# Question on way overgrown hooves



## snowshoehair

I remember a thread here once, but maybe the Big Crash deleted it. Anyway, I have a friend at a rescue who has taken in a donkey. His name is Richie and he's a sweet boy, but his poor little feetsies have been neglected forever. Brenda has been slowly working on his hooves and has gotten to a point where it looks close to normal... but they are just flat and smooth on the bottoms. She hasn't found a frog or sole yet. They plan to sedate Richie to do some other work on him and she wants to work on his feet then, but this is the worst case she has seen. 

I remember reading here how someone had been working on their horse's one foot and took a layer off which revealed a new frog and sole ... sort of a freaky thing and I think it was an abscess issue to begin with. Maybe it was one of our farrier friends here? I was wondering if there is anyone here that can offer any ideas or insight?


----------



## malinda

Severely overgrown hooves are best dealt with by trimming them back as far as possible the first time. Hoof distortions breed more distortions, and by only taking a little off at a time, you are doing the animal a great disservice.

This is a donk I trimmed a few years ago. Even on her severely overgrown hooves, you can see the frog and sole (though it's pointing up!!).


----------



## snowshoehair

That's what Richie's feet looked like, too. He's somewhere around 10 years old and they doubt his feet have ever been worked on. She realizes it's best to get them back to normal as quickly as possible, but they've only had him for about a week and have been working on getting his trust and finding out what they can do with him. The previous owners probably spent very little time with Richie, and while he is sweet, he still needed to learn to let people handle his feet and such.

This is where she has him at right now:
Right front









Left front


----------



## Tiempo

Lori, I'm with Malinda completely. 

You hear said all the time that you have to go slowly with these neglect cases, but I don't agree. Bad form follows bad form, so you need as good a base as possible for any new growth to 'follow'. If you use Malinda's pics as a guideline, you'll be ok 

I will say Richie's feet look very dry. If you give them a long soak, or turn him out where it's soggy for a couple of hours before trimming, it will be much easier to find where his hoof form 'belongs'.

BTW that was me that posted the pictures you are referring to, it was a QH post sub solar abscess. Very interesting, but quite different than an overgrown donk.

Good luck with Richie, I'm glad he's now in a place where he'll get the care he deserves!


----------



## Tiempo

PS Don't be surprised if you see bloody areas in the sole as you work through the extra material, it's very common in these cases - you can see some in Malinda's pics.

The pressure on the circumflex artery from all the over gown material causes blood and serum to ooze down through the layers, sometimes I find that a bloody layer will trim right away and be clean underneath, but you need an experienced eye to know when to stop 

I worked on such a one just yesterday, but I stupidly forgot to bring my camera


----------



## Tiempo

Here are the pics of the horse with the sole shedding


----------



## wr

For those who may not be aware, Tiemp is one of 2 farriers who are gracious enough to allow us to benefit from the knowledge and experience. 

Tiempo, as always, your input is greatly appreciated.


----------



## Tiempo

Aw, thanks hon..any time  Malinda is very good too!~


----------



## RideBarefoot

thanks for the camera reminder, Tiempo, I'm doing an overgrown donk tomorrow- camera is going in the truck right now...


----------



## wr

I stand corrected, make that 3 farriers and all are quite qualified. 

RideBarefoot, it would be great to see your before and after photos too.


----------



## RideBarefoot

no problem, wr...I probably don't pop in as often as the other ladies

I'd love to have video footage, hmmm, maybe I can wangle a favor from someone with a video camera..


----------



## wr

Holy wow, I should probably stop posting at work and I just hate excluding anybody or maybe I'll just continue to keep sticking my foot in my mouth. 

I must not have had sufficient coffee this morning or I woulda been able to read that malinda had posted her photos. All three are farriers and have contrubuted greatly to our group and I would like it very much if they forgave me for having a moment of senility.


----------



## bergere

Good grief.. I just don't understand why people let their horses hooves get like that? 
Those are some scary photos, but great to see wonderful people making things better for those animals.

With Stjarna.. two of her hooves were half the size of the others. So when she did get trims, the person doing it really didn't know what they were doing. Have 3 more trims to go before all are the same size and normal.


----------



## snowshoehair

Thanks for the advice everyone. I knew this would be a good place to ask questions!

Brendaâs really not trying to go slow with the trimming. Richie just hasnât had anyone handle him or his feet for so longâ¦ heâs pretty much been a pasture ornament. She could only get him to cooperate for short periods while gaining his trust and before his knees started to hurt him. Heâs maybe 10 years old, but Iâm sure walking around on those slippers are what made his knees painful. The vet will be out on Monday so they can float his teeth, look him over real good, and with some sedation, the two of them will go looking for his frogs. 

