Barefoot people question

ihatework

ihatework

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I have a retired cushings horse.
His cushings is reasonably well controlled (currently 40 compared to 350 at diagnosis). He has always had tricky feet to manage but since retirement 4 years ago & removing shoes his feet have improved over time.

He has had a pretty sharp decline over the last 2-3 months, almost overnight the heels have collapsed, the toes got long and horn quality poor with vertical cracks forming. Trimming toes back has made him sore.

I'm monitoring him like a hawk for laminitis, I've upped his prascend and started on mineral supplementation.

Couple of questions really - I think he would be best to be gently rasped on a weekly basis rather than a proper trim every few weeks - I'm happy to do this myself but was wondering if there are any tools on the market better suited to amateur use rather than a farrier rasp (though I will use that if needed).

Are there any really good glue/cast products I could consider using? I'm semi considering a decent trim with some bute and then some sort of temporary assistance for his comfort.

Have arranged to chat with my vet & farrier first so just looking for ideas really before his feet decline to the point of no return.
 
I think you'll find a proper rasp is the easiest thing to use, once you get the technique right to suit you.
For very light tidying such as you seem to have in mind, lift the hoof and pull it forward whilst facing the front of your horse with your knees bent, (same technique for front and back) rest the hoof on your knee and rasp with downward strokes at a 45 degree (ish) angle to the hoof wall. With just a very few strokes you can bevel the edge and take a small amount back on the toes each week or so with minimal effort.
 
this is from my own experience of a cushings horse with not so good feet. I wouldn't shoe. It will mask soreness and you need to be able to monitor the feet very closely for lami to give you time to act.
I found padded boots much better. The can go on to keep him comfy but can come off on suitable surfaces.

I found a better than average mineral supp was very vital. I use equimins metabalance which is for EMS/cushings horses. I have also found that decent levels of protein are vital for the feet on these sort of horses. I use micronised linseed and copra. I used D & H extracted soya bean meal to initially rebuild him after diagnosis. (must be extracted not full fat soya)

My own horse and (I know of others) have just about got to the stage at this time of the year when I have been thinking of reducing the prascend (would need to increase it later for the seasonal rise)
That combined with the fact that this has got worse over the past 2/3 months makes me think grass could be the main culprit. Mine used to be kept off grass completely but with prascend and a muzzle can manage a couple of hours a day now. I think some cushings horses need serious grass restriction as certain times of the year.

I have also seen horses that I suspected could be EMS do exactly what you describe with their feet on grass especially spring and autumn. Remove them from grass, the feet start to improve, put them back for the autumn and off they go forward again.

Sorry this doesn't answer your trimming question but I think you really have a diet problem and the feet are on the end of that.
 
I recently bought a nifty little 12 inch, handled rasp for tidying up-easier to use than the bigger ones and more useful than the rider's rasps etc, can send you the eBay link if of any use.
 
Thanks LBM, very helpful and MoC yes please to the ebay link.

Paddy, I hear what you are saying and don't disagree so please don't think I'm deliberately ignoring you. This horse lives out 24/7 and will continue to live out 24/7, that not really negotiable. So I need to do my best for him within those confines. The day he can't live out 24/7 in reasonable comfort is the day he is no longer with us. I'm not planning on shoeing him unless we have no other choice, but might consider one set of glue on (? Imprints or similar) if we need to perform one decent trim which I know will make him sore.
 
ihatework said:
Paddy, I hear what you are saying and don't disagree so please don't think I'm deliberately ignoring you. This horse lives out 24/7 and will continue to live out 24/7, that not really negotiable. So I need to do my best for him within those confines. The day he can't live out 24/7 in reasonable comfort is the day he is no longer with us. I'm not planning on shoeing him unless we have no other choice, but might consider one set of glue on (? Imprints or similar) if we need to perform one decent trim which I know will make him sore.
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didn't think that at all . It is a very difficult balance in trying to do one's best for a horse when you have to balance the various problems. Gook luck with him.
 
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