footy horse

hihosilver

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I decided to be brave and take my eventers shoes off. He copes well eventing with just front shoes and has never needed studs. Its coming up to 6 weeks and he is still footy. I know this is early days just wondering is there anything else I can do to make him a bit more comfortable. Our hacking is fairly stony. I was considering getting him some hoof boots but ultimately would like to give the feet a chance to harden up. He is fed pure easy and unmolassed sugar beet. He is a good doer! has anyone got any tips thanks!
 

ycbm

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A barefoot balancer from forageplus, equimins, or progressive Earth. Most UK grazing and forage has too much iron in it for a lot of horses to cope with.

Temporarily, I would use Keratex (actually i'd use 8% formaldehyde because it costs a fraction of the amount).
 

ester

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Initially I used to boot unless we were on grass, when I would take them off again and started to increase the amount of time tarmac without them on too. I got quite nifty at taking them on and off :D.
6 weeks post deshoeing was his sorest time, he got better from there on in.
 

Gloi

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Get some hoof boots for him and use them when you go anywhere he is not completely comfortable. It is the movement that is the most important thing, besides a suitable diet, so hack as much as possible where he is comfortable and with the boots. Using the hoof boots won't stop his feet from hardening up as he won't be wearing them the rest of the day. After a while you'll only be needing them on the stony parts, you can carry them in a saddlebag the rest of the ride and all being well he'll grow a good enough hoof you won't need them any more.
 

emfen1305

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I have just bought some woof wear medical boots to help up a couple of the stony tracks on our hand walks though they aren't suitable for riding in but they are providing a cheaper option until he is trimmed and i can get some proper boots!
 

ester

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cavallos are ok for slow work/those tricky to get a close fit too.
But they are clumpy and heavy and bring the break over further forwards than a boot needs to

I have a pair, they get used for poulticing.

emfen by all counts they don't last very well at all! so good luck :) be interesting to hear how you get on with them.
 

emfen1305

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I’ve added some gorilla tape to the bottom of them, I just use them to get up our stony path then take them off to walk on the tarmac, it’s an absolute pain but at least he’s stopped hobbling!
 

paddy555

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I was considering getting him some hoof boots but ultimately would like to give the feet a chance to harden up.

His feet won't harden up if he is footy he will just move the rest of his body badly. He needs to be sound and happy with the surface he is walking over before you can condition his feet and improve them onto more difficult surfaces and until he is I would boot.

If he is an eventer I would think cavallos were a poor choice. I would go for a good riding boot as I would expect you need good grip on wet grass and a horse moving well at a trot and canter. The boots have to fit the horse which may limit your choices but I would go for scoots, then renegades and then easyboot gloves. The gallopers would be another choice. You are looking for a boot with good tread and with a good breakover.
I presume you have checked the central sulcus but if not I would push a hoof pick hard into it and make sure he is not sore. If he was I would work on improving the frog. A sore frog can make a horse footy and is easy to resolve.
 

hihosilver

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His feet won't harden up if he is footy he will just move the rest of his body badly. He needs to be sound and happy with the surface he is walking over before you can condition his feet and improve them onto more difficult surfaces and until he is I would boot.

If he is an eventer I would think cavallos were a poor choice. I would go for a good riding boot as I would expect you need good grip on wet grass and a horse moving well at a trot and canter. The boots have to fit the horse which may limit your choices but I would go for scoots, then renegades and then easyboot gloves. The gallopers would be another choice. You are looking for a boot with good tread and with a good breakover.
I presume you have checked the central sulcus but if not I would push a hoof pick hard into it and make sure he is not sore. If he was I would work on improving the frog. A sore frog can make a horse footy and is easy to resolve.

ok thanks I will have a look at those suggestions of boots. He is absolutely fine on surface and jumping just hacking which is quite stony. He is not sensitive at all with the frog. He was fine without shoes 2 years ago but he has always had fronts since then. I will persevere for the winter as he does pull shoes off.
 

ester

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def a good point re. the body use.

Personally I have always used gloves, with power straps, they have stayed on for most things but he has had a tendency to remove them (I suspect by a slight overreach) when cantering and if the hoof has landed in a bog with the boot off they don't stay on so well for the second fitting as they do rely on their inner surface gripping the hoof a bit.
In comparison renegades do seem a bit faffy with their cables to me, and I wish that scoots would do their breakover like the gloves. But yes fit for the lower profile type boots is crucial.
 
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