Horse in agony with bruised feet - What to do??!!

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Foxfolly

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My chap has always had bad feet
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, they chip and crack up easily, on the farriers suggestion I took his shoes off last winter Dec - March and he did OK. Chipped a bit but we had nice clean foot to nail into when he had them put back on in March. Was ridden only at weekends during the winter with boots on front bare behind.

Did the same this year, as I'm not riding due to a knee op, they've been off since early Jan but he was in for the first 2 weeks cos of bad weather... they chipped as I expected in places, but over the last week they have chipped even more and he has got some really bad chunks out of them all round the outside and inside (Up to the old nailholes) and the poor chap was pretty much crippled last night. He was tender going out in the morning but I had to really get after him to pursuade him to walk back in from the field to go into his stable!
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Poor thing looks like he's in a lot of pain! ... Needless to say I have left him in today!!

My problem is he'll go stir crazy if I keep him in
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, if I turn him out I can't stop him having to walk over stones (Hard core)
I've got Marquis suregrip boots but although they are great to ride in I'm not sure that they'll stay on in our mud!!

I've started with the keratex again and also just bought some formua 4 feet but obviously that won't do anything for a couple of months!

I thought about getting some shoes back on but to be honest I'm not sure that there is any foot left for the farrier to nail into!! and if he's that sore will they make him worse?
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Has anyone got any tips of what I can to do to help him?

Has anyone had any experience with glue on shoes??

Help!!
 
I cant see you have any other options than to try the boots or to keep him in. Personally Id have him in on a deep shavings bed for a few days, treat for the pain and bruising and then turnout in boots and see if he will tolerate them.

Sometimes its better just to leave the shoes on.
 
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Sometimes its better just to leave the shoes on

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I made the awful mistake of taking a horse's shoes off for in the hope that it would improve his feet. It didn't, and all I succeeded in doing was making him terribly foot sore and unhappy. Worst thing I ever did and I felt very, very guilty.

Do you feed him any kind of suppliment for his feet at all??

Personally the shoes would be going back on pronto.
 
Why not put the boots on to lead him out to the field and then take them off (tie him up when you undo them.)

It will be tough going for him if he has had shoes on and then is expected to go over hardcore.
 
Could you use the boots to lead your horse out, but remove them when you get to the field? Coming back in, you will have mud to deal with, but that's just a messy inconvenience really, you should still be able to boot him for the return trip, even if you need to take a helper with you.

I do sympathise, because I have one horse with terrible hooves and she is losing wall on all her feet - and she is shod! The barefoot one has perfect feet, so it is worth getting over the initial hurdle if you are committed to it.

Stick on shoes are pretty useless. A product like Equibuild is better if you have lost a lot of wall, and need to encourage growth on a shod horse. It's an injectable pad that seals the foot and spreads the weight. It helped another of my horses a few years ago.
 
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Sometimes its better just to leave the shoes on.

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I'm thinking that now.....I wouldn't have taken them off if it hadn't helped so much last year.... Not sure whats different this time round!!

Unfortunately he shares his field with a flock of sheep and a small herd of cows and we have the hay in ring feeders in a yard with hard core down that is accessable from the field, so I really have no way of keeping him off it if he's out
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He has been on limestone flour the whole time I've had him (3yrs) and that has done OK with keratex when he's shod and the weather is wet or I use Kevin bacon when its really dry.
As I said I've just bought some formula 4 feet so hopefully that'll help in the longer term!!

What do you think about aluminium shoes? will they be less stress on his hoof wall than normal shoes? (I can't ride til March so the wearing out thing won't be a problem til then!)

I am waiting for the vet and farrier to call me back so I can talk to them about it too!
 
Another possibility to consider is that his feet are chipping and cracking so much because of infection like white line disease? It may be worth discussing with your farrier, as if so, it is definitely worth treating this without the shoes on before you re-shoe him.

Other than that, I would keep him in for a few days and maybe try padding him for a while? Sole Mat pads which can be bought from here are brilliant at stimulating growth (don't ask me how, but they do work honest! - its to do with the density and type of pad I think).

http://www.aepsupplies.co.uk/

It may help you to get a better quality of horn before shoeing him, as personally I would think you are on a hiding to nothing shoeing him if his feet are so cracked and chipped. Very difficult when they are sore, but taping pads on at least in the stable will help stimulate some growth - turnout wise they may not stay on, but it might be worth a try.

