Barefoot peeps!

[Sanolly]

Took some pics of my new girlie's feet today - any CC? Also which tools do you all use for 'between-trim-maintenance'?

Right Fore:

Right hind:

Left fore:

Left hind:

Thanks

 

[PercyBrown]

Can you give me some advice(sorry really basic!) My mare has been barefoot trimmed since October. But I am really concerned with how short her toes are becoming(she is hacked out about 3 times a week for 2 hours including some tarmac roads) Ive looked at barefoot trim pics till my eyes are sore but none of them have toes that are worn away like hersd and I can see a little ridge of growth around the walls but there is none on my mares feet I know feet will grow more now there is more grass ,but what do you think? I know my old farrier would have definately said rest until there is a bit more growth , but trimmer keeps saying work will stimulate growth. CONFUSED !!

 

[china]

they look really good. i use a riders rasp if the edges get abit broken up but i havnt had to use it since the last trim but its handy to have around.
PB, i would invest in some hoof boots to ride in, they stimulate the growth but wont wear them down so much. It will give them a chance to grow back.

 

[JoBird]

You will notice in time that the toe area may wear short but the horn rim thickens so rather than just having a thin rim of horn you get a more bulbous hardening (like a natural "rolled toe". This does take time though. Stick with it but maybe use boots for a bit or go on the grass verges. In time the hooves will be so hard they sound almost like a shod horse when you trot on the road!

 

[Sanolly]

they look really good. i use a riders rasp if the edges get abit broken up but i havnt had to use it since the last trim but its handy to have around.
PB, i would invest in some hoof boots to ride in, they stimulate the growth but wont wear them down so much. It will give them a chance to grow back.

Oh great! People are starting to give me funny look when I mention I am keeping a TB barefoot! LOL when rasping the chips/cracks out how do you do it?

 

[LucyPriory]

Can you give me some advice(sorry really basic!) My mare has been barefoot trimmed since October. But I am really concerned with how short her toes are becoming(she is hacked out about 3 times a week for 2 hours including some tarmac roads) Ive looked at barefoot trim pics till my eyes are sore but none of them have toes that are worn away like hersd and I can see a little ridge of growth around the walls but there is none on my mares feet I know feet will grow more now there is more grass ,but what do you think? I know my old farrier would have definately said rest until there is a bit more growth , but trimmer keeps saying work will stimulate growth. CONFUSED !!

Work does stimulate growth

Why not post a picture? It's hard to judge what is going on from your description.

This horse has very hard working feet and to some might look 'short', but if her feet were living more naturally and working harder they could go shorter still and be better for it.

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/deviated-hooves-and-abscess-updates.html

Sanolly - TBs are just as capable of going barefoot as other breeds. Transition is often more difficult because of how TBs are managed - both as youngsters and as working adults.

If they are given the opportunity they can have beautiful feet.

Re in between maintainance - you really need to ask your trimmer/farrier to show you how.

 

[Sanolly]

Sanolly - TBs are just as capable of going barefoot as other breeds. Transition is often more difficult because of how TBs are managed - both as youngsters and as working adults.

If they are given the opportunity they can have beautiful feet.

I know! But as you know most people (that I know anyway!) think it is only natives that can go barefoot! I think we have a good starting point at least and the farrier is coming on Weds anyway so he can rasp out that crack and chip and show me what I should be doing. She was only done a few days ago so should go 6 weeks?

 

[china]

Oh great! People are starting to give me funny look when I mention I am keeping a TB barefoot! LOL when rasping the chips/cracks out how do you do it?

the riders rasp is really easy to use, you cant go wrong with it really. i just go round the edges to take off any sharp bits if abit breaks off. Mine is a tb also. his feet look fantastic now but he still not yet sound enough. time will tell!

 

[Kallibear]

It's hard to tell as they aren't clean but they look like really good feet

Heel/bar on left in first sole picture looks like it's folded over but easy to trim off or she'll wear it quickly off if she's walking properly heel first.

Again they're too full of mud to tell well but looks like the white line needs to tighten and wall thicken up: that'll come with more work. My horse grew the most incredible thickened ring of hoof when he started work (after 5yrs stood in a soft field) and it only took 6months to grow right to bottom. His new wall was a whole cm thicker than the old, enough to give him a 'ledge' in his hoof wall.

Her soles look a little flat but that's diet related and can be the last and hardest thing to get right. But if she's comfy I wouldn't worry about it. Our big clydesdale x mare has huge flat soup plates but mmnever taken an ouchy step.

She's got lovely big frogs and no heel contraction so should be walking comfortably heel first first, which is the biggest factor in correct foot function.

She's got obviously asymmetrical feet but that's normal. How long has she been out of shoes? She'll wear the foot she needs but it can take a while if she's been in unbalanced shoes for a long time. After a bit it become's obvious which wall needs regular trimming etc.
Nothing there that some work on hard surfaces won't sort. The chipping will happen when the wall's a bit long and cracks come from unbalanced flared feet. She has neither to any important extent.

 

[Vickijay]

I thought I would just add that my TB is also barefoot. She didnt even notice when she had her shoes taken off.
My trimmer gave me a little hard ish sponge with fine sandpaper on (I think it was from b&q or somewhere!) to just clean up any little chips or scuffs till she next came