cracked feet- advice please

[ClobellsandBaubles]

i am exercising a pony for someone else to get her fit and due to the weather and her lack of fitness all we can do at the moment is road work she is not shod as she hasn't been in work for a while anyway she has developed a small crack in one hoof only looks superficial but she is quite foot sore on the front i am unsure whether to keep riding in case it gets worse or to get it looked at as she was going to get shod in front at some point although when i am not sure ???

 

[minniemouse]

when was she last trimmed? the crack maybe due to the hoof flaring and she just needs a trim to tidy up? feed a biotin with added zinc and cal supplement and ask advice from your farrier x

 

[Izzwizz]

I would get the Farrier out to take a look

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

farrier coming out soon her feet don't look to long but i think it has been a while since she was last trimmed just feeling guilty about the lack of riding as that is my 'job' and she loves going out apart from her sore feet

 

[intouch]

I don't think you should be riding a horse with sore feet - maybe lead her out for walks if that is not too painful for her, until the feet are seen to. But if she is sore without shoes, someone needs to find out why and fix it, before she gets the shoes on, shoes will just mask the cause, not cure it!

 

[Kallibear]

Cracks are unlikely to be the cause of the sore feet: it'll be the sudden amount of hard road work with no conditioning.

The feet will strength and harden with work and time but if you're needing to get out her asap, as much as poss, then she'll either need hoof boots on until she feet catch up or just shoe her: it's unfair to work a horse with sore feet.

 

[LucyPriory]

How long is a piece of string?

Superficial surface cracks are no problem and can be ignored.

There are others which run deep and can cause a lot of pain.

According to the carer when the insurance money ran out the horse attached to the hoof in this post was written off by the vet with 'behavioural issues'.

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/successful-barefoot-putting-horse-first.html

When I first met them the horse hadn't worked for well over a year (I think several in truth) - two barefoot trims and the horse came sound and has been in work ever since. The horse I can faithfully report is also a complete doll and a real sweetie to do. Lively under saddle with a lot of get up and go despite her old age.

But with a chronic hoof there can be multiple problems, and identifying which ones are the real issues takes experience.

Don't under estimate the ability of deep central sulcus thrush to cause pain/problems, nor the sensitivity caused by inflammation of the solar corium, regardless of how thick the sole is.

 

[use a name]

My horse got a small crack on her hoof and a bit of it actually came off at the bottom.Only a small area.It was nothing major,and has thankfully now grown back!She was never in pain with it,and iv seen other horses with small cracks not in pain,so maybe it is something else?Or maybe she actually is in pain.I suppose youll have to see how it goes.Good luck.