I'd definitely be looking at his diet as well, if he was fine last year, than it does point to some deficiency in his diet not allowing him to cope this year.
 
i'd put the boots on as tight as pos and try turning him out. i've got them, do you have the insoles in them too? they make them a tighter, higher fit, if that makes sense.
i ride my big lad in his in deep mud and they don't shift.
my farrier says my lad's feet are the best he's ever seen them, after being unshod for about 6 months, so take heart!
keratex hoof strengthener, and good old cornucrescine, would be my next choices tbh.
best of luck with your poor boy. i'd prob give him a sachet of bute a day to take the pain away, maybe... with vet's permission of course.
 
hiya, sorry to hear abt your horse! Mine has similar problems. He can’t have shoes on anymore because I had a horrible farrier who freaked him out and now he just rears and kicks out every time my new nice calm farrier tries to use a hammer. So I had his shoes taken off, and he lost a huge chunk of hoof wall galloping about in the field – so I had to keep it clean, sort the bruising but not have him in (because it’s gunna take several months to grow out and he’ll go crazy on box rest for several months!). so am kind of in same boat!!

I have found two boots really great – firstly old mac boots are really sturdy and won’t come off in the mud, and are relatively mud-proof so will also keep the dirt out of any holes in the hoof wall to some extent. They’re definitely worth paying £90 for (will last longer than metal shoes, anyway!) and my horse had them on all the time for quite a while, though I had to be careful about them rubbing (try putting Vaseline on their heel – I wish I’d done this form the start now!). Anyway, I’d definitely recommend that.
When they did start to rub, I bought a ‘hoof eeze’ boot from justine at:
Equine Podiatry Supplies
Cwmllwchwr Farm
Glynhir Road
Ammanford
Carms
SA18 2TB
01269 597635
07971 501834
equinepodiatrysupplies@yahoo.co.uk
www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk
(she also sells old macs – though u can get them cheap on ebay 2nd hand). Hoof eeze boots are neoprene around the fetlock so they don’t rub. You couldn’t ride in them because the rubber bottoms aren’t quite as sturdy as an old mac, but they won’t come off (And believe me my field is really muddy – if that’ll stay on, anything will!!). My horse now has this on 24 hours and has no rubs or anything, and it’s still in pretty good condition considering that he’s been wearing it for weeks and gallops round lots in it. I think it’s amazing, and would recommend to anyone!! I’d try these for your horse long-term, since he can be turned out in them and everything.
Oh, and arnica v good for bruising!!
Good luck anyway, hope that helps a bit!
 
Often their feet will crack if the farrier doesn't round them off enough when he takes the shoes off.

Have you ever tried a barefoot trimmer? Once my horses shoes came off 2 winters ago (I was going to put shoes back on in the spring) his feet got really chipped because he didn't have the right trim - most farriers just shape it and leave it a bit longer to allow for chips.

I ended up getting his feet trimmed properly, rounded off etc, and now I'd never go back to having shoes on him. His feet are healthier than ever and much thicker horn than ever before too.

Whereabouts are you based? I know there's a few good trimmers around and they'll travel all over if need be
 
My TB has awful feet, barely any wall to nail into. He's been known to take up to 2hrs to shoe because it takes so long to find anywhere to nail into. My advise would be to get shoes back on pronto as if he's that lame the bruising is unlikely to subside without shoeing. Also it might be worthwhile talking to your farrier about pads. My TB has them during summer when the ground is at it's hardest. I find they work brilliantly when he's got a really concussed foot as it just takes all pressure off. Might be worth a try for one or two shoeings.
My farrier advised us against glue on shoes. Very, very expensive and apparently not good fro the hoof quality as they can end of removing chunks of hoof when they are removed.
Hope that's some help.
 
He was still really sore last night and this morning, so I got some bute for him from the vet last nite, and poor chap is in his stable with a thick bed of straw with his Marquis boots on with the soft insoles in them!!

