Question 11: Do
you recommend tying a horse to a rail when fly spraying it, or holding the lead while
spraying? Do you fly spray your horses before shoeing them?
Answer: Definately
hold a horse for spraying since many horses do not like to be sprayed, and the act can
cause a huge wreck. If you must tie one up to spray them, insure that you have a
good, safe enviornment in case the horse decides to act up. Better yet, you may want
to wipe the fly spray on the animal with a rag. Never tie to a panel or any other
type of structure that can become loose and end up being drug at the end of the lead
rope. I like to have horses sprayed prior to shoeing unless they are being doused
with a greasy solution. Skin-so-soft by avon may work well, but it is terribly slick
on the tools and hands, which in turn makes the job more difficult for the farrier.
However, horses that are kicking, stomping, and unruly due to being bothered by flies will
make the job even harder than slick tools. I would take the spray over the unruly
horse.
Question 12: Should a young horse
be kept in shoes to keep his feet small or is a good trimming all that is needed?
Answer: Thanks for the question.
Keeping a horses feet small is the opposite of what you should want for a sound
using horse later in life. Small feet have many more problems than large healthy
feet do. Your best bet is to keep the feet trimmed on a 6 week schedule until the
horse is over 2 years old, then shoe so that you can begin the training process.
Good luck, and hope for nice, large, healthy feet.
Question 13: We have an 18 mo old paint gelding. My question is : What
is to high of an angle an the front hoof? Our previous farrier must have had him at 66
degree or higher because at 4 weeks when we had him reset he was at a 64degree. This made
him very flat kneed and he seemed to float across the ground. We have a new farrier who
has only been in the bussiness for three years and had been taught that the highest angle
he should go would be 60degree. Are there exceptions?
Answer: I hate to put numbers on angles since they are rarely reliable
or accurate. The way that I hold a guage will be different than the next guy, and no two
guages seem to be exactly the same. Unfortunately, this is not akin to machine work,
and we can not dictate an angle to a horse who may not fit into the textbook
example. It seems to me, on my guages, that hoof angles over 57 degrees are usually
club footed horses. If your horse was definately at 66 degrees, then I would be a
little worried about his conformation. That steep an angle is setting a horse up for
concussion type injury. Simply trim and shoe to the natural angle, which is when the front
of the hoof matches the midline of the pastern bones from the lateral view on level
ground.
Question 14: What is the more effective teatment for hoof wall
fracture that starts in the coronary band?
Answer: I believe that you are asking about what we
call a sand crack. This is a vertical crack in the hoof wall that is parallel to the
tubules. They are classified by location such as a toe crack or quarter crack.
If the crack originates from the coronary region it is usually the result of either a hoof
inbalance from uneven wear or bad trimming; or possibly injury to the coronary pappilae.
If the problem is external, then the first thing that needs done is to properly balance
the hoof and try to unload the wall in order to take stress off of the crack. If the wall
is thick enough, I like to drive a horizontal nail across the crack. There is an article
in the Farriers Journal from about 3 years ago concerning Nail Lacing. If the crack is in
the quarter area or on a thin walled hoof, you may have to use acrylic or something
similar to stabilize the area while the new hoof wall is generated. If the crack is
a result of injury, I will sometimes burn the coronary band. However this must be done by
an experienced person, and I don't wish to describe the process due to the risk to the
horse. In any event, you should shoe with a well formed shoe with clips that will help to
stabilize the entire hoof capsule. Good luck.
Question 15: What is an effective treatment(s) for Thrush?
Answer: The most important thing that needs to be done when treating a
horse with thrush is to improve the horses' enviornment. His feet need trimmed
properly so that the frog does not trap bacteria in the commisures, and the feet also need
to be on a daily cleaning schedule. If the horse lives in a stall, the bedding needs
to be always dry and clean. Horses that live in pastures need to have an area that
they can get to that is dry. After these things are seen to, you can start the horse
on one of several treatments. The cheapest is Clorox Bleach mixed 50-50 with
water. Clean the hooves daily and apply some of this mixture to the bottom of the
feet for a week. Continue to treat in the same manner on an every other day schedule for
about another 10 days, and then treat only as needed. By the end of this 17 day
treatment schedule, you should have the thrush cleared up. Do not overdo by soaking
the feet in Clorox or something of that nature. Only treat the bottom of the
hoof. If you prefer another solution, Koppertox or the Mustad Thrush Buster are very
good commercail treatments, and you can simply use them in the same cycle as described
above. In the cases where sensitive structures have been exposed, you may want to
soak in warm water and epson salts as well as possible vet assistance in the area of
antibiotics to avoid infection.
