Any other barefooters struggling with persistent hard ground?

Floofball said:
I remember going in the chemist asking for benzoyl bensoate for my Clyde X’s itchy fetlocks - didn’t have a clue it was a treatment for human crabs - the look on the chemists face when he asked me how much I wanted and I said a pint!! ??‍♀️ ? well he was a massive horse!!!
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When I used to get it for my sweet itch pony I always said it was for scabies. Probably the staff dreaded me coming in , hoping not to catch it.
 
Floofball said:
I remember going in the chemist asking for benzoyl bensoate for my Clyde X’s itchy fetlocks - didn’t have a clue it was a treatment for human crabs - the look on the chemists face when he asked me how much I wanted and I said a pint!! ??‍♀️ ? well he was a massive horse!!!
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Hahahhaha too funny ???
 
paddy555 said:
mine have been OK but I have a policy in this weather (ie the last 2 months of this drought) of not trimming, not removing sole, frog or anything else. I let it come out of it's own accord.
The feet might not look picture perfect but the horses seem OK on them.

I suspect that if I had trimmed them in the normal way they may have ended up footsore but those are only my thoughts.
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Do you do nothing? Or still put a bevel and shorten toes a bit?
 
Fieldlife said:
Do you do nothing? Or still put a bevel and shorten toes a bit?
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nothing at all ATM. Our area (in the south) has been very very dry, I think we have had about one day's rain. None of the heavy rain some others have had recently. Still retained sole in some.
The horse's seem to have adapted their feet to cope with this long drought and they are very sound so I don't think that ATM I could do any better than they are doing them selves. I could take off what they apparently need and make them sore.

Our feet don't seem to be growing as much as in a usual summer (although they are having the normal feed/supplements). Not sure if they have slowed growth or if the fields are so dry and hard they are trimming the feet continually on the fields whereas normally they wouldn't trim on moist grass and mud. Our grass hasn't restarted growing as there has not been the moisture.
 
Mine are fine, its been unbeliveably dry here, and we are on clay so its rock hard, none of mine are remotely footy or sore in anyway, but a couple of them have had small chunks of their hoof wall broken off, which is a first for both of them, but its not caused any problems so far.
 
Last trim the farrier barely took anything off. Huge amounts of false sole still firmly stuck to his feet but farrier said no point blunting his tools removing something the pony has obviously grown because he felt he needs.
We then had a humongous amount of rain one night last week and his feet have been shedding like crazy since. There’s a bit of bruising underneath which doesn’t really surprise me.
He’s retired and out 24/7 which access to a bedded shelter
 
SEL said:
I may have asked in the co-op for the largest nappies they had - may not have remembered to tell them why.

Will be getting funny looks in there for ever more I suspect.
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I was looking at nappies wondering which to get for poulticing when the assistant asked me what age? She looked a bit surprised when I said 8.

Mine hasn't been as good over challenging surfaces but I hadn't been doing much riding. Seems to be improving now.
 
If you have had EMS issues in the past it is quite possible you are seeing very early laminitis. The grass is stressed and full of sugar, it is sparse and the horses are stuffing themselves, and routines have been turned upside down over this last couple of months due to heat etc.. Having thought about it, this is probably why we are seeing abscesses - mild laminitis - little separation - blood filled pocket results which degrades and has nowhere to drain to. I never thought I would look forward to winter, but old cob is far easier to keep healthy in cold weather.
 
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