Barefoot and abrasive surfaces.

Morgan123

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My friend's been using hoof armour for her two barefoot endurance horses and has been hugely impressed, though it is a bit faffy! For example she did a stony barefoot 32km ride last weekend at Cannock and there was not a single chip in them. I might try it.

OP - I had same issue with farrier and frogs recently! I was gutted and wished I'd been watching him more closely! But they've grown back within 6-8 weeks, so it's not forever.
 

soloequestrian

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So you must be in the northern Highlands then - you can only go about an hour north of Aberdeen and still be in what most people would consider the North East of Scotland. My suggestion for a trimmer probably doesn't apply up there.
 

PapaverFollis

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Well thank you anyway.

As I said in a previous post I've looked online for a nearby trimmer and there aren't any that I can see. Apart from one seems to have appeared near Inverness which is possibly an option as my farriers come up from round there anyway! I can ask on local Facebook groups but I don't know enough people yet to find anything properly word of mouth.

I've got myself a radius rasp so I can keep on top of any flair between trims and keep the boots fitting well. Which is my best option for now. If she needs shoes due to the wear she needs them... and I'll just have to hope that the farrier I've got next is reliable... but thank you for all the input as I feel galvanized to keep trying without for now at least.

I'm just hoping the promised new school surface materializes at some point. The current gritty sand is horrible. It's not just wearing the walls really fast it's playing havoc with the central sulcus grooves.
 

Melyssa48

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You will probably find her feet grow enough given time. Boots would definitely help if you can get them right. Whats her diet like?
 

PapaverFollis

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Just want to update this because you were all very helpful but I have gone back to having her shod in front. The school surface being so rough meant we were doing all working in the school in her hoof boots and she tripped and fell while lunging in them. So I'm afraid I just didn't have the heart for persevering with it anymore. After a couple of weeks with shoes back on her general demeanour and enthusiasm for work has picked up so much that I think she was actually moderately sore without shoes and seeing how much the metal shoes have worn already I'm not surprised.

I'm sure if I had been able to cut back work and mess with diet sufficiently, and get a decent fitting pair of boots I could have made it work. But too many conflicting issues and not enough cash flow for boot experimenting has forced my hand a little.

If and when I have her at home and can control her work surfaces better I may try again... if I can get a pair of boots I trust. But for now it'll have to be sticking with the metal!

Please don't shout at me! 😂😛 I'm doing the best I can. I just wanted to update so as not to leave you all hanging after good advice. I'm just sorry I couldn't follow it.

Also I'm annoyed that the frog cutting farrier was right, kind of. But I didn't use him for the shoeing. Lol.
 

Mule

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Just want to update this because you were all very helpful but I have gone back to having her shod in front. The school surface being so rough meant we were doing all working in the school in her hoof boots and she tripped and fell while lunging in them. So I'm afraid I just didn't have the heart for persevering with it anymore. After a couple of weeks with shoes back on her general demeanour and enthusiasm for work has picked up so much that I think she was actually moderately sore without shoes and seeing how much the metal shoes have worn already I'm not surprised.

I'm sure if I had been able to cut back work and mess with diet sufficiently, and get a decent fitting pair of boots I could have made it work. But too many conflicting issues and not enough cash flow for boot experimenting has forced my hand a little.

If and when I have her at home and can control her work surfaces better I may try again... if I can get a pair of boots I trust. But for now it'll have to be sticking with the metal!

Please don't shout at me! 😂😛 I'm doing the best I can. I just wanted to update so as not to leave you all hanging after good advice. I'm just sorry I couldn't follow it.

Also I'm annoyed that the frog cutting farrier was right, kind of. But I didn't use him for the shoeing. Lol.
It's not always easy. My farrier is a big fan of barefoot but I haven't taken the plunge yet.
I keep reading about horses getting rubs from boots and it sounds a right pain. Mine has paper thin soles and very flat feet. Even a couple of months without shoes really improves them.
 

ycbm

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Just want to update this because you were all very helpful but I have gone back to having her shod in front. The school surface being so rough meant we were doing all working in the school in her hoof boots and she tripped and fell while lunging in them. So I'm afraid I just didn't have the heart for persevering with it anymore. After a couple of weeks with shoes back on her general demeanour and enthusiasm for work has picked up so much that I think she was actually moderately sore without shoes and seeing how much the metal shoes have worn already I'm not surprised.

