Hoof quality - can anyone help please?

Doormouse

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I have 2 horses and a pony. They all seem to have very poor feet at the moment and I am not sure why.

1 16.3hh ISH and 1 16.1hh ex racehorse, both shod. I have been feeding topspec since August and they have the general balancer, ulsakind nuts, micronised linseed and the ex racehorse has top chop grass and the ISH has salt added. They both have ad lib steamed hay, this years but made in August. They are out on average amounts of grass but it is dairy country with us for about 6-7 hours per day.

1 12hh welsh section a pony with cushings on 1/2 tablet prascend a day, levels test a month ago and all good. She has anti lam balancer and top chop lite. She has 24 hour soaked hay and is out on very little grass.

Their feet seem very dry and their frogs are very hard. The ISH has cracks in his hind feet as well. I use Kevin Bacon hoof oil and they are done everyday before exercise.

I have had horses for years and have always removed their shoes for holidays and then re shod when back in work but beyond that I must admit that it is only recently that I have become far more aware of the importance of healthy feet and hence looking for correct feeds.

Top spec specifically say their feed is great for hoof condition and although the horses have only been having that feed since August, they were on Simple Systems before that so no sugar as such.

Not sure what else I should be doing to improve their feet, they are a decent shape, heels are good and balance looks fine I just feel the actual horn quality is poor.

Any advice would be gratefully received please.
 

Tangaroo

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I use something called Antibac which i get from my farrier. You just put it in the nail holes 3 times a week and hey presto the quality improves and the cracks disappear after about 2 shoeings.
 

Fiona

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Did you have a dry summer, and those bits of the foot have now grown down to the bottom and got crumbly??

My TB's feet have improved immensely with addition of Farriers formula over the last three months, but her feet were soft, and I wanted them to harden up lol..

Fiona
 

Doormouse

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Did you have a dry summer, and those bits of the foot have now grown down to the bottom and got crumbly??

My TB's feet have improved immensely with addition of Farriers formula over the last three months, but her feet were soft, and I wanted them to harden up lol..

Fiona

The 'foot' supplements are a minefield, there are so many now. Farriers Formula is the only one my farrier recommends so might give it a go. Thank you
 

Fiona

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I also use the keratex hoof hardener a couple of times a week.

Don't know how you feel about painting stuff on their feet, but I do think it makes a difference....

Fiona
 

Doormouse

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I also use the keratex hoof hardener a couple of times a week.

Don't know how you feel about painting stuff on their feet, but I do think it makes a difference....

Fiona

I'm not sure they need hardening as such, the most worrying bit is how hard the frogs are, they don't seem to have any sort of give in them at all but then maybe they are supposed to be? I'm getting a bit confused and have tried googling it all and no one person says the same about that!
 

stencilface

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I think the frog is supposed to feel like the fleshy bit next to your thumb when you clench your fist, firm but with some give. I use pro balance to help my horse, bought off ebay from progressive earth.

Do you have any pics of their frogs?
 

Doormouse

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I think the frog is supposed to feel like the fleshy bit next to your thumb when you clench your fist, firm but with some give. I use pro balance to help my horse, bought off ebay from progressive earth.

Do you have any pics of their frogs?

I am going to take some tomorrow I think. They are definitely much harder than that, especially the pony's.
 

Fiona

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Our ID mare has flattish feet but her frogs are huge and like iron - really really hard.

I think its a good thing, she goes on any sort of ground incl stony tracks in the forest that make the TB go footy immediately...

Fiona
 

9tails

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You don't really want soft squishy frogs, they bruise easily. Stop the Kevin Bacon, it could be drying them out more as the oil stops moisture from penetrating the hoof.
 

paddy555

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my frogs are very hard but the horses are barefoot and go over stones a lot. I don't use anything on them except water. Definitely no oils, Kevin Bacon or anything else. The only question for me about frogs is do they have any infection if I ram a hoofpick in the central sulchus. If not then they are fine.

Personally I found top spec useless. In fact more than useless it made one of our footsore. I wouldn't just rely on the farrier I would look for an ingredients list in supplements and see which has the best specification to feed. There is lots of info on the forageplus website and you could chose one of their balances or alternatively the equimins advanced complete which has a good spec.
Don't forget to get a new hoof down to the ground will probably take around 9 months so the growth you are aiming to improve now will not be at shoe level until next summer.
 

Doormouse

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my frogs are very hard but the horses are barefoot and go over stones a lot. I don't use anything on them except water. Definitely no oils, Kevin Bacon or anything else. The only question for me about frogs is do they have any infection if I ram a hoofpick in the central sulchus. If not then they are fine.

Personally I found top spec useless. In fact more than useless it made one of our footsore. I wouldn't just rely on the farrier I would look for an ingredients list in supplements and see which has the best specification to feed. There is lots of info on the forageplus website and you could chose one of their balances or alternatively the equimins advanced complete which has a good spec.
Don't forget to get a new hoof down to the ground will probably take around 9 months so the growth you are aiming to improve now will not be at shoe level until next summer.

That is really helpful, thank you. I do think the quality of their feet has got worse since I stopped the simple systems and started on the top spec but thought maybe it was the changing seasons.

Can I ask what else I should be feeding with a forage plus balancer? Would I carry on with the ulsakind nuts and chop the same or are there better ones to feed?
 

BethH

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I'd have a look at the Agrobs feed - the Museli & Aspero are brilliant and very well priced. No rubbish/binders in them and low sugar/starch. Then look at adding a multi vit like benevit or the progressive earth or forage plus stuff is meant to be brilliant although I have never used it. My horse is a bit broken at the moment for various reasons but his feet are fantastic, he is fed a small scoop of Agrobs museli with charnwood linseed (small teacup) and benevit, this winter I'll bulk the museli out with some Aspero. Very simple but it works, I just mix it with a bit of water!
 

Doormouse

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I'd have a look at the Agrobs feed - the Museli & Aspero are brilliant and very well priced. No rubbish/binders in them and low sugar/starch. Then look at adding a multi vit like benevit or the progressive earth or forage plus stuff is meant to be brilliant although I have never used it. My horse is a bit broken at the moment for various reasons but his feet are fantastic, he is fed a small scoop of Agrobs museli with charnwood linseed (small teacup) and benevit, this winter I'll bulk the museli out with some Aspero. Very simple but it works, I just mix it with a bit of water!

Sorry about your horse, hope he is on the mend.

Those feeds look great but sadly couldn't feed the ISH them as he has a bad dust allergy and is not allowed chop of any description.
 

paddy555

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I feed all our barefoot horses the same
equimins supplement, micronised linseed, soaked dengie alfalfa pellets, and soaked copra. All that should be fine for the ISH as it is all wet feed, no dust. I also add salt, mycosorb, magnesium and vitamin E. I find they all have good feet on that.
 
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