Here we go again!! *BF thread*

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Well K's shoes have come off today, took the plunge to get him BF transitioned since the ground isnt getting harder and hes living out. His feet need a rest and Ive been wanting to get his shoes off for ages and vets now told me to get it done so trying once again.

So heres the pics the shoes have just come off farrier will be back in 4 weeks to see to E he has rolled them although they dont look it. we are going to work on getting his heels underneath him and getting his fronts as hard and good as his hinds.

He had a stone imbedded in one of his hinds that the farrier had a hard time digging out as his hoof as that hard and strong. Has a bit of a track so farrier had to try to dig it out and was commenting on how brilliant his back feet are, so i sloshed some hydrogen peroxide into it and farrier thinks it will be fine

The hydrogen peroxide seems to have killed his seedy toe as well so there is a little bit soggy typw hoof wall which the farrier excised and that should hopefully be gone in about 8/12 weeks

So hoof pics I have take fronts and backs as comparisons. He barely had to do anything to the backs he said they are self trimming them selves, gave them a little roll but that was about it

Fronts (BF today)

Left

Right

Hinds (BF for over 3 years)

Left

Right

Let me know what you think

 

[mulledwhine]

Much better, I am neither for or against, but if feet look healthier, then go for it

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Much better, I am neither for or against, but if feet look healthier, then go for it

Thank you

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

*Bumping*

 

[tallyho!]

Left fore... heels quite long still but that will improve and I can see the angle the foot wants to grow in and it will be able to do that now as long as you respect what it's telling you. The frog will strengthen but right now it still looks a little bit weak and that is to be expected if just had shoes off. Right fore similar.

Hinds, to me, are better but quite unbalanced. There is flaring and one sid is higher than the other - without seeing the whole horse, I can't tell if this is what the horse wants/needs for balance but frogs seems healthy under the mud.

I can't see a 'little roll' apart from at the backs. You really need a better roll for the fronts especially if you don't want too much cracking at the nail holes as they grow down.

I'm sure all will be fine

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Left fore... heels quite long still but that will improve and I can see the angle the foot wants to grow in and it will be able to do that now as long as you respect what it's telling you. The frog will strengthen but right now it still looks a little bit weak and that is to be expected if just had shoes off. Right fore similar.

Hinds, to me, are better but quite unbalanced. There is flaring and one sid is higher than the other - without seeing the whole horse, I can't tell if this is what the horse wants/needs for balance but frogs seems healthy under the mud.

I can't see a 'little roll' apart from at the backs. You really need a better roll for the fronts especially if you don't want too much cracking at the nail holes as they grow down.

I'm sure all will be fine

Thank you for your helpful comments

I should have mentioned the horse has arthritis in his right hind and the feet have addapted to what he is comfortable with Im hoping with the deviation he has on his right fore that the foot will grow to accomodate that as he has started walking funning on it occasionally twisting it rather than placing it flat. Previous farrier tried to fix it with corrective shoeing but its not worked so vet suggested trying ti this way to see if he can get himself comfortable

 

[tallyho!]

Oh I see, I thought there might have been something. The hoof is dynamic as you know and compensates well for it's limb!

I agree with vet! I wish more vets were like that. I'm lucky to have a vet like yours.

Not sure about the twisting, but let time tell on that one. Keep an eye on it so that the farrier doesn't keep 'correcting' deviations that horse may need but at the same time allowing a good balance.

Don't know how long he's having a break for but it will be good, I also did the same for the first 6 weeks. Then started walking on tarmac in hand just to strengthen the frog and digital cushion.

24/7 in wet soft field won't change much.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Well the ground is soggy up here so he will be comfy in the field and hes getting a 3/4 week break from riding (weather and time of year) but he will be getting weekly pessoa sessions on a surface as I need to keep his back toned due to a previous injury and I have been a bit lax of late with the time of year.

He should be returning to work around feb time but hes an older horse (21) so he gets built up gradually anyway

So hoping that he will trantition well (was a disaster the last time ) and he can correct himself and be comfy

ETA - he will have to walk on tarmac for about 500 yards to get to the schooling area so will get a little inhand walk on tarmac a few times a week

 

[tallyho!]

It's diet that makes or breaks a horses foot whether shod or barefoot. It's just that shoes can mask a lot of things until things get really bad.

If you're feeding for hoof health, no cereals, starch or sugar. With a supply of minerals... It will be ok I reckon. In any case you will be used to reading the foot and can adjust diet accordingly.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

It's diet that makes or breaks a horses foot whether shod or barefoot. It's just that shoes can mask a lot of things until things get really bad.

If you're feeding for hoof health, no cereals, starch or sugar. With a supply of minerals... It will be ok I reckon. In any case you will be used to reading the foot and can adjust diet accordingly.

