LESSONS LEARNED: AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH THE AAEP PAST PRESIDENTS
fetlock support horseshoe for 1 to 2 months during a recommended period of stall rest. The fetlock support shoe, which requires experi-
ence and skill for proper construction, was designed as a bar shoe with toe clips, an extended heel (3–5 cm), and two hex nuts welded to the heel extension. Two support rods were designed and measured with a length to reach just past the level of the fetlock for each horse. The rods were welded together near the shoe and inserted into the hex nuts. A setscrew in the side of the hex nut was used to keep rods from moving. This allows the rods to be removed for management of the bandage, which is needed for padding (Fig. 4). A support wrap with several lay- ers of sheet cotton was applied from the coronary band to the proximal metacarpus/metatarsus. An elastic adhesive bandageb was wrapped from side to side around the support rods and positioned tightly to support the fetlock when the horse bears weight on the limb. An alternative is the use of rubber tubing around the supports to provide more flexibil- ity during weight-bearing. The brace can be left open or covered with a light bandage placed to cover the support rods, which allow the fetlock to flex during walking without any pressure on the limb. Adequate padding on the limb is required to prevent pressure sores on the back of the fetlock.
3. Results
Fig. 1. Horseshoe with extended heels and a support brace (A) is designed to have a leather strap between the bars to support the fetlock as it descends in extension (B).1
Seven horses with excessive rear fetlock dorsiflexion and chronic suspensory ligament desmopathy were treated with a fetlock support shoe and rest. Three of six horses with proximal suspensory ligament desmopathy were treated with desmoplasty/fas-
Fig. 2. Dorsal splint (A) was successful in increasing the pastern angle during full weight-bearing but resulted in pressure sores on the back of the fetlock (B).
