Hudson, my handsome Thoroughbred cross gelding, had been very slightly lame, but only intermittently. These lameness issues can be a long involved saga, so I’ll keep it short.
It appeared the soreness was in the right front. The vet nerve blocked the right front foot to help diagnose where the pain was coming from and he appeared to go better. We did x-rays and ultra sound with no conclusive results. No swelling, no lumps, no bumps. He had many sound days. But it kept reoccurring. Hudson is not comfortable barefoot, and with riding and just moving around his corral, his feet wear down. He needs horseshoes to protect his hooves from wearing down too short.
At the advice of my horseshoer I tried steel shoes with pads, aluminum shoes, and egg bar shoes with and without pads, but no improvement. The egg bars actually made him more uncomfortable. Then we tried EponaShoes.
EponaShoes are not made of steel. They are made of polyurethane material and so the shoe can flex with the hoof, more like a barefoot horse. It also has a softer pad on the sole side to avoid any pressure points on the frog or sole. Eponas also absorb the shock from the ground better than a metal shoe, and so is easier on the horse’s joints. I especially appreciate this benefit when Hudson and I go for long trail rides, and some of the ground is a bit rocky.
After putting EponaShoes on the first time, I took Hudson out and lunged him in an arena and he looked sound and forward. He also looked good on the hard driveway. When I rode him, he felt stronger and had more spring to his trot. I began to remember why I thought this horse could have a dressage career.
I still do not know conclusively what the source of his mild lameness is or was. I do know he is going sound, looks happy, has energy and willingness with lots of go, and I am so thankful. I only wish I had tried EponaShoes sooner.
Action Rider Tack 