Shoeing a Laminitic Pony - Farriery Tutorial for Treating Founder in Ponies

[@Shadeskast]

Right on fellas! The best part is that you revisited the horse after the first shoeing. So many don’t.

[@lisafairfield4041]

Thank you so much for sharing this illness is so hard to live for ponies and owners.

[@Hr1gunnar]

Absolutely! That part I appreciated very much! Although I would have loved seeing her walk around a bit at that point as well..

[@SmokingSteelGarage]

Super watch. Thanks Simon.

[@DebbieGeurts]

What a Godsend you were, thank you.

[@meganpahl3612]

I wish you were in the US!!! I have just subscribed because I intend to trust your advise and test my farrier.

[@lareemcra347]

We have a 17 year old QH mare that foundered badly. Vet said no more grass or high carb food (equine metabolic syndrome). 2 trips for radiographs and trims, and hoof boots to ease the soreness seem to have put her back to nearly normal (plus getting her weight down about 100lbs.).

[@nancymorter6649]

Thank you so much for this video and the follow up second visit to this cute pony! Great information and thanks once again for sharing the information.

[@asc.k1865]

What a beautiful little pony! I do hope she's still doing well! I know when my feet hurt I'm miserable.

[@lieke9460]

She was instantly better when she got the shoes on . I could see a big difference . She'll never be completely sound, but you made a big difference for her. Personally,I wouldn"t let her work.

[@nicoleburnett3980]

Thank you! This was so informative and really a helpful video!

[@Mendezfarriercompany306]

Heart bar, pad dem material? Any thoughts?

[@SouthFLFarrierShorts]

Wonderful information being shared here! Just curious, what other shoe types or modifications crossed your mind to help this pony?

[@DrSimonCurtis]

Hi Earl, we considered some kind of digital support (maybe pads and DIM) but as our first treatment was successful we didn't need to go to plan b.

[@SouthFLFarrierShorts]

Very well, thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. I appreciate you and Sam for your hard work.

[@bargreiner]

Best info video I've seen. Thank you

[@kimberly_erin]

I really like his video style and that he’s trying to help but the way he did this trim(the popular way to trim) may be the same thing that caused this issue or compounded it. As he shows the toe is “stretched forward” this is from an improper angle. When he trims he does bring the toe back, but at the same time he trims the heel out, essentially undoing what he just did ;/ if he did the same trim but left the heels the angle would improve and the toe would be pushed back. The sole would be allowed to grow thicker as well. I think people have tried to point this out to him in the past. But this is how veterinarians and farriers are taught to trim, somewhere the why of it got lost and they continue to do this trim even if they start out with a different intention which I assume he did because he explains what is wrong but then proceeds to do this. If you enjoy watching these videos keep watching and notice how this statement is incorrect “cut the heel back to move the toe back” you will see that this never happens. The horn tubules grow from the top down. The toe can only be brought back from trimming or beveling the toe.

[@meganpahl3612]

so if the frog appears to be level with the sole on the hoof and the tip of the frog is often time not seen until the hoof is trimmed, could this be an early sign of founders? I ask because of my mare's hoof which seems to be 'flat' on the right front. Yet, she does have the arabian high/low.

[@pawecreep1293]

How does the pony feel today? In what form is it?

[@DianeStPeter]

Nice video! What kind of knife are you using?

[@kucyktoledo]

I was looking forward to the part in which the farrier brings the heels of the laminitic hoof down, but it's missing. Otherwise, very interesting. No more lush pasture next spring for the pony, I'm afraid.

[@deniseoverbeck6266]

I'm wondering why a metal shoe is the go to method of providing comfort and stability?

[@deniseoverbeck6266]

Wouldn't pads or boots and trim provided comfort and healing for this pony?

[@deniseoverbeck6266]

Was the cause of laminitis in this pony diagnosed?

[@badenpobjoy8274]

I THOUGHT you were a bit harsh on yourself as l thought she def. improved a bit after the first shoe-ing...

