Help - my warmblood doesn't grow sufficient hoof!

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Hollyhorse

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My warmblood 5 year old does not grow hardly any hoof. I bought him christmas 2005 and took his shoes off to help reduce some lumps and bumps on his legs thought to be as a result of poor farriery. Since then he's hardly grown any hoof. He was really footsore at first but eventually was fine at the end of last summer. Then he had a TINY trim (more of a clean-up) a few weeks ago and is acting cripped! Is literally hopping. I've had the vet out who confirms it's because he's footsore. How can I encourage his feet to grow? Any products that actually work? I've been told by a friend to walk him in hand on hard ground for 20minutes a day as it stimulates his hoof growth. Any other ideas/views? Any help would be greatly appreciated as he's now on box-rest with no riding until he's better which could be weeks
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Many thanks!
 
my tb is the same, farrier can hardly take any off, and he is always a little footsore after being shod, and my farrier is amazing
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he would never cope without shoes specially being walked for 20mins on hard ground! i would suggest getting a good farrier to put some shoes on if he that footsore
 
If he is that footsore, then a good farrier and shoes are your best option. The only product I have found that made a significant difference is Formula4Feet (not to be confused with Farriers Formula which mine refused to eat) - this improved the hoof quality and made the foot grow.
 
I'll add another vote for Forumla4Feet. I've been using it on one of mine since October and my farrier tells me his feet have improved no end. It also smells quite yummy and makes his coat very shiney
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It doesn't sound like you're getting good support from whoever is doing your trimming. Before you resort to shoeing, I would go to the Equine Podiatry website here: http://www.aepauk.org/ and see if there's an Equine Podiatrist in your area who could come out to you.

I wouldn't be walking a crippled horse on hard ground. If anything, I would be going the other way, using Old Mac boots with Sole Mates pads inside them. Conditioning and riding in Sole Mates is the best way to stimulate growth and your horse will feel so much more comfortable.

Although your horse has been barefoot a long time, you might need to start on a programme as if he had just come out of shoes, but you'll get excellent support from an EP, and you WILL be told if barefoot really isn't going to work - it's not the answer for every horse.
 
mines a bit footy without shoes too, i would put shoes back on if i was you.
mines been on box rest for 15 weeks now but still been shod every 5 weeks throughout, as its took the farrier ages thoughout the summer to get his feet right as he was kept barefoot with his previous owner.
but now his feet are really nice, and not been slightly footy while i've had him.
the only time i've ever kept any horses barefoot , has been on the ones i've had from yearlings and have never been shod before. with good trimming as youngsters they don't need shoes as there feet are normally hard as iron. i would never dream of unshoeing a horse and making it go barefoot.
thats like me taking your shoes off you and expecting you to walk run around as normal.
 
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i would never dream of unshoeing a horse and making it go barefoot.

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My horse would be dead if I had not taken her shoes off and gone barefoot. The vet had run out of suggestions and she was due to be PTS within weeks. Barefoot got her sound again, ridden, competing and normal.

Open your mind.
 
very common. caused by restricted blood supply while shod. he is now sore in his soles. shoeing would seem to help short term ,but would in fact make him worse. he needs to grow sole without shoes.boots would do, but are a lot of trouble taking on and off and will eventually rub his bulbs and cause sores. i could leave him sound in half an hour, and here is how.if you can find anyone to do it. he needs a protective rim of vettec superfast in the shape of a shoe. then he needs a layer of vettec equibuild in front of his frog, shaped slightly concave. this would be roughly a semi circle ending in a straight line in front of frog,not touching the frog. this will protect his tender sole under the pedal bone, which is likely to be redish if you have a little scrape and look. if well applied this will stay on at least 4 weeks or longer. by that time the inflamation will have gone. but if you like you can do the same again for another period. after 2 months of this he will have grown hoof wall and plenty of sole. a course of anti inflams,would also help. by the way horses dont get sore at under side of hoof[wearing surface] but if there is an outward tug by the hoof wall on the lamina ,there is pain, so in that case you would also need to trim the toe back and up of the ground. most if not all of his pain is tenderness under his sole. if you need any more detailed advice please contact me by p.m.
 
I was given a year's supply of Biotal Equine Gold, a pre or pro biotic, can't remember which, and the most noticable effect was the astonishing rate of growth of hoof wall. My horses were needing shoeing at least every 5 weeks simply because of this.
 
Thanks everyone! That's amazing feedback. I will get some formula for feet right away, and shall look for Biotal Equine Gold too. We have 2 old mac boots and sole mates (we got them for when we first took his shoes off but never actually used as he wasn't this bad - now's the time!).
I am also very interested in using the vettec superfast and vettec equibuild method - have PM you for more info.
At the moment the plan is to keep him barefoot as it has really helped clear some of his lumps and bumps but shoeing will always be an option if he doesn't get better.
Many thanks - really appreciate all your help.
 
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i would never dream of unshoeing a horse and making it go barefoot.
thats like me taking your shoes off you and expecting you to walk run around as normal.

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What a funny thing to say. Amy had her shoes off two years ago - never had a lame day because of it.
 
I would certainly be inclined to put shoes on the front. I would personally rather have a few lumps and bumps than a foot sore horse tbh.
 
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i would never dream of unshoeing a horse and making it go barefoot.
thats like me taking your shoes off you and expecting you to walk run around as normal.

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What a funny thing to say. Amy had her shoes off two years ago - never had a lame day because of it.

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Goodness Amy we are of the same mind
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PF came from a racing yard. Her shoes came off straight away because I wasn't planning on riding her for a couple of months and they never went back on. Everyone always commented on how nice her feet were and how she could jump, etc barefoot with no probs.
I'd love to have her barefoot now, but after careful consideration (rough terrain, rough sand in school, etc) shoes have gone back on.
 
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I'd love to have her barefoot now, but after careful consideration (rough terrain, rough sand in school, etc) shoes have gone back on.

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Yes admittedly Amy is in the field getting fat, and if she were ever to come back in to work she'd have her shoes back on for the reasons you describe. Wales is so like Argentina
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I think you are not getting the best support from your current farrier (I assume that it was a qualified farrier who did the trim?)
There are alternatives to shoes, including glue on products to support the hoof and you could try booking a remedial farrier for advice.
I have a really open mind on barefoot horses but have found that in my personal circumstances all mine are best in just front sets (Natural Balance). There are as many theories and practitioners as there are horse's feet so please do research this very carefully viewing as many sources of information as possible before taking a course of action, and be guided by your vet.
 
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Wales is so like Argentina

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It is rather, isn't it? Except perhaps for the weather and creepy crawlies
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Did you know there is a HUGE Welsh community in the Pampa where they still speak Welsh and live very traditionally? I met someone on the plane out here once who was coming to Argentina from his native Wales to learn traditional Welsh cookery!
 
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Wales is so like Argentina

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It is rather, isn't it? Except perhaps for the weather and creepy crawlies
smile.gif

Did you know there is a HUGE Welsh community in the Pampa where they still speak Welsh and live very traditionally? I met someone on the plane out here once who was coming to Argentina from his native Wales to learn traditional Welsh cookery!

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Wow really?
 
Yup!!
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Nearish where I live there's a whole town that used to be populated almost entirely by Germans, many of whom apparently came off a warship called the Graff something that ran aground in the River Plate during the second world war, and they all fecked off, got married and started new lives. The whole town looks really twee-German if you know what I mean and they have beer festivals, dress in lederhosen (on special occasions!) etc, etc. Big tourist attraction. Tis a very interesting country
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