Barefoot, lameness and hoof boots help!

[Meep92]

Hi

So in December I got my old mare back that I used to own when I was 18.

With her previous owners in 2017 she got diagnosed with cushings, laminitis and suffered pedal bone rotation in both her front feet. She had heart bar shoes put on and pads which made her more comfortable. When they contacted me to take her back due to ill health I went to see her and was told she was sound now and would be ok to ride. She was still lame and dishing in her front feet but I took her back.

I lunged her and noticed the lameness was a lot worse than I thought, I had the pads removed and she had thrush and very soft soles and had suffered with a lot of abscess' with her previous owners. My farrier advised that she had the shoes off and her feet needed a rest so to go down the barefoot route with hoof boots.

She is off and on lame even in hoof boots, Saturday she was fine bucking and trotting round the menage ok, but then yesterday she was lame in trot again even in hoof boots with 2 pads! I don't know whether this is just because it will take time for her to adjust or whether there is a more serious issue. She was sound in just shoes but she has hardly and hoof so needs to grow some before she can have anymore fitted, which I would rather not anyway.

I am walking her in hand for about 20 minutes every day which she is fine with, do I keep doing this and will it just take time? Or is it not normal for a horse to be lame in trot with hoof boots on if she is just foot sore? She in on a low sugar/starch diet and I am soaking her hay.

Thanks in advance!

Maria

 

[ester]

You don’t give a timeline of when shoes came off?
I didn’t trot mine at all for 3 months ish. Things are likely to take longer with a horse that is metabolically compromised.
Are you using boots for turnout or just walking?
What pads are you using?
Are you treating the thrush? What with?
Is she on pergolide with stable levels?

 

[paddy555]

having had exactly the same I would hazard a guess that all your problems are down to cushings including being lame in boots with pads in. I found sometimes the horse was sound, sometimes footsore in boots and sometimes very lame. His feet were reasonably good, thick soles on x ray and no thrush. Until prascend controlled them abscesses were a continual nightmare. I am not sure what boots you are using. Scoots do not have a thick enough sole for this sort of problem. Easyboots or cavallos would be more suitable.
I have had a lot of barefoot horses yet found no way of improving the situation which seemed illogical and soundness or lameness couldn't be related to anything.

 

[Meep92]

Sorry I haven't! Her shoes come off 2nd January so around 5/6 weeks ago. She has boots on 24/7, she isn't being turned out at the minute, as her boots don't stay on, so I just put her in the menage for turnout and walk her in hand to make sure she's doing some exercise.
I have just ordered some mud straps, so I'm hoping they will help to keep them on so she can go out more then. I'm using the scoot boot pads and also the cavello ones.
I wasn't sure whether to get a thicker pad or if its just a waste of money if i'm padding up with 2 and it isn't making a difference.
I'm only trotting her to check for soundness.
I was using the blue spray from the vets and then my trimmer has put some hoof armor on, which seems to have cleared up the thrush as her frogs are now hard!
Had her levels tested and she is normal and she has half a tablet a day for her cushings of Pracsend.

 

[Meep92]

having had exactly the same I would hazard a guess that all your problems are down to cushings including being lame in boots with pads in. I found sometimes the horse was sound, sometimes footsore in boots and sometimes very lame. His feet were reasonably good, thick soles on x ray and no thrush. Until prascend controlled them abscesses were a continual nightmare. I am not sure what boots you are using. Scoots do not have a thick enough sole for this sort of problem. Easyboots or cavallos would be more suitable.
I have had a lot of barefoot horses yet found no way of improving the situation which seemed illogical and soundness or lameness couldn't be related to anything.

I was using Cavello boots but my trimmer suggested I swap to Scoot Boots as they would fit her better, which they do. The cavallo one's are too big for her though, so I might see if I can swap to a smaller size. Her cushings levels are normal and she is on medication for this she is getting Prascend.

