Lameness - how to treat broken back axis?

Question

Question Details: had a vet do a pre purchase exam. the vet says the horse is lame, especially on the right rear. vet says the horse has not been trimmed properly in the past. says he needs a proper trimming. says the horse has a broken back axisis and needs a bar shoe with wedge on the rear. My farrier agrees the horse needs a proper trimming but does not need shoes just proper trimming. farrier is a little ticked that the vet is telling him how to fix the problem. They are both so adamant in how to treat this horse. At this point I am not sure who to listen too and am looking for an input. Thank

Answer 1

yeah, like the other answer said, you can consult someone else altogether.

or...  i like this better:  get the vet and farrier at your barn with your horse at the same time and let them discuss it.  In the end, I think your farrier is actually going to be doing the work and he's gonna do what he wants.

the only thing is...  if you p**s your farrier off and he's not a decent farrier (i mean a good person wouldn't do this... but it's possible...), then he might do it the vets way but throw in something more and wait for the horse to go lame(er) so he can say i told you so.

I'd ask another vet...  I would ask the vet at my barn, but i'm never there when she is...  good luck with this

Answer 2

I cut and pasted some relevant paragraphs for you: Bottom line, the horse is lame,and is it a good investment for you? Laminitis is a possibility later on. Hope reading this will help you understand whats going on. Luck friend!

"Your horse's hoof pastern axis is one of the easiest ways to evaluate your horses shoeing job. If your horse's hoof pastern axis is broken back, measures should be taken to correct the excessive toe length, elevate the heel, add a long enough shoe for extra heel support, and rocker or roll the toe of the shoe to increase break over."

"Lameness is the single greatest contributor of economic loss to the horse industry today. Most lameness cases require both veterinary and farrier intervention. The farrier work done in these cases is often of as much or more importance than that of the veterinarian, as is the one actually trimming the hoof or applying the shoe. In many situations, how the foot is trimmed and balanced and how the shoe is applied can be more critical than what type of shoe is applied."

<I think a lot of the problem is the risk -they could both be adamantly wrong  that this work will make the horse sound, and  you could wind up with a lame beast.>choose another horse?

Zair

Answer 3

This may tick the Vet & Farrier off even more, but maybe second opinion from both types of specialists?

If it were a doc for a human, that would be expected. And if your Farrier is worth his salt, he won't mind.

The only other alternative I see, unless all you want the horse for is breeding, is not to buy.