Help, barefoot hooves too short!

M

MrsNorris

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 January 2006
Messages
1,301
Visit site
Looking for some advise from the barefoot experts please. My cob has been barefoot for the last 15 months and sound on all surfaces, but for about the last month or so, he has been very footy over rough ground. My vet, who is also an E.P, has had a look and says its because his feet are just too short.
He tried him with hoof testers (I know, I hate them too, but he has also had 2 borderline Cushings tests and I am now paranoid about laminitis), but no reaction, no pulses either.

I have seen on other threads that if hooves get lots of conditioning, they should be so hard and grow so quick that this doesn't happen, so whats going wrong with my boy? :confused:

He does between 6 and 10 hours a week on the roads (average probably about 8) and has done for the last 7 years.
Before we went completely barefoot in Nov 2011, he was being shod for a few months in the summer, then barefoot the rest of the time.

Diet is Hi Fibre Horsehage, a little Fastfibre, linseed, brewers yeast, salt, Cu/Zn, vit E, selenium and a chasteberry supplement.

Vet has said he must be ridden in boots or shod until his feet have grown a bit, then he should be fine again.
Any ideas what I can do to speed up growth/slow down wear? Thanks.
 
OP - photos inc solar view would be a huge help.

Lack of reaction to hoof testers - and yes you are right to hate them I wouldn't let anyone near any of my horses with them - And lack of pulses doesn't mean much. Footiness frequently comes first.

There has been an awful lot of footiness around because of recent weather conditions.

Daytime temps above 5 and nightime below 5 can over a few days make temperate grass really sugary.
 
Thanks Lucy, will try to get some good pics tonight, his feet seem very short at the toe, not so much at the heels, so does this mean he's probably toe-landing as well??
His frogs are a bit rough too, though vet didn't seem concerned by them and they don't seem sensitive at all.

I have ordered pads as his boots don't fit very well, am using some homemade ones until they arrive :)
 
My question aways is: Define 'short'

and where is it being measured/how?

Length of toe along the dorsal aspect from coronary band or height of wall relative to sole or something else?
 
Do consider thrush - can make them land toe first, it is a really painful infection - get the farrier out for his advice. I recommend hoof boots when things settle down a bit - we have cavallos and they're pretty good so far.
 
Pics a good idea!

Last spring, I upped my pony's training a bit too quickly, and his front hooves wore too fast for the growth rate. I was advised to boot him for a while to let the feet catch up, and 2 months later, they were much better (and I booted less). By the sounds of it, that's the problem you're having. If it is, your vet is probably right, and using boots for a little while should sort the problem without needing to back off the work.
 
I have to boot for quite a lot of my riding or my pony runs out of hoof. I'd hoped that eventually growth would match wear but it doesn't seem to be working out that way unfortunately although he has much stronger feet than he used to have. Still, boots are good these days so it's okay. I think the constant wet conditions haven't helped.
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I gave his feet a really good scrub yesterday for the first time in a few weeks (have had a very bad back so they've only had quick pick out) only to find that his frog on one front has gone a bit mushy between the heel bulbs :eek: Will crack on with thrush treatment all round and hope that helps, although he's not reacting to me poking about down there. Will try to check how he is landing but its not easy to see on your own!

LucyP from the solar view, there is no hoof wall at the toe, maybe a millimetre or two at the heels, tried to get pictures but my back was screaming by the time I'd scrubbed and I couldn't hold them up one handed to take photos :( Will try to persuade daughter to come and help me today.
People always comment about how short his feet look from the front, but thats normal for barefoot horses isn't it?

He has cavallos too and seems quite comfortable in them but he really needs a size smaller, they're ok with thick pads but not for faster work.

Hope its just not enough growth and too much wear like you've experienced Spookypony and Gloi , but his workload is pretty constant, if anything a bit less lately due to the weather, could it just be the constant wet making hooves softer than normal so wearing down quicker?
 
Last edited:
Leave your phone videoing at ground level and walk him past it then slow it down to see how he is landing?

Sounds like you have cracked it with the thrush anyway tho :)
 
I have just reshod my first Bf project , he had been BF for a year and a half doing really really well .
He hunted a few days doing four /five hours work .
Then had a couple of six hour days and went to hunting two days a week and after last Saturday came back and the feet just looked very very short and worn he was sore tried and miserable .
Contacted vet and trimmer , he was shod last Monday was sound and full of hell Tuesday hunted Wednesday and this Saturday fit happy and up for it .
I was sorry to shoe him but I keep him to work him and clearly want to work him at the moment more than his unshod feet can cope with.
I can remove his shoes later when I want to do less with him.
It's not the end of world if your boy needs shoeing for a while OP.
 
hollybear said:
there is no hoof wall at the toe, maybe a millimetre or two at the heels,
Click to expand...

This is exactly how I would describe a good hardworking barefoot hoof. There should normaly be no hoof wall at the toe, the toe callous should form a smooth curve which goes up to and over the white line and then the hoof wall, with no ridge. 2mm depth at the heel is also normally correct.

Is your EP saying that he should have hoof wall at the toe?
 
hollybear said:
LucyP from the solar view, there is no hoof wall at the toe, maybe a millimetre or two at the heels,

People always comment about how short his feet look from the front, but thats normal for barefoot horses isn't it?
Click to expand...


HollyB this all sounds relatively normal/common. You don't want a lot of hoof wall proud of the sole. Level with sole is fine.

Barefoot feet to some eyes do look short. Of course to others shod horses hooves can seem overly long and/or tall.

A healthy consistently worked hoof shouldn't have an issue in matching growth to wear. If this becomes a problem then there is usually an undiagnosed problem somewhere.
 
cptrayes said:
Is your EP saying that he should have hoof wall at the toe?
Click to expand...

He just said that the feet were too short, especially at the toe, didn't elaborate, only to say that its not enough hoof for a heavyweight cob.

Have started riding him in boots and pads and he is much happier, but not sure now what the problem really is!

Am only worrying so much because of the Cushings tests (both borderline), don't want his first proper symptom to be a full-blown laminitis attack!
 
Last edited:
HI there, did you say you had only gone fully barefoot in November 2011? From the research I have done, and my own limited experience bringing on a barefoot youngster, that is relatively recent to be seeing quality changes in the performance / conditioning of the foot. I have been advised to allow about 12 months for the foot to be properly conditioned, although you should see improvements before then.
To back up what other posters said, use the boots while he transitions, and give it time.

Hope this gives some peace of mind
 
He's been mostly barefoot for 7 years Swallowbarn, just shod for a few months each summer up until 2011, but exclusively barefoot for the last 15 months so not in transition now (I hope! :) ).
He has great feet usually, sound and happy, so I'm a bit worried that this might be something sinister, am hoping its just lack of growth or thrush, but I just don't know for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top