Hmmm feet keeping up with wear?? *pics*

Roasted Chestnuts

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Well kias been barefoot since he came back from loan in 2012. He's been seeing a farrier regularly but hasn't been needing anything done.

I have been riding him out on the road four times a week for the last six weeks building up in walk and trot.

His feet have started wearing and I'm hoping they will grow to keep up as I'm not wanting to go back to shoes, the last six weeks have caused some changes though. He's not being footy as such but he's choosing to verge walk more occasionally but willing to go forwards.

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So barefoot people what do we think? Farrier I'd coming out tomorrow for a look, had a bit of thrush a few weeks ago but it seems to have cleared with daily treatment for a week the three treatments the week after and two the following :)

Thanks :)
 
I should think the footiness would be from the thrush as they still look quite thrushes, especially the backs. What have you been treating them with? Have you tried red horse products?
 
What is his diet like? Lots of event lines.

He has just come back from loan but his diet is pretty consistent as he's cereal intolerant so fibre and oil only. He was getting ERS pellets, alfalfa/conditioning fibre, beetpulp, linseed, turmeric and cinnamon. He is now getting all the above except veteran vitality now instead if ERS pellets and I've added black pepper to his turmeric and cinnamon mix.

He did move yards twice once to his loan home from sandy soil over to an area with rather boggy acidic soil good for growing pines ;) he then moved again to more managed fields whilst on loan.

He always has some form of bruising on the white feet, he even had that in shoes, he's not been lame. His back feet are splotchy.
 
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I should think the footiness would be from the thrush as they still look quite thrushes, especially the backs. What have you been treating them with? Have you tried red horse products?

Backtakill spray and Milton solution soaking. No smell etc coming from the feet other than his normal smell. Haven't tried red horse products but I'm not a fan of painting anything on their feet.
 
Thrush doesn't always smell!! I can't see the pictures very clearly as they are so big!! Normally if you increase the work load gradually the growth increases to match the wear....if you are increasing it a bit fast then walking on the verges mitigates the difference...I would keep on doing what you are doing, allowing him to walk on verges when he wants to!!
 
I'm not an expert, but I don't think they are worn too low. I do think that they look thrushy and would recommend red horse products to clear it.
 
Ditto thrushy looking and another fan of Red Horse products and N T Dry powder.

There are lots of event lines but in the photos of second fore (forgot to count how many pics down) it looks like the foot is growing in tighter. That's a good thing :)

Do you have boots? Thrush can make them a bit ouchy but obviously you want to keep them moving comfortably.

Also, I don't know what's it like where you are but our grassing is firing through at an alarming rate. We've had it really warm and a few days of rain so the grass is thriving. It might be that change contributing to the footiness.
 
Our grazing isn't coming through as of yet, was clipped pretty close over winter. Been rolled and fed so will be hopefully growing soon. We have four horses on six acres in the herd out 24/7.

He's still lean and lacking muscle so I'm actually hoping for some grass to help fill him out a bit, he will be getting worked to keep him ticking over, he isn't the best of doers to be fair.

I have hoof boots but he's not a fan.
 
Difficult to get a lateral view of heels but event lines curve downwards indicating some heel underrun. Solar view confirms this; heels should come down to widest part of frog.

A cosmetic roll would start to bring in the medial wall flare and prevent further chipping.

If wear rate exceeds growth rate and you have sorted out the diet just give a little more time.
 
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