Hoof boots left on overnight in stable

[honetpot]

Yep it explains the theory, but why did my mare never have any problems with a frog a quarter or less of its normal size for the size of the pony? Her hooves where an oval shape, with hardly any flare at all.

 

[Reacher]

I have a retired tb with low hoof angles and weak digital cushion. I put cavallos with pads on fronts overnight to give some relief. I tend to leave off if wet weather (she has access to yard area.) so far no rubbing or thrush

 

[Reacher]

Replace your bedding with pea shingle and leave him BF

I keep toying with this idea but worry it would be uncomfortable to lie on - I would be encouraged by anyone’s experiences doing this (sorry for going off topic)

 

[Nasicus]

Weekly milton soaks (diluted as per bottle, soaked for 5 mins each foot) and daily applications of field paste helped nuke my barefoot mares thrushy frogs in the wet weather, might be worth trying?

 

[DabDab]

Yep it explains the theory, but why did my mare never have any problems with a frog a quarter or less of its normal size for the size of the pony? Her hooves where an oval shape, with hardly any flare at all.

You do raise an interesting point - my connemara type has the same feet as you describe, with almost a shoe like horn growth on the sole of her hooves that actively lifts the frog away from contact with a smooth surface, and as a result her frogs are small. She's only 2 and I have only had her a few months so I've been contemplating whether it is something I should leave or whether it should or indeed could be altered. I've certainly never seen her take so much as a short step, no matter the surface, and apart from the boxiness of them, they are incredibly healthy hooves

 

[BBP]

Weekly milton soaks (diluted as per bottle, soaked for 5 mins each foot) and daily applications of field paste helped nuke my barefoot mares thrushy frogs in the wet weather, might be worth trying?

Thanks. This is what I’m doing and they don’t look actively thrushy now (nothing black or smelly) but they aren’t developing at all. They retain the deep sulcus and very narrow bearing surface. It wouldn’t bother me if he had no issues, like honetpot’s horse, but he is definitely not 100% comfy compared to before the thrush damaged them.

 

[BBP]

Thought I would do a quick update on this one - I have had the boots on him for a couple of nights and actually I think it is working well. as he has access to the outdoors overnight his feet hadn't been drying overnight anyway, so actually with the boots on his feet are dryer, rather than sweaty (tiny bit of moisture under the sole but the sulcus of the frog is nice and dry in the morning). He has a pair of (red and white stripey) socks with the toes cut out on around his pasterns to prevent any rubbing which also seems to be working well. I won't do it every night, but its seeming to be a positive experiment. Whether it improves the frogs and helps with heel landing comfort is another question, time will tell, but the pads have a lovely imprint in them already.