Barefoot and lameness issues! Help please!!!

R

rowy

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2010
Messages
2,548
Location
leicestershire
Visit site
Just over 2 weeks ago I had both my horses shoes taken off (just had front shoes on) as wanted to go barefoot. The barefoot specialist didnt take any foot off and just smoothed it round. Out tb has really hardy feet and doesnt feel the stones at all and coped well with being barefoot to begin with and my other boy was a tiny bit footy but not overly bad. Being barefoot is so much better for him though as his feet grow very quickly and when he has shoes on his feet grow over the shoe in 4 weeks and the foot- pastern axis appears broken very quickly and sloping out in front. As soon as she took the shoes off his feet looked more in balance and upright.
However, due to the good weather and us having plenty of grass, decided to keep the horses out 24hours again. Moved them into a new field (just in the day as the grass is so rich in there) and they went a bit mad galloping around about 6 times as per usual. Anyway, a few days after this they both went really lame on the stones and Row nearly fell over when picking his feet out. So quickly took them off of it and back onto the field with less good grass 22- 24 hours. They are still really footy.

On top of this, it appears Dancer is lame. She is 19 years old and never had a lame day but noticed that in the school on the left rein she keeps having lame steps. Nothing majour but after having her 6 years, I can tell when shes not right. To me it looks like stiffness so could it possibly be athritis onset? or could she have damaged something in the field when galloping round. Dont think its lami as she isnt overweight and no digital pulse or heat in the foot and banged the sole of the hoof and no pain.
Not sure whether to try her on a joint supplement or get the vet out :/
 
Lots are feeling the effects of new grass at the moment so it could well be that makeing them footy. This would be my initial thought, especially as all of them are showing the same footyness. Grass is a bloomin' nightmare! We expect to have to start strip grazing our bare winter paddocks pretty soon!

Some horses struggle with decent grass, but you can help them tollerate it as much as possible by keeping a close eye on their diet. What are they being fed at the moment?

To get through tricky times then boots can be handy (thesaddleryshop are fab for advice and fitting charts).

Once shoes are off then the best thing for them is exercise over comfortable and conformable surfaces (within what they are comfortable with - nothing to be gained by leading a stumbling horse over rocky ground!). Are you able to get some pea gravel down? It really is wonder stuff to help support and stimulate feet. Any thrush lurking there? That can really hold things back.

2 weeks isn't very much and it can take feet rather a while to build up strength in weak structures. The rockley farm blog is always super useful to read and http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php is utterly invaluable for help and advice from friendly nerdy barefoot sorts lol!!

Have you spoken to your trimmer about this? Since they have seen your horses feet recently they might be able to offer advice too.
 
I would get the vet out - she is your precious 19 year old and so nothing but the professional advice will give you a definitive answer. And you could spend loads on supplements assuming it is arthritis and all the time it still could be lami despite the lack of signs and the treatment might be different.

My pony had no classic signs of lami other than lameness and had never had it before- but it was still acute lami and he could tell me that straight off :-(( Im so glad I did call the vet - she is now managed very careful, theres no rotation of the pedal bone on the Xrays and we have a bright future.
 
I sympathise my horse has not been out of shoes long and he will hoon round his field, making himself footsore and it can make him look like a laminitic, when he is really sore I put him out in boots especially when the ground is hard!
 
I would think it's the grass. Sunny days and cold nights send sugars high to sky high if it goes on for a few days/nights. :(

ps. If you don't feed magnesium it might be worth trying it along with salt. 20gms mag ox and a desert spoon of salt a day for 500Kg horse approx.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stopped giving them feed as soon as they were out 24hours (they werent getting much anyway) and they were getting hay in the field but not going to bother any more as they have plenty of grass and if they lose weight we can re-introduce feed again.
The lameness is odd because only lame on the left rein on a circle. Took her down to the road to do a trot up and didnt notice anything though she did look a little stiff through her elbow and shoulder on the off fore.
She is a 15hh tb who has never had lami before and has always struggled with her weight (keep it up) in the past which is why I think (combined with the lack of clinical signs) it is unlikely to be that. It could possibly be the begining of navicular if it isnt arthiritus. Checked all around her white line for little stones etc but I think if it was an abcess she would be far more lame. Def not tendon related as well. Think i'll have another look 2moro and if she is still lame we will have to get the vet out.
 
I don't want to comment on the lameness as I would just get the vet for that.
Regarding the footiness - I had my mare's shoes taken off in November. For the first couple of weeks she was fine - then the footiness set in with a vengeance. To the point where I nearly put shoes back on her. She is now on a supplement which she started a couple of months ago and I really can't believe the difference in her. It could just take time. Good luck.
 
Another vote for mag oxide here, that might help with the grass related footiness. Although, i'd definitely get the vet if she's no better in day or so.
 
rowy said:
Stopped giving them feed as soon as they were out 24hours (they werent getting much anyway) and they were getting hay in the field but not going to bother any more as they have plenty of grass and if they lose weight we can re-introduce feed again.
The lameness is odd because only lame on the left rein on a circle. Took her down to the road to do a trot up and didnt notice anything though she did look a little stiff through her elbow and shoulder on the off fore.
She is a 15hh tb who has never had lami before and has always struggled with her weight (keep it up) in the past which is why I think (combined with the lack of clinical signs) it is unlikely to be that. It could possibly be the begining of navicular if it isnt arthiritus. Checked all around her white line for little stones etc but I think if it was an abcess she would be far more lame. Def not tendon related as well. Think i'll have another look 2moro and if she is still lame we will have to get the vet out.
Click to expand...

I would look at getting a feed in them everyday so that they can recieve some minerals that it is likely they would be deficient in because of the mineral profile of alot of UK grazing. At the easiest end you could just give them a handful of fastfibre with some magox in, or you could get a mineral balancer (Forage Plus have started doing their own, Equimins meta balance and also Pro Hoof are well regarded). You could also choose to mineral balance and get your forage tested. This isn't practicle for some if they get hay from alot of different sources, but is the 'gold standard' if you like! There aren't many horses that are able to be totally rock crunching barefoot without some help with minerals.

Lami doesn't have to be weight related, the sugars can knock any horse over the edge. The advantage of barefoot is that you get your early warning system.

If you find that grass is too much for some of their feet, then strip grazing and feeding soaked hay can really help the sensitive types!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top