Front shoes or hoof boots

[sbloom]

Seriously?! You are a saddle fitter, you for one should surely know how to support a horse and it's way of going? Do you just plonk a saddle on and go "there" it's fine?
Ill fitting saddle = tight tense back = tight tense movement = can give an impression of lameness = hoof wearing down unevenly.
A horse requires support through other means than just shoes! Diet, correctly fitting tack, physio, regular trims........

Wow. I was pretty polite, simply wondering what you meant by support when we were talking shoes/boots. The vast majority of people would think you meant physical support to the feet, a paradigm very common with farriers applying shoes.

I'm not even going to bother answering the rest and suggest you look to your own wording next time, as well as mine ("diet and trim" for example) before ripping me a new one.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. Looks like boots are the way to go ?

 

[tallyho!]

Someone give HBB a paper bag, a biscuit and a cuppa tea...

 

[Spot_On03]

Boots. I had my trimmer measure and fit for some scoot boots, then ordered from hoof boutique. Cost about £170, and now 9 weeks later have paid for themselves really as set of shoes is £70-80 my way now. They were a little stiff to put on initially but now got some give without being loose and we have been over all sorts of terrain and at all paces including heavy mud and jumping out hacking no issues.

 

[tallyho!]

I will when they put boot selection and fitting into the farrier training syllabus.
.

It might enter the syllabus one day I reckon. All it’ll take is for a household name to enter the barefoot camp and trimmers everywhere will be all sighing in relief! Give it another decade to enter the veterinary syllabus though ?…

ooh was that piggy just flew by my house?

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Hi everyone thanks for your replies. I’ve taken the measurements and photos as suggested and taken advice from a boot stockist and they’ve said my horse has really tricky shaped hooves (poor boy). They think I could try scoots but there’s no guarantees they’ll fit. If Scoots don’t fit then I’m thinking about putting front shoes on. Would front shoes be really detrimental? He’s always been barefoot but our hacking involves 10mins of stony paths (big stones and lots of them) and he really doesn’t love walking over those stones (no horses at the yard do unless they are shod). Feeling a bit disheartened because I want to get my horse out hacking so we can enjoy the lovely trails here. I’m going to try a scoot fit kit but I’m not feeling hopeful

 

[HappyHollyDays]

While it is a shame you are having trouble finding boots shoeing is not the end of the world. Every horse is different and you need to do what is right for the animal in front of you and if the ground is so stony the pony isn’t coping then try shoes and see how you get on.

 

[Reacher]

Is there any chance you can take your horse to a trimmer who can fit boots to your horse?

How long are your hacks? Cavallos have different models which fit different shaped feet (I have treks, sport and simples) - they fit most shaped feet. Yes they are a little clumpy and are no good for say endurance as they come above the hairline but for regular hacking they are very good.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Is there any chance you can take your horse to a trimmer who can fit boots to your horse?

How long are your hacks? Cavallos have different models which fit different shaped feet (I have treks, sport and simples) - they fit most shaped feet. Yes they are a little clumpy and are no good for say endurance as they come above the hairline but for regular hacking they are very good.

I sent photos and measurements to 2 hoof boot online shops and they’ve both said my horse’s feet are much wider than they are long (and they are very wide- towards the max for Scoots- his width is 170mm). Such a shame. I want to hack a few times per week plus long line (and the only option is the stony trails that lead directly from the yard)

 

[Reacher]

Just out of curiosity, what length are his feet?

 

[I don’t like mondays]

Just out of curiosity, what length are his feet?

150mm

 

[Gloi]

They might be that shape because of a lot of flare at the quarters that a good trimmer might be able to improve over time. Once the flare has gone you may find they are nearer to the same measurements both ways.

 

[Apizz2019]

Hi everyone
My horse has always been barefoot but we’ve moved to a yard with lots of off road hacking however the tracks are very stony (every horse on the yard in work has front shoes, at least). So should I get front shoes put on (an easy fix) or try and find hoof boots (seems like a faff to find some that fit, put on etc but saves having shoes). Horse has flat feet prone to flaring and cracking. Interested to know peoples opinions and experience. Thanks

If I were you, I'd look closely at diet before masking the issue with boots or shoes.

Our pony was exactly like this and had flares on his fronts. He would also be unsteady over stoney ground and preferred softer ground.

Cue a mild bout of laminitis and a diagnosis of ems, followed by a stripped back analysed diet, restricted grazing etc, and we have beautiful feet. No flares, balanced hooves, changed way of going and rock crunching feet.

@sbloom knows our pony well and will vouch for the massive change in him, in just a few short months. No gadgets, just a carefully managed diet.

Some horses will feel stones more than others, that's perfectly normal, but if mine were to start flaring again or have cracks, I'd be concerned and wouldn't try to resolve the issue with boots or shoes.

 

[sbloom]

@sbloom knows our pony well and will vouch for the massive change in him, in just a few short months. No gadgets, just a carefully managed diet.

I really need to make a record of customer HHO aliases

 

[Apizz2019]

I really need to make a record of customer HHO aliases

Now you know ???

 

[sbloom]

Now you know ???

But I don't, have no idea which customer you are

 

[Apizz2019]

But I don't, have no idea which customer you are

Naughty little Dartmoor and naughty kid who orders expensive numnahs ??

 

[sbloom]

Naughty little Dartmoor and naughty kid who orders expensive numnahs ??

Ahhh!! and yes indeed, it took a long time to get to the bottom of it, but he's made SO much progress thanks to you being a brilliantly attentive owner!

