I have a few more questions if you don't mind. I of course know what I've been taught by the AFA (American Farrier's Association) and BWFA (Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association), but if I sound like I'm asking silly questions that, as a farrier I should know, it is just because I really value your opinion--even on seemingly simple issues.

1. What do you feel should be done with the bars? The bars of feral/wild horses would be considered overgrown by conventional standards, Dr. Strasser cuts them down considerably in comparison to the wild horses.

2. How do you feel about bute for a foundered horse?... for how long?...along with penicillin?

3. How do you feel about exercise for a foundered horse?.... and...

4. If the horse is on a high dose of bute and you turn him out is he going to "over do it"?

Thanks again for your valuable time and interesting links. I plan on keeping in touch.

Sincerely,

K. A. C.J.F.

Hi K.,

The bars should be made passive, although I think when a horse has lost a lot of suspension that the bars can be left longer for "support". I know that we don't want a horse "supported" ideally, but in bad cases of separation, they may not have normal suspension, so they end up growing lots of bar and even that ridge of material around the tip of the frog from the sole...I think this material is being produced for "support" in some of these foundered horses, so I leave it until I think it can be taken down (there are situations where long bars and this ridging along the frog can be uncomfortable to a horse, too....it's just experience and watching how well the horse is doing and how the overall hoof form is looking that determines whether I start removing some of it.) I don't remove bars to the extent that Dr. Strasser advocates. If we look at the bar corium and translate its forward and downward growth externally, we see that it comes more forward than the halfway point on the frog...this is why feral horses and other horses that trim their own feet rarely have bars that terminate halfway along the frog. I think we can trim bars to sole level pretty safely, and I definitely like getting them OFF the sole in the bar-heel triangle area (we call this the "web" area of the sole. Actually, with a little practice it's not difficult to leave bars slightly above the sole to provide traction...most horses that trim themselves have bars that are slightly longer than the sole. They wear naturally that way because wall material is harder and wears less than sole material. It could be that bar and sole and walls all grow at a similar rate and the sole ends up passive due to compression?  It's interesting to think about, anyhow.

I rarely use Bute anymore. Arnica--topical and homeopathic, that buteless solution that has yucca and devil's claw, and MSM I all try first. If a horse has "loose" hoof capsules they don't need to be running around, or even walking around...nature has sentenced them to death in this case, so we're "pulling them out of the grave" as it is...a feral horse would rarely end up as bad as most of the bad founders we see because they HAVE to keep moving-- if they did founder badly or layed around they would be eaten. These horses we deal with can lay down and take it easy...some of them get bed sores and it can be pretty awful at times, but usually within 3 to 4 weeks they decide to start moving more if their heels aren't high and their toes aren't turning up. No penicillin is needed (at least I haven't seen a need yet)...rather, I give probiotics orally and keep the feet clean with cider vinegar as a local disinifectant daily--this keeps the pH acidic which helps to ward off bacteria and fungus. Even these ones with penetration don't need bandaging or padding...just provide a more proper heel plane and keep the protuding tissue clean and provide bedding that's soft when they lay down. The case I met Martha Olivo over was a gelding with penetrating coffin bones in both forefeet--at the time I felt I had to bandage them, but she said it wasn't necessary and she was right--he is fully recovered.

Exercise is important, even if it's just getting up and down a few times every day. As they are able to take some steps and walk around, they really start to improve. I don't force exercise for horses with severe cases/loose hoof capsules...better to wait awhile and see if things will start to hold together with new growth in the heels and quarters. Get boots on them soon and try moving with them...often times horses feel pretty good having a bit of a flat firm platform to walk on--even moreso than soft bedding or soft soil that actually presses up inside their feet causing pressure where it hurts.

Too much bute and excessive movement?...this is exactly the problem at times!--they can definitely over do it. Horses generally know "what they can get away with"--they are not good masochists. That's why even bowed tendon cases or fractured leg cases of mine do not get confined. Rather they stay turned out with another "friendly" horse and are left to baby themselves along. If you lock a horse up with an injury or founder, they deteriorate while in the stall and then deterirate even more when they get out--they've had "cabin fever" so long that they blast off and re-injure themselves right off the bat. If given the choice to take care of themselves and let a normal amount of discomfort govern their decision on whether to run or just walk around, most horses heal faster and more completely. Besides the psychological advantages to healing, being left turned out while healing keeps muscles toned and provides for strong tissues right from the start. So while many of these horses in special shoeing appliances like EDSS (Equine Digital Support System) do grow a new hoof, they are still unable to walk on these new feet when the appliances are removed...they've been growing on top of something that has forced them to survive and grow in a totally retarded way (horses heal despite what we do to prevent them from healing!)...these deformed looking hooves are soft and of very poor quality material. When we allow a horse to grow a new hoof on their own on top of the earth, they not only grow it faster, but it's stronger once it IS grown and then they are "off to the races"!

You've got some great questions...please spread the word and even forward these little essays to wherever you think they may do some good for the horses and their people.