Barefoot- anything else I can do?

P

Pc2003

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 June 2015
Messages
552
Visit site
My horse was a pts case on several occasions due to spavins and other related lameness. That was years ago and after considerable dr green and eventually taking his shoes off he is sound as a hack.
Is there anything else I can do barefoot wise to aid his soundness? We are on a basic livery yard and I have young kids so can't be doing anything too complicated.
As the basics, I get his feet trimmed by a farrier who is barefoot trained/sympathetic. We do lots of road work, in the winter he gets a handful of safe and sound chaff. No other hard feed. Keep carrots etc to a min. Fairly restricted grazing in the summer.
His feet were an awful shape. Has had years and years of remedial work.
Barefoot they now look the best shape they have and no lameness
 
Hi.. so glad to hear to hear that your boy is sound now! You don't say what breed, size, age or what his working history was so, not a lot to go on.

It sounds as if the farrier has really worked on getting the hoof balance working for you. In my own experience... the difference between making a "pts" case sound - and working harder than ever, was actually switching from a farrier to a trimmer.

This horse needed a few choice minerals and a bit of pampering to keep him sound, but my current one is the complete opposite. She seems to thrive on absolute neglect. So, each is different however, unless I needed shoes... I haven't looked back in 5 years.
 
He is 11. Connie X tb. Was 6 when he went lame, 7 when diagnosed with hock spavins plus changes. There is probably a few other things added into mix as wasn't a straight forward case. Has a spur on his navicular bone.
Tried various treatments, medications etc. Turn away. But this time round is the soundest he has been since diagnoses and that coincides with shoes off. Been hackable barefoot for 10months now. Previous to diagnosis he was in hard work, had come from Ireland and we had just started competing. Now he is just a hack but that's fine given what we have gone thru.
His front feet were awful. Seriously pigeoned toed,contracted heels. Needed specially made lateral extension shoes plus wedges sometimes. Now, his toes barely turn I and heels good. Only needs trimmed every 8-10 weeks where as needed shod every 5 weeks.
He gets a joint supplement and that's it. Anything else I could do for him feet wise?
 
Keep doing what you're doing. I found the only way to get the feet used to hard work is to gradually introduce the feet to more challenging surfaces and challenging work over time. As long as his other issues can take it.

Have you read Rockley Farm Blog? Some seriously challenging cases on there that are now working again. Some with bony changes, arthritic issues etc.

I have no advice on the spavin, it's arthritis so probably a joint supplement? I found apple coder vinegar helped my boy who had bog spavins but was sound, just needed a bit of warming up.

The feet will continue to strengthen the more work you do. The thicker the sole and lateral cartilages, the better and that can only be achieved on a variety of surfaces. Use boots if you need to, to start with. I have found that after each winter (I turn away) I have to wear boots over the tracks for about a month or so until the foot and sole build up to it. However, I can do roadwork immediately. The Tarmac is a brilliant surface... I don't know why people think they have to shoe on roads, it's the best possible surface for bare hooves and a nightmare for shod ones!

Anyway, I sounds as if you're on the right track. Don't add anything unless you absolutely need to. Look for signs of deficiency and toxicity like puffiness in the joints, behaviour etc. I don't like adding minerals willy nilly these days. You can cause other problems unwittingly and if the horse doesn't need it, it's just expensive wee.

I have kids too and I keep things simple. I don't even feed mine. She eats grass 24/7/365. Cheap keeper. I used to fuss, but I've stopped that and horses have been the best yet. Seems to be working so far... touch wood.
 
Last edited:
Nudibranch said:
Have a read of Feet First. A lot of us use Pro Hoof or Pro Balance for minerals.
Click to expand...

no seaweed
use a mineral from forageplus or progressive earth, you may not need to use the full dose, but start off with that to see if there is an event line/significant imprvement, feed a small amount 364
and also use micronised linseed for skin and hoof [mud fever] 25 to 100grams per day
salt in summer,
avoid branded mixes esp "paddock mix", which is not suitable for horses in paddocks in my experience.
 
Last edited:
Okay thanks all things I could easily try.
Did have a read of that rockley farm and he would have been an ideal candidate for there but at the time my insurance wouldn't cover it.
He isn't foot sore at all, ever. So suppose that's a sign things are working for him
 
his diet appears to be predominantly hay/haylage with only small amount of grass. I would supplement vit E natural oil to make up for the lack of grazing and to take into account the zero quantities in winter grass and very low amounts in hay. That will help his muscles and therefore his whole body. The improvements will then reflect in his feet. I would also feed a supplement as it appears if something is not in his forage he will be low on it. I use equimins but FP do one also. I would feed salt, mine get 2 x 20ml scoop per day and also magox. Mine get 2 x 25ml scoops per day. Also charnwood micronised linseed. Say 100g per day.

I mix the linseed, magox, salt and equimins up into 2 containers per day and just tip one into the feed so it would be easy for someone to do. The vit E oil (equimins is the cheapest) will have to be either put into each feed or fed separately. I feed separately. Of all the supplements and feed the most valuable one is vit E oil. All of mine, even my hill ponies, get vit E oil to compensate for the lack in winter grazing. I feed 8 - 10000iu per day per horse. That is 8 - 10 ml or 8 - 10 grams.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top