Pedal Osteitis: shoeing methods verses homeopathic nonsense.

Although usually concussion related, pedal osteitis is not always the result of concussion. Other causes include puncture wounds, infection, heredity and nutrition.

Over the years, I've shod several hundred horses diagnosed with pedal osteitis. All were lame and showed radiographic evidence of P3 demineralization. In those cases in which pedal osteitis was not a symptom of another condition (esp. laminitis, navicular syndrome), I had varying degrees of favorable response to palliative shoeing measures: balanced trimming; wide web, seated out shoes, hard (polyurethane) pads; rubber, soft acrylic or silicone (catalyzed w. benzoyl peroxide) packing, etc. Overall, I did nothing new or worthy of note to any veterinary farrier. This stuff is plain-jane, palliative farriery and has proven effective in treating the symptoms of pedal osteitis over the last 30-odd years.

A careful reader will note the absence of magnets and holistic remedies in this methodology.

Should any True Believer choose to dispute the Tried and True, I have an easily conducted little experiment in mind. Apply whatever magnets and holistic folderol is trendy at the moment to one foot; nail a wide-web shoe with a hard polyurethane pad and soft packing on the other.

Let me know which foot Dobbin limps on.