HEEELLLP!!!!!!

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Lori Hayward lhayward@va.com
I have a horse that has been having off and on lameness in his left front foot.  Got everyone including the Vets(several) baffled.

Here's the scenario:
Started after putting pads on the horse(I train on Old Dominion Trails).  I have had this horse shod by very good farriers who applied the pads.  In training he would go head bobbing lame at the trot.  After walking about a mile he would be totally sound again.  This was in May, first time.  Since then, the times that it happens the lameness is worse.  For example...rode Sunday, he was totally sound and felt great.  Rode again Tues., same thing.  Rode Thurs. over same trail as previous Sun. and about 4 miles out became lame even at the walk.  Walked about 2 miles and he became very sound and finished the last 4 miles at a trot and canter sound as can be.

I got him lame enough so that the vets could evaluate(he stayed lame for about 3 days).  Blocks were done that indicated the coffin bone area.  Xrays showed nothing but a slight demineralization of the tip of the coffin bone....no fractures.  However we did see that he was carrying a little more toe than he should but the angles were good.  Went home, had him shod and then re-xrayed to confirm that the toe was short enough.  He now has no pads as well and the concavity has returned to his sole(had gotten somewhat flat while on pads).  He had a month off before I started riding him again.  Same scenario after the month off.

Can anyone help here?  Suggestions as to what might be the prob or treatments to correct or any other ways to find out what is going on?

This is extremely frustrating and I'm getting to the end of my rope.....can't afford to sink much more money into "maybe's".

Pleas help!