Karen:

<and I hate to think what the duct tape is doing for his hoof wall in the
long term>

Also, last year my guy spent 3 months solid in duct taped pads. We had to
cut away the frog to deal with some nasty thrush that his body couldn't seem
to fight. I changed the "booties" daily (both fronts) in order to treat for
the thrush and keep pressure things on the frog and keeping out more bad
stuff. I should have bought stock in 3M I used so much of the stuff. BTW I
found that the cheap stuff just didn't work as well as the expensive
(naturally). A year later my horses hoof wall is none the worse for wear
(he can still do his dressage thing just fine). Just remember, if you don't
get the short term fixed before you start worrying about the long term <G>

<I know he should probably be on complete stall rest but there's his mental
health to consider as well>

I had a little horse that foundered last winter {very severe :o( } and found
that she was actually much more comfortable out on soft grass. She would
move around (even trying to canter) quite a bit even with very sever
rotation and sinking in both fronts. It was amazing watching her try to
hobble down the concrete aisle of the barn and then trot off to the far end
of the (small) turn out area. She seemed to prefer outside rain or shine
(and I live in the NorthWet region) to the stall even with its deep bedding.
She also thoroughly enjoyed the company of children (that was her job in
life) and seemed to perk up when they were around.

Good luck,

Carla