Home
News
New to barefoot?
Barefoot Stories
When you want the shoes off
FAQs
*NEW! Barefoot Rehabilitation Centre
Environment Ideas
Resources & Support
Practical Horsemanship
Clicker Training
About Us

Bambi

Function despite form. When trimming is influenced by Cushings Disease.

Bambi in her Equicasts.

The trim approach can make a massive difference to a horse's comfort, but for a very few horses with metabolic conditions even a very light trim can result in a painful response. Bambi is 14 years old, and was diagnosed with early onset Cushings disease two years previously. She would be unwilling to move from her soft bed for up to three weeks after trimming, and her owners were concerned for her quality of life.

When Anni first went to see her she was concerned that the previous trim had been too invasive, however this wasn't the case, rather the opposite in fact. Knowing the pony's reaction, the farrier had been very conservative.

Several factors needed to be balanced in this situation. Anni could see that the feet needed to have a change of trim approach, the heels were very high and the toes stretching away from P3 with a large lamellar wedge present. Understanding that the pain was probably due to hoof imbalance and Bambi's metabolic condition, Anni decided to use new technology and cast the front feet after the first trim.

Equicast is a new product that allows us to balance the foot to enable improved circulation, whilst protecting a sensitive sole and frog. It is a little like a very hard sticky bandage, wrapped around the hoof, with a custom made pad of soft impression material underneath constantly supporting and stimulating the sole. When a horse has hoof sensitivity, thin soles, or requires a period of respite through laminitis or when shoes are removed, applying pads and casts can be really effective.

For Bambi it allowed her to go out without pain straight after her trim, and increase the amount of movement she could manage. She could hold her own in the herd again, and her owners hand walked her and managed her diet to minimise sugar intake.

Anni left the casts on for four and a half weeks. The feet underneath whilst flaky with defoliating sole, were more functional, and Bambi could move well even without casts.

Left: Straight after casts removed. Right: After trim