barefeet again. Just out of interest really

J

Jesstickle

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 December 2008
Messages
12,299
Visit site
There are BH's front feet

This is the good one
DSC03124-1.jpg

DSC03125.jpg

DSC03128.jpg


And this is the horrible boxy one
DSC03127-1.jpg

DSC03126.jpg

DSC03136.jpg


As they are totally functional the way they are I don't worry about him much but is there room for improvement there? I don't really like how the central sulcus looks on the boxy one. It is pretty much constantly thrushy but I haven't ever really managed to get on top of it. Any suggestions for that?
 
Have tried iodine, hydrogen peroxide, foot spray (for sheep I think?) It goes but always ends up coming back.

He isn't lame or even footy on it but it annoys me to look at it! I know it is because of the conformation of that foot but obviously I can't change that and I'm not keeping him in 24 hours a day to stop it happening! Poor BH would be driven mad by that!
 
What do you bed him on? And how much turn out does he get?

I ask because if you can decrease the amount of time his feet are wet, this will help a lot.

My farrier said Straw is often the worse offender as it's absorption is quite poor.

Clay soils/wet fields will mean his feet are wetter, as opposed to sandy/chalk soils that drain more freely.

Obv the foot confirmation is major factor here if one foot is getting thrush and the other not; but external environment will contribute massively
 
Bed on wood pellets and he's very, very clean so I don't think the problem comes from his bed. He is out a lot though. I try and keep them out 12 hours a day in winter (24/7 in summer but he doesn't get it then obviously!). My field drains really well so no mud but it is obviously wetter than concrete/stable. I'd rather not have him in more than that as he is companion to my 3yo and if he's in, she's in and she is hideous in her box. Dirty and weaves and stresses.

I just want to grab his heels and stretch the whole foot open so it matches the other one. Then all my problems would be solved! lol
 
Other than turnout - what else is he eating?

Has the boxy one always been boxy?

Does he have any history of muscular issues? Back, neck or shoulder?
 
I use diluted Milton sprayed on once or twice a day, and then athletes foot cream for the worst bits.

White Lightning gel is meant to be good, or you could try doing a cleantrax soak.
 
He eats grass and haylage and hay. That's it at the moment.

Foot has always been boxy. He had one set of shoes as a 5yo (not my choice) which masked it quite well but left to his own devices they are never a matching pair.

Never had a lame day in his life and physio always happy with how limber he is. However, he does have an assymetric pelvis which carries less muscle on his left side. Boxy foot is on the right. I have often wondered if the two are interlinked somehow. Either way, to the best of anyone's knowledge he doesn't really have any problems as such, apart form being a knobber of course!
 
I had much the same problem and tried exactly the same things - finally I have got on top of it by using a hoof pick with a brush and keeping it in a dilute hibiscrub solution - this kills off any bacteria carried on the pick and after picking out the hoof I give the whole hoof and heel a scrubbing with the solution once in the morning coming out of the stable and once in the evening coming out of the field.
 
* following comments should be read with this proviso - photos can be very deceptive*

Your "horrible boxy foot" looks like the better foot to me!

It looks strong, with a nice wide frog and a good shape. The other is a "spread" foot, wider on one side than the other. It starts off the same shape as the other and then deviates outwards after an inch or so.

I would prefer it if the wider one came to match the "boxy" one if he were mine but I'd be happy with them both as they are if he is happy with them :)
 
Santa Paws said:
* following comments should be read with this proviso - photos can be very deceptive*

Your "horrible boxy foot" looks like the better foot to me!

It looks strong, with a nice wide frog and a good shape. The other is a "spread" foot, wider on one side than the other. It starts off the same shape as the other and then deviates outwards after an inch or so.

I would prefer it if the wider one came to match the "boxy" one if he were mine but I'd be happy with them both as they are if he is happy with them :)
Click to expand...

Can see what you mean totally. From my photos it does look like a nicer shape.It's just when I look at him in RL that the one I call 'boxy' seems improbably small for a horse of his size to be stood on! I know they are always balancing on a finger nail but somehow this foot really makes me think of that analogy!

But yes, he's very happy with them as they are and that is just how he grows them it would seem. Funny horse :)
 
jesstinsel said:
He eats grass and haylage and hay. That's it at the moment.

Foot has always been boxy. He had one set of shoes as a 5yo (not my choice) which masked it quite well but left to his own devices they are never a matching pair.

Never had a lame day in his life and physio always happy with how limber he is. However, he does have an assymetric pelvis which carries less muscle on his left side. Boxy foot is on the right. I have often wondered if the two are interlinked somehow. Either way, to the best of anyone's knowledge he doesn't really have any problems as such, apart form being a knobber of course!
Click to expand...

