Feeling down about barefoot now :(

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thatsmygirl

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My lad who is lame in shoes is now barefoot as most of you know due to reverse rotated pedal bones. He was doing well but the wet weather is not helping and he's not happy. He trots up sound but doesn't seem right in himself ( his eyes are telling me he's not quite comfy) iv put all my effert into this horse and I could now sit and cry. Shoeing this horse isn't a option due to lameness once shod but as his front feet are breaking back would that help with excepting shoes again? I really don't want to shoe due to what's happened before but his face is telling me he's not comfy and I don't know what to do. His diet is fine and I'm careful with thrush so I don't know if I can manage taking him barefoot.
My mare who I was trying to take barefoot has her hinds of and she's telling me as well that she's not quite happy so I'm shoeing her again as I'm going to hunt her at the end of this month.
I'm gutted as I really wanted barefoot to work but I feel like I'm failing and I need to keep my horses comfy. My mare has no problems that I'm aware off so putting back on her again is no issue to make her back to her bouncy self but my gelding I just don't know what to do or what lies ahead of us I really don't.
Pointless post really but I'm hoping maybe somebody can help or give me some advise either way.
Also he didn't feel right on sat when I rode him which is the first time since he went barefoot so could that be to do with the wet weather making everything soft and he's feeling his heel pain again?
I'm really disheartned by it all if I'm honest and I was really getting into barefoot
 
His has hoof boots ( epics) on his fronts with 12mm pads in but although he's ok on the flat it's down hills he just feels wrong :(
he's not lame, could it be the wet weather making everything soft so he's feeling his heels? I haven't got any recent pics at the mo but could take some. He's got some toe at the front breaking off at the mo which is good but it's only the top part of the wall that's broke off if that makes sence.
He's feed a topspec measure ( before soaking) of fast fibre, calmag, salt, micro linseed and 1 1/2 mugs of spillers high fibre cubes and iv started adding the same amount of ers pellets as he's turned into a donkey but he's been not quite happy before the ers pellets were added. Oh and equimins advance complete cause I get it cheap :)
It's the look in his eye as if he's not happy do u know what I mean? Or do I sound mad?
I know I will get set backs but it's just so gutting.

Iv had a chat with " moorman" I'm in his area so he would come to see him
 
I may have to boot his hinds but was hoping not to.
His front feet are cold but his backs are always quite warm ( both hinds the same heat)
I'm limited with work to the work I can do with him as it's always dark so was hoping just to tick him along for the winter. He gets lunged in the week without his boots as he rips them off and the gaiters are expensive to keep replacing and on sat and sun he does a 3 1/4 mile route both days as it's quite a flat route.

One big issue iv got and I don't know if you agree is the fact we are on a steep hill, so as soon as I get on him he's forced to go stright down a steep hill with his bad heels!! I don't think that's good for him
 
Do u think Oberon the going down hill could hurt his heels due to his problems? And the fact when anybody takes his toes back he can't cope and surely going down hill is putting him back on his heels and giving him the same pain? He was ok but the wet weather has made things softer.
Maybe it sounds daft but that's what I'm thinking
 
OP I'm in a similar position to you with my TB - she just isn't right (although I think she has an abscess/bruise as she went lame today) and I really think the weather has a lot to do with it, despite people saying the hooves are not affected by the wet weather. Mine was rock crunching all though summer, despite being out 24/7 on quite lush grazing. But get mud and wet into the mix and it's another story. She just doesn't even want to go out in the field when I get back from a hack. Yesterday and today when I led her to the field, she just stopped and looked as if to ask to go back to her stable again. I'm going back to hoof boots for hacking when this abscess/bruise has sorted itself out until spring time when the weather improves. I hope you get it sorted, but I do sympathise and I know how you feel.
 
OP - apologies I don't know your horse's history but pain going downhill can indicate problems with caudal hoof, but could also easily be a problem anywhere in the back and/or down through the hamstrings and/or the hocks.

I tend to find that a horse that has had long toes for an extended period, with a corresponding delayed breakover can have low grade (or worse) discomfort/pain in these areas, which may be exacerbated by additional strain, such as going downhill. An experienced HCP should/may be able to advise you if long toes are causing a problem in this way.

Most times though I find the problem is thrush/weak caudal hoof.
 
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TMG I am just dealing with a case of reverse rotated pedal bones in a horse I have been given. What I have learned from him is that taking the shoes off is not enough. He has been without shoes for at least a year and not fixed himself. What he has needed is very regular and very consistent low grade work, which has given him a huge increase in heel strength and now, judging from how he is standing and moving, righted his reverse angle. I also live on a 1 in 5 hill, so the hills are not a barrier to correction of the problem if your horse is uncomfortable due to reverse rotation in the front feet.

I honestly think that the solution for your horse will be to do miles on tarmac, by leading him out in hand if he cannot be ridden, booted if necessary, though if he trots up sound I think that should not be needed. As a guideline, it has taken 5 weeks of doing 3 miles of tarmac religiously every other day and 5 minutes on the lunge in the days in between, to get my horse to rebuild his heels. The job is about half done, I think, but he is much, much more comfortable on his feet and has been promoted to schoolwork and circles and canter now.

How long have you been trying with this horse? I don't think it's that long, is it?

I think you should consider sending him away for a professional rehab if you are unable to commit to the kind of work I have mentioned, with the dark nights now.
 
Thanks for all your replys.
Cptrayes no it hasn't been long, back shoes have been off for around 6 months and fronts just gone 3 months so early days. This is the thing it's always dark, back in the summer he was going great guns and I was so happy with how he was going but I was walking him out in hand everyday but I had the light to do so. As holly hocks said I think it's the wet that don't help, iv just skipped him out and although his feet are bone dry his frogs are spongy where as back a month or so they were rock hard but I can press and poke and he really don't care.
 
I really hope as others have said that the weather is causing problems as it seems there are a few of us having the same problems!
I have had to go back to all rides in boots again , where I was doing half of them bare, my boy is a little grumpy too so something is wrong although having mud fever for the for the first time this year is not helping!
He was better out today, so perhaps we are just having a phase, I do hope so?
Hang on in there TMG you have been doing so well!!!!
 
I cant really help but I can sympathise - I've been there. Arnie is now a year out of shoes and I think we are finally just about there. At 3 months I was still barely riding. We went through a horrible phase when it looked as if his frogs were falling off. Apparently they were shedding and it was normal but jeez, I was having kittens.

Can you try a different type of boot? It sounds as though he is not particularly happy with the ones he has if he is constantly pulling them off. My boy felt a bit off recently in his boots but it seems that his feet are bigger than they used to be and the boots are no longer fitting very well.

The weather has been against us though - I dont think any of us who have gone barefoot in this last year have had it easy. I hope you find a solution but if you dont and you choose to shoe again, you can always try again in the future.
 
Thanks pines off Rome it's nice knowing I'm not the only one which is having problems.
Skippys mum I think his boots are ok he went all summer fine in them and it's only in the arena he pulls them off as he lets loose a bit. Out hacking he's never pulled them off. I'm also going through the stage of frogs shreading which is prob why they feel spongy and hopefully they will build up but shoeing due to his history isn't a option as it makes him perm lame. He hasn't been lame since his shoes came off and is still trotting up sound. Bloody weather I say
 
F also had reversed rotated pedal bones, the exterior of his feet make me think this no longer the case.

I think we did 4/5 months of walking out on the roads 5/6 days a week for an increasing amount of time (10 min to start) with boots at times as req. His heels have come back but still have a tendency to be a bit under run so I think there is some improvement yet to come.
 
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