I'm sure if I had been able to cut back work and mess with diet sufficiently, and get a decent fitting pair of boots I could have made it work. But too many conflicting issues and not enough cash flow for boot experimenting has forced my hand a little.

If and when I have her at home and can control her work surfaces better I may try again... if I can get a pair of boots I trust. But for now it'll have to be sticking with the metal!

Please don't shout at me! 😂😛 I'm doing the best I can. I just wanted to update so as not to leave you all hanging after good advice. I'm just sorry I couldn't follow it.

Also I'm annoyed that the frog cutting farrier was right, kind of. But I didn't use him for the shoeing. Lol.


We won't shoot you 😋. We all do the best we can do in the circumstances.
 

Tiddlypom

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It's very hard if you haven't got local support and access to decent professionals. If I hadn't struck lucky with a really good podiatrist (thanks to tallyho!, who showed me where to look for one) I'd have probably had to give up taking mine barefoot. My farrier was doing his best, and he was a lot better than many, but they were still sore. It would have had to be shoes all round if I'd stayed with him.
You've had a good crack at it, and it's not worked out. Which is much better than not trying at all :).

Chin up.
 

Melody Grey

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Interesting OP that you mention replacing your Cavallos with the same size but them now coming up small- I have just done the same. I wonder if they’ve changed their sizing a bit? I assumed it must be because the old ones had stretched over time (got 3yrs out of them!) and perhaps my horse’s feet had changed shape....making me wonder now!

My horse doesn’t grow much hoof, but self trims beautifully so I just use boots until I can’t get them on any longer, then he trims them for a week or so on smooth tarmac then back on. easy!
 

Gloi

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My horse doesn’t grow much hoof, but self trims beautifully so I just use boots until I can’t get them on any longer, then he trims them for a week or so on smooth tarmac then back on. easy!

I do similar, jeep them self trimmed by riding bare on the roads mostly, then booting for longer or very rough routes. I've just bought some Hoof Armor which I'm going to try in the hope I can avoid using boots at all.
 

ycbm

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Interesting OP that you mention replacing your Cavallos with the same size but them now coming up small- I have just done the same. I wonder if they’ve changed their sizing a bit? I assumed it must be because the old ones had stretched over time (got 3yrs out of them!) and perhaps my horse’s feet had changed shape....making me wonder now!

My horse doesn’t grow much hoof, but self trims beautifully so I just use boots until I can’t get them on any longer, then he trims them for a week or so on smooth tarmac then back on. easy!


You aren't mixing up Cavallo ordinary and sport fittings are you? The sport ones are narrower for the same size boot.
 

Melody Grey

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Thanks- I don’t think so- they’re cavallo simples (or not so simples as the case may be!!). The new ones are identical to the old, but too tight and shallow around the heel :-/
 

ycbm

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Thanks- I don’t think so- they’re cavallo simples (or not so simples as the case may be!!). The new ones are identical to the old, but too tight and shallow around the heel :-/


They do Cavallo simple ordinary and Cavallo simple sport, which are narrower. They look the same from the top. Do the soles look nearly round, or longer than they are wide?
 

Melody Grey

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They do Cavallo simple ordinary and Cavallo simple sport, which are narrower. They look the same from the top. Do the soles look nearly round, or longer than they are wide?
Both pairs with round identical soles, just the new pair are much tighter at the back preventing them from encasing the heal bulb...hence wondering whether old ones have just stretched over time and horse’s feet have changed gradually over the 3 years he’s been wearing them?

Planning on ordering the size above and returning if still none the wiser!
 

PapaverFollis

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My new ones had exactly the same soles as the old ones, the uppers had changed slightly and fitted too tightly over the heal bulbs. Or seemed to. It was a bit odd. But definitely the same boot as had fitted no problem when new previously.
 

ycbm

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Both pairs with round identical soles, just the new pair are much tighter at the back preventing them from encasing the heal bulb...hence wondering whether old ones have just stretched over time and horse’s feet have changed gradually over the 3 years he’s been wearing them?

Planning on ordering the size above and returning if still none the wiser!


I had a pair of fours and swapped them for threes a week ago. When they arrived I thought that the threes were a lot more padded and had less room at the back than the fours did. The fours, although new, might have been older stock because they came in the wrong box, and I thought they were probably ex display or something. It does sound like they have been changed a bit.
 

Melody Grey

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This exactly! Did a size above cure the problem? Just a bit apprehensive of going for the next size up as the base of the old ones is such a good fit!
 
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