Barefoot diet

[Clodagh]

I'm sorry... does anyone have a list they would recommend to feed? My horses are shod and I hopefully follow good practice with feeding them but my new horse has flat feet that just don't grow.
Currently he is on Baileys light chaff, equimins vitamin supplement, ad lib haylage (which they have stopped eating the last couple of days) and lives out on old unfertilized ley. He is not fat, possibly slightly lean, he is in fittening work.
I'm thinking people on here have recommended pro hoof supplement? Seaweed? Linseed? He is very food reactive so nothing whizz bang making, please.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Mine are on pro balance plus from progressive earth, hifi molasses free and fast fibre.....they have hay rather than hay ledge as it makes them loopy!

Some will say take shoes off and I agree if horse is sore boot and pad until he has grown a good strong hoof to cope with shoes or if he has hardened to being shoeless then leave them off.

 

[Clodagh]

I don't really want to take them off, I am pro shoes! But I would like them to look better! (I know BFers will say they are mutually exclusive).
Thanks for those suggestions, will look into progressive earth stuff.

 

[Heelfirst]

Worth making sure the magnesium intake is good , it will help with the production of tissue, also make sure the shoes are ones that do not impede either the action or the growth
i.e. http://www.rockfoot.com/shoeing.html
Although I only work on barefoot referrals now I always found when I was shoeing that it was possible to improve the soles and wall growth if the shoes were in sympathy with the action and balance of the foot. al be it not as well as going barefoot!

 

[criso]

There are a couple of places that places produce supplements that are particularly foot friendly, Progressive Earth or eBay and Forage plus.

Then with feed go for a high fibre, forage based diet and avoid sugar/molasses completely. Doing the latter will mean careful reading of the white labels on bags of feed as you will find even feeds designed for laminitics have sugar added.

I have fed both haylage and hay but look for Timothy or Meadow rather than Ryegrass.

At various times mine have done well on
Oats
Linseed
Bran
Copra
Alfalfa Pellets
Unmolassed Sugarbeet

Alot of friends use Fast Fibre.

 

[tazzy69]

My 2 are barefoot and have Allen and Page Fast Fibre, Honeychop oat straw chaff, dodson and horrell hedgerow herbs, micronised linseed and magnesium