Alex_kate
Well-Known Member
well joey has sidebones, his remedial shoes, like wedge things brought him sound but keep getting pulled off and they are not cheap!! just wondered if he might benefit from barefoot?
barefoot or remedial shoes?
- Thread starter Alex_kate
- Start date
Jemayni
Well-Known Member
PM E_C_W she is the oracle of barefoot shoeing!
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
Barefoot is not easy, it is a bit like organic farming - you have to embrace the whole concept. It is a very good idea to do lots of research, there is plenty of information on the internet. It is also not a cheap option at all. A properly trained trimmer visit costs nearly the same as a set of shoes, boots cost quite a lot to start with and you might have to re think what you feed and how you keep your horse. BUT it is quite true that many horses that have been on the brink of being put down and have exhausted conventional veterinary'farriery have been returned to soundness and back to hunting/competitions, particularly endurance.
For instance one that had gone through the £5,000 of vet cover, three vets, and 12 months of remedial farriery that is sound after 3 months transition to barefoot. Another had been retired through navicular had his picture in Horse and Hound last year, back hunting with a West Country pack, barefoot.
I was convinced my own horse was starting to show early signs of navicular in metal shoes and I wanted to prevent that if possible.
Horse boots are getting better and better, there are several different makes so it should be possible to find one to suit any horse.
I was told not to trot my horse on the road in metal shoes - now we trot happily along in his "trainers" and there are no filled legs the next morning.
For instance one that had gone through the £5,000 of vet cover, three vets, and 12 months of remedial farriery that is sound after 3 months transition to barefoot. Another had been retired through navicular had his picture in Horse and Hound last year, back hunting with a West Country pack, barefoot.
I was convinced my own horse was starting to show early signs of navicular in metal shoes and I wanted to prevent that if possible.
Horse boots are getting better and better, there are several different makes so it should be possible to find one to suit any horse.
I was told not to trot my horse on the road in metal shoes - now we trot happily along in his "trainers" and there are no filled legs the next morning.
_daisy_
Well-Known Member
cheers Jemayni!
A_K. Youve got nothing to loose with going barefoot. Ebi came sound after 4 years being on/off lame with her ringbone - shes come out of retirement now! I have since found out she was developing wry foot too!
I disagree with orangehorse's comment:
[ QUOTE ]
It is also not a cheap option at all. A properly trained trimmer visit costs nearly the same as a set of shoes, boots cost quite a lot to start with and you might have to re think what you feed and how you keep your horse.
[/ QUOTE ]
Normally you have the trims every 4 weeks to start with, which my trimmer charges me £40 per trim. Mine are now going slightly longer at roughly 5-6weeks. It will work out cheaper than having shoes on the horses - especially in Ebis case as she had her shoes done every 5 weeks at a cost of £55.
Out of my 5 horses that are all barefoot only 1 has had to have boots. She has Boa boots at about £95 per pair. She only wears them to be exercised but we are now at a point where she will be able to start being worked without them. All this because she had very flat feet and her toes were being dumped off everytime so the white line was being exposed. The resale of these boots after we have finished them is good - just have a look on ebay at Boa, Old Macs etc. Also they dont wear out. There is no damage to her boots and she was being exercised on all types of surface nearly everyday for at least 1 1/2hrs a day. Certainly well worth the money when you look at her feet now compared to what they were.
Chantin has great feet and I do everything with her. She is sound on all surfaces. I wouldnt go back to shoes now.
Ive got some photos of 2 of my girls feet before and after if you are interested.
A_K. Youve got nothing to loose with going barefoot. Ebi came sound after 4 years being on/off lame with her ringbone - shes come out of retirement now! I have since found out she was developing wry foot too!
I disagree with orangehorse's comment:
[ QUOTE ]
It is also not a cheap option at all. A properly trained trimmer visit costs nearly the same as a set of shoes, boots cost quite a lot to start with and you might have to re think what you feed and how you keep your horse.
[/ QUOTE ]
Normally you have the trims every 4 weeks to start with, which my trimmer charges me £40 per trim. Mine are now going slightly longer at roughly 5-6weeks. It will work out cheaper than having shoes on the horses - especially in Ebis case as she had her shoes done every 5 weeks at a cost of £55.
Out of my 5 horses that are all barefoot only 1 has had to have boots. She has Boa boots at about £95 per pair. She only wears them to be exercised but we are now at a point where she will be able to start being worked without them. All this because she had very flat feet and her toes were being dumped off everytime so the white line was being exposed. The resale of these boots after we have finished them is good - just have a look on ebay at Boa, Old Macs etc. Also they dont wear out. There is no damage to her boots and she was being exercised on all types of surface nearly everyday for at least 1 1/2hrs a day. Certainly well worth the money when you look at her feet now compared to what they were.
Chantin has great feet and I do everything with her. She is sound on all surfaces. I wouldnt go back to shoes now.
Ive got some photos of 2 of my girls feet before and after if you are interested.
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
It has been my experience that it hasn't been a cheaper option because my farrier charged £55 for shoes every 6 weeks and my trimmer charges £45, plus I have had to buy 6 boots - a set of 4 and a replacement pair for those that have worn out and these are about £40.00 each.
Then there has been 2 bottles of Cleantrax at £16.00 a bottle and the hire of a soaking boot, plus the cost of inserts in the boots and pads for in-hand walking. The Cleantrax is to get rid of thrush and fungal infections and it just better to assume that the hooves WILL have some fungal infection and just do a Cleantrax to start with (speaking from experience again!) or you are just delaying the start of proper healing and foot function.
So it might start to get cheaper as I don't need boots on all 4 feet now, and the trims will get further apart. But to start with it wasn't cheaper.
Then there has been 2 bottles of Cleantrax at £16.00 a bottle and the hire of a soaking boot, plus the cost of inserts in the boots and pads for in-hand walking. The Cleantrax is to get rid of thrush and fungal infections and it just better to assume that the hooves WILL have some fungal infection and just do a Cleantrax to start with (speaking from experience again!) or you are just delaying the start of proper healing and foot function.
So it might start to get cheaper as I don't need boots on all 4 feet now, and the trims will get further apart. But to start with it wasn't cheaper.
_daisy_
Well-Known Member
wow it has cost you a fortune
but I do wonder how many people have had to go to this expense
My mums pony had very poor feet, one of the front ones has a huge crack from coronet to floor caused by an accident nearly 2 years ago. Even then we only had to go for front boots. We havent bought any replacement boots neither have we had to buy the Cleantrax or the hire of a soaking boot.
How bad were your horse/ponies feet? What boots do you have? was this all recommended by your farrier? Does he do a natural barefoot trim or a farrier trim?
My mums pony had very poor feet, one of the front ones has a huge crack from coronet to floor caused by an accident nearly 2 years ago. Even then we only had to go for front boots. We havent bought any replacement boots neither have we had to buy the Cleantrax or the hire of a soaking boot.
How bad were your horse/ponies feet? What boots do you have? was this all recommended by your farrier? Does he do a natural barefoot trim or a farrier trim?
jcberry
Well-Known Member
last summer oscar had eggbars which helped his sidebones, this summer he has got lateral extensions
Would love to see if barefoot works
