Advice pls - barefoot Taliban!

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the shadster

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Hi everyone, first post been lurking for a while, particularly interested in the barefoot threads!
I have a 16.2 TB with typically bad TB feet! He is currently fed d&h alfalfa, kwikbeet, formula4feet, salt, big glug of oil & naf devils relief. Up until recently his feet have been reasonable but with this years changeable weather they hav deteriorated massively to the point where I've now decided to take the plunge & try barefoot. Quite a few yrs ago I had his shoes off all summer when I recovered from an injury & his feet were the best they'v ever been. I know there's a clue in there someone! Hence I want to try it, and i want to do it properly right from the start. Also he is a shiverer and is becoming increasingly difficult to shoe behind so I figure now is the time to give it my best shot.
So badly need diet advice. Thinking I need to change to unmollased alfalfa, possibly even cut that out if he remains footy? Mag ox, yea sacc, micronised linseed to maintain condition (he's not a good doer) salt & hoof boots to help with the transition? I've read so many threads that it's all become a bit frazzled!
Also i understand u need to watch the sugars in grass, they are currently grazed on long established meadow grass & fed meadow hay in winter turned out 24/7 for all but the darkest winter months when they come in overnight. I also have a 4yo tb as well and if I can crack this would be lovely to think he can be happy & barefoot too!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated x
 
My three are all barefoot, the main points I've picked up seem to be

Don't expect them to be perfect straight away

Results are often better/quicker if the shoes are removed at the start of autumn/winter as the ground is softer for the start of the transition

Keep all sugars to a minimum, though I've not seen any evidence a lot of people reckon alfalfa makes their horse footy so may be better avoided

Adding magnesium helps so does zinc, sodium is also useful as it helps the uptake of magnesium

Regular trims from a good farrier/trimmer

Build work up slowly possibly using hoof boots until new stronger hoof has grown down
 
All the above, plus if footy and especially as the weather is causing havoc with a lot of horses feet, bring in during the day ( 10am till 6/7pm later if possible ) with plenty of soaked hay.
 
well firstly welcome to the forum :).

I don't know much as new to it too, bout 11 weeks in now with my 19 yo welsh cob with DJD in one coffin joint.

Can't really help on the feed front as have the opposite problem to your re weight, he is on fastfibre (plus pony nuts cos he won't eat his supplements otherwise :mad:!) and the angloarab is also doing ok on a similar feeding regime. They both get linseed and we had our grazing analysed as we make hay off of it so have tailored minerals.. although I'd be tempted with a pre mix given the mixing that goes on! Frank will flat out not eat his brewers yeast or salt :mad: but will eat the rest (magnesium, zinc, copper, lysine.. think thats it!)

I have a pair of easyboot gloves for in front. They have been a real asset and would def recommend a pair of boots for the transition, it has meant we can keep him moving even if he isn't feeling 100% on his feet.. he struggles in front at bit as has very flat soles. It is quite likely once his foot has grown down all the way that they won't fit but that is what ebay was invented for :D

angle of growth has changed
landing is straighter (he dishes and lands outside edge first on the bad foot)
heel first is getting there.

I did bring a trimmer on board as we aren't surrounded by amazing farriers and although mine had made some good balance changes in shoes I wasn't happy with him trimming for barefoot. I have also had to leave my pony in the charge of my mum due to new job/house move and I am happier her having someone she can speak to and get reassurance from... even on a bank holiday weekend ;) :p (horses have great timing!)
 
ester said:
I did bring a trimmer on board as we aren't surrounded by amazing farriers and although mine had made some good balance changes in shoes I wasn't happy with him trimming for barefoot. I have also had to leave my pony in the charge of my mum due to new job/house move and I am happier her having someone she can speak to and get reassurance from... even on a bank holiday weekend ;) :p (horses have great timing!)
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Sorry going slightly off-topic here..but did you take any courses in farriery? It's just my pony is an absolute royal pain in the as* with the farrier and as he is barefoot i'd like to be able to trim him myself!
 
the shadster said:
I have a 16.2 TB with typically bad TB feet!
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banghead.gif


It's NOT the horse's fault.
flamingmad.gif
:D:D:D

So when you say his hooves have deteriorated - how so?
 
FreddiesGal said:
Sorry going slightly off-topic here..but did you take any courses in farriery? It's just my pony is an absolute royal pain in the as* with the farrier and as he is barefoot i'd like to be able to trim him myself!
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I don't know about farriers but most decent trimmers will happily teach you how to manage the hooves.

