BlairandAzria
Well-Known Member
I'm worried about my barefoot horse, I moved yards about 6 months ago and in that time his front hooves have become long in the toe and low heels.
He has been barefoot the entire time I have owned him (2 ish yrs) as his previous owner couldn't afford shoes. He has always had rock crunching, good pony like feet, they never crack or crumble and I don't have problems with footiness. Infact I posted pictures of them on here a while ago and lots of people comments how good his feet looked.
He is feed a handful of plain chaff, equimins meta balance, egg cup of micronised linseed and electrolytes. He also gets a scoop of hi-fibre nuts in his ball at night. He's out during the day and in over night with ad-lib hay.
The grazing at this new yard is fertilized and for the normally pretty poor doer for the first time ever he is looking a bit porky. He's tbx (or standardbred were not sure)
I am concerned that his fronts are toe long and his heels are dropping. He stands with his front legs under him, he always has done to a certain extent but I've really noticed it this last month, that his legs a a marked angle under his body rather than straight forelegs.
I also posted recently about him throwing dirty stops when jumping. So I am wondering if all these things are connected?
I am wondering if someone who knows more about the barefoot process can talk me through long toe/low heels and how to go about getting them better. Does this have anything to do with the good grass, or is this a mechanical issue ? I am musing that it could be a hind leg (hock?) problem , causing him to take weight onto his toes and off his hinds? which could also be causing the refusing when jumping? And causeing the front leg stance.
If anyone has any information or can point me into any where to look for more information I'd be very grateful. Obviously my next step is getting a vet to investigate, but he is not lame, and I would like to be armed with a bit more knowledge before I go asking for expensive diagnostics.
Many thanks x
He has been barefoot the entire time I have owned him (2 ish yrs) as his previous owner couldn't afford shoes. He has always had rock crunching, good pony like feet, they never crack or crumble and I don't have problems with footiness. Infact I posted pictures of them on here a while ago and lots of people comments how good his feet looked.
He is feed a handful of plain chaff, equimins meta balance, egg cup of micronised linseed and electrolytes. He also gets a scoop of hi-fibre nuts in his ball at night. He's out during the day and in over night with ad-lib hay.
The grazing at this new yard is fertilized and for the normally pretty poor doer for the first time ever he is looking a bit porky. He's tbx (or standardbred were not sure)
I am concerned that his fronts are toe long and his heels are dropping. He stands with his front legs under him, he always has done to a certain extent but I've really noticed it this last month, that his legs a a marked angle under his body rather than straight forelegs.
I also posted recently about him throwing dirty stops when jumping. So I am wondering if all these things are connected?
I am wondering if someone who knows more about the barefoot process can talk me through long toe/low heels and how to go about getting them better. Does this have anything to do with the good grass, or is this a mechanical issue ? I am musing that it could be a hind leg (hock?) problem , causing him to take weight onto his toes and off his hinds? which could also be causing the refusing when jumping? And causeing the front leg stance.
If anyone has any information or can point me into any where to look for more information I'd be very grateful. Obviously my next step is getting a vet to investigate, but he is not lame, and I would like to be armed with a bit more knowledge before I go asking for expensive diagnostics.
Many thanks x