Barefoot trial, foot sore horse, what should I do?

[HBB]

@JennBags That's a long time off so it could well be where the problem lies.
If you haven't already got a structured fitness plan in place, have a look here for rough guidance: https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/formulating-a-fitness-plan-47803
He will need a diet overhaul as mentioned above and slow steady exercise to strengthen his core muscles. By taking it slowly this will also stimulate his hoof capsules to encourage strong growth and condition. Good luck x

 

[JennBags]

Thanks HBB, yes I'm good with a fitness plan and will review the balancer.

 

[Gloi]

only April and the ground is already like concrete.

Personally I find the times when things are dry and the ground hard the feet are the best, they end up rock hard and wear less than in winter when they are wet.

OP have patience and once his diet is right build up the work gradually to give his hooves time to adjust to the work.

 

[Gloi]

It latches on to the receptor sites for copper and the horse becomes copper deficient, usually not in any very noticeable way. Copper is important for insulin regulation of blood sugars and wonky blood sugar levels go straight for the feet. There's a scientific article on Forageplus if you want the detail.
.

Have you a link please I couldn't find it

 

[Honey08]

It's worse than that I think. I suspect your balancer has added iron and manganese. I would not personally feed any balancer but one of the four listed above, which all contain much higher levels of copper and zinc and no iron or manganese.

If your borehole water, like ours, is full of iron then your grazing almost certainly is too. I would strongly recommend you either switch to a barefoot balancer or top up very significant levels of copper (usually about 400mg a day) and zinc ( ditto but 1200mg a day).

Incidentally Top Spec balancers have, anecdotally, a very poor record for footie barefoot horses.

.

Thanks v much.

 

[Honey08]

And sorry JennBags for jumping on your thread!

 

[ycbm]

Have you a link please I couldn't find it

https://forageplustalk.co.uk/iron-overload-in-horses-by-dr-kellon/

Loads of articles on that site. Dr Kellon is the expert to read.

.

 

[JennBags]

And sorry JennBags for jumping on your thread!

Outrageous ???

?? It's all good learning, if people don't ask questions how would we ever get answers, we might not even know what questions to ask (I certainly don't).

 

[JennBags]

Here's another question, how would we know how much iron, magnesium etc is in our grazing? I did a soil sample when I first bought the land but I don't think it gave me any of the nutrients, just ph. I got the full one done as well.

 

[ycbm]

Forageplus and other places will do you an analysis, but the labs are all doing cv testing at the moment, I think.

.

 

[ester]

Yes I've used forageplus but currently suspended I think probably from a staffing point of view.
Did both wilts and somerset as made hay on both too. I did bespoke mix to start with but going through most of the figures the equimins did the job apart from the magnesium content and that's easy enough to add .

 

[JennBags]

I rode this morning, and although he was slightly trippy on stony surfaces, he felt OK to me on the road and the smoother bridleway.
I've got some hoof photos if anyone would like to give me their input, I know how you all like a hoof photo!
Front right - this has a little damage to the hoof wall as you can see:

https://flic.kr/p/2iQVWej

https://flic.kr/p/2iQVWc5

https://flic.kr/p/2iQWAUv

 

[JennBags]

Front left

https://flic.kr/p/2iQRv2p

https://flic.kr/p/2iQVWFS

https://flic.kr/p/2iQRuZq

 

[JennBags]

And the hind feet, but these look good to me so I didn't take many:

https://flic.kr/p/2iQRvUb

https://flic.kr/p/2iQRvU1

 

[TPO]

I would treat for thrush and bevel the hoof wall if you can and/or trim off that bit (cant think of right word!) on off fore to stop it splitting further

 

[Gloi]

I would treat for thrush and bevel the hoof wall if you can and/or trim off that bit (cant think of right word!) on off fore to stop it splitting further

Bevel all the walls

 

[JennBags]

Errr...what do you mean by bevel? I am not very confident at doing anything on the feet myself but I'll give it a go if I'm not going to do any damage.

 

[JennBags]

I would treat for thrush and bevel the hoof wall if you can and/or trim off that bit (cant think of right word!) on off fore to stop it splitting further

Also why treat for thrush, and what would be best to use?

 

[ester]

Frankly I think you have the start of some very nice bare feet now.
I find treating for thrush even prophylactically helpful - usually use a combination of red horse sole cleanse and hoof stuff in any gaps that would have it. (which might go up in that wall split too, and that might well break itself off fairly quickly)

bevelling is just rounding the edges with a rasp, this is an old photo post trimmer trim - I didn't tend to do it so much TBH.

