Pathology & Recommended Treatment

Question 1

Abscess

Answer 1

Epsom Salts poultice. Cautiously attempt drainage. Protect with pad, hospital plate of boot.

Question 2

Founder

Answer 2

Lower heels, dress toe back, leave sole depth. Should barefoot not be an option, shoe with W-shoe or heart-bar to recruit frog into load bearing.

Question 3

Club Foot

Answer 3

Best caught early and treated by addressing the cause where possible. Apply a toe extension. Some success with surgery in severe cases.

Question 4

Cracks

Answer 4

First remove the cause if possible. Stabilize the crack with acrylic or screw on patch. Lace nail.

Question 5

Laminitis

Answer 5

Veterinary treatment crucial. Recruit caudal hoof $ frog into load bearing. DIM/Sole-pack. Deep sand/bedding. Ice packs, mid cannon down.

Question 6

Hoof Avulsion

Answer 6

Veterinary involvement. Apply support shoe to good foot if possible. Topical treatment of the damaged foot for at least 6 months.

Question 7

Dropped Sole

Answer 7

Wide webbed deep seated shoe with pour-in pad. Heart-bar shoe is beneficial in some cases.

Question 8

Corns

Answer 8

Remove sole pressure. Wide webbed shoe allowing good expansion. Straight, Z, G or heart-bars with sole pack for severe cases.

Question 9

P3 Fracture

Answer 9

Wide webbed bar shoe with multiple clips to stabilize. Pour-in pad. Stall rest.

Question 10

Canker

Answer 10

Veterinary removal of abnormal tissue. Topical treatment. Shoe with hospital plate.

Question 11

Keratoma

Answer 11

Surgical removal of the growth. Support shoe depending on location and extent of wall removed.

Question 12

White Line Disease (WLD)

Answer 12

Resect & remove all infected tissue. Shoeing protocol depends on the extent of the resection. Anything from barefoot to heart bar.

Question 13

Sheared Heels

Answer 13

If not lame, just balance bearing surface to the long axis. Shoe with a heart bar and float the heel under the high bulb.

Question 14

Quittor

Answer 14

Surgical removal of infected cartilage. Support shoe depending on location and extent of wall removed.

Question 15

Navicular

Answer 15

Concussion related: Rocker toe bar shoe, quarter clipped. Pour-in pad. Suspensory related: Increase hoof angle, Rocker toe bar shoe.

Question 16

Thrush

Answer 16

Mild: Knife away affected tissue, clean properly. Severe: Knifing may expose sensitive tissue. Topical anti-bacterial remedy.

Question 17

Sole Bruises

Answer 17

Protect with wide webbed shoe, pads, or pour-in protection.

Question 18

Soft Heel Cracks

Answer 18

Stabilize the hoof with a side clipped bar shoe. Apply topical antibiotic (mastitis ointment) to the affected area.

Question 19

Quarter Cracks

Answer 19

Acrylic crack patch, with a drain under the patch. Wire lacing with acrylic covering. Frog support shoe with wall floated under the damaged area.

Question 20

Pedal Osteitis

Answer 20

Wide webbed, deep seated bar shoe with quarter clips & sole pack. Rocker toe may help. Rest.

Question 21

Sidebone

Answer 21

Rocker toe for bilateral side bone and a classic sidebone shoe for unilateral cases, with the extended bevel placed on the side affected.