When they aren't born with them due to poor nutrition, or caused by inappropriate hoof care, I believe boxy hooves are a response to a body issue - notice I said response...not a fault.

If he is sound then he's doing a good job...just don't look at them and carry on regardless;)

My elderly Arab had sulcus thrush (in shoes) for 13 years :(. No farrier ever mentioned it and I had no idea - the hooves weren't my responsibility
snooty.gif


It was only when I had a BF trimmer who practically beat me around the head with swabs covered in sudocrem, did I actually get on top of it
slap.gif


After having no issues for years he started to contract again this August. I was thinking about getting around to treating it....but I also started feeding him regularly as he chose to come in every night...I was feeding the bespoke minerals.

All of a sudden - PING! The heels decontracted and everything was fine. Just from feeding him the minerals!
 
Oberon said:
When they aren't born with them due to poor nutrition, or caused by inappropriate hoof care, I believe boxy hooves are a response to a body issue - notice I said response...not a fault.

If he is sound then he's doing a good job...just don't look at them and carry on regardless;)
Click to expand...

This is basically what I have come to conclude too. I just try and ignore them as much as I can and pretend they are a beautifully matched pair!

Perhaps in the summer I'll have my grass analysed. Can't really justify it three weeks before xmas when the council tax needs paying. Poor, neglected BH! :p ;)
 
Fair enough. :)

You could try Pro Hoof or Equimins Beta Advance (you have to ask them for this mix) in the meantime.
 
For the deep central sulcus I'd have a go with using 'Pete's goo'. A mixture of atheletes foot cream and antibiotic cream injected deep into the sulcus.
I's also start with a soak of cleantrax, weak milton solution 1/10 I dissolve one tablet in a gallon of water, or similar.
Here's a vid of how to load your syringe etc. makes life easier with these tips. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gXvgzljqpg
http://www.precisionhoofpick.com/treatments.php I think the triple antibiotic cream mentioned here is similar to cream for cows with mastitis.
 
jesstinsel said:
Can see what you mean totally. From my photos it does look like a nicer shape.It's just when I look at him in RL that the one I call 'boxy' seems improbably small for a horse of his size to be stood on! I know they are always balancing on a finger nail but somehow this foot really makes me think of that analogy!

But yes, he's very happy with them as they are and that is just how he grows them it would seem. Funny horse :)
Click to expand...

Many shod feet are very spread and we come to expect feet to look bigger than they really should be.

Think of a house roof. Rooves with a steep slope put pressure downwards into the walls. Rooves with a greater slope push the walls outwards are require stronger wall to hold up the roof. This is what feet are like. The more upright ones are often a lot stronger than the spread ones. Smaller feet also have a rounder dome inside them, because big feet have the same sort of level of depth spread over a larger distance. The rounder dome is also stronger - which is why you can stand on an egg (under a board) and not break it.

I like small feet, as long as they are not contracted, which does not look like the case from your photo. If your boy is happy, trust him to know what's best :)
 
Santa Paws said:
Many shod feet are very spread and we come to expect feet to look bigger than they really should be.

Think of a house roof. Rooves with a steep slope put pressure downwards into the walls. Rooves with a greater slope push the walls outwards are require stronger wall to hold up the roof. This is what feet are like. The more upright ones are often a lot stronger than the spread ones. Smaller feet also have a rounder dome inside them, because big feet have the same sort of level of depth spread over a larger distance. The rounder dome is also stronger - which is why you can stand on an egg (under a board) and not break it.

I like small feet, as long as they are not contracted, which does not look like the case from your photo. If your boy is happy, trust him to know what's best :)
Click to expand...

ooooh - I like that analogy. Helps when I can visualise things.

Jess - your hooves are much better than Schoko's were...
http://www.progressivehorse.co.uk/html/shoko.html
 
Blimey Oberon. That sounds like quite a journey! Absolutely beautiful horse though :) I don't envy you going through all that mind. I'm very lucky as I've never had any foot related problems with any of my shod horses ( my farrier at home was very, very good in fairness and is still WHW's farrier) and I got both my current pair young enough that they hadn't had shoes on plus have a friendly farrier here who doesn't encourage me to have them shod.
 
Well, nice hooves!

I just wanted to add that having a chap with a boxy foot, I still think your boxy foot has some de-contracting to do back there. It will come, after about a year only did M's frog at the heel "ping" open. That was through gradual lowering of the heel. This is what we decided to do though, each horse is different and I wouldn't recommend you do that as I don't know how strong his digital cushion is and if his heels could take it without becoming sore.