Tiempo, your pictures are just as amazing as when I saw them the first timeâ¦ I looked at them with my mouth hanging open for over an hour! So, if Iâm hearing this right, there probably isnât going to be a plane where the overgrown hoof can be separated from the sole and frog? It will be a matter of just trimming and trimming? Thanks for the tip about soaking his feet. I think they may have some water standing around with the snow meltâ¦ 

Oh, these are Richieâs back feet. 










And this is his sweet face getting scritched:


----------



## malinda

His soles and frogs are visible in your pics. It probably would be best for your friend to have a farrier out the same time as the vet. Since the donkey is not good about being handled just yet, sedating him is a great idea for a first trim. Sedation makes the experience easier for everyone, and I've found that fearful horses get over it quicker because nobody gets upset.

His hoof will not peel off like the horse with the abscess - that is something different altogether. His hooves are not really long at all, one trim is all it will take for him to be back to normal.

Bergere, I'm certain that donkey in my pics again looks like her "before" pics. I trimmed her once more after the first trim, then the people canceled their appointment and I never heard from them again. Unfortunately, that is what seems to happen with 95% of the neglect cases I've come across. Other farriers in the area have the same story. Sometimes we have all trimmed the same neglected animal - but years apart!


----------



## RideBarefoot

Yup, malinda, the one I'm seeing this morning is the same one I posted on before! I think it was last summer (!!!) I took him way back, then haven't seen him again. The HORSE TRAINER owner said he didn't have time.....aaaarrrrgggghhhhh.....

Snowshoehair, he looks adorable!! THat's a cute scritchin' picture of Ritchie!
Hope all goes well on Monday, and his back feet look great


----------



## snowshoehair

Thanks Malinda. That would be good to get a farrier out, and Brenda appreciates the suggestion to soak his feet. I donât think it had occurred to her because he has rain rot and some abrasion on his legs so sheâs been trying to keep him dry. I think I can see sole in his pics now that Iâve looked at yours and soaking would probably make everything easier to see. I think I remember her saying that someone cut the ends of his slippers off before they moved him because they didnât think he could stand on a hard trailer floor. They looked like this when she got him:










At least heâs very friendly and he hit it off with her mini donk right away. Sheâs able to do more and more with him every day and while grooming him the other day, she found out he loves to be scratched on his tail. She can see it in his face how much he loves a tail scratch and his tail sticks straight outâ¦.it drops when she stops and comes back up when she starts again! Picture that!


----------



## lamoncha lover

disqusting people............i can't even understand such stupidity.


----------



## farmergirl

lamoncha lover said:


> disqusting people............i can't even understand such stupidity.


Agreed. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be a member of the human race :stars:


----------



## DoxieMom

I just adopted a standard jenny today with this same problem. I told DH as we were bringing her home, "I will look on the HT board and see if I can find some information and advise..." Sure enough, my search brought me straight to this thread. I love this board!! :clap: Now to find a farrier in my area...


----------



## GrannyCarol

BTW, how is Richie doing now with his feet? Sure an adorable guy.


----------



## jill.costello

golly, i would LOVE to see exrays of Ritchie's feet! I LOVE seeing the inside; where the coffin bone is, etc, to ease my mind that although it LOOKS horrifically painful, that not all is lost if the alignment is semi-OK.....


----------



## DoxieMom

FWIW, here are some pics of my donkey, Hope's, hooves. She was a last minute addition at the sale barn Saturday. She cost $15.00. 

The farrier will be here within the hour to work on her. I hope she appreciates it.


----------



## bluebird2o2

I wish we had a lady farrier.We have a mare that was badly beaten by a man she doesnt trust men now.I dont know if i can get her too trust men again.I would love too turn the guy in but all i have is a guy that saw the abuse but he wont do anything.She lets me or my daughter work with her feet.


----------



## jill.costello

Doxiemom, how'd it go?!?!? Love an update!


----------



## DoxieMom

jill.costello said:


> Doxiemom, how'd it go?!?!? Love an update!


Weeeeellllll, it went fine. We didn't have to sedate her this time, and he only worked on her front hooves. Her back hooves are not bad at all compared to the front. He said it's going to be a long process with a 50/50 chance. He wants to make her some special shoes and try to reshape her foot. He said it looked as if her hooves had been hack-sawed which might explain the flat surface. It's not going to be real cheap, but he took pity on us and said he'd work with us. 

Left hoof:








Right hoof:


----------



## jill.costello

Still working on this? I guess I'm a frustrated farrier at heart! I'd be one if I didn't have such a strong mind! (giggle) Sorry, farriers! You know what they say: in order to be a farrier, you have to have a strong back and a weak mind!!


----------

