Source
r/Horses•
shift89

How to fix a farrier ' s mistake?

Question

Hi r/horses,

What are the options for supporting proper regrowth when a farrier screwed up?

I unfortunately had to switch farriers recently. She decided that the front toes were uneven and significantly cut back the toe on the left front.

She has been since very tender on that foot. I have been using copper care a couple times a week and been riding minimally for two weeks. The tenderness has gotten a little better but is still there. That foot has also started to crack when she has never had cracks ever before.

I've never had a problem with her hooves so I'm a little lost.

What are my options to support regrowth? I would assume that I can't just re trim it immediately?

Posted Jun 15, 2014, 11:19 PM UTC

411
osmeusamigos•

Have you consulted with your new farrier? Maybe there's something they can do until it grows back out.

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shift89OP•

http://imgur.com/ktjyBQE

3
PLZremember•

I am a farrier. I can tell you from looking at that picture, that she did not take the outer wall down very far at all. It appears only to go to the proper point in the white line. However from the picture I cannot tell you what she did to the bottom of the foot. If you were to post a clear picture of the clean foot, I might be able to tell you more. I think the cracking that you mentioned, it's not actually a crack, but chipping.

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[deleted]

1
buttholemacgee•

An easy boot could help with the tenderness. gelatin and biotin help promote hoof growth. The hard truth? Stall rest until it grows out. Any turnout will wear away growth. And if you need it that bad then every little amount of hoof saved will count. A boot will help with saving hoof growth. But keep her stallbound is your best bet.

1
shift89OP•

Do I need to boot both of the front for balance? I can't do stall rest, but I will talk to my BO about a paddock.

The hoof boot will be good for protecting from further cracking?

From everything I'm reading, chips from anything other than overgrowth screams your farrier is a moron. But that's the farrier my barn uses and I can't get my old farrier to continue with a time that I can get into my work schedule... argh.

2
buttholemacgee•

Is she barefoot?

1
shift89OP•

ok. question. Is this a time when she will be in high need of additional supplements?

Typically they find what they need in their base diet. She has a great coat, has never had chips or cracks before. Is a 5 on the weight rating. Other than the farrier's moronic trim, she hasn't been in need of additional support. I already give her a minor mineral mix.

I don't want to get a bucket of supplements that she will just urinate away.

1
funchy•

Time. The foot will regrow.

If you need to ride and she's too off, short term use of a shoe.

1
shift89OP•

She's Walking normally, she doesn't seem too interested in anything more than a walk though.

I rode very lightly in the arena this afternoon and chipped off a fairly .large chunk of wall off. I can't imagine that will be pleasant for her.

I don't need to ride. But especially considering that I'm flying out for corporate training for a week next week, I'm just worried about her.

I would really like to see a refund and the next several trims for free; this should never have happened.

The idea that all I can do is wait is so frustrating. But I know she would be mad about the idea of a paddock for all summer....which going off grass becomes a colic hazard.

Argh.

2
carbonarbonoxide•

A chip like the one you posted should not cause a problem. However if it's been a while since her last trim, she could just be a little sore, which is pretty normal. Try soaking the bottoms of her feet in some witch hazel, or an Epsom Salt poultice on all the sore feet. I love Epsom poultices for bruises and abcesses- my horse seems to feel better and heal faster.

How to do this if you've never done so before: get Epsom Salt, XXL Cotton Balls, a water bottle, and duct tape.

Make THIS out of the duct tape, slightly larger than the bottom of your horse's hoof- you want it to come about halfway up the hoof later. I usually stick it to my jeans/breeches to be handy. Take the cotton balls and kind of smush them out to where they are flattish- set cotton aside. An alternative to this is to cut maxi-pads in half.

Take her foot like you're going to pick it, and fill it with Epsom Salt, then drip water into it until it forms a paste/slurry consistency, cover evenly with flat cotton/pad, slap the duct tape square on and form to hoof. Set foot down, and wrap about 2-3 circles of duct tape around the hoof, parallel to the ground, kind of like this but I bet you could do a better job of it.

Leave it on overnight- this stuff can't really hurt them, so if you can't get to her til after work the next day, not a big deal. Just pick up the trash if they fall off in the stall/pasture and it's fine- they usually stay on long enough to work.

As far as prevention and causes, has the weather changed? If she's outdoor and it's been pretty wet, you may want to check for abcesses, and it can make their hooves more shelly and liable to chip and crack. Maybe have a vet/chiro look at her too- they're more likely to tell you if the farrier messed up something than the internet or the farrier. Two weeks is a long time to be "trim sore."

2
shift89OP•

The issue is that I've had problems immediately after the trim.

My horse has never cracked or chipped at all. And now that foot is suddenly very brittle.

I should post pictures of the underside, as it is quite a large chunk.

1