Got the farrier coming friday and he'll see what he can do... if anything. I have a great farrier who I trust.. He wouldn't put shoes on unless he thought it was the right thing to do!! If he can't do anything I'm probably going to invest in a pair of Hoofeeze boots for turning him out in and also some of the sole pads to put in them so that if we do go shoeless again next year then I can do it without crippling him!!
 
We had a little Dartmoor pony who came to us with terribly bruised feet as his owner decided that he should go barefoot even though their yard resembled a quarry. Our farrier made him some pads by lining his feet with stockholm tar and cotton wool and then smooth rubbery plastic so that the whole of his sole/frog was covered. Then fitted quite a wide shoe for such tiddly feet so that the shoe wass taking the pressure instead of the wall and held them on with four nails in each shoe - two on the inside and two on the outside. He had 1/2 sachet of bute in his breakfast for a few days to make him comfy and was fine to go out. It took about four weeks before he was as good as new.
 
When I took the shoes off my boy I was warned that 5 months would be an approximate time to expect his feet to be OK and not bother him. This is exactly what it took. I used Devils Claw for the first 2 months to take the edge off (I didnt like the idea of bute) and used Keratex. I also made sure that any parts of his hoof that chipped away - and they will come away right up tp where the clenches were as this part is not as stable as beofre - were filed/cut off to stop it peeling off more.

He never wore boots, but then he was out 24/7 in a soft paddock and ridden in an indoor school.

He is still unshod now - although he was shod when on loan and had his shoes taken off in July last year. He was foot sore for about 2 months that time, and this winter he has a deep litter shavings bed (more for his knees than his feet) but he is not foot sore and he will himself happily thunder along stoney paths (I dont always have a choice!). I currently have him on an allround supplement that is designed for the local soil though, but he has always had good feet. Taking his shoes off has also enabled them to grow properly - despite him being 9 when the shoes came off - they have now widened to the proper size for his build - but the back feet are taking a lot longer.

I know people think its cruel, but its not as its what nature intended. But we slap shoes on so of course its going to be sore - just like if we never ever walked around barefoot - it would hurt initially when we did. So please persevere!
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Hi Foxfolly,

I'm with the poster above who suggests WLD or similar. I wouldn't expect cracking and chipping to such an extent unless the feet were in very poor condition. Even so, chipping is cosmetic. As soon as the inner wall is exposed to the atmosphere, it will oxidise and act as outer horn would. The trouble you have with putting shoes on now, is that there's a real chance of them being pulled off if you have poor quality horn. Personally I would go for the booted turn-out route, plus DAILY disinfection of the feet. Cheapest option (and for me most successful) is virkon, sprayed liberally onto all feet at least once a day for a week, then once a week after that. To cheat, you can soak a sole-shaped piece of vetwrap/similar and put it inside the boot during turnout. I've only used Easyboot Epics on my pony, so have limited experience of other boots, but have heard good reports on Cavallos and the Hoofeze.

It's true that some farriers don't seem to round off the foot enough. I used to have one like that. Luckily, I found a decent farrier and this year we're trying to go into the spring without shoes for the first time in three years! Am reluctant to stop using him now, even though my back is better!
 
Another effective way to deal with white line disease is a Milton soak. 50:50 Milton liquid:water (not the tablets). Make it up in a small container like a Tupperware box, an inch or so deep (as the level will rise when the foot is in) and the horse needs to stand in it for 10 minutes. You will need a fresh solution for each foot you treat, as the solution is inactive after 10 minutes contact.

This is a cheap and easy alternative to the Rolls Royce of WLD treatments - a Cleantrax soak, which needs 45 minutes on each foot in a soaking boot, and takes the patience of a saint.
 
