Hoof help please!!

[Sambo]

My welsh D, has lost 2 shoes in the last 2 weeks - he only has fronts. His feet are good and strong, so my farrier suggested we try barefoot rather than him loosing shoes! So I decided to give it a go.

He has had just one shoe on for 10 days and hasnt gone lame or even flinched once.

To get to and from the field there are 3 patches of hardcore you have to walk over. Today he was really sore and hopped a couple of steps going over them.. not really sure why as he has been barefoot on one front foot for 10 days! (Wonder if its psychological?)

I took him on a short hack yesterday and he was fine, didn;t flinch, and was fine in the school. And in between the hardcore and in the field he was walking out and didnt flinch at all.

I would like to keep him barefoot (am moving yards in 2 weeks anyway, so hardcore is a temporary issue) - but do you think I should put hoof hardener on for the mean while? If so, what would you recommend? Someone has said Keratex hoof hardener?

We are going to a show on Weds, and I don't want him to be lame/footsore for that... Well I don't want him to be lame/footsore at all, but we have worked very hard to get to this show on Weds, so will be so gutted!

 

[fitzaud2]

this might sound disgusting, it did to me when first suggested, but if you have a local knackery, ask them for some horse fat from the neck, get a camper gas ring and boil the fat outside, cos it smells. get a pastry brush and brush it on the hooves, it hardens them no end, i promise, horses are dead anyway, and it does work, even though it's gross!!! i promise it will sort out his hooves!!!

 

[tallyho!]

If you want to strengthen the hooves, aswell as the hoof hardener, think from the inside i.e. diet. Without shoes to hold everything in one place, they will flex and move so he probably finds this a bit wierd. So a diet to feed the hoof is essential. Low sugar, high fibre, calcium, magnesium etc. Good luck, it will be a bit of a journey but I recommend you read as much as possible about barefoot on the web, books etc.

 

[Sambo]

Thanks for that! Not sure I could bring myself to boil horse fat though...

I currently feed haylage, Dengie Hi-Fi and fibre plus nuggets - and that is all he has (in small quantitie).

I think he will be fine over time as our new yard is concrete and grass (no hardcore) with a sand school and hacking is roadwork and sand - so all pretty soft...

Just wondering if there was a magic 'quick fix' for the next 2 weeks? x

 

[nikkimariet]

Horses cope with being barefoot more than you might think! We've had overall; 1 ISH, 2 TB's, 1 WB, 1 Shetland barefoot, and never had any probs.

It's not particularly a case of hardening the hoof long term, just keeping it moisturized. But, I think a hoof hardener would be best, given the importance of him needing to be sound for competing. As someone else has said, it is important to alter his diet suitably for the change. Too much sugar can prompt laminitis in barefoot neds. I would say until the competition, put hoof hardener on his sole, will mean he is less likely to bruise (his sole will be a little closer on the ground now).

It would be a good idea to read up on barefoot management regarding feet etc, my sister has learnt to file their feet herself so it costs us even less in terms of a professional trimmer.