Flat foot

[baran]

Pony is currently shod at front and occasionally at back when workload requires it. Horn quality is good, tough and quite fast growing. However farrier is suggesting he might benefit from a couple of months without any shoes over the winter. Problem is left front foot which is very flat and has very soft sole. Last winter when he lost a shoe in the mud then the fields froze, he was so sore he didn't want to go out. Any suggestions for this one foot? Farrier doesn't think sole hardeners have much affect but I am open to suggestions.

 

[tallyho!]

I think you have a very good farrier! I would be inclined to follow his advice. Do you have a photo of the flat foot?

Soft soles soon harden up given the correct stimulation and correct diet

 

[thatsmygirl]

Wish I had your farrier!
What's your current diet? Iv found this to be very important in getting my ex racer bare along with making sure he was loading his feet properly. ( was v toe first)

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

My farrier was here the other day to beaten up the edges on my now bare horses. The first comment he made when he saw Abba was, "see I told you getting those darn shoes off was the best thing for her. Look how much foot we have now." He has been at me for ages to at least give them at least 2 shoeing cycles break, if not longer. But I kept wimping out because they were footy, had soft soles, and on and on. Well it's just over 4 weeks and the soles have hardened up and I'm already getting concavity and their frogs have plumper up.

Thing is with all this mud they were all losing a shoe here and there and I'm fet up. Also take the shoes off and don't trim, barefoot people can correct me. We left the feet to get stronger and break off a bit. Not pretty but they were much happier getting used to bare this way. And they were always much worse with one shoe than both off.

Go for it. Get the diet right and maybe even some boots to help transition. He should be fine. If my flat footed, thin soled horses can do it so can yours. My BS was very good in just giving a light rasp to clean up edges. No trimming and he left the soles and bars alone to keep doing their job.

Terri

 

[baran]

Thanks for the advice but I would have thought if diet was the problem, all his feet would be flat and all four soles thin? It is only this one foot.

 

[tallyho!]

Thanks for the advice but I would have thought if diet was the problem, all his feet would be flat and all four soles thin? It is only this one foot.

Feet are weird things. Just be glad it has only manifested in one foot so far. It'll be an even bigger problem if allowed to deteriorate to all four feet.

All horses, like us, have weak spots and problems will occur at the weakest point first. It's hard to imagine what the issues are without a photo. It's surprising what a hoof can say to someone who wants to listen.

 

[LucyPriory]

OP its actually quite common to be one foot only - it just doesn't get picked up on very often.

Are your horses shoulders perfectly symmetrical when viewed from behind and above?

 

[baran]

Are your horses shoulders perfectly symmetrical when viewed from behind and above?

Think so, will check. Chiropractor keeps commenting on how well put together he is.

Current regime is turnout for several hours on poor grazing, no net for about three hours when brought in, then enough haylage to do him until morning. Evening feed only - tiny quantity of chaff to put vitamin supplement in. He gets more feed when we are competing.

His feet haven't changed in all the time I have had him - always been this one odd flat one!