A question for the "Barefoot Taliban"!

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loverly

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I took my horse's shoes off on the 15th December as he isn't in work due to some problems so thought I'd try giving barefoot a go.

However, he is severely uncomfortable even on soft ground. Regularly trips, refuses to move and does not track up. He is not at all happy and I'm coming to the point of putting shoes back on (have text farrier). What should I do?

Just to point out, the I do not want to add extra pain/discomfort to a horse that needs to heal, so rational answers please :)
 
I'd speak to your farrier. He shouldnt be tripping barefoot. Maybe he just need a trim,maybe needs shoeing.Tell your farrier you would like to ride him shoeless, discuss the matter with him. He is trained and knowledgeable.
 
Horsesforever1 said:
I'd speak to your farrier. He shouldnt be tripping barefoot. Maybe he just need a trim,maybe needs shoeing.Tell your farrier you would like to ride him shoeless, discuss the matter with him. He is trained and knowledgeable.
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Agree with this he shouldnt be tripping my old man being BF didnt work out 3 years ago he was pretty footy from the get go but hes better this time round :)

Speak to your farrier :)
 
All mine are barefoot, if this was one I had just taken the shoes off and they were this uncomfortable I would ask my vets opinion. If he is already dealing with another problem now may not be the best time for trying barefoot, good luck with what you decide :-)
 
Regularly tripping?? That would be a vet question to me not a farrier one, unless he tripped with shoes on too. Unless you know your farrier sees to barefoot horses, and have seen the results yourself Id be wary relying too much on his opinion. Tis far better to arm yourself with knowledge and trust your gut.

Diet is key to barefoot so post up what youre feeding. Have you got any pics of his feet?

What symptoms are making you think he is severely uncomfortable? What is his hoof health like with shoes?

Id advise against putting shoes on if he is as sore as you say he is - can you imagine how much nails going in there at the point is gonna hurt :eek:
 
He is fed Healthy Hoof with a tendon/joint supplement. Gets adlib hay.

This is the thread that shows his hooves last winter at their worst http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=503480

This is them the day the shoes were pulled (I have tried to resize them so they're not huge)
Off Hind-
OffHind.jpg

OffHindSole.jpg


Off Fore-
OffFore.jpg

OffForeSole.jpg


Near Hind-
NearHind.jpg

NearHindSole.jpg


Near Fore-
NearFore.jpg

NearForeSole.jpg
 
My mare is ok behind but can't manage without fronts. I won't force her through it while I pee about with diet and wait for her to adjust. She's 32 ffs so deserves her dignity not to stumble, yes unbelievers, stumble, about in discomfort. I think they stumble where they are trying to get weight off sore foot quickly but then the other one hurts just as much.
 
TigerTail said:
Regularly tripping?? That would be a vet question to me not a farrier one, unless he tripped with shoes on too. Unless you know your farrier sees to barefoot horses, and have seen the results yourself Id be wary relying too much on his opinion. Tis far better to arm yourself with knowledge and trust your gut.

Diet is key to barefoot so post up what youre feeding. Have you got any pics of his feet?

What symptoms are making you think he is severely uncomfortable? What is his hoof health like with shoes?

Id advise against putting shoes on if he is as sore as you say he is - can you imagine how much nails going in there at the point is gonna hurt :eek:
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I'm thinking of getting a proper barefoot trimmer to see his hooves, can a trim make a difference?

I did see the farrier file down the soles, which after I looked into it a bit more, I should have told him to stop.

His hoof health in shoes weren't particularly good - always in lateral supports because of the "long toe / low heel" thing going on.

I honestly haven't thought of the nails going into his sore hooves- thankyou for pointing it out.

I'm going to have to do a lot of reading on barefootedness as I was brought up with "if you want to ride a horse, you shoe it" so pretty much no nothing :confused:
 
My farrier, who is also a barefoot trimmer, pulled the shoes off my old lad a few weeks ago.

He actually did not trim or file his feet at that time. He left them for him to get used to being barefoot before he took anything off them at all.

