Feet of retired horses?

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Tickles

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Would anyone who has a retired/elderly (ideally TB/national hunt type) horse living out barefoot mind posting pics/descriptions of their feet? I saw some retirees (apparently big winners, now pets I think) up close and was a bit shocked at the cracks and chips...

Having said that they showed a real interest when I put up jumps nearby(!) and could still chase each other playfully round the field at a scary pace!

Will try to get a snap or two myself when no one is watching but wanted to gauge what is 'normal'.

Thank you!
 
they need really regular trimming if they're barefoot. i have a big wb x tb who has fab feet now, hasn't been shod for years, but is trimmed 6 weeks gap maximum, and if there's the slightest hint of splaying or cracking i take the edges off immediately with a rasp. not sure if pics would help you as he's not the breed you're talking about!
 
I have a retired mare whos feet are in a very good condition. No cracks, or anything. She hasn't had shoes on for 2 years.

She gets trimmed every 14 weeks. I used to get her done every 7 weeks, but there wasn't enough to trim and she was getting foot sore.
 
Our retired cob has no shoes on and her feet are fine, did grow too slowly over the winter, she is now having wheatgerm and they are doing well. I have no experience of TB feet, whether retired or not
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actually, come to think of it, my lad doesn't necessarily need 'trimming' every time but he does need rasping so that the edges are rounded, so that the outside of the hoof is not in contact with the ground - prevents cracking.
 
Sounds like they may not be done as regularly as they should be if they are splaying and cracking.

Cracking is possible in this sort of weather but i am inclinded to think its the above (or that they need trimming) since its in all the horses?
 
My TB is retired barefoot and his feet are wonderful now, the best they've ever been. That's not to say they'd stand up to roadwork or any work probably as he's always had dodgy feet, but they're certainly not chipped and cracked. He's not necessarily trimmed every time the farrier comes for the others, but they edges are rasped smooth regularly. I haven't got any pictures, but taking his shoes off has worked wonderfully for him.
 
i have a tb ex race horse she is twenty and has not been shod for years i get her trimmed every ten weeks her diet is forage and fibre mint cod liver oil nettle and seaweed and touch wood her feet are lovely and forgot i pick them twice a day and paint them with hoof oil once a day!
 
Our retired Thoroughbred is now barefoot. He had his back shoes off before his front shoes to see how his feet coped and as they coped well he had his front shoes off too a couple of months later.

He has his feet trimmed every 6-8 weeks and his feet are in good condition. They do tend to get a couple of small cracks, especially when the ground is wet, but when they are trimmed, they look fine again. We try to walk him on grass as much as possible when we are bringing him in from the field etc because our yard has a gravel driveway and he is sometimes a bit footsore walking on the main track.

Applying a hoof ointment once a week can also help the condition of the hooves, as can feeding a supplement containing biotin which strengthens the hooves. We use this hoof ointment on the inside and outside of his hooves: http://www.farmway.co.uk/equine-2/for-th...87-172_zoom.jpg and I would highly recommend it as it keeps his feet healthy.

Hope this helps.
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We have a little TB mare at the yard with similar issues, she has seriously under run heals and should really be shod either permanently or at least until her feet are a better balance but since she's retired they do nothing
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I don't think it matters if the horse is in full work or just standing in a field they need their feet done regularly (clearly it depends on the horse how regularly!) if done properly any cracks would be kept under control.
 
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