Excessive hoof growth?

only_me

only_me

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Is there anything that would cause excessive hoof growth?

Bill had farrier out today who has said feet had gotten too long and were going to need a couple of shoeings to get them back to where he wants, with him being shod now every 5 weeks.
He was shod 7 weeks ago and his feet were fine, nothing abnormal! He is normally shod every 6/7 weeks and have never had a problem, but this time round his feet are incredibly long! Took the farrier ages to trim lol.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what may have caused increased growth so quickly, he is on the same foods but has probably eaten a bit more hayledge the past couple of weeks than previously due to weather. There's a big bale in field, they eat as much as they want, this bale is probably going to last approx 2 week (between 2 donks and him) which is about normal. His workload is as random and sporadic as normal lol. Only thing that is different is that instead of filling up the water tub once a week now I'm doing it three times, they usually drink from the river a small well but assume drinking more because of the hayledge.

Any ideas what it has suddenly grown more?
 
I had one a few months ago whose hooves were growing so fast. Farrier reckoned it was the hoof protecting itself due to laminitis devloping. I switched the pony off haylage and back to hay and a few months later the crazy hoof growth seems to have eased off.
 
paddi22 said:
I had one a few months ago whose hooves were growing so fast. Farrier reckoned it was the hoof protecting itself due to laminitis devloping. I switched the pony off haylage and back to hay and a few months later the crazy hoof growth seems to have eased off.
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Wonder if it is to do with the Haylage. But he's had Haylage for at least 2 shoe sets and is 17h ISH So is unlikely to be laminitic. But if increased protein and he's just eating it faster maybe, but no more that previous years tbh! I'm confuddled lol

It's also the same crop of Haylage he had last year too, last year they averaged 1 bale lasting 2 weeks, which is what we are at now
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Large horses can be laminitic!

My farrier reckons that haylage causes most of the laminitis cases that he sees.
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Are big horses not more likely to get concussive laminitis?
But there's no reason for him to be pre-laminitic, farrier didn't mention anything today as well. He is normally fed Haylage in winter, has done for past 6 years. His current hay is same as last years, which is basically summer cut off his winter field :p his winter field is the same, lives out, he's being fed exactly the same feed/supplements in the same amounts. He isn't a gorger, The 2 donkeys eat more hay than him lol. He is fat, but not obese. He shows no sign of laminitis, only things different that I can see is drinking more and foot growing much faster than normal.

Horses like to create puzzles!
 
We never leave shoes on longer than five weeks here.
You also need to check that the farrier is shoeing the horse with enough heel support as that's the most common reason the toe gets overlong .
 
Goldenstar said:
We never leave shoes on longer than five weeks here.
You also need to check that the farrier is shoeing the horse with enough heel support as that's the most common reason the toe gets overlong .
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Good to know, thank you :)
I trust the farrier completely, he's one of the top ones here and teaches also. He takes everything about the horse into consideration and shoes accordingly, and is very good!
Hopefully the 5 week blocks will help, he suggested it and he wouldn't if it wasn't necessary. Is there a reason you shoe every 5?
 
i had the same discussion with my farrier, as pony had never presented with lami ever. He said it was probably the combo of the haylage and winter grass/frost that was edging her towards it. Pony wasn't lame or sore in the slightest, just kept having to get her trimmed waaay more often than normal. Not suggesting that your one has lami, just pointing out that not having it before doesn't mean it mightn't be showing slight signs.
 
We have to shoe our two mares every four weeks to keep their heels supported, thankfully they grow enough hoof to make this possible. .

Tiny pony however is ancient and doesn't grow hoof at all so every 8 weeks is more than enough for her.

Maybe Billy went to the saddlers and bought himself a biotin lick ;) ;)

Fiona
 
horses should be shod every 5 to 6 weeks as after week 5 the foot balance starts changing which can cause so many problems, the foot shape alters which can put a strain on the structure inside the hoof and cause the horse to move differently which can also cause strain higher up on that limb.
 
This can only be a good thing!
As long as growth is normal and not compensating for something.

Hoof growth rate is stimulated by movement.
That is why a barefoot horse wont wear their feed a way!

Horses shouldnt be left more than 6 weeks between shoeing.
Its not just the toe length but the heel support.
 
I'm not that knowledgeable about feet and shoes, mine are barefoot but I wonder if it's like us humans, as we get older our bodies sometimes find it harder to deal with excess sugar and often will either put on weight or as is more common now develop type 2 diabetes.
Maybe there is the start of some kind of metabolic issue going on. How old is your horse?
 
The recommended shoeing time is 6-8 weeks; he's always been shod at the 6/7 week and has had no issues. Farrier always happy with feet when out so why shoe more often when was fine. Pleased his foot is healthy but trying to work out why this time he has grown so much!

He's 11 as of January, so a bit young for a metabolic issue and doesn't show any signs of metabolic problem:)
 
only_me said:
The recommended shoeing time is 6-8 weeks; he's always been shod at the 6/7 week and has had no issues. Farrier always happy with feet when out so why shoe more often when was fine. Pleased his foot is healthy but trying to work out why this time he has grown so much!

He's 11 as of January, so a bit young for a metabolic issue and doesn't show any signs of metabolic problem:)
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I spoke with my farrier a couple of visits back regarding shoeing and though the vast majority of his customers go for 6 weeks he feels 4 weeks is better as it picks up any balance issues before they get too bad.

I agree regarding age he is still quite young but I have seen posts on here about horses as young as 8 having metabolic issues and the signs not being very obvious, hopefully it's just a blip.
 
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