Barefoot suggestions pleases for a very grass sensitive youngster

[Kallibear]

Roo has 'typical' TB feet. My theory on TB feet is not that they have genetically poor feet but they're genetically more sensitive to diet and the effects on feet. They're over sensitive to just about everything else Anyhoo ....

Over winter he was on just adlib haylege (from various sources and various quality:with the hay situation you're just grateful you can get any!), a salt lick and nothing else at all (no grass). He had a couple of mild abcesses from super soggy ground and lunaticing over stones and boulders but concavity was great and he was proper rock crunching.

He's now on grass and his front feet have pancaked It's not rich grass and it's not enough to maintain him (despite being a reasonably gooddoer) so he's topped up with a little hay. He's obviously just very grass sensitive. Giving him less grass is just not an option for various reasons (not least the lack of available hay!) nor is taking him off it for periods of time. He's still fairly comfy but not as rock crunching as he was.

He's now getting a small feed to maintain weight (fast fibre and oat straw chaff) and he's in Pro-Hoof supplement and linseed.

Is there anything else i could add/try to help? He's only 3 so only doing a couple of in-hand/ponied hacks a week (to stop him going stir crazy!) but I'd like to get his feet sorted for ridden work later.

 

[Oberon]

Some people are trying salt and bicarb. Other option is charcoal.

I never feed linseed in spring or summer unless horse is elderly or dentally challenged.

 

[Leg_end]

I've used salt (50ml) and bicarb (15ml twice) with upped magnesium (100ml) with great success. It's turned my lad from being ouchy on stones to being pretty much rock crunching - and we still have some old compromised hoof to grow out.

 

[Kallibear]

Salt and bicarb is easily done! Just normal table salt? And normal baking bicarb? How much bicarb if only fed once daily?

He's on half rations of linseed for the calories and also the nice shiny coat it gives him. Plus it's been mixed into the Pro-hoof (along with brewers yeast) for easy as I can't be doing with a million different individual supplement to add every day!

 

[Leg_end]

Salt and bicarb is easily done! Just normal table salt? And normal baking bicarb? How much bicarb if only fed once daily?

Yep just standard table salt and baking bicarb. I bought 5kgs of bicarb from hyperdrug once I knew it was working as it was only £10 so made sense. I'm not sure about the amounts needed for once a day but I'd just double it up

 

[paulineh]

Leg_end

Did you get my PM's to you. Still intewrested in seeing your horse.

 

[NeedNewHorse]

Can I please ask why salt and bi carb?? And is that with normal feed / ave supplemts??

 

[Kat]

How much bicarb? And does the ratio to salt matter?

Might try this as mine has gone a bit ouchy on stones since getting more turnout and I don't want to restrict turnout if I can avoid it as it is so much better for her stress levels.

 

[Leg_end]

Can I please ask why salt and bi carb?? And is that with normal feed / ave supplemts??

Salt is to counteract the raised potassium in the grazing when the grass grows. Apparently the potassium makes horses think they do not need salt so by adding it you contact that and ensure any excess is flushed out.

I feed that on top of my other supplements (pro bal, mag ox & brewers yeast),

Bicarb is to maintain the pH in the hindgut and protect the bacteria there to establish normal gut function. Buddy has maintained normal gut function (no sloppy poo) whilst being on this and rich grazing whereas normally I would see the change.

How much bicarb? And does the ratio to salt matter?

I feed 15ml twice a day. Salt to bicarb ratio isn't relevant (AFAIA) but better results seem to come when they are fed together for some reason...

 

[Kat]

I'm already feeding salt so may as well try some bicarb. No rich grazing (our field is a bit over grazed) and no sloppy poo but worth a try.

Would you say 15ml is about two teaspoons?

 

[Kat]

A level teaspoon is 5ml



50ml of salt sounds a lot. Is that twice a day too?

 

[Leg_end]

No, I only feed 50ml salt once a day

 

[NeedNewHorse]

Thanks

 

[HashRouge]

Ooh I might try bicarb with my mare, I've ordered some Brewers Yeast as well, so will have to see what happens. She isn't actually too bad tbh, but has been better. She is already in during the day so I'll have a go at tinkering with her feed.

 

[Kat]

Right added bicarb and upped the salt. How long until I should start seeing results?

 

[Oberon]

Varies from days - someone looking back and seeing a result over months.

I'd say give it a week then review if there's any change.