Condition for Barefoot horse

[Jellymoon]

One of our horses prefers to be barefoot, had his shoes off last spring and much happier. He’s had FP Balancer in low cal chaff with ad lib hay all year so far, all fine. However, I need a bit more condition on him, so I gave him some mix (for horses with ulcers that another of ours is on, so low starch etc) but I think it might have made him footy.
Anyway, wondering what u could give him purely for a bit of extra help in the winter that won’t make him footy if he’s sensitive in that way? Maybe just linseed?

 

[paddi22]

i got a food nutritionist out and he recommended rapeseed oil as the cheapest easiest way to get calories in for a barefoot horse. he said the tesco 3 litre vegetable oil is rapeseed oil and that I've been using that for years now and they look great

 

[j1ffy]

Linseed or copra are both good options, though I like Paddi's suggestion!

 

[Zoeypxo]

Copra or allen and page care and gain

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Micronised linseed, copra or Equijewel should all be OK.

 

[Jellymoon]

Awesome, thanks, might just give good old linseed a go, he’s in the FP balancer which costs a bomb and should give him all his necessaries…

 

[catembi]

It might be the cold… My EMS pony got footy in the cold even though they have been totally off grass for months. She has hoof boots on during the day when it’s cold and neoprene turnout boots that cover the hoof overnight. I only recently found out that cold induced lami was a thing.

 

[expanding_horizon]

Any of

Oil, linseed, copra
Alfa A pellets (assuming not minority that react to them)
Grass (check sugar levels as brands vary)
unmolassed sugar beet (views vary as to whether great or not for barefoot horses)