Awful feet - any ideas or advice?

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LankyDoodle

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My 17.3hh has bad feet... but only in summer (between late May and September)!
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The last shoeing cycle and this, in particular, have been awful. His shoes have come loose in the 6th week of the cycle both times, and the back feet especially are crumbling to pieces. Last time his front feet were as bad if not worse than the backs; the farrier trimmed him right back and the feet were fine, although he was a bit foot sore for 2 or 3 days. Like I said, he is then fine until the 5th week and in the 6th his feet start crumbling and cracking, hoof fibres showing and the shoes have nothing to hold onto so they come loose, but not loose enough to hang off (gaps between hoof and shoe, if you know what I mean).

My farrier is not due until Thursday. I have phoned him and left a message to get back to me asap about possibly coming on Monday or Tuesday, as although it is only 2 days earlier, it means I can be there and chat to him about what the solution might be as well.

My farrier is fab and has things up his sleeve for most things, but I just don't know what I can be doing to stop this. He gets biotin and a nutrient supplement. He gets kevin bacon applied. The ground he is on is soft but not boggy.

He does have incredibly bad sweet itch. This is our first year with him and our friends, who we bought him from, thought it might be to do with the sweet itch that he gets bad feet only in summer.

I have thought of maybe getting him done 5-weekly instead of 6, just in the summer months, and a friend of ours recommended Stokholm Tar? Does anyone have any ideas what we can do else?

The other problem is, my farrier is coming this week and in 3 weeks from then, we are taking the horses to Cornwall for 2 and a half weeks. This means his feet will start to be getting bad by the time we go (not bad, but it will be mid-cycle so not great), and it also means that 5 weeks from this shoeing we will still be in cornwall, so his feet will be crap for the second half of our final week, so possibly not going to get much riding done that week (as he gets sore when like this, and not riding with loose shoes!). Is it daft to ask our farrier to come 3 weeks after this shoeing, just to trim his feet so they are good to go for Cornwall?

Also, final question I promise, are there any particular shoes that might help this? I know it isn't a problem with the shoes, but I wondered if a different type of shoe could help his feet?

Oh and just to add, bare foot not an option - he's been bare foot before and it made his feet worse.

Thanks guys. I know this is a pile of questions!
 
My OH's horse has a tendancy towards poor feet, we feed TopSpec, so he gets all his vits & mins, plus it contains biotin, then we use Kevin Bacon, AND Cornucrescine treatment for dry/brittle feet.

Make sure the treatments are worked right into the coronet band, and get a tin of 'proper' cornucrescine and start rubbing that into the band daily (wear gloves or your hands will smell all day!)

If he were mine I'd also shorten his shoeing interval. My good two go 6 weeks, and OH's horse goes 5 1/2 ish (we use different farriers). And yes, I'd ask the farrier to come out in three weeks, even if just to refit his shoes.
 
I have always had mine done every 5 weeks in Summer and 6 weeks in Winter.

When I used to take Motor on his long riding holidays, I would try to time the shoeing for a couple of days before I was due to go, otherwise they would not last ....

In the Summer, the horse's feet get wet, from the dew and any rain/damp conditions and then dry out rapidly and I feel that this is detrimental to the horn and causes a lot of the problems.

They also stand around stamping their feet when the flies annoy them and this makes matters even worse.

TBO I think if you are getting to the 6th week, before they start to become loose then you are doing ok
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I hope this helps and makes sense, as this is only my opinion on things
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I just wrote a huge long reply and the web timed out on me grrrr
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All I would say is first month on biotin and NAF profeet liquid and then just NAF it makes a huge difference, or at least it did to my gelding!

PM me if you have any questions
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Feed a good hoof supplement all year round.

Get him shod when he needs doing, not necessarily every six weeks. My old gelding needed shoeing every four weeks in the summer.

Next time you have a trip or important show coming up, plan your shoeings months in advance to make sure the trip falls at the point when his feet are at their best for soundness, grip, etc.
 
I would have him shod every 4 weeks (and three before you go on holiday) I've had some that need the fronts shod every three weeks in the summer. The fronts will be worse because horses stamp when annoyed with the flies which may be why your horses feet are so poor only in the summer. My farrier said he's got some horses that are normally shod every nice that he's having to do every five currently. I also really recommend NAF PROFEET. I use karatex mosituriser which is desgined for the summers wet then dry conditions which plays havoc with their feet.
 
I am returning to naf profeet from formula for feet, in my eyes they have noticeably deteriorated since changing in march.

i use naf hoof rub and twice a week use cornecrescine. I would chat to your farrier and poss discuss doing 5 weekly. Franks start to look more rubbish at 5 weeks but he never looses one and goes 6 quite easily.

I would also discuss whether he might be able to reshoe him just before you go.
 
