Hoof Boots...

Amy567

Amy567

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So, my ex racer that I've had for 4 months is lame... AGAIN! Second vets bill for nearly £300 in two months for what is a 'bruised sole' and an abscess. This time he has 2 corns and an abscess, poor boy :( not typically abscess lame, so it's 'the beginnings' of one... he's also a whimp that was lame for a month last time because the shoe kept being taken off and put back on and it was another corn.

"Change your farrier!" I hear you cry, however, it's not really her fault. She's shod him twice now and we're doing remedial shoeing, though it seems that remedial shoeing causes lameness. He's got very flat feet with very soft soles and they're just crumbling, so barefoot is not an option for this boy. We're thinking of hoof boots until he grows enough hoof for correct shoeing as he's getting very little hoof growth having had his left fore shoe put on 4 times in a month and his right fore has just been taken off again, having only been shod for 4 weeks anyway. We're doing all the supplements and keratex, so we're doing as much as we can in that respect. Hoof boots will have to be on 24/7 though, we've seen you can get therapy boots and ridden boots, there's the Easyboot Trail and Equine Fusion Ultra that sound to be the type we're looking for. Not measured him yet, I'll do this this evening when I take his poultice off.

questions:
Is it possible to have them on 24/7 with regular checks throughout the day for dirt and debris?
Should we get boots specifically for riding in and others specifically for turning out?
Pads - need lots of advice on these too!
Will they increase the chance of an abscess just cropping up? (Never had a horse prone to abscesses so don't know a whole lot on these either! :/)

Chocolate chip cookies for all who answer :)
 
Is it possible to have them on 24/7 with regular checks throughout the day for dirt and debris?
Is it possible to have them on 24/7 with regular checks throughout the day for dirt and debris? - in theory yes but keep checking that they aren't rubbing
Should we get boots specifically for riding in and others specifically for turning out? - you shouldnt need to

Dont know re the other questions sorry but the cavellos are on offer in the robinsons sale at the moment if that helps
 
I think maybe changing the diet and management is the way to improve the hooves. You need to fix why the hooves bruise not the symptoms. Are your supplements balanced to your forage? Do the hooves need a break from shoes to grow stronger as was always the way.?
 
My pony had horrendous feet with soles I could bend with my finger and walls that would not hold shoes at all. I left his shoes off after there was no longer any wall to hold a shoe. I used boots for riding but otherwise left him barefoot. Almost straight away he started growing a thicker sole, had much better feet 6 months later and now has great feet. I still use boots for riding but he has done over 1000 miles this year and is fit and sound as a bell.
He gets a mineral supplement but that and lots of booted roadwork was all he needed.
 
My horse also TB has rubbish feet. I have had shoes removed and he is on the correct diet to enable him eventually go barefoot. In the meantime he has Cavello Simple boots on for turn out with jell pads. He comes in at night and they are removed so his feet don't sweat. I shall also be able to ride in these boots, I am very impressed with them.
 
Thank you for all your replies :)

Re diet, my other tb had horrendous hooves and ties up so they're both on the correct diet for healthy hooves. the one reason I don't want to tske thr boots off is because he goes incredibly foot sore very quickly. We're doing this as something more to help with his hoof quality on top of everything else. I know it all takes time to have an affect, we're just trying everything :)
 
Amy567 said:
Re diet, my other tb had horrendous hooves and ties up so they're both on the correct diet for healthy hooves. the one reason I don't want to tske thr boots off is because he goes incredibly foot sore very quickly. We're doing this as something more to help with his hoof quality on top of everything else. I know it all takes time to have an affect, we're just trying everything :)
Click to expand...

Exactly what is he being fed now? This is the biggest factor in healthy hooves.
 
Yup more diet details needed because it very much depends on who gave the feeding advice as to how good it is, hence people asking because its so often the source of issues and barefooted s have different views on what is ideal grub wise
 
Due to the mare tying up they're on a low sugar, high fibre diet with supplements and ad-lib hay. Allen and Page fast fibre, Dengie Alfa oil, Baileys outshine for condition, NAF Profeet liquid supplement- containing Biotin, Kentucky joint supplement, NAF rock hard to pain onto hooves and hoofbeat also to paint on hooves for moisture.

We mainly want the boots until his hooves are better quality to hold a shoe. If they work wonders, we may leave him barefoot with the boots for riding in, given they work well.
 
which is great but vets usually aren't too up on that sort of stuff either ;).

Points to note - some unshod horses do not tolerate alfalfa well. and just as an example I have used and have seen some improvement in horn quality using naf pro-hoof. However I have seen much better improvements in whole foot structure supplementing with magnesium oxide, copper, lysine, zinc, calcium carbonate and yea sacc (I think that's it -interestingly not biotin) based on analysis of our hay and grazing.

Just for info, regarding feeding those that tie up for condition we have had good results feeding coolstance copra and straight micronised linseed :).
 
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