Hoof problems

[jjsblackhorse]

Hi Everyone,

I have an ex race horse who has just turned 9, I got him straight off the track at 5 1/2. He is one of those horses who is a bit of a disaster area, very sweet but always getting into some sort of bother - a bit of a self harmer!

The recurring feature we have is poor hoof quality! I have tried most hoof supplements on the market and found that some work for a short period of time and others do not work at all!

We tend to manage about 3 to 4 sets of shoes (shod every 5 weeks!) then we have a major foot fall apart, this leads to a few weeks off then ridden and lunged in the field, boots for hacking then back into shoes!

It might be my imagination (and my farriers) but his feet seem to stop growing every time he is in shoes for more than a couple of months. Has anyone else experience this?

My main activity is hacking and hunting with a bit of riding club thrown in. Last winter in desperation I had him fitted with about 4 sets of the plastic imprint shoes, they were fantastic, he hunted in them and moved superbly. I would have loved to have kept him in them but my bank balance could not sustain the cost (£400+)!!

So went back to conventional shoes in March - back to the old cycle no foot growth!! One foot broken up to the point that it will be a few weeks before I can get another shoe on and a horse that complains bitterly about being shod again!

I am considering trying bare foot, but my horse has rather flat TB feet! I have no ménage and have to use both roads and stony tracks when hacking out.

Anyone got any ideas?? Please...? Thank you!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The thing with feeding for better hooves is that you are only improving the new hoof growth, so your looking at 9 months approx before the new, better quality horn fully grows down to the bottom at the toe. Diet really does affect hooves, so it's worth sorting the horse's diet out, just don't expect the old horn to magically become stronger. You normally see an event line on the hoof - above is the new better horn (often at a steeper angle too) and below is the poor horn.

You need to cut any sugary (molasses) feeds from his diet and feed high fibre instead. Many people think highly of the Pro Hoof supplement.

I have no doubt that your horse's hooves can become a much better shape, but as well as diet, the hooves need stimulation (exercise). I was lucky that my mare was sound on tarmac as soon as her shoes came off. I started off taking her for short in-hand walks along the lanes and slowly built up to longer distances and riding.

As you have stony paths, you might need hoof boots to keep your horse comfortable. There are quite a few posters on here who've taken TB's BF with the help of boots and I'm sure that they will help you.

 

[Alyth]

I agree with getting the diet sorted - that is priority no. 1!! Next is plenty of movment....preferably 24/7 turnout - a track system is perfect! Then the trim. Riding on the roads is fantastic for barefoot hooves, it acts like a rasp and trims them how the horse wants/needs them if you ride long enough and often enough!! But you will almost certainly need boots on his front hooves for the stoney tracks....but you will probably get away with nothing on his hinds.....eventually you will be able to condition his new good hooves to the stones!! Good luck.

 

[cptrayes]

You are correct that the shoes are shutting down the hoof growth. Most horses seem to grow foot around twice as fast barefoot as when shod.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Also altho some horses have shallower feet than others, even completely flat feet can improve a lot once the shoes are off, trimming is done properly and diet sorted. I thought my coblet just did have flat feet...nope, she's now got noticeable concavity, the flatness is partly a function of how the hooves are treated.

Edited to add tho these horses will normally need at least front boots while their hooves get conditioned and the changes are happening, hoof boutique and the saddlery shop have food guidance on which boot types would work best on what shape of hoof.

 

[Andalucian]

Sounds like your horse is trying to tell you what he wants.....

 

[Gloi]

I couldn't keep shoes on mine. They broke up and had very little growth. He's now been unshod for about 20 months, his feet are the best they've ever been and I do a mixture of barefoot and booted riding with him. Once I found the right boots for him he hasn't looked back.

 

[Spector]

Hi,similar situation as yours.I have an ex racer ,flat soles,underrun heels long toe etc etc.Removed shoes 7 years ago and live in an area where bridle paths are mainly flinty stones!. As mentioned by other posters, get the diet correct,feed appropriate minerals and use hoof boots and you probably won't look back!

 

[alsxx]

You could have been describing my own TB! And the no school and roads or stoney tracks for hacking....

He's been barefoot for 18 months now and his feet grow like bloomin weeds..... I used boots alround for the first 9 months and then over winter he managed pretty well without, currently I mix it up booted and bare depending on where we are going. He does all schooling and lunging bare on the field, which can get pretty hard tbh so I am careful more for the effect on his joints than the feet!

So it can be done, diet and correct stimulation plays a huge part. Oh and in my opinion, your own expectations - sick feet take time to correct, it can be disappointing when it all takes time, but time is the greatest healer.