HOOF Help Needed

["C Eyler" <eyler@mindspring.com>]

Long story, but please bear with me.  Trying to give all the background.

My gelding pulled off a shoe, tearing out so much hoof wall that he couldn't
be reshod.  We left him barefoot, and all of the hoof wall around existing
nail holes broke up on both feet (he's only shod in front).  Eventually,
even the bottom edges of the toes broke off.  Was waiting for him to grow
enough to be reshod, but during that time he became increasingly lame.  Vet
x-rayed his front feet and found them fine except for having very thin
soles.

He was re-shod three weeks ago, following the vet's instructions -- wide web
shoes (had been using St. Croix eventers anyway) with pads, and silicone
injected under the pads.  The farrier was barely able to get shoes on him,
and he's been wearing bell boots to keep him from stepping on the exposed
shoe beneath the nails.  Rode him in the ring a week later.  After another
week, we went back out on the trail for a couple of brief rides.

Those first times back out on the trail were last weekend.  No problems the
first ride.  On the second ride, he stumbled as we crossed through a stream.
About twenty feet farther on, he went suddenly lame.  Walked and stopped a
few times, and then he seemed fine again for the rest of that short ride,
walking and trotting.

But he's been off-and-on lame this week, while I was out of town.  When I
checked him today, I found bulges under the center of both of the pads.  Can
silicone shift?  Could he have picked up stones?  What the *ell do I do now?
I DO NOT want to remove these shoes after only three weeks.  He's holding
them well (I've starting using Keratex Hoof Hardener and I'm tightening the
clinches as needed) and there probably wouldn't be enought solid wall to
drive new nails.

Could I cut out the pads, leaving rim pads?  Recently someone talked about a
filler that can be applied to the bottom of the soles (was that you, Karen
Chaton?)  I don't remember the name of the stuff, let alone where to get it.
How long would it stay in place on a horse at pasture 24/7?

After fighting mystery lamenesses most of the summer (vet had seen him a
couple of months before the time he took x-rays and doesn't think the
problem is higher up), I'm frustrated and riding-deprived.  And I hate
seeing my adored horse so uncomfortable.

What to do?

Cindy Eyler
Baltimore


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