alternative to barefoot boots?

Natch

Natch

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.. and don't say shoes! :p

So le ned is 6 weeks shoeless and okay, but still toe first landing. Measured him up for boots and he apparently has feet which are so oddly shaped that no hoof boots will fit them *sigh*. So I was wondering if any of our forum's resident barefooters have any ideas as to something which will make him more comfortable and to be able to land heel first, and so stimulate much needed heel growth?

I'm sure that this post will attract plenty of 'put shoes back on' type of comments. Shoes caused his current problems, and he is no more sound in remedial shoes than without any. The lad is under the attention of a vet, a farrier and is having an experienced barefoot rehab expert out to see him soon.
 
Had a similar problem with OH mare - her fronts were such wildly different sizes that we couldn't fit boots to her because of the different breakover they would inflict on her.
We just had to pick very carefuly surfaces she was worked and lead over so that she only had comfortable ones that didn't encorage a short toe first stride. Overhauled her diet too which helped alot (she was already on a healthy diet, but she really needed the minerals sorting too). We also had a bit of thrush to sort as she had v v narrow central suclus (sp?!). No usual indications of thrush - no smell or gunk, but treating as if she had thrush has improved things enormously. I had never realised thrush could cause such discomfort.

So, if I were you I would take the diet apart and see if it can be improved; treat as if for thrush (we followed Pete Ramey's technique with "Pete's Goo'); work over pea gravel if at all possible - it seemed to be comfy but enormously improving too. Even if you can just lay a little pad to lead around then it will be hugely beneficial.

Hth, we couldn't go back to shoes as she was lame in them despite out farriers best efforts, for this reason we avoided casts too as they would have the same issues for her as shoes because the root of her problems are a huge sensitivity to balance - a human simply can't get it right enough for her so 'locking in' a chosen trim with casts were something we weren't wanting to try. Depending on what your horses problems were in shoes would affect if casts would work well for you.

Best of luck!
 
Naturally said:
.. and don't say shoes! :p

So le ned is 6 weeks shoeless and okay, but still toe first landing. Measured him up for boots and he apparently has feet which are so oddly shaped that no hoof boots will fit them *sigh*. So I was wondering if any of our forum's resident barefooters have any ideas as to something which will make him more comfortable and to be able to land heel first, and so stimulate much needed heel growth?

I'm sure that this post will attract plenty of 'put shoes back on' type of comments. Shoes caused his current problems, and he is no more sound in remedial shoes than without any. The lad is under the attention of a vet, a farrier and is having an experienced barefoot rehab expert out to see him soon.
Click to expand...

there are 3 choices, shoe, boot or get him sound barefoot. As I don't shoe there are only two!
having looked back through some of your posts I cannot find any history of the barefoot thing. Presumably if you have a vet involved we are talking of something like a navicular horse that is not going to go sound anytime soon?
Presumably the diet is sorted but if not that is the first thing. You say you need growth. It you need to improve the feet then either a supplement such as meta bal or pro hoof would be ideal unless you are going to test and mineral balance.
Magnesium can work wonders very quickly.

Why isn't he landing heel first? this is the first thing to work out. Thrush can be a problem. Even if you think he is fine and you cannot see anything assume he has a problem and treat it (central sulchus) unless of course you have already done so.

I have put boots on weird and wonderful feet. I'm not sure why you think they won't fit any boot whatsoever. Who has told you this?
Measurements often mean little. It works far better to actually try boots on.

It would help if you could provide a link to his history or a bit more info as to where you are at exactly.

If you want to boot then it may be better to make sure your barefoot guy has a lot of experience in booting and can bring you some boots out and help you determine what might be suitable. Some trimmers have a lot of experience and some not so much. Alternatively there as lots of owners with experience of boot fitting. Maybe there is someone near to you?
 
The other option is Equi casts and pads/sole casts. You can buy them yourself and fit them safely. I have a Dvd I can send you to help too.
 
My boy has odd shaped feet but I got an Easyboot glove fit kit and he has a set now that actually fit him really well! According to the measurements he should have been in boots two sizes bigger; they just fell off!!!! Where are you? If you were local to me (kent) you could see if mine fit - I now have 3 different sizes!
 
Thanks all, once I am on a computer and not my phone I will look up some of your suggestions :)

A bit of history; he isn't mine, I am just helping out as a friend. I am really interested in barefoot and have studied it quite widely during the last 3 years of my course (equine science degree) so am able to advise his owner on some things, and if I can't help I know a few people on H&H who can ;)

The horse is a 16.3 hunter with less than ideal conformation, bless him, which obviously doesnt help as he has been quite a high mileage horse before he was sold to his current owner to be a fun leisure horse. He was diagnosed with navicular bone changes, some damage to DDFT and a descended pedal bone 18 months ago. External foot conformation was very under run heels, atrophied frog and flat soles. He had tildren injections and pads, wedges and egg bar shoes on his fronts. Diet was analysed and minerals balanced 8 months ago (these are all roughly!). Back shoes off 3 months ago. Fronts off 6 weeks ago. He is on livery so we are limited to grass, sand school, concrete, tarmac and road plainings on soil, which he has no choice but to go on going down to the field, but its the worst surface for him. We are taking him for regular walks on the tarmac.

We are in Cheshire, and barefoot lady who also does boots is visiting on friday so not long until we can question her! She said on the phone he will be difficult to fit boots to because of his measurements (which I cant remember exactly but is wider than long) but we also contacted the saddlery online shop having followed their instructions and failed to find a boot also to be told they think he isnt a suitable boot candidate.

Hope that all makes sense. Thank you all for your input, let me know if what I have just said changes anything, and oberon I will be in touch just as soon as the damn computer is back online! :)
 
Gah, knew I had forgotten to say something. His frogs have developed wonderfully but he has very very odd shaped bars which run into callus (would upload photos but on phone) which I'm not sure if they are as a result of the descended and rotated pedal bone (yeah, lucky to still have him at all!). I'll be honest thrush was dismissed until last week when he had a smelly foot, so we have been treating it daily with diluted tea tree oil. Any suggestions for a decent thrush treatment?

PS one of the liveries is pushing for us to use keratex!!
 
Forget the size chart for easyboot gloves. It's a pile I nonsense!! My mare is 140mm wide and 130 long which apparently isn't a suitable boot shape. Funny how she has wide gloves that work!! The new boot that easyboot are in the process of launching looks promising too.
 
Why don't you have a look at the Rockley Farm blog? There's lots of useful information there about barefoot rehab of horses in a similar situation to the one you describe. Might be worth a read. :)
 
Ditto trying the Glove's. My horses take a completely different size from the suggested!

Get the fit kit (for Wides and standard) and see if anything fits.
 
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