LPL
Well-Known Member
Hello me and R event at BE100 but going back to BE90 to start next season he has been off since October last year, shoes off and wild. His feet are not his best feature, two years ago having to be shod every 3/4weeks and pulling them off for fun. I took them off for winter and they got much better so I put his shoes back on. He managed a consistent 6-8 weeks throughout last year (different farrier), much better quality hoof but STILL pulling them off - mainly from standing on his own feet tbh and to make matters worse they just do not grow. Even when his shoes are off they don't grow.
So now he has had them off for 3 1/2 months and the nail holes have finally grown out. He hasn't had to have them trimmed or rasped around (farrier has looked) but he is still pretty sore on the rough. I am hoping to start walking him out in hand at weekends now just to get him moving again and then get back on board in feb half term (doing my teacher training so life is a bit hectic). My question is, to preserve his hoof a bit longer should I go buy some hoof boots and wait until a week or two before his first event to get him shod? Not sure how sore he will be doing fitness without his shoes. Or should I just get him shod and crack on? Risking shoes being pulled and hoof not being as strong?
Second question is how shall I get him fit? I've never turned him away completely for this amount of time. Like I said I'm planning on talking him for walks in hand at the weekends to get him out and about again but in feb when I get back on what do you recommend? I was going to hack out for 4 weeks then start schooling and bits of fitness work from there. Any tips?
So now he has had them off for 3 1/2 months and the nail holes have finally grown out. He hasn't had to have them trimmed or rasped around (farrier has looked) but he is still pretty sore on the rough. I am hoping to start walking him out in hand at weekends now just to get him moving again and then get back on board in feb half term (doing my teacher training so life is a bit hectic). My question is, to preserve his hoof a bit longer should I go buy some hoof boots and wait until a week or two before his first event to get him shod? Not sure how sore he will be doing fitness without his shoes. Or should I just get him shod and crack on? Risking shoes being pulled and hoof not being as strong?
Second question is how shall I get him fit? I've never turned him away completely for this amount of time. Like I said I'm planning on talking him for walks in hand at the weekends to get him out and about again but in feb when I get back on what do you recommend? I was going to hack out for 4 weeks then start schooling and bits of fitness work from there. Any tips?