It seems to have worked, the old lad is fine.

The last time I tried it a few years ago the farrier trimmed him and he hobbled about for a couple of weeks until I gave up and had him shod again.
 
Soles have been thinned too much. I'm sorry, he will get more comfortable soon, but he needs TLC right now. Hoof pads, or wraps would be ideal for a few weeks to ease his transition. Nice basic shape feet though, so they should make nice barefeet once this period is passed.
 
As you're in Devon, why not ring Rockley Farm and see if they can recommend someone in your area to come and have a look? I would do as Andalucian says and make his bare feet comfortable to give his hooves some time to recover a bit. A good trimmer would visit to assess the situation and discuss hoof care and diet. (Note I'm not saying "barefoot trimmer", just a good recommended trimmer). I know boots might seem expensive, but they aren't really if you compare to the cost of shoeing, particularly if you only need a pair.
How old is he? Tripping might not be down to his feets, so if you can make sure that he's not feeling footsore and he still trips, maybe get the vet to check him over.
 
the diet is far more important than the trim, once youve got some one doing a good trim, whether that be a good farrier or a bf trimmer. You can get crap ones of both ;)

I think your farrier messed the job up by trimming the poor things soles. Not only are those bits not used to being in contact with the ground, hes also filed off the hardened skin so to speak so youve got new soft stuff hitting the ground as well as his brain trying to cope with the change. I wouldnt be getting them trimmed for a good 8 to 12 weeks unless he has massive amounts of flare.

Where abouts are you? We might be able to recommend you a trimmer.

The best thing is to get him more comfortable, to do that his feet need chance to develop and to do that they need stimulating. So whether you do it with hoof boots, or tape pads on, he needs taking out, short walks in hand would be ideal just 5/10 mins to start with and build it up slowly. Id offer him some hawthorn (not black) and willow branches as natural anti inflammatories and pain killers in case he feels he needs them.

Those saying they couldnt cope seeing their horses hobbling about - you do realise all you did was put a shoe on top of a compromised hoof and mask the actual problem?! And that you had nails banged into sore tissue? That is not and should not be the answer due to lack of understanding
 
loverly said:
I did see the farrier file down the soles, which after I looked into it a bit more, I should have told him to stop.
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Your farrier has probably lamed your horse, not barefoot.

But abscesses are a sign that his diet may not be right for him. Check out low sugar/low carb/high fibre diet advice, there is plenty on other threads.

If you are in a livery yard with people criticising you, have the shoes put back on. Get his diet low sugar/high fibre and wait for 6 weeks until he needs new shoes and then have them taken off again, but do not let that farrier trim his soles.
 
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I'd persevere and not shoe, oh and change to a barefoot trimmer - pronto.

You've come this far, just get through this difficult period and don't ride until the lameness has passed. I'd also try a bit of bute to ease the discomfort during the transition
 
Was going to say those soles look thin. Second everyone who said sort out diet... And also boots and pads. He should be much more comfortable and call Lucy x
 
I was just about to have one of our ponys shoes(fronts only) taken off and try to improve his feet but he has had an accident and ripped one off and damaged his hoof so have arranged for farrier to come and reshoe. I was thinking of buying hoof boots as a more natural way of helping him during the summer. None of my other ponies have any shoes on and I would much rather not shoe if poss. I was wondering if boots during the summer to help with concussion when he is working on grass
 
Santa Paws said:
Your farrier has probably lamed your horse, not barefoot.

But abscesses are a sign that his diet may not be right for him. Check out low sugar/low carb/high fibre diet advice, there is plenty on other threads.
....... do not let that farrier trim his soles.
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^^^^^this, imho the feet should be fed for growth and the horse exercised for health, regardless of whether you later shoe, it is better to wait for nature to heal these feet. I would get another farrier or a trimmer.
 
