barefoot rehab timescales

[Kelpie]

Hi all

I've recently taken the hinds off my mare and already the hoof has broken off up to the nail holes so her feet need to do a lot of growing and she is definitely tender in the meantime

So, being my usual impatient self, I'm trying to plan my strategy to give her an appropriate amount of exercise to stimulate the foot without making her sore, and also figure out when we can go back to more normal riding. We've got hoof boots, which she is ok in at walk but objects if you ask her to trot, which I'm putting down to soreness.

Our turnout has grassy areas and track areas (I keep my others barefoot...... but it's been a while since I've had to do a transition for a long term shod horse.....). I could turn her out in her hoof boots to keep her more comfortable on the track areas but will that go against the stimulation we want longer term? She can pick her way along the tracks but I'm not convinced its ideal.

Already on a barefoot diet, etc, etc..

I figured take the hinds of first and then I'll probably take the fronts off later in the year ..... one thing at a time ...... I was hoping that it would be easier to transition behind than in front......

I'd also be really interested to hear how long everyone else's barefoot rehab has taken (assuming no other lameness issues to complicate the position)?

Thanks

 

[toomanyhorses26]

Mine came home from Rockley walking for approx. 40 mins at a time - I carried on this until we were walking for about n 1hr and 15 - 4 times a week - then tailored back one of the hacks and gradually built up the schooling from there - he now schools fairly hard 3 times a week ,long hacks 2 times a week and one lunge (the schooling sessions normally have a ten minute warm up/down hack on them) We had a little wibble with some thrush issues which meant I tailored back anything in the school and was only hacking for 30 mins . I jumped for the first time in 2 years last week with no ill affects and he has approx. 3/4 inch of old hoof to get rid of before we have a whole new hoof which he has done since sept. There are some other event lines a little higher up (different angles and a tighter looking hoof wall ) so officially I don't think we will be rehabbed for another year or so but he is back to the same level of work he was doing before his time off. I have been exceptionally lucky as his feet really did have the potentially to not take to barefoot straight away bu touch every bit of wood going he has totally proved me wrong

 

[NZJenny]

It takes as long as it takes.

 

[Kelpie]

Mine came home from Rockley walking for approx. 40 mins at a time - I carried on this until we were walking for about n 1hr and 15 - 4 times a week - then tailored back one of the hacks and gradually built up the schooling from there - he now schools fairly hard 3 times a week ,long hacks 2 times a week and one lunge (the schooling sessions normally have a ten minute warm up/down hack on them) We had a little wibble with some thrush issues which meant I tailored back anything in the school and was only hacking for 30 mins . I jumped for the first time in 2 years last week with no ill affects and he has approx. 3/4 inch of old hoof to get rid of before we have a whole new hoof which he has done since sept. There are some other event lines a little higher up (different angles and a tighter looking hoof wall ) so officially I don't think we will be rehabbed for another year or so but he is back to the same level of work he was doing before his time off. I have been exceptionally lucky as his feet really did have the potentially to not take to barefoot straight away bu touch every bit of wood going he has totally proved me wrong

Toomanyhorses26, you must be really pleased May I ask, was your walking work ridden from the start, or in hand?

 

[Kelpie]

It takes as long as it takes.

Which is why, if you'll look carefully at my post, I didn't actually ask how long it will take us - I have asked others for experiences on how long it has taken them, just to give me some points of comparison. I also asked about stimulus with vs without hoof boots.

 

[JVB]

With my ex racer it took a while but the weather went against us, so he had shoes off Aug 12, was fine and hacked out till Sept 12 although had terrible feet, very underun, poor quality etc. He then had the winter off as was young and it was a struggle.

Sometime in Dec 12 he suffered soft tissue damage on left fore, was very toe first landing and it took about a month to sort itself. I think the very wet ground and constant mud made his feet really soft, the soles were palpable even.

He stayed landing toe first till about March 13 maybe, I'd started hacking him out end of Feb time and it probably took till May 13 before he was heel first landing and looking really comfortable.

I can safely say that 12 months on we have decent looking feet and he copes on all surfaces with good horn quality, still a tiny bit of flare and heels not quite perfect and frogs are still bit pathetic but he's doing ok!

I think if I'd taken his shoes off at this time of year he'd have come good much quicker!

 

[toomanyhorses26]

i believe he was ride and lead/In hand at Rockley but I rode from the day I got home ( I had a little ride in the school at Rockley - anyone who has been there - omg that view fromt he school !!! guaranteed to make you want to school ) I occasionally long rein or just take him for a wander but that's more for my benefit than his x

 

[NZJenny]

Which is why, if you'll look carefully at my post, I didn't actually ask how long it will take us - I have asked others for experiences on how long it has taken them, just to give me some points of comparison. I also asked about stimulus with vs without hoof boots.

