Written by HCP, Sarah Brady of Redtail Equine Services
Tiko has been closely managed for his IR and Cushings, but like so many of these horses, he’s got a host of other issues as well. I think there’s a big link between metabolic issues and other inflammatory issues throughout the body, such as soft tissue pain and strain, and very slow healing. Additionally, he has significant stifle and hock arthritis, as well as navicular changes up front.
When I first took over Tiko’s hoof care, I tried many different EasyShoes. On his hinds, the shoe he does absolutely best in is the EasyShoe Roller, a design created by the minds of EasyCare, 3D HoofCare, and Jim Blurton Farrier Products.
I think the stability provided by the aluminum shoe feels really supportive to him because he steps out more confidently and doesn’t lose his leads behind. The added frog support combined with a 5° half mesh wedge insert by Derek Poupard and 3D HoofCare over the top of EasyCare’s medium Impression Material seal the deal for Tiko.
Since I’ve known him, Tiko’s hoof pastern axis has improved, but he still tends to be NPA on his hinds. Because of that, I’d had him in 4° half mesh inserts for a few cycles.
On his fronts, I recently tried EasyCare newest shoe, the EasyShoe Triple D. As he’s got some navicular issues, I felt like this shoe would be perfect to try on him.
The Triple D is a very different feel than most of EasyCare’s lineup. As a human looking at it and holding it, I think of a cushioned, orthopedic hiking shoe. Because of the Triple D’s insanely cool design and mechanics, I would imagine that a horse’s proprioception would be a bit different in them on their first application.
It took Tiko a few minutes to decide what he thought of the shoes. He would weight and unweight his front feet, then hold one up, then set it down and look around curiously. Then he tested putting more and more weight on each front foot. Finally, he decided he liked them and started yawning and relaxing. This is a horse that holds his emotions close and would probably rather go on a hunger strike than show how he feels about things.
I’m very interested and excited to see how Tiko adapts to his new kicks, and to see how his feet might change.