Loving the "barefoot taliban"!!!! :D

Agree with the others, take a good look at his diet and sort that out. He needs to grow good hoof and diet is the main factor in this.
If you can afford some, I would get him some hoof boots to take some pressure off his soles.
 
maree t said:
I was just about to have one of our ponys shoes (fronts only) taken off and try to improve his feet but he has had an accident and ripped one off and damaged his hoof so have arranged for farrier to come and reshoe. I was thinking of buying hoof boots as a more natural way of helping him during the summer. None of my other ponies have any shoes on and I would much rather not shoe if poss. I was wondering if boots during the summer to help with concussion when he is working on grass
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I don't think many people use boots when working on grass, they use them when riding out on harsh tracks. The gels pads will absorb concussion due to individual stones on the sole, I find that on the roads [where I do most of my work in winter], it is noticeable that the barefoot allows the horse to use its natural concussion absorbing methods including flexion of the leg.
The farrier will probably want to shoe the damaged hoof, but you can consider allowing them to heal naturally if he is not in work, it depends how sore he is and so on. The nail holes will take a while to grow though, either way.
 
loverly said:
I'm thinking of getting a proper barefoot trimmer to see his hooves, can a trim make a difference?
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This is a great idea.You will get diet and management advice from a good one.
With the repeated ripples on the hoof I'd say diet and possibly thin soles will be factors in his discomfort. Get Lucy or Nic! :D

More reading at some point. http://www.hoofrehab.com/hoof articles by Pete Ramey.htm

If you decide to continue barefoot you are embarking on a steep learning curve, I wish you the best. Getting a good hoof care professional to support you can mean a big difference in your stress levels and your horses comfort.
 
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Spotsrock said:
My mare is ok behind but can't manage without fronts. I won't force her through it while I pee about with diet and wait for her to adjust. She's 32 ffs so deserves her dignity not to stumble, yes unbelievers, stumble, about in discomfort. I think they stumble where they are trying to get weight off sore foot quickly but then the other one hurts just as much.
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No one has suggested your mare should be barefoot just for the sake of it, if she is comfortable as she is, then stick to it, I assume if you have had her for a while she is already on a suitable diet. I think the OP was advised to improve her diet because of the abcesses which are not normal and indicate a problem which needs to be addressed.
 
miss l toe
sorry not trying to hijack the thread but.....
he is in hard work and due for some important dressage comps but he does get very sore in front during the summer which is why I had him shod. He is kept on grass and hay with a feed balancer and is a good doer and healthy , just wondered if using the boots which say they help with concussion during the summer might be the answer I would much prefer them all unshod if I can get him comfortable which is most important
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Horsesforever1
He shouldnt be tripping barefoot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Festive Beastie
he shouldnt be tripping

Quote:
Originally Posted by fat-pud-with-bells-on
He should also not be tripping, regardless of shoes.


I don't agree with these comments. When I had Mollie's fronts taken off (she was already "bare" behind) she was footie for a while. On stoney ground she stumbled and tripped all the time.

I agree with this ^^^
He will trip and stumble if his feet are sore.
Once you take the shoes off it takes a long time (months) before the feet harden up enough to cope without shoes. I have seen horse lame even on grass only when shoes are first taken off.

If he has abcesses these need properly treating/draining with vet support (your farrier could help but they aren't really supposed to cut down into soft tissue - only the vet can do that).
 
maree t said:
miss l toe
sorry not trying to hijack the thread but.....
he is in hard work and due for some important dressage comps but he does get very sore in front during the summer which is why I had him shod. He is kept on grass and hay with a feed balancer and is a good doer and healthy , just wondered if using the boots which say they help with concussion during the summer might be the answer I would much prefer them all unshod if I can get him comfortable which is most important
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Summer grass can be as hard as concrete because there is not enough moisture in the soil, and any un-eveness will affect the feet adversely, but in winter it tends to be softer. just like the "going" at a racecourse, where the soil conditions will make the going anything from unraceable due to deep going, to heavy, to good, to firm, to unraceable due to hard going. I would use your boots where necessary, and do regular road work [walk] to self-trim, harden ligaments and keep in condition.
 
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