 

[ester]

I went back a few years there using pergolide ?. Thanks for covering all those questions it’s just useful to know.
Scoot boots are low profile and more ‘sporty’ so not the best for rehabbing/adding pads to. I’m not familiar with their pads but know for instance that the cavallo ones are rock hard.
If she were mine, from other experiences I’d try her with the thick equine podiatry supplies pads in the too big cavallos and see if she were more comfortable. They are usually pretty good for turnout too which is important as slow stimulation from turnout is only going to help.

Or if I were feeling flush easyboot clouds

 

[Meep92]

I went back a few years there using pergolide ?. Thanks for covering all those questions it’s just useful to know.
Scoot boots are low profile and more ‘sporty’ so not the best for rehabbing/adding pads to. I’m not familiar with their pads but know for instance that the cavallo ones are rock hard.
If she were mine, from other experiences I’d try her with the thick equine podiatry supplies pads in the too big cavallos and see if she were more comfortable. They are usually pretty good for turnout too which is important as slow stimulation from turnout is only going to help.

Or if I were feeling flush easyboot clouds

Ok thank you! The scoot boot pads are quite thin and yes the cavallo ones are hard, but they did help her in her cavallo boots to be fair! I will try a thicker pad then and see how she gets on thank you!

 

[ester]

Bit of trial and error really. I was lucky as mine was footy but ok in easyboot gloves without pads for road walking and ok naked at other times (thanks to a particularly wet summer!) also unusual that he never changed size.

There are definitely previous threads on here about the EPS pads and the owner is helpful too .

 

[Meep92]

It's a nightmare I feel like I'm getting somewhere and then she goes lame again! We are miles ahead of where we were though she could hardly walk. She was even walking ok one day without boots at all! I will order some fingers crossed that's all it is! Appreciate your help

 

[Orangehorse]

I haven't had to deal with this, but when mine was first out of shoes I taped on thick pads to his feet and led him around the concrete yard every day for 10-15 minutes. He was able to go out in the field though. It was easier when I put 2 pads inside the Easy boots, rather than all that duck tape. I also did a soak of all 4 feet to get ride on any thrush issues. Gosh it all took ages, wouldn't have time to do it now.

I was told that exercise is very important and as much as possible that the horse can cope with so long as it is comfortable and not lame.

 

[Meep92]

It is a nightmare because its far too muddy in the field for the boots to even have a chance of staying on and she's too sore without them and ends up worse! I will try the mud straps I've ordered but I would be surprised if they stay on. Bring on spring when she can go out again! I'm going to give the thicker pads a go and hopefully it helps!

 

[ester]

Tbf I did have good success with cavallos staying on in really deep mud, they are half a size too big but I was poulticing at the time ?

 

[AnShanDan]

We use the equine fushion boots, they have their downsides (fiddly to put on, soak up water so take ages to dry) but, if they fit well they never come off in the field, and you can put proper thick pads in which it sounds like you horse needs?
Honestly, it makes such a difference if they have a decent pad in the boots, the cavallo ones are almost useless imo.

 

[SusieT]

has she been seen by a vet? That would be my first port of call potentiall with xrays to see if the pedal bones are problematic?

 

[Meep92]

She has it is down to trush again! I've cleaned them today with hibi scrub and her frog started to peel away and left a white frog? My trimmer has said it's nothing to worry about and to keep using the blue spray and they will sort it when they come next. I've attached a photo.

 

[Kat]

Try the white EPS 4lb pads. They need a boot like a cavallo, boa or easyboot trail as they are too bulky but they crush down and mould to the foot. They also give amazing comfort instantly. Mine went from crippled on all surfaces to bouncing around like tigger when I first put boots and pads on her.

I wouldn't leave the boots on 24/7 it won't help the thrush. Put them on when she leaves her stable and when she is in her stable just give her a deep bed right up to the door.

If she is sound in the boots try to get her walking in them as much as possible.

