Barefoot Help Please

[Charliechalk]

Hi, could anyone help me with a few questions about recently barefoot horses. My horse had his shoes removed about 10 days ago. He has poor hoof quality and can't keep shoes on, have tried imprint shoes over the summer as he went slightly lame in trot on his right fore and on a circle and vet was concerned about laminitis. He was treated for this as he had a pulse in his right fore. The pulses went whilst he was on box rest and he was turned out again and again pulse returned in the right fore and he was slightly lame in trot. The imprint shoes didn't work well for him when he was turned out as he also pulled them off. Vet came out 10 days ago and i asked for x-rays. The x-rays were clear, showed nothing abnormal and the vet and farrier agreed that maybe he would be better barefoot as both were concerned about putting shoes on again. I was advised to keep him in for a week on a shavings bed and walk him out twice a day for 10 mins on varying surfaces. He was fine in the sand school and pottery on hard ground but coping. I was advised to try him out today for a short amount of time which i did and he behaved like a loon in the field. This is normal for him when he's first turned out and he doesn't cope with box rest well. When i brought him back in he was quite sore and not as 'forward' as normal. Have just checked his pulses and they are back. Now i'm worrying that i've done the wrong thing turning him out, he's only allowed out for an hour a day to begin with. I'm worrying that he's too sore and must be in pain, do you think its worth persevering or should i get the vet back out?
Thanks for reading

 

[Erin]

Defiantly worth persevering! Google for the uknhcp and the rockley farm blog - lots of useful information

 

[canteron]

Have just gone the whole hog as I have had a summer of cushings/laminitis/abcesses and am trying this as a last gasp. www.forageplus.com. If it works then I have saved a lot of vet/farrier costs - and if it doesn't I have done everything I can. I have to say the reports are absolutely amazing - not cheap but information you can never ever get anywhere else.

By the way, have you had your horse tested for cushings. It is a relatively cheap test and IMO worth ruling out before you spend a whole load of money and emotion of trying other solution. So even if you vet says no, no, no think about having a relatively cheap blood test done as it is amazing how many horses have it who are not showing the classic symptons!!

Regarding your original question, keep going, but soak you hay (you want the starch/sugar to be below 10%) and ideally consider feeding magnesium oxide. Check your feed and cut out all products with sugar, molasses, alfalfa, etc. Maybe try soaked hay and Allan & Page fast fibre?

 

[Charliechalk]

Hi thanks for your replies, he's only fed Fast Fibre, soaked hay and a supplement called 'Sensible Essentials' which contains the following ingredients
Active ingredients

Sensible Essentials Loader:
Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E,Vitamin C,
Other Vitamins: Vitamin K, Vitamin B, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Biotin, Choline, Folic acid, Pantothenic acid
Minerals: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Selenium, Sulphur, Manganese, Zinc, Cobalt, Copper,
Plus: L-Tryptophan, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine and Essential fatty acids.

Forageplus looks interesting, will definitely look into that. I think i'm just having a wobble because he looked uncomfortable tonight. I have cavallo hoof boots but unsure whether you can turn out in these?

 

[Cheese]

Search on facebook for Primrose Hill. Lots of info on barefoot and she'd be delighted to answer any questions, I'm sure. x

 

[ThePony]

Diet and movement are def your biggest things to get right. On the surface of it, your diet looks good, nothing glaring certainly! Second the cushings test and also forage plus for horses who are struggling more than they should on a 'good' diet. Can you lead him out on a comfortable surface? Something that gives a little for his feet - pea gravel is idea, but a sand school is good to so that it will be comfortable for him and also stimulate his feet so that he can then start to grow more better quality hoof in response to this.

In the mean time consider boots so that he can move about comfortably? thesaddleryshop is brilliant, stocks everything, has all the size charts and they are really helpful too if you need to get some advice. Make sure you order pads with the boots as useing these helps enormously with both keeping your horse comfortable and also maximasing the blood flow to the hoof. This article explains it well and is just facinating! http://www.thehorseshoof.com/Art_Pad.html

 

[Charliechalk]

Not sure it would be cushings, he's only 9. Is it usual for younger horses to get Cushings?

 

[Oberon]

The poor hoof quality will be down to diet. He needs a low starch and sugar diet with lots of minerals.

The food you have him on seems to be appropriate - but if you wanted to 'fine-tune' it, then ForagePlus is a good option. A correct level of minerals in his diet would also allow him to cope with grass better.

At the moment he clearly ISN'T coping with grass (hence the pulses). This may be a seasonal/environmental thing with the weather we've had at the moment.

Don't panic, it's likely just a blip - but unless he is muzzled for that hour, you'll have to find an alternative to the grass for now, until he gets a good amount of minerals in.

His pulses and soreness aren't a barefoot problem, but a lami problem. He'd have the same pulses with shoes on, but you wouldn't see it until it went full blown. This is the early warning system

I am sure your farrier knows not to trim the frog or sole of a barefoot horse