Barefoot help/advise

[Rafie]

Hi everyone, i have taken my 15.2hh ISH Finn barefoot this week. I have had him since the end of February and he wasn't in the best condition. Have tried different food combinations and found some made him 'fizzy', he is now fed and has been fed this for about 3months:
Speedi beat
Brewers yeast
Turmeric
Linseed
Apple cider vinegar
Salt

He is out 24/7 in a big herd in a big field of short burnt grass. I don't have access to a stable for a few more weeks. In winter he will be out in the day, in at night. He is ridden (hacking) most days at a walk as being brought back in to work slowly. I have access to road work but you have to go down a stoney track to get to it. Also have an indoor and huuuuugggggeeee outdoor school to ride in. He isn't very well schooled and is stiff but getting better. He prefers hacking.

I have followed Rockley farm and knew i wanted to take Finn barefoot for a while, one of the main reasons for this is because he front leg conformation is not very good. He came to me with just front shoes and hasn't been foot sore at all behind even down very stoney tracks. His shoes came off yesterday and my farrier was pretty cool about it but did say if it doesn't work we will have to put shoes on him. He is foot sore on the stony track to his felid but fine on grass and concrete. He lands heel first on all feet.

Think that is all i can say about the situation, sorry if it went on but just wanted to give as much information as i can.
So...shall i get hoof boots? or just work in the school and see how we go?
Anything i should think about adding to his diet?
Can anyone give me an evaluation of his feet?
Any advise welcomed.

RF

RH

LH

LF

 

[OLDGREYMARE]

Not going to comment on his hooves because I am sure other forum members will have more experience.However I think you should give him a vitamin and mineral supplement daily if he is on poor grass.I use ten daily balancer from spillers online.Many barefooters use prohoof or forage plus supplements. And yes I would purchase boots for the fronts for transitioning on stony ground.

 

[OLDGREYMARE]

sorry double posted

 

[Red-1]

Hi, he looks like he is already putting out a different hoof angle, would that be since you changed farrier or since you changed feed?

I feed salt as well as Pro Hoof, and otherwise as plain a diet as possible.

My horse has boots for anything that makes him sore, for him that is stones, or if we are over half an hour on the road.

I found that daily road walking in hand seemed to improve the hooves.

There do seem to be some balance issues, as in one side higher than the other, but I would just walk out until the next trim rather than trimming heavily when he is new to shoes off. Next time the farrier comes I would ask about the imbalance.

Monthly photos of mine has helped keep a track and to ensure that any imbalances are correcting rather than getting worse. I take one from the front, one from the side (floor level and at 90 degrees), one from the back and one of the underside.

Good luck!

 

[Rafie]

Thank you for the tips. Looking at pro hoof now. The new growth is from when I got him, so everything changed (diet, farrier, turn out, time off)
Looking at boots and will measure him tomorrow. Think we will start with in-hand walks through the village and use the boots for the tracks.
The imbalance is a conformational issue, I think, which I feel was being aggravated by shoeing. He has a slight rotation of both fronts. Really want to see what foot he is going to grow so thanks for the tip about taking photos.

 

[countercanterr]

Following just took my mares fronts off today. She is the same, walking short on our stoney track and trot looked pretty sore on the track but not bad on the field from what I could tell from far away. Hoping she'll be okay in the arena but if not I'm going to stick to lots of walking! Mine is fed a very small bit of fibre-beet, Pro-balance (but have just ordered pro-hoof for when we run out), linseed & turmeric.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I would keep feeding the speedibeet but add in a chaff (one with no alfalfa or any molasses at all - hard to find - Pure easy is one but there are others) plus micronised linseed, salt and a supplement (forage plus, pro hoof, pro balance or equimins hoof mender). Boots for the stoney tracks only, lots of exercise on different surfaces and find the very best trimmer you can (the fact that the farrier has suggested shoes back on if 'it doesn't work' suggests that he's not the right person). I wouldn't trim anyway for a while yet - let the hoof keep improving and let the road work trim naturally.

 

[TPO]

Your diet sounds good, I'd just add a good vit/min supp like Pro Hoof or Pro Balance from Progressive Earth, Forage Plus balancer or Equivita mineral mix.

I've got a tb ex racer with asymmetrical heel bulbs on both hinds similar to your horse's RF. Mine is from compensating for mechanical lameness (fractured pelvis in training) but being barefoot and out as much as physically possible (summers out and was in about 7-10days Max over winter) has massively helped.

Given the rf I'd ensure you have a good therapist (physio or body worker) involved as his muscles, shape and size will change as his movement changes. Have a good saddle fitter on board too, if you struggle to find a good one then your therapist should be able to check the fit too, as the fit if your saddle and possibly his whole width fitting will change.

The whole ethos for improving hoof health is "comfy steps". So yes you do want to get them moving but they have to be comfortable doing so. Walk him, in hand if required, over different surfaces to gradually condition his hooves. If he's not comfortable then boots with pads.

Treat the frogs as if they have thrush. The hind frogs are a good size but it looks like there's some contraction and a deep sulcus in the front frogs. Red Horse products are good- field paste is a favourite of mine.

Read as much as you can- books, websites, blogs and here. I've got or had just about every trimming and hoof book I can get my handsome but I have to say the best one Ive found is £15 from Amazon - the hoof guided method by Maureen Tierney. It's not a big book and it's easy to read but it made me have a lot of "ding ding" moments as it made so much sense yet is so obvious and simple.

Good luck!

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I decided to leave my sect d barefooted on advice from my farrier, I bought boots as he was sensitive on stoney ground but found that he slipped in them so gave up with the boots. It took three years before he was completely sound on any surface. Didn't give him any special diet, he had good grazing and good quality hay over the winter with just safe & sound. He now has fantastic feet. All mine, I have 5 are barefoot but hVe tgeir feet trimmed every eight weeks.