Barefoot update

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Missmac

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A few of you may remember me posting about my pony going lame after having the farrier trim him barefoot. I thought I'd post an update on how he's doing.

He is still very sore today, although he is a lot happier than he was on sunday. The rain has helped a lot by softening the ground. I was probably the only person for miles to be happy to see the clouds gathering yesterday!!

I rang the farrier and the vet for a bit of advise and got similar replies from them both - Nothing they can do, neither offered any suggestion what I could do to ease his pain and both made me feel quite stupid for asking to be honest. I realise there isnt a magic cream to fix the problem but still, a little bit of reasurance would have been nice.

The father of a friend of mine who is a retired farrier came to see him this morning and he was quite shocked at what he saw. The trim was so severe he doesnt think he will need trimming for 4-6 months. Poor boy is walking on the soles of his feet. He said 'if you put a set of shoes on him he will come sound straight away as it will raise his soles off the floor, problem is it will be about 6 weeks until he has a decent amount of horn to nail any shoes to'.

A worry I have now is that the weight I have managed to get off him the last couple of months will now creep back on because its going to be weeks until I can work him properly again.

I am so upset and angry at the situation I have placed my poor boy in.
 
Get a foam camping/ yoga mat... from a sports shop, just a cheapo plasticy one. Put the ponies foot on it. Get blue spray. Spray over the hoof so that the shape of your ponies foot is marked on the foam. Cut out the shape. Fix to the ponies sole with gaffa tape taking care not to tape over the coronet band or the bulbs of the heel. You will soon get the nack. You can turn out like this. I managed a founderd pony like this with no problems. It took him a year to grow new feet and he took no ill effect from the pads.

Pony will be instantly more comfortable.

Or, buy some Easyboots or similar. The gaffa tape & foam method is very cheap. Boots... quite pricey.
 
You genius!!!
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poor chap.!!
the trim must have been extreme for him to be that sore after having been barefoot for so long.. did your farrier say why he took so much off.?
i think you should speak to your vet again though as i'm sure there is plenty he can do to make your horse more comfortable.! giving him some bute for a couple of days could help ease the pain and maybe wrapping his feet up with some padding, like a nappy or gamgee could help until he gets used to his new foot shape..
 
Could you get some Old Mac boots to ride him in? Toffee wears those on hacks as she is unshod behind. There is a difference between unshod and barefoot trimming (as I understand it), and it sounds as if the farrier doesn't have a clue. I'd get someone else next time you need him trimmed!
 
Glue-on shoes? Our farrier did these six years ago on Brandy's off-hind when when she chunked her shoe off in the snow and took half the back of her hoof with it (our first winter together, what fun). The shoe was weird - plastic or very hard rubber? I'm not sure, but you can't ride in them and the glue does wear out after a few weeks. It saved her from saying ouch every time she put her hind foot down, though.

That said, the foam idea sounds equally great. I suspect it'll wear out quite quickly but it'll probably be a thousand times cheaper. (Glue-on shoes cost a fortune
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He is a registered farrier but I have found out today he is new to barefoot trimming.
This made me fume even more. needless to say he wont be coming again.
I tried the foam on the feet trick. I swear I heard him breathe a sigh of relief!! Its also the most use my exersise mat has ever had!!
 
Don;t forget if he's had shoes on a while his soles will be tender now he's barefoot. I read up on this recently as I plan to go barefoot with my mare in the autumn. It can take a few months for the foot to settle. My farrier recommends dabbing the sole with a drop of eucalyptus oil every day (literally a drop smeared with cotton wool over the sole) to help the hardening process. You can buy it from a normal shop like holland and barretts or boots or somewhere.

try not to be too hard on your farrier - he may have had to take off a fair amount to ensure the foot was level.
 
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try not to be too hard on your farrier - he may have had to take off a fair amount to ensure the foot was level.

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..then it should have been done gradually over a number of weeks, not hacked off all in one go. This sounds suspiciouly strasser-esque to me..
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