Yes, I get that, but it was the line in your post that said .."being my usual impatient self .." that struck me. It depends on everything, and every BF person I have talked to around the world, has a different experience, so IMO everyone elses journey is quite irrelevant in terms of time scales and creates unrealistic expectations.


And it also depends on what you consider "rehabbed". For me it was when he could do what he was doing before hand, 80 km endruance rides, and that took around 14 months, which included 3 months of winter turnout. I didn't use boots as this was nine years ago now, and boot design was pretty basic back then.

 

[cptrayes]

A horse with concave soles and totally collapsed feet took nine months to go BE novice barefoot.

His companion, with thin soles but decent feet took six months to go BE novice barefoot.

One ex racer straight out of his aluminium race plates took no time at all to be happy.

One ex racer who had been in another home for a couple of years took three months to go BE 90

One rehab with desperately (life threatening) thin soles and a navicular diagnosis took thirteen weeks to jumping in boots on the front and six months to completely rock crunching.

Most of my other were barefoot to begin with or had had only one set of shoes on.

 

[Kelpie]

Toomanyhorses, that sounds great

Cptrayes, blimey, that's a much better timescale than I had hoped for! (even being as impatient as I am, she says tongue firmly in cheek sorry NZJenny, think you took my too literally about that comment, no offence....

 

[cptrayes]

Toomanyhorses, that sounds great

Cptrayes, blimey, that's a much better timescale than I had hoped for! (even being as impatient as I am, she says tongue firmly in cheek sorry NZJenny, think you took my too literally about that comment, no offence....

Yes, but bear in mind that I am lucky enough not to have to go to work all week and to own my own place, so I was able to do exactly what each one needed at the time. I worked hard and consistently with all the ones who had any problems, sometimes in boots, and none were ever confined to a stable for longer than itr took to eat their tea. It saved the life of one for certain, and a second probably.


I wouldn't apologize to Nzjenny, I thought her first response was spectacularly unhelpful and that your reply was very restrained

 

[Kelpie]

LOL, cptrayes

Although I have a day job, I am lucky enough to have my own business so can be very flexible on hours.... I also have my own land and gave a small gard standing track system (not a touch on rockley but it gives some movement on different terrain. So time and facilities aren't my restraint, its more knowing what to do for the best .... Particularly, for example, is it better to use hoof boots but do more or not and do less?

Her hoof wall has broken away a lot but she has great frogs but that now means she is walking mostly on her frogs and her toe, which has not broken away like the sides have (thanks to the nail holes). I think once she grows more foot we will be ok but I don't want her to be sore in the meantime.

I know each horse is different but any tips from your own regime with yours will be much appreciated

 

[Kelpie]

Damn phone seems to prefer g to h today, excuse typos!

 

[cptrayes]

LOL, cptrayes

Although I have a day job, I am lucky enough to have my own business so can be very flexible on hours.... I also have my own land and gave a small gard standing track system (not a touch on rockley but it gives some movement on different terrain. So time and facilities aren't my restraint, its more knowing what to do for the best .... Particularly, for example, is it better to use hoof boots but do more or not and do less?

Her hoof wall has broken away a lot but she has great frogs but that now means she is walking mostly on her frogs and her toe, which has not broken away like the sides have (thanks to the nail holes). I think once she grows more foot we will be ok but I don't want her to be sore in the meantime.

I know each horse is different but any tips from your own regime with yours will be much appreciated

My personal opinion is that in the early days, movement is more important than surface conditioning. It makes the feet grow quicker, for one thing, and frees up the soft tissue inside, and massages the digital cushion to improve the depth and density.

Mentally, the horse seemed to enjoy working, and I certainly did. So I would not and ride, myself, of the horse was sore without.

Any horse I had which was not ridable was walked in hand, for miles if need be. Have fun!

 

[Kelpie]

Thanks Cptrayes.

Went on a booted hack today after a few days of in-hand work and I was well chuffed, she was much happier going forward Think we'll get there

 

[jm2k]

A horse with concave soles and totally collapsed feet took nine months to go BE novice barefoot.

His companion, with thin soles but decent feet took six months to go BE novice barefoot.

One ex racer straight out of his aluminium race plates took no time at all to be happy.

One ex racer who had been in another home for a couple of years took three months to go BE 90

One rehab with desperately (life threatening) thin soles and a navicular diagnosis took thirteen weeks to jumping in boots on the front and six months to completely rock crunching.

Most of my other were barefoot to begin with or had had only one set of shoes on.

What is your feeding plan and hoot management routine?