I'm currnetly having my tb done every 4 weeks, and they just about last.....still coming loose tho.....I had a good chat with my farrier this week and he used an excellent analagy.....he said that he's going bald and there is nothing he can eat or apply that will change that....it is what it is....basically my boys feet are what they are and nothing I have tried has made a difference, except to my pocket....So I've accepted that in summer his feet are crap and my riding is limited, so I'm going to become a winter rider, fully kitted in waterproofs and get the boy a decent rainsheet and just get on with it. I will still feed biotin but nothing expensive and still moisturise but thats it.....


maybe we should change our mind set about summer feet and reduce our stress and depression levels
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Shorten shoeing cycle.

Try feeding gelatin in the summer months i have heard good things about it (on top of current suppliament)

Feet sound dry (since they cope well in winter) so tubbing/hosing the feet may help?

Use hoof heal on feet as well as or instead of Kevin Bacon (its fairly inexpensive at £10 a bottle) and is applied thrice weekly

Hoof cast if those things dont solve the problem.
 
Thanks guys. Just a quick reply as I am off out to work.

Your replies have been invaluable, and I especially like the one from the farrier (as you are a farrier obviously).

I will reply in more detail when back from work but didn't want to go without thanking you all.
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Its not hard to do, any good farrier should be able to try it. There is an instructional dvd as well as details on a web page, let me know if you want me to try and find it. I had to use the web page as my supplier forgot to send mine!!

Also most of the horses ive used it on only needed one roll per two feet not one roll per foot because i was using it before the feet got to the stage where i would not have got a shoe on.
 
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Thanks guys. Just a quick reply as I am off out to work.

Your replies have been invaluable, and I especially like the one from the farrier (as you are a farrier obviously).

I will reply in more detail when back from work but didn't want to go without thanking you all.
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You are welcome

Just a suggestion Lanky since your horse will be due for shoeing while you are in Cornwall, I am down there by then and would be happy to shoe it as a one off if you are struggling and find the horse does not go the distance as it were
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(depending where you are of course)
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Oh and just to add, bare foot not an option - he's been bare foot before and it made his feet worse.

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They have tried barefoot and its not an option for them
 
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Oh and just to add, bare foot not an option - he's been bare foot before and it made his feet worse.

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They have tried barefoot and its not an option for them

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Whoops
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try formula 4 feet had great reviews and worked wonders for my mums horse he is trimmed every 5 weeks though to prevent week 6 loose shoes, saves time and money in the long run
 
where did he get bad feet you must ask, his feet are destroyed from constant shoeing, anyone can see that, so why dont you just admit that his feet must heal, you seem more concerned that he can work in a fiew weeks time, well that is cruel. will you not let him heal. if you insist that he must be shod and fit to work, then is feet can be built up with vettec adhere, and shod. he cant go barefoot right now so without shoes ,he could wear boots, imprint stick on shoes, or have his feet built up with vettec superfast, that way he will be fine
 
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Thanks guys. Just a quick reply as I am off out to work.

Your replies have been invaluable, and I especially like the one from the farrier (as you are a farrier obviously).

I will reply in more detail when back from work but didn't want to go without thanking you all.
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You are welcome

Just a suggestion Lanky since your horse will be due for shoeing while you are in Cornwall, I am down there by then and would be happy to shoe it as a one off if you are struggling and find the horse does not go the distance as it were
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(depending where you are of course)
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Hi,
We are between Liskeard and Callington (Pensilva) when we take them down there. I'd love for you to come and do him, but I think if I remember, you are in Redruth?
 
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try formula 4 feet had great reviews and worked wonders for my mums horse he is trimmed every 5 weeks though to prevent week 6 loose shoes, saves time and money in the long run

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I don't actually rate F4F. I used it for about 6 months on both horses, after losing a horse to laminitis, and it hasn't made a great deal of difference to either. At £80 per 6 weeks, I was also becoming bankrupt and my farrier recommended I fed biotin with methianone and a vit supplement like winter glow summer shine. I have seen more results with this, to be honest. But thank you for the recommendation.
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where did he get bad feet you must ask, his feet are destroyed from constant shoeing, anyone can see that, so why dont you just admit that his feet must heal, you seem more concerned that he can work in a fiew weeks time, well that is cruel. will you not let him heal. if you insist that he must be shod and fit to work, then is feet can be built up with vettec adhere, and shod. he cant go barefoot right now so without shoes ,he could wear boots, imprint stick on shoes, or have his feet built up with vettec superfast, that way he will be fine

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WTF? How dare you call me cruel. Read my OP - MY HORSE HAS BEEN BARE FOOT BEFORE AND IT MADE HIS FEET WORSE. IT MADE HIM VERY SORE AND HE DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER. Before you come here and start calling me cruel, read my full post first.

And yes, I would like him to be fit to work since I would rather keep my horses in work, especially on a riding holiday, than leave them wallowing in the field!

I asked for bleddy advice and you could have suggested this without calling me cruel and telling me I am more concerned about keeping him in work. You know jack about me or my approach to horse husbandry, and you know sweet FA about my farrier or any advice he has given or the past of the horse I talk about in the OP, so do me a favour and take your sacrine ass elsewhere.
 
