Dreadfull feet

[gembob]

put this in PG but i need some advice as to what to do... shes walkinon er frogs and finding it very difficult to walk on the stones

piccies

 

[Stinkbomb]

Only one thing to do.... get in touch with a decent farrier!!! Her feet certainly need attention.

 

[gembob]

hes coming thurs cnt get b4 then shes lived all her 3 yrs on sparse grazing with course mix feed and no supplements she only came to me on thurs so not sure what to put her on

 

[Damnation]

Biotin and Limestone are good for hardening feet up. You can also get Hoof Heal, its an oil that you put on say once a week that moistourises brittle feet and strengthens soft feet, I have seen very good results with this stuff.. Hope this helps.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Something with Biotin in. Supplements will take at least 6 months beofre any real improvement is shown. In the mean time I would keep her to the soft going , till your farrier can sort her out.

 

[gembob]

i put her in field this am till this evening then fetched her in to rest them for the night she doesnt mind u picking them up etc but if u look under theres no hoof wal ill get piccies tomoz of this

 

[donablue]

maybe she is foot sore get some shoes on but you need a good farrier .. even its just the fronts
xxxx

 

[YorksG]

Wheatgerm is cheaper than biotin and we found that it did a good job for our old girl when we got her over 20 years ago. We kept her on it for about 3 years and then they were ok. She spent the last few years of her life barefoot and had no problems.

 

[gembob]

shes only 3 and theres nowhere to put shoes lol!

 

[Hollycat]

I don't think its as bad as it initially looks. My farrier always said not to worry too much if the quarters all break off (as hers have). Once she has had a good trim by your farrier I think you will be amazed by the difference

 

[nadinek82]

Cornicrescent (sp) is very good to promote new growth and help the condition of the feet. I'd put this on daily and have her trimmed regularly, you'll see a difference in no time

 

[RachelB]

Personally I would put her on a good GP supplement with high levels of biotin in (or a GP supp and a biotin supp). Foot health cannot be contributed to the levels of certain nutrients alone, you need to take a holistic approach to it IMO and ensure the whole horse is healthy as well. I agree with Hollycat though, a visit from a decent farrier will make it all look a million times better.
My horse has had awkward feet, farrier and vet were commenting on the excellent state of Maiden's feet when she was still shod - I took her shoes off for her year's field rest and her feet are just SO awful to keep in tact. She has ended up with mild seedy toe and mild thrush, and has no hoof wall for my farrier to trim off! I put her on Formula 4 Feet a few weeks ago and have been cleaning her feet on advice of my vet, farrier is due in the next week or so and I'm sure once he's been to tidy them up they will look so much better.
In the meantime I would try to keep her on the soft ground and avoid concrete, tarmac and stones.

 

[scotsmare]

I have a mare with really flat feet, get cornucresine and rub it in once a day, this will help with new growth, get farriers formula / formula 4 feet - I know it's not cheap but lasts for 50 days per bucket and feed her it every day. If you have to get a chaff to mix it in then get dengie healthy hoof as it has added vits and mins for feet anyway. Make sure your farrier comes every six wks to trim too that way they can be made into a 'normal' shape as they grow. She will be footy for ages on the stones though but should be ok so long as you're not trying to ride her. Good luck!

 

[Jane_Lou]

When I got my last 3 year old he had, like yours been living out and his feet were in a similar condition. At the advise of my farrier he put on front shoes (cold) for 12 weeks (2 sets) and in the meantime we put him on a good broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplememt. When the shoes came off his feet were fine and he is now 8 and has never needed shoes despite leading a very full and active competitive life. You will be suprised what a good farrier can do, I never imagined mine had enough wall to out a shoe on and I was concerned about his wearing shoes at his age but the minute they were on he was a happy horse again.

 

[Donkeymad]

It's hard to tell from the photo the quality of the hoof and I feel it may be that a good farrier over the next few months will make a huge difference. In twelve months with good farriery you should have a good set of feet.