Any barefooters in Northern Ireland?

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EmzT

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Hi, calling any other barefooters in Northern Ireland.

Is there anywhere here that I can buy Brewers Yeast? All the internet companies that I have checked out are charging ridiculous postage for shipping to here.

You would think we lived at the other side of the world!

Any other advice on barefooting would also be appreciated as we are struggling at the minute. Shoes off 6 weeks but seems to be getting worse instead of better.
 
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Thanks,

Dermot and John McCourt are my trimmers. They are great.

My boy's feet are in amazing condition since the shoes came off but he is still very sore. Not even sound in the arena now. His hooves have hardly grown at all in the 6 weeks so think he might have bruised his frogs???

Just trying to be patient!
 
EmzT said:
Thanks,

Dermot and John McCourt are my trimmers. They are great.

My boy's feet are in amazing condition since the shoes came off but he is still very sore. Not even sound in the arena now. His hooves have hardly grown at all in the 6 weeks so think he might have bruised his frogs???

Just trying to be patient!
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I think regular exercise is essential, see Rockley Farm for hints. Make sure diet has all essential mins and vits plus micronised linseed and low sugar hi fibre forage. No cereals or sugars.
 
My boy has had his off six weeks, he is a navicular horse and nailing shoes on was hurting him not helped by there not being enough hoof to nail into! So I am giving a break while he grows some hoof and I decide what to do next, he is sore so I turn him out for 8 hours a day in boots and pads, this really helps him, he is fine overnight in his stable without them!
 
Thanks everyone!

I'm just finding it hard to stay motivated when everyone around says things like 'Oh, You're gonna have to put shoes back on that horse. He's never gonna do barefoot.'

They never say about how fabulous his hooves look now they are not all cracked from horse shoe nails.

I know we're still in early days.
 
What do the McCourts say is a possible reason for the tenderness?
You need to check for thrush especially deep in the central sulcus, that the trim isn't taking a little too much off and look at diet especially sugar intake in grass, hay and any bucket feed.
Have you considered boots and pads? The wear might be keeping up with growth so seeming his hooves aren't growing. Are you taking it gently and keeping to non stoney surfaces if he's sore? Just throwing up thoughts here btw.

Here's a link to a barefoot forum where you will get advice and support.
http://uknhcp.myfastforum.org/
 
It was John that came out to me most recently. Apart from a bit of white line disease in one front foot, he couldn't see anything wrong. He did take a little off his frogs as he thought perhaps they were a bit bruised, because they were still quite low because of no hoof growth. He did say he doesn't normally like to do that.
I am feeding hay, Fast Fibre, Horse First Hoof First and Equigold (an all round supplement). He is out during daylight hours on very wet ground, but unfortunately everywhere round here is wet at mo.
I had been doing a bit of walking on the lunge in our gravel/rubber mix arena when he was doing well but now he is too sore for that.
No sign of thrush but I am treating for it anyway just incase.

One of his hind legs has started to swell up if he doesn't get out for a day. Had vet look at this and he could find nothing. Was told that abcess or laminitis would have been obvious with hoof testers but he had no reaction in any of his feet. His feet do feel warm but I read that barefoot horses have warm hooves. But how warm is too warm!!!

Have been looking at hoof boots as I think we need to get moving but so many different kinds.
 
White line disease/seedy toe is linked most closely to diet. Strong healthy lamina are resistant (except in extreme hoof wall prizing which obviously isn't a factor in your case) to infection and stretch.
Sugars in the diet is the biggest factor ime followed by a mineral deficiency or imbalance.
Is it possible to restrict grass and feed soaked hay for a couple of weeks at least and see if that makes a difference?
I'm useless with bucket feeds I'm afraid but if you search on here there are lots of threads about suitable ready made feeds. Putting him on a laminitis diet might be one thing to try and see if it works. If it helps then you can look more into longer term dietary needs. Here's a good one if you think it's worth a try. I know this is for IR horses and acute laminitis but white line disease usually has the same cause and leads to lamina inflammation which bugs then infiltrate. http://www.ecirhorse.com/images/stories/Emergency_Diet.pdf

Do read Pete Ramey's articles over time. The diet one is a good starter.
White line disease has to be grown out it can't repair.

ps. Ask on the UKNHCP forum I linked, there are boot experts on there too. Also if there is any sooty blackness around the frog or a very deep central cleft I'd treat for thrush.
 
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Well Dermot and John came out on Tuesday and at first couldn't figure out why my boy was so sore coz his feet are in such great shape.

He was starting to need a bit of a trim off his toes and when John began trimming things became obvious. IT WAS LAMINITIS.

Dermot does not think it is sugar related but more like concussion laminitis. Though I don't quite understand how that could have been caused. I have hardly been doing anything with him. Could the small amount of walking on the lunge in the gravel arena when he was able have been what done it?

So now my boy has had his toes trimmed right back to take the pressure off. He is still very sore even on Danilon.

I hope we can get this under control.

Has anyone had any experience of this?
 
Oh heck. Supportive conformable bedding and deep. Shavings is probably best or similar. Have a read here and put him on the emergency diet linked at the bottom of the page. I'm surprised Dermot and John didn't advise. http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php/laminitis
If you have a grass free area these EPS pads can be taped on and are supportive when off the deep bed. If he has boots, get some pads to go in them.
Diet is key, I can't stress enough how important it is to get those sugars as low as possible.
You may have to look at grazing and diet in the longer term...

ps.Also think about getting him tested for IR and Cushings. The diet affecting the lamina explains the problems you have been having which are all symptoms of laminitis.
 
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They told me to get him out into the field. That standing confined in the stable would not help and he is better off moving about.
Our field is quite soft at the minute (but not too wet). If it gets wetter he'll have to come in again coz i'd be worried about thrush/ mud fever etc.

Just hoping he improves soon.
 
I'm afraid that laminitis is much more of a problem than thrush. Getting him off the grass is a priority if possible. Can you section off a bit of the field and feed soaked hay? Yes a grass free area to turn out is best but getting on top of diet is the absolute priority to control laminitis. Has the Vet been? You need a vet to diagnose really.
 
Vet was here when he was at his worst (he has improved a bit now) and never even mentioned laminitis. Done all the hoof testing etc with no response from horse.
 
I would agree with Dermot, but also amandap. Movement is really good for the feet, standing around doesnt do them much good. But neither does grazing on grass help him if it is laminitis. What is your grass like? And do you have an area of land that hasnt got grass, like an arena, you can turn out on and feed soaked hay?
 
Hi - I am not a barefooter, yet, but intend to be at some point this summer! I am in Cavan and had got very fed up with postage costs etc for supplements, even when I buy from over here the postage made everything so expensive. I have just recently bought in large quantities both Brewers Yeast and Magnesium Oxide from these people:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280639247229&ssPageName=ADME:X:EAC:IE:3160

Even with the postage it works out a lot better if you can order larger amounts from them. As I have one on BY for sweet itch and 2 on MO for help dealing with grass and possible metabolic issues the quantities aren't a problem.

Incidentally - I swear by Mag. OX for helping to avoid lammi with both of mine - but you still need to manage their diet properly as well, of course, just another degree of protection IMO.
 
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