Cracking and Splitting Feet help!!

[flyingfilly1988]

Hi everyone!

I was hoping that you guys might be able to help give me some advice.

I have a filly who i brought about 5months ago she has just turned 3, and was completely un-handled so never had her feet trimmed or been wormed etc..
The first thing i had to do was worm her, she had very bad red worm, them as soon as i could get her trust enough i had her feet trimmed and now pick them out daily.
I have noticed her feet were very dry indeed and cracks were forming (mainly front feet) and the farrier said she has lots of signs of old abscesses and i can see old abscess holes dotted about her feet, as well as the horizontal cracks, which are splitting more and the hoof wall is crumbling away in these areas!
I am putting a topical treatment called "Kevin Bacon" hoof treatment which has stopped her feet looking so dry and using top specs "healthy Hoof" ( i have just brough some pro hoof though) in her feed (I’m on my second tub of that) but a huge chunk has chipped off her front foot right on the tip of her toe! I’m really worried it’s going to get infected as its muddy and wet out at the moment.
She is out 100% of the time I do not have a stable. I have just brought some wellie boots for her and am trying to get the farrier out but he’s not returning my calls!
I’m really worried about this if anyone knows what is the best course of action please let me know.

(i will post a pic on as soon as possible)

Thanks Lu

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Photos would be very helpful.

 

[Andalucian]

What you're describing is down to poor diet. Front feet worse than bad feet is an obvious clue here. It sounds like she's spent her life 24/7 on grass so far, probably far too good grass for her feet. Start your changes here, replacing some of her grazing with hay. You can't trim out cracks and splits, but you can improve them with good dietry management.

 

[flyingfilly1988]

Yes she was out on huge fields in a herd before she came to me.
Thank you Andalucian, she is now on restricted grazing and she's getting ad lib hay. I was giving her alot of hard feed over winter because it was so wet and cold and she had lost a heck of alot of weight and i couldn't get near her to get a rug on. Do u think this has contributed to her feet? She is only on alfalfa and molasses free sugarbeet with a handful of nuts now

 

[flyingfilly1988]

Faracat i cent figure out how to get pictures on :-( can i link them from Facebook to here?

 

[Antw23uk]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=301510

 

[flyingfilly1988]

 

[flyingfilly1988]

 

[flyingfilly1988]

I dont know how to make it bigger sorry

 

[Brightbay]

Picture looks exactly like what happens when an abscess that's burst out the coronary band grows down. The hoof wall under it often breaks off like that, especially if the feet are a bit long. There's not really anything you can do about it now. It's something that happened a good few months ago, and you're working on diet and management now she's yours, so you should see improvement over the next few months as these things grow out.

The key question is always "is the horse sound and happy?". If so, don't worry too much about how the feet look.

 

[flyingfilly1988]

Aw thank you Brightbay! She has got the same split on the other front foot so guess it will probably happen to that one as it grows out

Yeah she’s happy trots over for her feed every day and is generally happy in herself, no lameness or favouring of any kind. Just waiting for her feet to get a little better before I start rounpen work/backing her

Just a shame theres no fast cure for feet!

 

[Angua2]

the feet will improve with the right feed and work, so can't see that you need to postpone groundwork because of the feet.....

 

[flyingfilly1988]

the feet will improve with the right feed and work, so can't see that you need to postpone groundwork because of the feet.....

Ahh more circulation! Good point was just concerned about the extra weight and the possibility she might skit about when being introduced to new things and splitting her feet more, but guess the more circulation the quicker things will heal?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Don't feed her any chaff or other feed with molasses in.

 

[Tnavas]

The Kevin Bacon hoof Oil is great.

Try to have her feet trimmed religously every four weeks - to avoid them flaring as its at this point that they start to split and chip.

I used Cornucrescene on my youngster when her feet were really bad - she had a bad run of abscesses - her type of feet I think as both her mum and brother are on the same grazing and neither have ever had an abscess.