Barefoot rehab questions

Ceriann

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So doing lots of reading to plan for shoe take off - driven but also complicated by an injury to medial branch suspensory of left hind and some mild thickening of suspensory in left fore. She has long toes, under run heels and broken back axis (left fore) - all problems more obvious on left fore (and feet were considered a contributory factor to injury). Assuming injury rehab goes well shoes come off at week 12. Her turnout at that point will likely still be restricted to a small paddock and I will still be expected to in hand walk her (circa 30 mins twice a day). I fully expect her to have toe first landing when shoes come off and that she will be footy (very thin soles too). I will get boots both for t/o (though she might cope with that) and the walking but given the restricted turnout how does that result in required stimulation to improve the foot. Can I walk her a little bit on the road without shoes (even with a toe first landing) or should I wait until her landing is more even? I will ask vet if I can put her on a track post 12 weeks but it seems unlikely reading up suspensory recommended rehab. What has anyone done in practical terms to rehab feet - turnout/exercise/road walking etc? I’m in no rush - long slow rehab is clearly more successful for suspensory issues so happy to take this as slowly as is needed. Thank you
 

ester

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I think to a certain extent you will have to wait and see, the hope/aim would be that she would at least be flat landing in boots - potentially with certain pads etc so that road walking wouldn't be an issue (our walking options were tarmac of slightly rutty rock hard ground so it wasn't difficult to choose!)

Going back to the peagravel situ is the current small area likely to make up part of your track in the long run, because adding it would definitely increase the stimulation in the smaller turnout area (and frankly I'd be reluctant to put one on track turnout 12 weeks in to suspensory rehab.

Fwiw the non-barefoot one did her suspensory (not my decision re. shoes) but did most if not all of her rehab walking which she started straight off 10 mins a day bare.
 

ycbm

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Ceriann, could you explain what the reasons were that you were given for continuing to shoe for another three months? Apologies if I've missed it in your previous thread.

Walking in tarmac is one of the best things you can do. Yes, you should do it in Havana even if she is toe first landing, you need the movement to correct the the first landing. I think that the gradual increase that she will need for the tendon issues will nicely match what her feet need as well.

I would turn out as much as her other injuries allow.
 

pippixox

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when I took my tb ex racer (with poor flat thin feet) barefoot I used very well padded boots to get him to the field. He was in a big field with company though and one would undo the Velcro and take his boots off! So I took them off in the field. He had a ten minute walk to the field. So needed them for that for a few months.

Ultimately any time on their feet is stimulating the hoof, even if only in a small area. Although there is risk of further injury in larger areas, if they are not stupid out I definitely think a track sounds great despite suspensory injury

I am very lucky my horses are quite near a knowledgable registered equine podiatrist (who also has a useful website- hoof geek). Two years on and my old boy is sound all year round with no shoes. After nearly 20 years fully shod, being told his feet were too bad to cope without shoes.
 

be positive

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Another who is unsure of the reasons for keeping a box resting horse in shoes, the only injured horse I have rehabbed recently, racehorse with front tendon injury, arrived with very poor feet by the time his main box rest had finished the improvement was significant with just twice daily walks on the yard, regular trims, some scrubbing with salt water along with the change in diet he had grown some heel, his frogs had toughened up and he was landing flat with no obvious discomfort on any stones, he then had field rest and came back into full work doing all his many hours of roadwork unshod only being shod when he went back into full training, by then my farrier described his feet as 'perfect' he stayed sound and raced again.
I think the time stabled without shoes was useful to start the process which was slow but if we had only taken them off when he started turnout I think we probably would have needed to shoe to enable him to cope with the work he did during rehab or taken even longer to do it, he did 6 weeks walking 6/7 days a week before trotting started and had 4 months fittening before going back into training, it was worthwhile but having to add another 2 months would have probably lost a seasons racing, not that it would have really mattered but that was his job at the time.
 

ycbm

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Ceriann, could you explain what the reasons were that you were given for continuing to shoe for another three months? Apologies if I've missed it in your previous thread.

Walking in tarmac is one of the best things you can do. Yes, you should do it in Havana even if she is toe first landing, you need the movement to correct the the first landing. I think that the gradual increase that she will need for the tendon issues will nicely match what her feet need as well.

I would turn out as much as her other injuries allow.


Havana? Should be 'hand'. 😂
 

Ceriann

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I think to a certain extent you will have to wait and see, the hope/aim would be that she would at least be flat landing in boots - potentially with certain pads etc so that road walking wouldn't be an issue (our walking options were tarmac of slightly rutty rock hard ground so it wasn't difficult to choose!)

Going back to the peagravel situ is the current small area likely to make up part of your track in the long run, because adding it would definitely increase the stimulation in the smaller turnout area (and frankly I'd be reluctant to put one on track turnout 12 weeks in to suspensory rehab.

Fwiw the non-barefoot one did her suspensory (not my decision re. shoes) but did most if not all of her rehab walking which she started straight off 10 mins a day bare.
Thanks - i havent decided re paddock and/or track yet. Ive got a few options but paddock is unlikely to make up part of track. Where in thinking for padfock does have a hardcore gateway and hardcore arou d water trough so i could build that up with pea gravel (i will need to do something as the hardcore will be very unforgiving). We already have a track from yard to road (which she wont like) but once there we have nice smooth tarmac.

So its a case of assessing when she comes out of shoes, getting boots and finding a way of getting her a surface in her turnout paddock. All
 

Ceriann

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Ceriann, could you explain what the reasons were that you were given for continuing to shoe for another three months? Apologies if I've missed it in your previous thread.

Walking in tarmac is one of the best things you can do. Yes, you should do it in Havana even if she is toe first landing, you need the movement to correct the the first landing. I think that the gradual increase that she will need for the tendon issues will nicely match what her feet need as well.

I would turn out as much as her other injuries allow.
Referral vet wanted her in supportive shoes for initial rehab. I did question it - advice was initial period rehsb did better with suportivr shoes. My farrier and usual vet both supportive of going barefoot - farrier based this on me understanding she might need 6 months at least to see a real improvement and vet based this on me explaining i was rehabbing and not just chucking in a field. I also need a bit of time to prep - get her on the right supplements and measure her for shoes.
 

Ceriann

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Ceriann, could you explain what the reasons were that you were given for continuing to shoe for another three months? Apologies if I've missed it in your previous thread.

Walking in tarmac is one of the best things you can do. Yes, you should do it in Havana even if she is toe first landing, you need the movement to correct the the first landing. I think that the gradual increase that she will need for the tendon issues will nicely match what her feet need as well.

I would turn out as much as her other injuries allow.
Sorry - didnt respond to in hanf work points you raised. This is exactky why im pushing for shoes off as rehab is the same. If she can tolerate tarmac bare we just do it (we’ll be about 30 mins in hand x 2 by then so will need to be wary of aligining the rehab).
 
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