Hoof separating

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Equi

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Had the farrier out for the new horse for the first time. Turns out his hooves separate and the outter wall comes away from the inner wall.

As he's so tiddly (30") it isn't a huge problem, he won't have weight to crack them up enough to make a bit ping off and he will never have shoes etc. just has the possibility of there getting dirt into the cracks and causing an abscess.

Has anyone had experience with this before? I'm wondering if I should get turnout booties cause I can't have a lame show horse!
 
equi said:
Had the farrier out for the new horse for the first time. Turns out his hooves separate and the outter wall comes away from the inner wall.

As he's so tiddly (30") it isn't a huge problem, he won't have weight to crack them up enough to make a bit ping off and he will never have shoes etc. just has the possibility of there getting dirt into the cracks and causing an abscess.

Has anyone had experience with this before? I'm wondering if I should get turnout booties cause I can't have a lame show horse!
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Check out hoof wall separation syndrome, HWSS in connemara ponies. It's a genetic inherited disease. I believe that current advice is to keep the hooves in wet conditions if possible.

I know a trimmer who also believes that it can be caused by low protein levels but I have no idea if there is any truth in that theory.
 
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He did mention something about the white lines.

As for there already being infection, farrier said there wasn't. Just to keep the cracks clear of dirt and keep them moist.

As for protein, he is fed red mills simply nature, is that a good scourge of protein? It's the food he came with. He's a loan horse x
 
I don't want to scare you but my lad's hoof separation was caused by two keratomas in his hoof, which despite having the blessed things removed, hasn't solved the problem and he still goes lame if any mud enters the defect.

I couldn't get hoof boots big enough for him so he has a silicone plug (for want of a better word) over the defect, then a hoof pad, then his normal shoe to keep it all in place!! Bit of a performance for my farrier but it's keeping him sound - he would abscess straight away without it.
 
Build a bear shoes are big enough for my boy! Lol

The farrier investigated them a bit and said at the moment he's not worried just to keep an eye on them. I don't think he would be able to glue or anything cause he is too small for shoes. I'll be more careful of the ground I work him on.

I don't know who who has trimmed him before but in general he has nicely shaped hooves. It wasn't something I noticed until they were trimmed today, perhaps the previous farrier only rasped not used the clipper things
 
Was your farrier able to say whether he thinks this is a long term problem to be managed or whether he thinks it's something that can be resolved through management (trimming, work or feeding) alterations?
 
My youngest shetland has had this off and on - less so in the dry - and I've never quite beaten it (other 3 no prob)... I put them all on to forageplus winter hoof balancer just over 3 months ago and it's virtually all gone - I am stunned!

I've been working on finding the right mineral balance for my Icey's feet as they go so flat and been playing around for last couple of years with what's good for his feet but doesn't make him itch... his soup plates now have lovely concavity and the wee hooligans separation is virtually gone and will be by next trim.

I have a brilliant trimmer who is thrilled at the changes. I'm almost 1000 feet up on high iron, acidic soil... the forageplus is low to no iron and high copper (I think)... the weather is foul, ground is awful - but the feet are fab. He only gets 2x 5 ml in a pinch of straw chop but the difference is astonishing.

Good luck!
 
There are two hoof conditions being talked about here. Separation between the inner hoof wall and the outer hoof wall. And separation between the white line and the whole hoof wall, white line disease. WLD requires aggressive disinfection, possibly cutting back to get air to the anaerobic bacteria which cause it. HWSS, in my experience, does not.

Both can usually be resolved, unless it is the hereditary HWSS, which is a gene defect, by mineral balancing, with one of the two no iron/manganese high copper balancers on the market. Forageplus or Progressive Earth.
 
Thanks guys, ill look into forage plus!

The farrier said it just happens sometimes and just to mind it. I don't think it was the disease one, because he was not overly concerned.
 
equi said:
Thanks guys, ill look into forage plus!

The farrier said it just happens sometimes and just to mind it. I don't think it was the disease one, because he was not overly concerned.
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Hoof wall coming away is not normal for any breed/type/size of horse and there will always be a reason. I would be concerned the farrier has said it is happening and then to basically say not worry. I would definitely look to a balancer and look further into whether it is because the hooves have got a little long, whether there is already infection present, or whether it might be a genetic issue (not sure if mini's are known to be affected?).
 
Nugget La Poneh said:
Hoof wall coming away is not normal for any breed/type/size of horse and there will always be a reason. I would be concerned the farrier has said it is happening and then to basically say not worry. I would definitely look to a balancer and look further into whether it is because the hooves have got a little long, whether there is already infection present, or whether it might be a genetic issue (not sure if mini's are known to be affected?).
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I will look more into it, the owner and his breeder are coming to mine for drinks this week so i will ask more then, they might know more than i do about it as im new to minis. As far as we can tell though, there is no infection at present. No heat or lameness or high temps or funny stuff. There is no actual breaks in the wall at present, so none of it has come away in chucks like i have seen on images. Just has alittle groove where there shouldn't be one
 
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