Otherwise you can just up, up, up the work and he can trim himself ;)
 
ester said:


to cool you down.

FG no, I am using a UKNHCP trimmer.
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Being a lifelong Arabian fan...truth be told I am a bit racist about TBs. Stupid, overgrown, walking vets bills that they are
whaat.gif
.

But I feel so desperately sorry at the disservice done to them on a regular basis. Many of them walk around on the most horrific hooves and no one bats an eyelid - just because of their breed. It's expected.
shakehead.gif


If we could quash that and people start to demand better hooves on their TB's - it would do more good than I could hope for.

Anyway - rant over and I am fully committed to trying to help the OP with her question.

Just need to know what is 'wrong' with her TB's hooves to know what to advise :)
 
Thank you for your replies, very helpful to hear other people's experiences and get things straight in my head!
Oberon - his feet never seem to grow no matter what he is fed, I've tried pretty much every hoof supplement going, tried to keep his diet as natural as poss, avoid cereals etc. Have also tried the epsm diet to help with his shivers (different supplements) his feet never really improve. With this wet/dry spring his feet hav jus crumbled away below the nail line, he lost a shoe after 5 weeks because there was no decent hoof to hold it on. Im at a loss, is it diet or is it jus the action of shoeing itself that's the cause?
 
Drop the alfalfa, a lot of barefoot horses don't do well on it, the rest of your diet changes sound good. How much time does he spend out on grass? You might need to restrict that quite a bit if he is a sensitive one, as many are. Mine are in during the daytime, or one of them goes almost laminitic.

How much does he move? Is he one of nature's "stand and stare" horses, or does he move about a lot? Movement is essential to get his feet growing, so if he won't do it himself you may find yourself getting very fit taking him out for walks on a lead :D I did miles with a rehab I did, but it worked.
 
I have TB's too, One has been b/f since Jan and now has lovely feet, and one that I pulled the shoes from 8 weeks ago after a navicular diagnosis. Her 'typical TB feet' are now growing like wildfire and she is sound on hard surfaces and 90% sound on everything else. Its hard work and her diet took a bit of tweaking but it got there. I've had to limit her grass intake rather a lot and be strict about exercising her in hand everyday. She has her second trim tomorrow. Her crumbly, flat feet are no longer, and we are very hopeful of her coming back to full work without shoes.

Mine both get fed differently. The mare is on Simple Systems Lucie Nuts (alfalfa) and Timothy Chaff - neither have any molasses - and supplemented with copper, linseed and yeasacc. Her soundness improved drastically after starting this 2 weeks ago. My big orange boy is in full work and has developed cracking feet, he was a little footy this week out hacking but that was after coming in from a field of lush grass so I should have known! He has been put on Saracen Re-leve, molasses free alfalfa chaff and the same supps at the mare plus a selenium and Vit E supp for his muscles.

The trick to hoof growth for my two has been diet and work... you need to walk them and stimulate the hoof, it doesnt grow without work. It's tough when you know they are a bit sore but thats what boots are for :) you must also remember that it takes a while for the circulation in the hoof to return after the shoes are removed and its this circulation that aids hoof growth as far as I know.

Good luck - it's hard work to start with but I can see the benefits now and wouldn't hesitate to do it again, infact I have one turned out at the moment and he will have his shoes pulled as soon as I can :)
 
It takes 9 months or so, according to my lameness book, for new horn to grow on your average horse. So I always think that if you look at 9 months to a happy horse, anything sooner is a huge bonus :)
My horse had her shoes taken off in early Jan and has been without shoes ever since. She isn't worked, because she has been off due to injury (abscess) but her hooves have now started growing really quite quickly (change of diet ((Naf pro feet, high fibre nuts)) and the season I suppose)
Boots will be next and then slow build up of exercise to stimulate new horn - we will be at month 9 in Oct, which is when I'd expect to see her feeling good about her feet :)
 
BoolavogueDC said:
It takes 9 months or so, according to my lameness book, for new horn to grow on your average horse. So I always think that if you look at 9 months to a happy horse, anything sooner is a huge bonus :)
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The average hardworking barefooter is more like 5 to 6. It's one of the marked features of shoes, how much they slow down hoof growth.

Sick hooves can grow even quicker with the right stimulus. If you take a look at the Rockley Farm blog you'll see horses replacing half their foot in the first 6 or 8 weeks.
 
^ wow, I'd love to see new hoof on my mare that quickly, that's what we're patiently waiting for, but the road's been a bit longer due to lameness and non ideal environment :)
 
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