that your farrier checked, it still may be too close to laminae for your horses own comfort.

Is there a particular reason why you are using natural balance? My farrier said it was very much a fashion a few years back but he doesn't shoe any horses natural balance now unless he has the odd dressage horse to do (the extra weight in the toes is quite good to show off the horses paces in dressage.

[baxter]

Well what a weekend i've had!
Had a different farrier come and look at my poor little lad,walked him out of the stable and he immediatley said i know whats wrong with your horse.... proceeded to take off both natural balance front shoes, and showed me what was wrong, he's basically been trimmed to short, has hardly any hoof wall left (which incidentally is causing him to grow extra hoof) had no heels and was badly bruised on both soles.... to the untrained eye i didn't realise, but having had it pointed out to me i was most shocked.... said that my horse didn't need natural balance shoes, least of all cytek shoes which he was shod in before... as they are too heavy and create the wrong foot shape for my slightly built horse.... he sorted him out, put very very lightweight shoes (similar to racing plates) on him with pins rather than nails and i trotted him up straight away after and he was sound! i was amazed and so pleased... he's on bute this week just to help the brusing and i have to be careful not to let him lose a shoe, limited roadwork and no galloping over hard and un even ground! but i poodled him round the school yesterday and he's free , loose, expressive in his paces, and almost feels lighter...no stumbling, which is why he was being shod natural balance in the first place, as when i got him he was shod cytek, there are very few cytek farriers and i couldn't find one to come out to me so on the advice of a well known essex farrier he got shod cytek, the fact that i may have been unknowingly shoeing my horse incorrectly for over a year and for him to have been shod incorrectly for two years prior to me, makes me feel incredibly guilty, but with the help of the most wonderful farrier in the world he's on the mend and happy, thank god....
Last word to say is I have now changed Farriers!!!!
Thanks for advice....

[eventerbabe]

thank goodness you've found out whats wrong. hope all goes well with your new farrier.