I think your farrier may suggest putting shoes on him again possibly with some pads.
Most farriers aren't fans of pads but with bruised feet they do give them a chance to recover.
He may if he is a remedial farrier suggest using glue to keep the cracked part solid, all they do is hold the foot up whilst the stuff hardens, then rasp and treat as normal.
We had one of our horse's feet done with glue for a year whilst her hoofcrack was growing out, and although it cost a lot (£65 for two shoes) now she is ok again and has good tough feet once more.
I have a lot of unshod horses here and yes, they do go lame to start with for a week or so when their shoes are first removed, but they soon harden up and now I could show you ones that arrived with the softest flakiest feet with rock hard fabulous feet..
I wouldn't expect them to walk over lots of stones though the ground is definitely rugged..
If this were mine I would ask the farrier to make the feet as normal looking as possible and put boots on to turn out until the soles get less tender.
Just a thought too, this couldn't be laminitis could it?
 
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Just a thought too, this couldn't be laminitis could it?

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Funny you say that, my husband suggested that! My only experience of laminitis was with a fat pony, how does a 17hh lean eventer get it? I recall something to do with nutrients in their feed, he isn't in work at the mo as I'm off with a knee injury, he's on 1 scoop pony nuts, 1 scoop Hi-fi and ad-lib hay. Usually out during the day which he has access to hay and what grass there is left in the field!!

Update

Boots have rubbed his heels so I've taken them off and he's still in on a deep straw bed... still very lame particularly on near fore, both feet are warm but I kind of expected that, but also a little heat in fetlock of the worst leg.. no obvious swelling though, and there is aparticularly sore spot on the sole of that foot, when I test it by knocking with the hoof pick!

The silly git won't eat his food with bute in now so I diluted it with water and shot in in his mouth with a 20ml syringe. Hopefully that'll help, I think if he's the same tonight I'll get the vet out just incase there is somthing else going on that I haven't spotted...
 
Hi Foxfolly,

Laminitis can be caused by heaps of things, not just obesity. They think in many cases it can be fructans in the grass or too much high energy feed but it doesn't sound like you're giving him too much at all.

The other causes can be stress (my horse got laminitis in a starvation paddock because I went away for 2 months and someone new was looking after him), hoof trauma (trotting on hard ground for example), medication/bad feed or other illness (can cause good bacteria in the gut to die off, releasing toxins that make the blood vessels constrict, causing the laminae in the hoof to die off), loads of things really.

Would definitely be worth giving the vet a ring and just getting him to do a thorough MOT on him, just to see what he brings up. You never know, might still just be bruised feet but better to get everything checked out so you don't have to stress about him.
 
Believe me, its not just fat little ponies who get laminitis!

Without shoes it is also possible he has some low grade laminitis (shod horses won't feel this) - which wouldn't surprise me at all given the fact we've had rain, then gorgeous sunshine - perfect grass growing weather, and it may be partly mechanical too if his feet are in such bad shape.
Combine that with the heat in the foot.....does he have raised digital pulses at all?
 
This might sound strange but this is what my dad always used to do (being a slightly eccentric vet!). We had TBs and Selle Francais and they often had terrible feet. We didn't take their shoes off as they kind of 'held the foot together' but if they lost their shoes, we got a couple of disposable nappies and cut them to fit the hoof, then bandaged with Vetrap and duct tape like a poultice. The horses didn't have a lot of grip in the mud but it stopped them wincing every time they trod on a stone! We also used to harden up their soles with neat thick bleach (applied with a toothbrush..!) and let it dry on.
 
I did get the vet out tonight as he was still very sore
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, and it turns out that he has got an abcess in the sole of one foot along with the generally tender feet from being shoeless!

The vet managed to get it opened up enough for it to drain, but he wasn't the model patient he usually is
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........Even with the foot nerve blocked we needed me on the head end with the chifney, my husband holding the leg and the vet on the foot and he was still rearing and sriking out with the free leg
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....... It must have been very sore!! My poor boy!!

So he'll be confined to the stable for a while now anyway, we've still got the farrier coming friday but I think that'll be a case of just getting him to tidy up his feet the best he can, I doubt he'll be ready to have a shoe put on.... I think if he tries we might end up with a 'Tigs' shaped hole in the stable roof!!!
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Thanks to everyone for all the advice, I've got lots of good ideas now for what to do when he's ready to go out again!!
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And funnily enough I think he is part Selle francais, as he is by Cavalier and I'm pretty sure his sire Cor de la Bryere is selle francais so maybe thats where he gets his bad feet from!!
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