 

[Apizz2019]

Ahhh!! and yes indeed, it took a long time to get to the bottom of it, but he's made SO much progress thanks to you being a brilliantly attentive owner!

Thank you! He's worth the drama ?

The kid. Not so much ?

 

[I don’t like mondays]

If I were you, I'd look closely at diet before masking the issue with boots or shoes.

Our pony was exactly like this and had flares on his fronts. He would also be unsteady over stoney ground and preferred softer ground.

Cue a mild bout of laminitis and a diagnosis of ems, followed by a stripped back analysed diet, restricted grazing etc, and we have beautiful feet. No flares, balanced hooves, changed way of going and rock crunching feet.

@sbloom knows our pony well and will vouch for the massive change in him, in just a few short months. No gadgets, just a carefully managed diet.

Some horses will feel stones more than others, that's perfectly normal, but if mine were to start flaring again or have cracks, I'd be concerned and wouldn't try to resolve the issue with boots or shoes.

Thank you, that’s very good advice and I know exactly what you mean. My horse isn’t footy on any other surface but the trails leading out from the new yard are particularly savage (loads of big sharp chunky rocks, hard core on a concrete base), every single horse at the yard wears at least front shoes because of the terrain (if they arrive barefoot they end up shod) and one had a nasty puncture from the stones

 

[Apizz2019]

Thank you, that’s very good advice and I know exactly what you mean. My horse isn’t footy on any other surface but the trails leading out from the new yard are particularly savage (loads of big sharp chunky rocks, hard core on a concrete base), every single horse at the yard wears at least front shoes because of the terrain (if they arrive barefoot they end up shod) and one had a nasty puncture from the stones

I'd just be cautious with the flares and cracks, that's not a normal healthy hoof. But I completely get what you're saying as it sounds like a yard I was on. At times the stones were horrendous.

I went through a long stage of looking at others on the yard who were also all shod, couldn't cope with the stones etc and I came to the conclusion that ours was just like the other horses and that he was growing the foot he needed.

I was wrong, very wrong, and still beat myself up now as I now realise he had low grade laminitic changes rumbling away for quite a few months. All it took was the grass being fertilised, the perfect lami weather and bam, there it was, laughing me in the face.

I'm sure yours is absolutely fine but I always err on the side of caution now.

Good luck!

 

[Gloi]

Thank you, that’s very good advice and I know exactly what you mean. My horse isn’t footy on any other surface but the trails leading out from the new yard are particularly savage (loads of big sharp chunky rocks, hard core on a concrete base), every single horse at the yard wears at least front shoes because of the terrain (if they arrive barefoot they end up shod) and one had a nasty puncture from the stones

If that is the case I'd definitely go for boots over shoes as then the sole is protected. I have seen a sole puncture from a stone on a shod horse.

 

[sbloom]

If that is the case I'd definitely go for boots over shoes as then the sole is protected. I have seen a sole puncture from a stone on a shod horse.

Shod horses have less feeling and definitely less proprioception (the awareness of direct contact/touch with their surroundings) so they put more weight on stones than would a barefoot horse, bruises are, I believe, more common in shod horses, however ouchy the barefoot horse over stones.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

I'd just be cautious with the flares and cracks, that's not a normal healthy hoof. But I completely get what you're saying as it sounds like a yard I was on. At times the stones were horrendous.

I went through a long stage of looking at others on the yard who were also all shod, couldn't cope with the stones etc and I came to the conclusion that ours was just like the other horses and that he was growing the foot he needed.

I was wrong, very wrong, and still beat myself up now as I now realise he had low grade laminitic changes rumbling away for quite a few months. All it took was the grass being fertilised, the perfect lami weather and bam, there it was, laughing me in the face.

I'm sure yours is absolutely fine but I always err on the side of caution now.

Good luck!

Thank you, it’s good to be aware, esp after what happened to you (sounds like a similar situation to me). In that case, I think I’ll start checking pulses and for heat in hooves regularly to be safe.

 

[I don’t like mondays]

If that is the case I'd definitely go for boots over shoes as then the sole is protected. I have seen a sole puncture from a stone on a shod horse.

That was my preference, because I thought would protect my horse more from stones. Sadly it doesn’t look like any brands have a size to suit :-(

 

[Gloi]

That was my preference, because I thought would protect my horse more from stones. Sadly it doesn’t look like any brands have a size to suit :-(

If you aren't going to be going fast over the stones and can take them off after you pass them you will probably get away with some that aren't an exact fit, especially the bucket type boots like the cavallo rather than a performance boot. Look for second hand to try them out so you can sell again and not lose money if they don't work.

 

[Reacher]

The width of the hoof would be accommodated by the cavallo big foot. Yes it would be too long, as a temporary measure you might get away with sticking in some padding at the heel.
Question is, as Gloi said, is that the natural hoof shape or is it distorted by flaring, therefore potentially fixable?

Have you got any hoof photos you could put up on here ?

 

[Gloi]

There's a pair of nearly new cavallo big foot boots size 7 on Facebook marketplace for £100 today.

 

[Cragrat]

Hoof Armor is worth looking at. It is totally different to Keratex/formaldehyde based products.

 

[tallyho!]

Hoof Armor is worth looking at. It is totally different to Keratex/formaldehyde based products.

Still a waste of money - nothing you paint on a hoof will make the slightest bit of difference in strength - it might kill off some fungus if you choose the right stuff and for thrush it's useful. A thrushy sole and frog does need sorting out. For anything else, feed the hoof from the inside.