I changed the subject title because I finally figured out how to post a CH and pictures. YAH!!!
After you read her case history can you tell me if most of the issues I've had with Java over the years have been related to an un-diagnosed case of IR? (Exercise intolerance, anhydrosis, sinus infections) Do horses get IR as young as 4 or 5? That's when I started noticing the anhydrosis, the sinus infections started when she was 7.
Shoot! .... I found the instructions about Xrays after the fact. Not that they would have probably got me any where. The vet wasn't prepared to do anything but a needle in a case taped on the front of the hoof and when I asked him to mark the sole and coronet band with the clay that would show up on the films his answer was a little BB at the point of the frog. I hope you can tell something from the poor quality films I have posted. I also posted the films from a year ago for comparison.
The 2015 films were shot to see just how thin her sole was, not because she was lame. I had her shoes pulled in Dec 2014 because her toes would grow so fast in shoes that her axis would be broken back in 2 to 3 weeks. My hopes were that her feet would be able to be maintained more often and keep her toe under control. I found a Pete Ramey student that knew a lot about barefoot horses to pull the shoes and help me thru the conversion. She recommended I put her in boots and help fit them.
The mare had such funky feet the 24/7 answer eventually was Softrides and Easy boot gloves to ride in. Last summer she was doing so well that if I was riding in the arena I rode with out boots and she was just fine.
The vet that took the xrays on Friday says she did not have laminitis this winter the rings are just from inflammation. He is very concerned about her soles being so thin (as am I) and he thinks they have gotten thinner in the last 11 months. He says she needs to go into shoes because what I have been doing (softrides 24/7 except when I ride with the gloves) has caused her soles to thin. Is this true in your opinion? Have the soles thinned even more then they were in April of last year and if yes why would that have occurred?
I am still very concerned about putting shoes on her again because I know her toes will immediately shoot out. Her walls were getting pretty connected last year, then my regular vet recommended I put shoes on her thinking that her being barefoot might be what was causing a performance issue. So I had shoes put on her and at 3 weeks sure enough she was broken back and looking horrendous so I pulled them and he had taken so much heel off that going back barefoot made her sore for a couple of weeks.
So what do I do? She is traveling pretty darn good now.
The vet also thinks she is too fat. I included a picture in the photos album. She has lost some weight since this winter when I thought she was looking cresty necked and I was thinking her condition looked good. Considering the IR Calculator says she is IR is this body condition too heavy for an IR horse?
Thank you so much for all the help!
Karen and Java
Jan 2016 Colorado
