Back shoes off footy over stones, any advice please?

mightymammoth

mightymammoth

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Hi,

My horse had his back shoes taken off 2 weeks ago but is quite footy over stones, he's sound on soft or smooth surfaces.

Hes a happy hack who is ridden 2 maybe 3 times a week, out 24/7 on good grazing. He has a couple of handfuls of chaff as well as pro hoof, a joint supplement and half a mug of micronised linseed (he has a heaped mug in the autumn/winter).

I'm currently trying to get his feet sorted (long story) I know his fronts have thin soles as he was x rayed not long ago so the backs are probably the same.

Is there anything I can do? How long roughly will it take them to toughen up? or will they?

Are there hoof boots available for back hoofs?

Thanks
 
I found I had to take my.mare totally off molasses. Even the tiny bit in hifi and sarceren livery nuts made her footy. Now on Allen and page mollasses and cereal free mix and oat straw chaff and she's no longer footy.

Good luck, its perserverance and working out what works for your horse. Hoof boots are great but my mare won't wear them behind!
 
Walk your horse out every day on stony/hard ground to toughen up his feet. They will get better over time, thought it's hard to say how long.

If your horse is in during the nights, use absorbent bedding - wood pellets or sawdust to draw out the moisture (I know, everyone is always trying to put moisture back in, but You're going barefoot).

Try keeping off the good grass. Grass does feet no good at all. Long grass is better than short grass.

Persevere. It will be fine.
 
I think you need to put the shoes back on and change his diet to improve the thickness of his soles before you remove them again. It is not fair to subject a horse with thin soles to stones unless there is no other option, and you are asking for abscessing if not worse if you make him continue without shoes.

Your 24/7 "good grazing" is the most likely culprit.
 
ok thanks, the reason I took the backs off was on the farriers advice as even with overreach boots on 24/7 he pulled the fronts off 3 times in a 6 week shoeing. He has egg bar shoes on the fronts for now to try and address his low unsupported heels and thin soles.

by the way what improvements could I make to his diet? He is on a few handfulls of pure fibre balance, pro hoof supplement and a joint supplement. He also has micronised linseed, and some dodson and horrel equibites for his vitamins and minerals, plus 24/7 grazing
 
Reduce the grazing. Strip graze/Muzzle/Bring in during the day. Anything would be better than 24/7 grass for a horse with thin soles, until you prove that grass restriction will not increase the sole depth. I would also need to seek out molasses/moglo free feeds (Irrespective of what they say on the bag about being lami friendly). The weak front feet most likely have the same cause as the footie back ones. If you can get the diet right then you'll reduce the need for bar shoes.
 
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