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where did he get bad feet you must ask, his feet are destroyed from constant shoeing, anyone can see that, so why dont you just admit that his feet must heal, you seem more concerned that he can work in a fiew weeks time, well that is cruel. will you not let him heal. if you insist that he must be shod and fit to work, then is feet can be built up with vettec adhere, and shod. he cant go barefoot right now so without shoes ,he could wear boots, imprint stick on shoes, or have his feet built up with vettec superfast, that way he will be fine

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Oh and 'where did he get bad feet you must ask', I will tell you! My friends bought him as a youngster, before he'd ever been shod, just trimmed. He had bad feet then. So why don't you just admit you are spoiling.
 
The Farrier,
I spoke to my farrier on the phone, and he agrees that he seems to have very dry, brittle feet, but he also thinks the winter growth is coming through and this doesn't help his feet in summer. I asked him if there was any other kind of shoe we could try - a remedial type shoe - and he said he'd have a think about it. He doesn't think it is anything to do with the sweet itch, but my friends, who bought him as a 2 year old, do. He's only been shod for the last 3-4 years (he is just 8) and with them was always done every 8 weeks.
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I am going to wait to see what he says when he comes out on Thursday.

Horse is a warmblood and has very little TB in him - it seems it's all in his feet!!
 
Does he get very stressed with his sweet itch? Could that be effecting his feet?
My boy has severe sweet itch and has never had any hoof issues and almost always been barefoot, even when he was so bad I considered pts...

Have you considered Imprints..glue on shoes?

Also, how long was he barefoot for? and could you try Boa boots or similar?
 
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different things are good for different horses i suppose, we all have to try until we get the right one

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Exactly, and every other poster posted giving their own anecdotes and experience; I had a couple of PMs from people suggesting bare foot and how they made it work for their horse.

I would NEVER ride my horse while he was foot sore or lame, so for 1-2 weeks every month, he is not ridden. If this was a problem relating to being shod, he would have the problem October-May, not just May to Sept; and he would have had the problem before he was ever shod! If it was a case of me being cruel and desperate to ride, then I'd be out on him right now, with his shoe about to fall off with one more step on tarmac! I wanted advice or ideas about what things might help his feet in the longer term, and how they might in the future get better, not to be told I was cruel!

I think you are the poster who suggested F4F and I thanked you for your suggestion. I was not being funny with you when I said I don't rate it. I have two horses and it was costing me £80 every 6 weeks without making much difference at all in comparrison to other products I have been using. As my farrier says, some products are so well marketed that we believe they have to be better than anything else out there (and there isn't a lot that's marketed better than F4F, what with its lami-expert vet inventor etc). This stopped me from wanting to try other things, but with the guidance of my farrier and ideas from people on this forum who have horses with bad feet, I moved over to the general vit supplement and biotin. That is not to say everyone should, but I don't happen to rate F4F.
 
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Does he get very stressed with his sweet itch? Could that be effecting his feet?
My boy has severe sweet itch and has never had any hoof issues and almost always been barefoot, even when he was so bad I considered pts...

Have you considered Imprints..glue on shoes?

Also, how long was he barefoot for? and could you try Boa boots or similar?

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Thanks honeypots.

He does get very distressed, but has been a lot better since being with us as we manage it better. He stamps his feet, kicks out his back legs at the flies etc, and chews his back feet like a dog when they itch! His fronts aren't as bad as the backs at the moment, but with those he pulls the leg up and kicks his belly.

Out hacking, he has a tendency to drag his back feet unless really keeping the leg on; and we think this is simple laziness. My 15hh cob out-paces him on a hack, just to give an example; but he is perfect to school. He doesn't drag his feet out on hacks so long as the rider keeps their leg on him properly, and doesn't get lazy themselves.

He was barefoot when he was with our friends in Cornwall, and I am not sure how long this was for, but I only found out because I mentioned to them when I bought him that I might take him barefoot when he comes to me to see if it helps (I bought him last summer, so feet were bad then). I would imagine it was over a prolonged period, but what I know is that they said it made his feet worse and he was continuously sore and not getting any better. I would consider it again if I could be certain it would not make his problem worse as it has done in the past. I know you can get boots to put on when riding out and I know that it takes time to strengthen the hoof enough to ride out barefoot, which is something I would do if I thought it would work. My farrier isn't convinced either, due to the fact it didn't work for him before, but farrier would do it if I was insistent and would guide me rather than leaving me to get on with it. Farrier says it's something that works for some horses and not others.

Lanky is the stereotypical big horse - gentle giant, a bit of the eeyore about him and quite clumsy. I know for a fact that he kicks one hoof with the other quite a lot when he is in the field, because he's come in with scuff marks before and the other day came in with a wound on the hoof (obviously treated). I guess boots in the field might help.

I am going to get some hoof heal to nourish the feet, and continue with the kevin bacon. Farrier is coming on Thursday and will then come before holiday. I will discuss these things with him - barefoot, glue-ons, vettec superfast etc. I will continue with his current diet and consider adding something else in as well. I guess I could save money by not feeding the biotin to my cob (as he doesn't really need it - the kevin bacon does the job) and spend more on something for lanky. Definitely going to shorten the shoeing cycle as well.

Thanks,
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