[@naunettemartin7450]

I like it

[@TheFifoo]

Laminitis is a symptom of a whole horse problem, husbandry /diet is the first port of call , I would have had bloods done with this pony , I would suspect something metabolic is the problem i.e Cushions, sad that it was shod , a remedial trim and boots and pads would have been better, so weird that people bang nails into a live structure , all they do is damage the hoof more, yes they probably mask the problem to some extent , but do not cure it, address the cause , don't mask the symptoms

[@johnbbreer2775]

How do you know they didn't look into other avenues before using this treatment? How on earth would you know this has masked a problem and not cured it? Are you acquainted with this horse, or did you just watch a video on the internet and suddenly you're more qualified than this man and the other professionals who would've be involved. All you've seens the video, nothing in person, none of the before or after. Hmmm. You keep reading them barefooter books and ignoring the whole picture, looks like you're miles ahead of the rest of us... good luck!

[@olliethehorse2198]

I agree! If only people didn't turn to metal to mask the problem. It's just treating the symptom instead of the cause - that's not going to get the horse anywhere

[@TheFifoo]

Banging nails into an already compromised Hoof will cause more damage , shoes do mask problems, if a horse is lame without shoes they are just plain lame, Laminitis is a symptom , not a disease in its own right , make holes in a Hoof is not treatment , if the cause had been found this pony would have carried on its Barefoot life sound and not sore

[@TheFifoo]

Oh ! not reading , doing ,my pony has been Barefoot since I have owned her since a foal , she is now 20 years old , she's had laminitis once , due to me allowing her to get fat, she always been sound on any surface, her feet are like rock , I did own a PPID pony 20 years ago , if I had had more information available on the biomechanics of the hoof , I would have taken his shoes off , driving nails into feet is archaic ,old school , does not help , just masks a lame horse , source the cause address it , nails actually compromise blood supply , have a look at some cadaver feet, where the nails are and the blood around them :-(

[@ericrussell7961]

The mistake here was probably that this was a chronic founder and not laminitic. Diet and Husbandry is not the Farriers job or skill set. Metal, wood, boots all do the same thing, prevent wear and allow growth. At the end of the day they all allow excess growth. It doesn't make any sense to say steel shoes mask the problem but boots don't. They both prevent wear. TheFifoo, we know nothing about what's going on with this horse. You can't suggest remedial or any other trim because we have no information. We saw two shoeings here. We probably need around a year on a horse like this to see how it's going. If you say nails cause more damage than they do good then I believe you've been around some very bad Farriery. We need to keep an open mind and accept nails, glue, velcro... all have strengths and weaknesses. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with anything in this video. I would suggest you open your mind and see if there's any positives you can take from the video. The root of a Farriers job is to prevent excess wear and trim excess growth.

[@kimberly_erin]

You are saying how the foot is deformed, you are showing how it is deformed, but the way you have trimmed it will continue this process. If you continue to trim the heels “back” the toes will continue to “stretch forward” as you say. You obviously really care, and have a good idea of how you want the the foot too be, I think these videos can help you to look at your work and see that what you are doing contradicts what you are saying. If you refrain from cutting out the heel when you trim it can grow back in and the sole can thicken. You can’t shorten the toe if you trim the heel out every time you trim the toe back. anatomy, geometry, physics.

[@johnnybreer2.070]

Howdy. I'm readin your comments and here's a strange thing.....you weren't there an you have about a fraction of the understanding this guy has. How can you be so sure of what this horse needed? Did you examine it in person? Have you worked for many decades in the field like this fellow? The condescension you are showing Doctor Curtis only shows your lack of knowhow in this area. If your thinkin he's contradicting himself, well I'm sorry but it's you that has the poor understanding of the situation, not the Dr. I'm not sayin he can't be wrong sometimes, I'm just sayin that it is certainly you who is wrong in this here case.