white line disease

[seldom (dick renker)]

Ok folks, here we go.

My wife is managing a theraputic riding stable and is haveing problems with the walls separating and giving a very loose indication of white line disease. Vets confirmed or indicated it is not. At present the farrier leaves the sole untouched when trimming, no cupping and the bars full. The horses are bare foot 99 percent of the time.

45 years ago my training as a farrier said to clean and cup the sole and clean up the bars.

Anybody have any ideas on how to handle this?

Thanks

Seldom (Dick Renker) 

[Charles R. Stevens]

White line disease as I understand it is a fungal/bacterial attack of the inner hoof. That is the outer half of the hoof wall (the pigmented part) is harder than the inner half of the hoof wall (the half closest to the lama/white line) is attached and becomes a chalky/spungy. The only way I know how to deal with it is to respect the hoof, removing the outer hoof over the infected inner hoof, the knee hoof will just brush away. Don’t take out any health hoof. Treat with coppertox and sunlight.

now if it isn’t white line disease we would manage it differently. Laminitis comes to mind. And I have encounters an unadinified prosses where the sole becomes inflamed and sluffed off. Vetts and other farriers had no idea. I have seen about a dozen of cases of this. 

Pictures would help me. There are at leasst 3 other farriers here who I would trust with my horses. So we should be able to help you.

[seldom (dick renker)]

thanks Charles. so far this not anything that i have come against in the 15 years or so of shoeing. so is interesting, confirmed not white line disease or laminitus. will see if i can get pics.

 

[Charles R. Stevens]

It will help.

I have seen seen some funky stuff over the years. False sole and  the bars grown over the soles will give you fits, especialy in king ranch bread horses (tell me again how there is no Morgan blood in that line...) 

Blending the bars and exfoliating the sole is a judgement call. I am rather conservative about it but as we have been breeding for everything but good feet for the last 100 years a little intervention is needed. Tho honestly I see over application of the hoof knife than under.

 

 

 

[seldom (dick renker)]

Charles, i'm a bit embarassed right now. After seeing the pics myself for the first time, not anything like described. Needs to be shod to give hoof time to heal and get quarter crack under control. No drastic desease here, just a farrier that needs to do the job he is paid for. I dont normally knock another farrier but this really ticked me off.

Dick

[Charles R. Stevens]

I would like to see the pictures, profetinal curiosity and all.

 

[seldom (dick renker)]

I will get them to you at some point charles. right now the pics are in new York and I'm in mass for the foreseeable future.

[jlpservicesinc]

I"m curious too..  Not sure about where Charles is with the fungus thing in his area, but around here and nearly all the New England states there is a fungi going around, started about 5 or 6 years ago coming up from down south.. It starts as a little yellowish powder.. It only feeds on dead tissue so see it with shod feet it can destroy a hoof.. ON barefoot horses it can be a nusance on some horses others it plays havoc when it starts to chew into  the white line..

White line disease is not recognized by 99% of the Vets..     Seedy toe is..   If a hoof is left to tall above the sole it can start to peel as a natural exfolation function.. This can leave a ring in the water line  that looks like an infection or white line though I am sure you know what the white line is..