Fat, barefoot shetland. Ideas?

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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As above really. My little rescue shetland Lady is too porky for her own good, even after the winter we've had. Vet came out yesterday for flu/tet jabs and said she was far too fat. I pleaded winter fluff -raised eyebrow! My friend tried to help by saying that inside the fat Lady, a thin pony was trying to get out. Vet said, no there isn't, there's another fat pony trying to get out! She's backed and is ridden and adored by any child who has a hat and the time. But she's a nellie about walking on stones. I'd like to take her and Molly the Forum Christmas Day Rescue shetland on 3 mile walks "round the block" - be fun for the kids and good for me, Lady and Molly! But I'm worried that I'd have to carry Lady back because of her dainty feet. Would you put front shoes on or buy teensy boots from Dinky Rugs or what?
 
Is there any possibilit that the shetland has low grade laminitis ,if walking on the stones is that much of a problem, how bad are they,do other horses manage barefoot, a lot of horses at my yard, mine included are ridden without shoes and seem to manage most ground.
 
Does sound like she may have LGL or maybe her feet just aren't conditioned to walking on stones at the moment. If you want to keep her barefoot then I'd invest in the boots as long as they are not ridiculously expensive.

Or you could make some boots with solemate pads. Cut them roughly to size, put them in one of those canvas boots for poultices and she should be fine. Put lots of duct tape over and over the actual base of the canvas boot to protect the boot itself from wear and tear and top it up from time to time. That should solve the problem hopefully.
 
Horse (Shetland) agility? There was a post the other day... good for keeping bright little trouble makers amused and getting them a bit fitter?
 
If you're going round the block - and it's roads, than personally i'd keep the shoes off, and see how it goes.

If she's still struggling - then have a think about daintly little ballet shoes.....
 
Shetlands shouldn't need shoes imo. They have naturally tough hooves, and up in the Shetland Isles they are grazing on rough, stony ground. I agree with others that it sounds more like laminitis, did your vet check the pony's hooves when he was out? Has your farrier seen your pony yet?
 
Thanks all - no, not laminitis, just a nellie about walking on stones. Her feet aren't brilliant - in my opinion toes far too long and heels low. It's stones all the way down the long yard drive and Lady will try to walk on the grass. This is ok on her own but with a rider on board, she scrapes them into the fence! She does it on all stones, just a little wimpish about it. Like the idea of solemate pads. In her normal daily routine she doesn't need to walk on stones at all so her feet just aren't used to them.
 
May be worth checking for LGL but I have 2 shetlands - one who is fine without shoes on stony tracks, and one that is more sensitive. He does not have, and has never had, laminutus and is fine of roads, but slows down on stony surfaces. I am sure if he was ridden more regularily on these surfaces, his feet would toughen up, but his ridden work is very intermittent especially over the winter.

I would try desensitising her to these surfaces and would ask what your farrier thinks - there are several hoof hardeners on the market that could also help eg Keratex.

Good luck!
 
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