Hes cereal intolerant, has been for a looooong time if he gets cereals or anything with too high a starch content he comes out in lumps and his hair falls out. His temprerament also changes for the worst and hes gets very unhandleable Hes pretty much getting fibre vits and mins with some linseed in the form of Readigrass, Veteran Vitality, beetpulp and linseed Also getting a scoop of biotin as well to help boost his tootsies, I hope this seems adequate

 

[tallyho!]

You might benefit from a magnesium and calcium lick. I have found copper worked a treat for my boy, after discussions on here.

Only if you run into trouble. If what you are doing is working then all is good

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

You might benefit from a magnesium and calcium lick. I have found copper worked a treat for my boy, after discussions on here.

Only if you run into trouble. If what you are doing is working then all is good

Thank you

I will look into licks, and see where I could get a calcium or Mg one from

 

[AngieandBen]

You can buy magnesium oxide in powder form off ebay, most barefooters use it

 

[tallyho!]

I bought a 5kg Rockies called Laminshield off ebay once but can't find seller again... the copper I just buy Rockies baby red from any tack shop.

Yes, I used to add CalMag but because we didn't have any real problems showing from lack of Mg, I thought best just have one as a free choice. If he needs it, he'll lick it and they are not sweetened or made tasty and were both used.

If you want to know more, do a search on here on cal mag and I'm sure you will find heaps of info from many other barefooters.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Thank you my mare loves her Rockies lick my gelding whos feet they are ain't a fan unless is mint flavoured but got around it by dripping mint cordial over it. Might get another one for him and see what he does before I doctor it

 

[Onyxia]

Much better, I am neither for or against, but if feet look healthier, then go for it

Baaaaaa

TBH I am not a fan of doing more then we need to with horses.
If they handle the workload requested without shoes,putting them on is a silly waste of money

Good luck- I hope his feet continue to handle life without shoes well

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Baaaaaa

TBH I am not a fan of doing more then we need to with horses.
If they handle the workload requested without shoes,putting them on is a silly waste of money

Good luck- I hope his feet continue to handle life without shoes well

Thank you Will be trying hard to see if he copes this time. the last time we made it to 8 weeks before he had to ahve them back on but the whole lot came off the last time and hes been 3 years + without shoes on the hinds

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Since its been posted before to say what your feeding I popped it on a previous post but thought I would make it more apparent incase anyone else asks.

He is currently getting twice a day

Large round scoop of readigrass
Large round scoop of veteran vitality
Large round scoop of sugarbeet
1 measure of biotin (once a day in AM)
1 measure of linseed
1200mg of sharks cartillage powder (for his arthritis)

He cannot have cereals or high starch diets as he is cereal intolerant and I have found the abpve keeps weight on him and he looks good on it, the biotin is a recent addtion tried him on equimins hoof mender but he wouldnt eat it rolleyes:

 

[TigerTail]

Veteran Vitality

Protein 12%
Oil 4%
Fibre 16%
Ash 9.5%
Starch 10%
Sugar 5%
Moisture 13.8%
Vitamin A 11000 IU/kg
Vitamin D 1500 IU/kg
Vitamin E 200 IU/kg
Estimated DE 11MJ/kg
Calcium 1%
Phosphorous 0.4%
Copper 10 mg/kg

Constituents
Unmollassed Sugar Beet
Wheatfeed
Cereal Straw
Micronised Beans
Linseed
Grass
Soya
Limestone Flour
Salt
Mint
Soya Oil
FOS/MOS Prebiotics
Di-Calcium Phosphate
Rosehips
Nettle
Dandelion
Garlic
Fenugreek
Pro-biotic


I make that a combined starch and sugar of 15% which is high, bad for BF, also has soya which I wont feed cos its GM as well as cereal straw, wheatfeed, micronised beans and sugarbeet. I wouldnt feed that to mine! That is also on top of the sugar which is in sugarbeet anyway so not doing your feet much good.

I just feed micronised linseed and pro hoof with a handful of grazeon (northern equivalent of readigrass!). Next year im having my hay analysed so can feed specific minerals. Pro hoof is the only supplement I recommend as it only has 6% wheatfeed in to make it fit in the scoop. Everything else is minerals and biotin at the highest levels of any other supplement.

 

[asyouwish]

I always thought that Veteran Vitality was a good feed for an older horse. Since the local feed store started stocking Allen and Page feeds many of our yard have switched to the various types. One of the cobs loves the ride and relax and the fast fibre and he competes WH on this alone and looks brilliant, he also does pleasure rides and gos hunting during the winter on the above.

OP what levels of starch trigger your horses reactions? I take it you have tried other options? Im sure I have seen you posting about his lack of condition before? Or have I got the wrong veteran black gelding, sorry if I have and you have no problem with your horses health