Barefoot - advice please!

[Caramac71]

Our horse was shod up til age 5 but in the 18 months or so since we've had her we have removed shoes. She is checked 6 weekly by yard farrier and trimmed as required. She lives out 24/7 on full grass livery and is fed twice daily in the field (token feed of nuts/chaff). She has ad lib hay (round bale). We also give her a token feed of Baileys Keep Calm each day in order to give her supplements - Maxaflex, tumeric with black pepper and micronised linseed, TENS Daily Balancer and we have just started her back on Agnus Castus which we intend to use from now til early Summer).

She was diagnosed last year with facet joint arthritis and since then we have had vet treatment, physio and rehab, and currently have a chiropractor working with her. I've asked all the professionals along the way if there is anything going on in her feet causing her back pain, and they've all dismissed the idea. However our chiro agreed it was probably worth getting some advice from a barefoot trimmer, which I've done. Trimmer has made all suggestions based on the photo's I sent and hasn't seen the horse in the flesh as yet, but she's advised on the following:

From the photo's she says the horse has thrush. Her frogs are deteriorating which is what she's based that conclusion on. The feet were wet when we took the photo's which I suspect is a bit misleading. Farrier, YO and our instructor have all had a look and said she does not have thrush but have all agreed the frogs aren't healthy and as they should be. The advice given by trimmer was to alter diet and to apply a topical treatment (Artimud) after daily washing. Also to bring horse in to a stable for a couple of hours a day and to soak feet 20 mins per foot x twice a week in warm salted water.

The cleaning / topical treatment etc is all easy enough to do. However, changing her feed isn't as she is fed out in the field. It isn't an option to bring her in to feed her separately. I can change the Baileys Keep Calm to Speedibeet but she is on a tiny amount of that so I'm not sure what difference that will make. Chaff is Hi Fi Lite and nuts are unbranded but we did look at sugar/starch content last year (when we suspected ulcers) and I know it is all low.

The trimmer discussed lots of things that require improvement but said these could all be done by trimming (underrun heels being most of the problem). We didn't go into discussion about exercise but I know from what I've read that work on a hard surface is important. And this again is something we will struggle to do as our roads aren't great for horses (we had a minor incident with a car last year that has put me off ever taking the horse on the road again!).

So my question is, how can we compromise? Barefoot trimmer I spoke to was very black/white about it, particularly with diet. But I have to accept that we are on full livery and restricted by what we can feed. Moving is not an option! She is happy and settled where she is (and it took a long while for her to settle), there are very few yards in the area that turn out over winter let alone those that let them live out all year round! Feeding supplements is not a problem (trimmer suggested Forage Plus) but I have no control over what she is fed in the field. And certainly in the short term, until we can get her hacking out more sensibly, road work isn't an option.

Horse has never shown any problems of not coping without shoes, she's never lame or sore, and our farrier has always said she's got pretty good feet. But I can see that there is lots of improvement we can make, but it needs to be within our limitations. Is that possible, to improve what we can but accept there are some things we cant change?

 

[be positive]

I think there are lots of shades of grey!! that you have to work as best you can with what you have and that things can rarely be totally black or white unless you are lucky enough to have the horse in a perfect set up and ideally at home.

There is every chance that any minor issue with her feet will have a knock on effect on the rest of her body, even a very tiny bit of discomfort or inbalance may be crucial to a horse with another condition so getting her feet as good as possible will be worthwhile as it may make all the difference to her long term ability to stay sound and in work. But it needs to be within the bounds of reality, I would firstly get the frogs attended to, daily washing, drying and treating will really help, I had a tb come in with no frogs and with twice daily salt water scrubbing, walking in hand on the yard plus topical treatment got them improved within a few weeks, a good trim to get the toes back will also help if they are getting too long.

Diet will be helped if you can add the minerals that may be lacking and double check the feeds she is already getting, mine are all on grass nuts and I think as long as you stay low sugar starch you should be fine if there is no underlying metabolic issue causing problems.

Can you walk in hand or ridden round a yard, up and down a drive to vary the surfaces she goes on, it may not be as good as roadwork but may be enough to start her frogs working better and get the heel first landing which will help build up the heel.

Anyway that should give you some extra food for thought, don't be too put off by the trimmers negativity.

 

[Andalucian]

Yes, shades of grey

Ask another trimmer, we're not all so "strict"!

 

[ycbm]

Horse has never shown any problems of not coping without shoes, she's never lame or sore, and our farrier has always said she's got pretty good feet.

This is what matters. There is no 'one size fits all' horse foot and your horse has feet that work for her and her arthritis. If you start altering the trim now, you might make her worse, not better. Some horses just don't have pretty feet. Functionality is all that matters.

I have one whose frogs shed every winter and are nowhere near ground bearing. In summer they look normal, though his frogs are always narrow. It worries me to death, but it doesn't worry him one bit.