 

[Kat]

Also if the blue spray isn't shifting the thrush and you have been using it for a while try something else. Red horse field paste is very good. I have had success with soaking the foot in milton.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Try swan antibac for the thrush you can only get it online it's great stuff for the feet, very mild but great for any fungal problems.

One of mine has been barefoot since June he is on off sound, but his only very slightly off each time hardly noticeable really but it's getting less frequent, his able to walk and be ridden boot free now but it's been a tricky transition, his not got any of the issues your horse has his just got quite thin soles, my farrier said it can take up to a year for the feet to really come good for some horses.

 

[Gloi]

If you can't have the boots on in the field keep up with the hoof armour to help with the thin soles. If you can't see a shiny layer of it all over the sole put another layer on over the top. The soles look quite flaky so the hoof armour will be flaking off with the sole so will need applying maybe every week or two for now. Also how is her diet? She needs a good hoof supplement, Progressive earth ones are good but mine wouldn't eat them when he was on Prascend. Equimins advance comes as pellets so you need minimum feed with it if hopefully yours will eat it.

 

[Meep92]

Ok thanks all. She was being fed top spec by her previous owners but only half the amount she should have been getting so the balancer wasn't really doing anything and she was underweight. When I increased it to the full amount new hoof growth come through quickly! I've swapped her now though to copra, thunderbrooks meadow nuts and premium mva but we're just starting on that today so won't see any difference yet. I've swapped her from hayledge to soaked hay too.

She was a lot better today so the layer that come off must have helped and her frogs weren't as soft! I do think the athletes foot stuff has helped. I will order something else though I've heard good stuff about the field paste I only got it as an emergency

 

[Pinkvboots]

If you can't have the boots on in the field keep up with the hoof armour to help with the thin soles. If you can't see a shiny layer of it all over the sole put another layer on over the top. The soles look quite flaky so the hoof armour will be flaking off with the sole so will need applying maybe every week or two for now. Also how is her diet? She needs a good hoof supplement, Progressive earth ones are good but mine wouldn't eat them when he was on Prascend. Equimins advance comes as pellets so you need minimum feed with it if hopefully yours will eat it.

Have you used hoof amour? I might have asked you previously on a different thread so apologies if I have!

I was thinking of trying it on my horse with the thin soles I have just waited a bit as it's so wet so wasn't sure how it would stay on.

 

[Meep92]

Have you used hoof amour? I might have asked you previously on a different thread so apologies if I have!

I was thinking of trying it on my horse with the thin soles I have just waited a bit as it's so wet so wasn't sure how it would stay on.

Yes I have it's brilliant! Well worth the money and it stays on in the wet. Our fields are very boggy and it doesn't shift! With 1 application her frogs hardened up too! My trimmer uses it but I'm going to buy some for inbetween trims because her feet are so bad at the minute! It's really easy to apply too you just put a thin layer on and spread it round the sole and frog

 

[Gloi]

Have you used hoof amour? I might have asked you previously on a different thread so apologies if I have!

I was thinking of trying it on my horse with the thin soles I have just waited a bit as it's so wet so wasn't sure how it would stay on.

Yes I've used it and it stayed on the soles well. The reason I haven't kept using it is that I was trying it as my long time barefoot horse's hooves were wearing too much on the abrasive tarmac, but it wore away where the foot was contacting the road pretty quickly and so I went back to booting for long rides. For sensitive or thin soles I think it would work well. It stayed on his soles for several weeks. My horse actually has lovely feet but our roads are very abrasive and I do quite a lot of miles.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Yes I've used it and it stayed on the soles well. The reason I haven't kept using it is that I was trying it as my long time barefoot horse's hooves were wearing too much on the abrasive tarmac, but it wore away where the foot was contacting the road pretty quickly and so I went back to booting for long rides. For sensitive or thin soles I think it would work well. It stayed on his soles for several weeks. My horse actually has lovely feet but our roads are very abrasive and I do quite a lot of miles.

I don't do much road work mainly tracks grass and school as his not great with traffic, I think I will give it a try it's not that expensive really thank you