Dealing with Founder Using the EponaShoe

When to Use the EponaShoe

We have been involved with dozens of founder cases for which we have had success with use of the EponaShoe. Like anything, there is a time and place for its use, as we will describe here. With any founder case, an approach we suggest is:

• Check for and deal with any metabolic problems if possible,
• Get past the “active” or “acute” phase (using whatever methods you can to stabilize the foot (e.g. styrofoam blocks, etc),
• Take radiographs and assess the overall situation,
• Next, use the EponaShoe as a basis for getting the horse comfortable, and working towards re-establishing a normal stance and bone alignment.

Rationale for the EponaShoe on Founder Cases

Flexible shoes make sense in treating founder cases for the following reasons:

• They shock absorb and make the horse more comfortable
• A more comfortable horse moves more, and this is beneficial in not allowing the tendons and muscles to atrophy further, and to start rehabilitation
• The plastic wears easier than metal, so the horse (or you) can adjust the various bevels (at the toe and also lateral-medial sides) as needed
• The shoe does not inhibit flexing of the hoof, and so aids in normal hoof function to pump blood, bringing nutrients to help rebuild damaged walls. Reduces the need for resection.
• Since they are softer than any metal shoe, there is less chance of causing a hard pressure point to any region of the sole.

The EponaShoe in particular promotes a greater percentage of weight being borne on the frog and caudal portion of the foot – thanks to it’s built in frog support and pad. This is a primary benefit to the foundered horse, whose dorsal hoof wall may be compromised and should bear somewhat less than normal weight. The “EponaShoe System” employs the use of a 2-part silicon packing around the frog to make sure that load is transferred to the shoe. Careful placement of this packing can allow the farrier to selectively load or un-load various regions of the foot.

Finally, the EponaShoe is unique among flexible shoes in that it was designed with gluability in mind – the EponaShoe can be glued or nailed (or both). For most founder cases we have addressed, we have used the glue-on method for the EponaShoe. If the hoof is not so bad, or as it starts to recover and the horse can move more, we add a few nails to the glue. Later, on the sound and healthy horse, the EponaShoe may simply be nailed on like a conventional shoe.

Packing & Glueing the EponaShoe

Here we give a quick synopsis of how to pack and glue with the EponaShoe. A more complete document is available at www.eponashoe.com.

Figure 1 shows our technique of packing around the frog, and flattening this packing.

Figure 1: Let the horse stand to flatten the packing.

The EponaShoe is easily beveled as need be for the situation, as shown below in figure 2.

Figure 2: Bevel the EponaShoe as needed. It can also be “set back” quite far on the foot without danger of a pressure point on the sole (thanks to built-in pad).

Figure 3: Liberal amount of glue put onto the shoe

Figure 4: Place the shoe quickly over the hoof and packing. Don’t press too hard at first.

Figure 5: Packing can be added (if desired) to seal the central opening, and at the bulbs.

The Basics of Using the EponaShoe for Foundered Horses

Figure 6 shows a synopsis of a typical use of glued-on EponaShoe for a founder case. In this case a now 22-year old TB mare. She has been continuously in glued-on plastic shoes now for nearly five years now!

Figure 6: Original condition; after several months in EponaShoe: trimed, then shod.

The use of glue (and we recommend the acrylic Equi-Bond glue) is literally a life saver for some of these cases. Look at the situations that are dealt with by using the glue-on shoe, and building up with extra glue as the case needs…

Figure 7: Frontal view of a problem of missing wall and descended sole. Fixed with glue.

In figure 7, and similar cases, one must take care to assess the situation and apply some common sense. A method we often use is to add some additional pad or cushion material between the shoe and the sole. Another thing we have done -- by having the shoe “raised on the glue” to leave a small air-gap between shoe and sole when the foot is unloaded.

Dealing with Abcesses

As mentioned at the top of this article, we apply the EponaShoe after the “active” or “acute” phase of laminitis has been stabilized. We do not advocate covering open abcesses or other such problems with the glue-on system. However, figure 8 below shows that we can use the glue carefully when open abcesses need to be dealt with.

Figure 8: This shows two different cases in which an abcess near the toe was left uncovered, while the glue could still be used to affix the shoe, and the horse could bear most of it’s weight on the caudal portion of the foot. Medicated gauze can be inserted and removed in such an opening.

Result: Happy Horses and Happy Clients

Figure 9: Horse (of figure 7) today is happy.

For more information, we have several articles at our web-site, including:

"Shoeing Founder with Plastic Shoes" by Monique Craig, EponaShoe Inc.

which appeared (in slightly edited form) in the American Farriers Journal (Sep/Oct 2005 issue) and the European Farriers Journal (issue #116, 2005).

www.eponashoe.com (805) 239-3505