Help please - Foot sore barefooter

[Identityincrisis]

Hi All,

Some advice please, I have a 19yr old TB with what my blacksmith has always described as 'decent feet for a TB'.
He has been barefoot for approx 1 year with a stint of approx 3 weeks last summer where he had shoes back on (big mistake!) he is much happier now that we have been through the transition stage BUT the last 2/3 trims have left him really quite lame/footsore. Both times it has been the apprentice who has trimmed him and I'm not sure if he's sore because he has had too much trimmed or if this is to be expected until his hoof re-hardens? I have had to give him bute to make him a bit more comfortable (trim was on Thurs)

Please help & well done if you made it this far!!

 

[Oberon]

A trim is supposed to help your horse maintain a healthy hoof.

It is removing excess wall because a horse isn't doing enough mileage on rough surfaces to be self trimming (like they would in the wild).

No trim should make a horse sore.

In a long term BF horse you should not need to touch the sole or frog except very rarely.
The quickest way to lame a BF horse is to start hacking into the toe callous, live sole and frog.

I imagine this is what is happening to your horse.

I had an apprentice cause bleeding to my healthy BF horse....then I started using a UKNHCP trimmer and have much happier since then.

 

[tallyho!]

*Warning! Just got back from a WASSAIL in village orchard so a bit pickled!*

Anyway, as you do, when pickled -check forum for hilarious posts. Not that yours is by the way... I just so happened to stumble upon it.

Last 2/3 trims... what were those like? did farrier take off frog? did he trim the sole? sole is soft this time of year, you need to leave it on. well, infact you need to leave sole on full stop. did he take off too much wall? or even perhaps did he leave too much wall?

What have you changed in last few trims? diet? frosy turnout? not enough minerals? course, this time of year, not much vits n mins in grass. or if late hay you do wonder if enough vits n mins.

If you are worried my love, put boots on till you get to bottom of it. Much luck x

 

[muff747]

Easy remedy to your problem - don't let the apprentice trim your horses feet again!
You can say no, especially as this has happened more than once, don't allow him near your horses feet again unless he is doing the trim under surveillance of your usual trimmer. I assume this hasn't happened before the apprentice took over?

 

[TigerTail]

If the horse wasnt lame before the trim then the trim is what has caused the pain.

Do not let that apprentice near your horse again and ring your farrier and explain that the last two times this person has been your horse has gone lame immediately after the trim.

 

[Identityincrisis]

Thanks everyone! You have all said what I basically knew anyway, I have to have a word with my BS and stop the apprentice working on my horse. I'm reasonably happy with my BS's work but really want them to work on his heels as my vet (and I agree) said his heels are under run, when I've mentioned this to BS I was told he's too old to start messing with (he's in excellent condition and not old by any stretch of the imagination!)

His diet hasn't changed, he is on Top Spec Lite and ad lib haylage at night with daily turnout for approx 8 hrs every day. I don't know much about feeding for a barefoot horse but have read that it makes or breaks them. I've just started reading 'Feet First, barefoot performance & foot rehabilitation'

 

[Oberon]

Just to let you know, some of the dietry advice in Feet First is considered out of date now.

The Barefoot Taliban no longer routinely recommend seaweed as a supplement unless your forage is found too low in iodine.

Forage analysis and bespoke mineral balancing is now the gold standard. Otherwise one of the two suitable commercial supplements will suffice.

No horse is too old to be trimmed sympathetically or appropriately.
Unless there is permanent damage to the coffin bone (long term laminitic) or damage to the corium which has hampered circulation, then even the worst footed horse is continuously trying to grow a brilliant hoof.

What happens then is usually up external factors that aren't the horse's fault

It sounds like your BS doesn't believe in how very dynamic and clever the hoof is

 

[LucyPriory]

I was told he's too old to start messing with (he's in excellent condition and not old by any stretch of the imagination!)

Too old at 19? I've personally worked on older horses than that which were long term lame that are now sound and back in work. And they've developed better caudal hoof structure in the process.

Good luck with your boy and hope you have a long future of happy healthy hooves

 

[be positive]

Too old at 19? I've personally worked on older horses than that which were long term lame that are now sound and back in work. And they've developed better caudal hoof structure in the process.

Good luck with your boy and hope you have a long future of happy healthy hooves

Yours is definitely not too old, I have just taken shoes off a 33 year old that is still lightly ridden, his feet are improving, despite the fact he will not eat a low sugar high fibre diet, although that is also improving, and he is trimmed by an apprentice who takes great care to do very little to the feet, he is very happy on them immediately after trimming whereas with his previous farrier he was sore after shoeing for a few days( long story, different farrier used by his owners)

 

[cptrayes]

the last 2/3 trims have left him really quite lame/footsore.

Tommy Cooper could answer this one for you:

Doctor Doctor, I broke my arm in two places.

Well don't go to those places then.



Stop the apprentice trimming him!!

 

[cptrayes]

Regarding age, my friend took the shoes off a horse of 25, shod since 4 except for having one foal, and she never even noticed.

We did though. She stopped grunting when she walked downhill and her dipped back came up like a ten year old's.

19 is not too old, but your farrier's apprentice may be too young

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I've just taken the shoes off my 21 year old and he's stomping along great

Stop the apprentice trimming him tell the farrier to do it, I know they need to learn but he's obviously not if that's twice hed lamed your horse.

Good luck

 

[amandap]

Tommy Cooper could answer this one for you:

Doctor Doctor, I broke my arm in two places.

Well don't go to those places then.

Horses are never too old to improve their hooves. Good luck op.