Question 16: Hi, my name is Hollie. I own a 16
year old appy mare who has been navicular for the last 6 years.
Since she can no longer be shown we wanted to breed her. Is
navicular syndrome genetic? I have found nothing that states one way or
the other...
Answer: Dear Hollie, Navicular syndrome tends
to fall under 1 of 3 types. There is concussion related and
suspensory related that are genetic only due to the fact that certain
types of conformation predisposes an animal to certain types of
problems. Then there is degenerative related navicular. This
usually starts as a vascular problem, but will turn into a bone problem
eventually. I feel that this type of navicualr is probably very
inheritable. You might want to determine the cause for your mare
developing the problem prior to breeding her.
Chris Gregory, MS, CJF, FWCF
Question 17: I currently have aluminum eggbar
shoes on my navicular mare, but she still has a slight limp. Is
there any other type of shoe we may be able to try? She has been
navicular for six years and has a club foot on her front right leg.
Answer: There are several shoeing options for
naviculared animals. Generally, it is best to increase the angle
of the hoof in order to relieve the tension on the deep flexor tendon as
it passes over the navicular bursae sac. If you are already
dealing with a clubbed foot, then this might not be the best
solution. G.E. Forge and Tool makes a really nice navicular bar
shoe that I have on quite a few of my customers' horses.
Question 18: I am writing in hopes that you
might be able to help me locate a farrier in Ft Hood Texas Area. We are
currently living in Leavenworth Kansas and using one of your students, Jim
Clay. I have been highly impressed with his work and his professionalism.
We have two high spirited horses and he handles them wonderfully, even
though there have been times where I am sure he has wanted to kill them.
You obviously do some wonderful things at your school and I am hoping that
there might be a chance you would know someone of similar abilities for
when we move. Jim suggested I write and ask you. We will actually be
living in a area called Kempner, about 20 minutes from Ft Hood. Anyhelp
you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Once again congratulations
on your development of such a compliment farrier. He obviously learned a
great deal from you and your school.
Thanking you in advance, Sherrin
Answer: Dear Sherrin,
Thank you for your comments. I am sorry, but I don't personally have
any information for you, but I do have a place to start. You might
want to call the American Farriers Association at (606) 233-7411.
Another lead would be the president of the Texas Proffessional Farriers
Association. This is Tony Dawson, (a really nice guy) at (409)
569-7936
Question 19: I have a 5 y/o Missouri Fox
trotter. I went on a trail ride this weekend. part of the ride was on
gravel, some on grass and some in wooded areas. My horse has come up lame
in his left rear. I checked both legs and they do not feel hot, He is
favoring that left rear. I had him shod 8 days ago and am almost sure he
was not quicked. His leg is not swelled. I think but am not sure that he
might have gravel in their. Is their any other signs? What else can I do?
Any suggestions? I had planned on going on a NATRC trail ride in 2 weeks,
Is that too soon. I know gaited hoses always seem to be lame according to
most non-gaited people. Todd
Answer: Dear Todd,
There is a chance that you are dealing with a stone bruise. I would
have
the farrier come out and use the hoof testers on the foot to determine if
the problem is indeed in the hoof capsule. There is a potential of a
bruise
becoming an abscess, which will complicate the problem quite a bit.
As for
the gravel, what is mostly spread about this lameness is wives tales.
Gravel does not, in fact can not, travel up the laminae between the coffin
bone and hoof wall to exit at the coronary band.
Question 20: Last year I bought a
draft cross gelding and they told me he was 11 yrs. old. My vet looked at
his teeth and also guessed him to be about that. Recently my farrier
was out trimming feet and said that there was no way that this gelding was
that old because he didn't have his "adult bars" yet and they
don't get those until about 9 yrs. old. Is that true? Also, he
said that it's easier to tell the age of a horse by their feet than their
teeth. Is that true? He said he would estimate my horse to be about
7 yrs. old by looking at his hoof. I don't necessarily care if the horse
is younger, but would like to know whether or not the farrier is telling
me the truth. Thanks!
Debby
Answer: Dear Debby,
It sounds as if the farrier is pulling your leg. The hoof is in a
constant state of regeneration, much like your finger nail. To
determine the age of a horse by the dead horn on the bottom of the hoof
would be the equivelant of telling you how old you are by a close
inspection of your toe nail. It is either that, or your farrier
knows something that I know nothing at all about. By the way, I
don't know how to read palms either.
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