If he is happy, carry on and his heel bulbs will develop enough and spread out a bit.

I would definitely supplement on the minerals to support growth of the inner structures... if that makes any sense :)

eta... oh yes, the thrush - definitely second Pete's Goo!!! It worked on M... this was way before we went bf and he was still shod. Never tried sudocream so can't comment, however, I think it deserves an appreciation society for MF!
 
Last edited:
Stupid question as the sound on my lappy has decided not to work...

Pete's goo- where do I get the AB cream from? Must be POM presumably? Am I missing summat? Probably! :D

Also, if you guys were me would you bother trying to muck about doing mag ox, biotin etc separately or just pay out for someone else (ie Equimins) to mix it up? I'm not incapable of mixing feeds but I don't know exactly what I'd want if doing seperate bits and pieces
 
jesstinsel said:
Stupid question as the sound on my lappy has decided not to work...

Pete's goo- where do I get the AB cream from? Must be POM presumably? Am I missing summat? Probably! :D

Also, if you guys were me would you bother trying to muck about doing mag ox, biotin etc separately or just pay out for someone else (ie Equimins) to mix it up? I'm not incapable of mixing feeds but I don't know exactly what I'd want if doing seperate bits and pieces
Click to expand...

Pete's goo is Pete Ramey's mixture of 50% Neosporin Plus (amazon.co.uk) and 50% Clotrimazole (canestan) mixed into a syringe with a tip and stuck in any nook or cranny you can find.
So basically antibiotic and anti fungal.

I stick with Red Horse's Arti Mud or a gauze swab drowned in plain old Sudocrem but I'd use Pete's Goo if I was having problems that they wouldn't fix.
http://www.healthyhoof.com/articles/Thrush/ThrushRevisited.html
http://www.hoofrehab.com/

Also - Schoko isn't mine:). He belongs to a livery mate, my horses are on the same website though (Obi and Indiana).
 
Oberon said:
Pete's goo is Pete Ramey's mixture of 50% Neosporin Plus (amazon.co.uk) and 50% Clotrimazole (canestan) mixed into a syringe with a tip and stuck in any nook or cranny you can find.
So basically antibiotic and anti fungal.

I stick with Red Horse's Arti Mud or a gauze swab drowned in plain old Sudocrem but I'd use Pete's Goo if I was having problems that they wouldn't fix.
http://www.healthyhoof.com/articles/Thrush/ThrushRevisited.html
http://www.hoofrehab.com/

Also - Schoko isn't mine:). He belongs to a livery mate, my horses are on the same website though (Obi and Indiana).
Click to expand...

Ta, stupid blooming computer. It sometimes has sound and sometimes doesn't?? :confused: I never know what I'm going to get!

ETS: he may not be yours but he is still beautiful!!!
 
Santa Paws said:
Many shod feet are very spread and we come to expect feet to look bigger than they really should be.

Think of a house roof. Rooves with a steep slope put pressure downwards into the walls. Rooves with a greater slope push the walls outwards are require stronger wall to hold up the roof. This is what feet are like. The more upright ones are often a lot stronger than the spread ones. Smaller feet also have a rounder dome inside them, because big feet have the same sort of level of depth spread over a larger distance. The rounder dome is also stronger - which is why you can stand on an egg (under a board) and not break it.

I like small feet, as long as they are not contracted, which does not look like the case from your photo. If your boy is happy, trust him to know what's best :)
Click to expand...

I think I know what you are trying to say but there are flaws in the example - house roofs are not constructed in anyway other than to put load vertically down into the walls.

The weight of the horse is taken through the coffin bone which is suspended within the hoof capsule by the laminae - the weakness in spread hooves comes from the stretching of the laminae since the coffin bone remains the same shape - a better example would be the difference between carrying a weight in your hands close to your body versus carrying it with arms outstretched.

Unshod / barefoot horses and those shod with heartbars / plates also use the heel bulbs and frog to carry their weight.

The concavity of the sole has nowt to do with it - except that in horses with coffin bones carried high in the capsule you will find deep collateral grooves - on unshod/barefoot horses you will find a toe callous on the sole which may also reduce the concavity - just because a hoof is not steeply concave doesn't mean it is not strong.

Oh - and you need to stand on the point of the egg - it will easily crush if laid on its side!
 
Would agree with the previous poster about the importance of keeping hoof brushes and picks in hibiscrub.
IT is also my first choice for getting rid of thrush I clean out the foot as much as poss them soak for 5 mins or so in dilute hibiscrub them dry well and spray with blue spray. Always seems to work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top