 

[Goldenstar]

Are you keeping him off the grass during the day ?
thats often helps .
I would try him on different surfaces and try to work without boots for short periods .
the problem with road hacking is that my experience is that you need to very very gradually increase the work .
I have always done mine by leading from another horse and increased work extremely gradually I use a alarm to time me and at first walk straight along the road for three minutes then turn and come back .

 

[Goldenstar]

Oh and I totally agree treat the frog like you have thrush even if it looks like you don’t have .

 

[PapaverFollis]

Quick question re Equivita.... does anyone know if the Vitamin E is natural or synthetic? The wording on the website is unclear.

Also... biotin. We don't need to feed biotin do we? I'm giving both mine Hoof Mender at the moment but doing some calculations it looks like the expensive option! Just seen that the Equivita person has a biotin free range for mallenders horses... MrT has mallenders and here I am shovelling Hoof Mender down him!! Whereas I suspect the actual problem is related to high iron soil (I really want a forage analysis but Forage Plus is obviously off games at the moment... but my soil is pretty red in places so I'm guessing high iron!).

Sorry for the jumping on the thread Jenn. Thinking about keeping Beast barefoot again if I can. And MrT would definitely benefit from no shoes.

 

[JennBags]

Frankly I think you have the start of some very nice bare feet now.
I find treating for thrush even prophylactically helpful - usually use a combination of red horse sole cleanse and hoof stuff in any gaps that would have it. (which might go up in that wall split too, and that might well break itself off fairly quickly)

bevelling is just rounding the edges with a rasp, this is an old photo post trimmer trim - I didn't tend to do it so much TBH.

Thanks. Have now ordered all this stuff.
GS - yes he's in during the day, goes out mid-afternoon, so he's off the grass for about 8 hours.

 

[HBB]

Quick question re Equivita.... does anyone know if the Vitamin E is natural or synthetic? The wording on the website is unclear.

Also... biotin. We don't need to feed biotin do we? I'm giving both mine Hoof Mender at the moment but doing some calculations it looks like the expensive option! Just seen that the Equivita person has a biotin free range for mallenders horses... MrT has mallenders and here I am shovelling Hoof Mender down him!! Whereas I suspect the actual problem is related to high iron soil (I really want a forage analysis but Forage Plus is obviously off games at the moment... but my soil is pretty red in places so I'm guessing high iron!).

Sorry for the jumping on the thread Jenn. Thinking about keeping Beast barefoot again if I can. And MrT would definitely benefit from no shoes.

I think it is synthetic. I use the Pro Earth Natural Vit E as a top up through the winter when I am feeding hay.
Drop Carol an email, she is very helpful.

 

[TPO]

Bevel is just to like put a roll on the hoof wall where it meets the ground. If you search on youtube there are videos that explain it better than I can

Theres also a radial rasp and they have videos too. It's less scary and easier to use than a normal rasp.

The frogs looked a bit icky (technical term) so I'd treat for thrush.

Red Horse products are my go to as well. Field paste is my main stay but artimud is good for packing gaps and crevices

Hope that helps

 

[ester]

I couldn't remember whether it was the radial or riders rasp that was better as a suggestion for starting .

PF re. biotin, no not particularly the general consensus being that a healthy horse should be synthesising what they need. It's more a case of people expecting to see it in a product.

 

[TPO]

Radial is more advanced (for want of a better word) than the riders rasp and is more effective IMO

Riders rasp is more a maintenance type tool and would do the job to keep on top of things between trims.

If a trimmer can't come out to the horse than a normal rasp or radial is properly the best bet to tidy it in my opinion only

 

[ester]

I've always had a save edge but understand people might not want to weild one around straight off. I will try and remember!
All my trimming kit is used mostly for the ergots and chestnuts that apparently no one else notices until I visit. And I don't want to get rid of my hoof jack, just in case. . .

 

[PapaverFollis]

I couldn't remember whether it was the radial or riders rasp that was better as a suggestion for starting .

PF re. biotin, no not particularly the general consensus being that a healthy horse should be synthesising what they need. It's more a case of people expecting to see it in a product.

Thank you. I thought as much. It was just interesting to see it left out for mallenders horses. MrT's mallenders is far from bad and doesn't itch or pain him... but if it could disappear completely I'd be happiest!

I have a radial rasp that's about to see it's first bit of action. Bought it just before we put shoes back on!

 

[TPO]

It's a Radius Rasp ??‍ i was completely making up radial ?