Shoes on a 17mth old for medical reasons - your views?

[bicky]

I'm just about at the end of my tether with Teddy and his feet problems.....in fact I could quite easily walk away right now! Some of you will know he's been plagued with abscesses since he was born and also how hard I have worked to manage and stop them! I've even had an 8 week stint of him being sound...and thats a long time for him! But, I can't carry on anymore! He's got another abscess that either got something to do with the wet weather or having jyst been trimmed. I got him sound again and he's hopping lame again tonight. Vet coming tomorrow and we've had a long chat about his feet.

One suggestion from the vet is to shoe him! What are your views on this? Would you do it? I'm not sure but it could be worth a shot. It would lift his feet off the floor some what and protect his white line....or am I missing something in my 'bicky' logic! I'm frazzled to start with!

Any suggestions, ideas or concerns would be much appreciated!

[BEX101]

Your farrier may be the best to talk to. Would he need doing more often as the hooves havent stopped growing in size yet? (size not length)

[ness]

Does he come into the stable at night to give him a break off the grass-it would helpl his feet to dry out, too and help to harden them? If the vet thinks it's ok, to shoe, then it might be worth it-is it the back feet-maybe just get them, shod?

[bicky]

Thanks both! Farrier is willing to shoe him and I've asked if there is any light weight ones he could have put on.....I'd need to discuss it further with my serious head on!

Teddy and the other 2 come in every day for a few hours off the wet grass. Teddy gets his feet wire brushed and cleaned out, then sprayed with silvestrol spray twice a week and stockholm tar spray each day. When he's about to go back out again, he's wired brushed again and each hole (if there are any) are plugged with Red Horse Products Hoof Stuff - excellent product! And still were in this situation, I literally can't do anymore in a day!

[fougere]

I think Bracken had his front shoes at about 2 years old , so not much older tha Teddy. I was doing alot of leading him out and about, but, despite him being a native, his was really suffering with his feet. If we came across a gravelly track I had to turn back. He'd be forever leaping onto any grass verges to keep off the harder surfaces. Then there were the little stones in his white lines. Nightmare.
So I had the fronts put on and he was a completely different, and much happier pony.
About 6 months later I had to have rear shoes fitted too as we could go much further with his comfortable front feet, but his hind feet were wearing away too quickly.

[BEX101]

I suppose if his feet arnt wearing away a bit at a time like they are at the mo, when the farrier does take the shoes off and do a trim he will be cutting back into completely "clean" undamaged hoof and have a better chance of keeping the hoof clean and healthy.

[bicky]

Vet has also suggested x-rays as the next sensible step! Do you think its the way to go?

[adamntitch]

i know someone that had to shoe there 2 year old due to foot problems and it did make a huge diffrentce