atlantis
Well-Known Member
Lottie has been barefoot since just before I bought her Nov 2014. She had very 'sick' feet and had terrible central sulcus thrush last winter, worse in front feet. Lots of dark evenings scrubbing her feet and applying all sorts of potions. This together with increasing exercise in a barefoot rehab sort of way helped get rid of it. I spent last summer hacking on all sorts of surfaces and she's never really had a lame step. Pretty much rock crunching really.
She is fed ad lib soaked hay, out in the day ATM. Out 24/7 last summer muzzled during the day with soaked hay at night. Fed hifi molasses free to carry her minerals and freestep lamalert as she has ems. She dropped a bit of weight at the beginning of the winter but this has plateaued and she still has a slight fat pad behind her shoulders, but it's much softer and she has no real crest. I was hoping to get her weight down more. I am trying to exercise her as much as I can but have struggled due to work before Christmas. She is being clipped next week as is hairy and I've upped the work since the new year.
The slight worry is that her feet, whilst much much better in shape etc, have developed rings a little over the winter. Well tbh they have always had them but I felt down today and there is one ring more noticeable, near the top. Also out hacking today she had a slightly short step or two when standing Ona stone.
Current turnout is basically mud, so wet feet but they don't seem soft and the thrush hasn't really come back at all!! There is some grass and it must be growing as it must be everywhere at the moment (my garden thinks it's spring). I don't think I can muzzle as there isn't enough grass and she'd get nothing to eat. I want her out she still enjoys the social side of things and for movement. They could have hay in the field.
So if you have managed to read all of this waffle... Would you change anything other than continuing to up her workload. I really really want her weight down more. Will do more fast work once she is clipped.
Sorry no pics but can take some tomorrow.
She is fed ad lib soaked hay, out in the day ATM. Out 24/7 last summer muzzled during the day with soaked hay at night. Fed hifi molasses free to carry her minerals and freestep lamalert as she has ems. She dropped a bit of weight at the beginning of the winter but this has plateaued and she still has a slight fat pad behind her shoulders, but it's much softer and she has no real crest. I was hoping to get her weight down more. I am trying to exercise her as much as I can but have struggled due to work before Christmas. She is being clipped next week as is hairy and I've upped the work since the new year.
The slight worry is that her feet, whilst much much better in shape etc, have developed rings a little over the winter. Well tbh they have always had them but I felt down today and there is one ring more noticeable, near the top. Also out hacking today she had a slightly short step or two when standing Ona stone.
Current turnout is basically mud, so wet feet but they don't seem soft and the thrush hasn't really come back at all!! There is some grass and it must be growing as it must be everywhere at the moment (my garden thinks it's spring). I don't think I can muzzle as there isn't enough grass and she'd get nothing to eat. I want her out she still enjoys the social side of things and for movement. They could have hay in the field.
So if you have managed to read all of this waffle... Would you change anything other than continuing to up her workload. I really really want her weight down more. Will do more fast work once she is clipped.
Sorry no pics but can take some tomorrow.
very targetted pressure on a hard unmoving surface. I suspect that winter/wetness/lack of work just hasn't been as great for her feet as you managed in the summer 
.