How are these new to barefoot feet looking

[motherof2beasts!]

My boy has been barefoot for approx 10 weeks. I am new to the barefoot world but am a bit worried about the obvious ware on one side .

I sent measurements to hoof boutique but sadly despite getting fit kit, they advised none were a perfect fit and might be worth waiting for 3 trims before remeasuring , they have definetly shrunk so probably good advice.

He is only being hacked once a week for 30/40 mins in walk , then 3 days in school.

 

[ycbm]

I think we need to see a front on shot which includes the bottom part of his chest to help us understand the wear.

I'd be happier with less height in the hoof wall at the toe, though that could depend on what they look like from the side at ground level.

They're looking pretty healthy for 10 weeks.
.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I think we need to see a front on shot which includes the bottom part of his chest to help us understand the wear.

I'd be happier with less height in the hoof wall at the toe, though that could depend on what they look like from the side at ground level.

They're looking pretty healthy for 10 weeks.
.

I will take more pics tomorrow. I’m keen to hack more but equally don’t want to wear his hooves to nothing he is walking out nicely but is more hesitant down hill.

Glad they look pretty healthy , this is new to us both.

 

[MissTyc]

Honestly they look great for 10 weeks. You'll see them tighten up massively, less hoof wall height, less sulcus as the frogs chunk up. I'd like to see those lateral flares reduce (which they probably will naturally, but you can help then alone by taking the flared bits up a little). Once that's happened I wouldn't be surprised if your horse doesn't require hoof boots at all. What sort of turnout do they have (ground type!).

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Honestly they look great for 10 weeks. You'll see them tighten up massively, less hoof wall height, less sulcus as the frogs chunk up. I'd like to see those lateral flares reduce (which they probably will naturally, but you can help then alone by taking the flared bits up a little). Once that's happened I wouldn't be surprised if your horse doesn't require hoof boots at all. What sort of turnout do they have (ground type!).

I am going to sound incredibly thick but I’m not even sure what most of these things are I think I need a beginners guide on words such as “sulcus”.

We are on sand , fairly dry in past week … at last. Few stony parts too.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Honestly they look great for 10 weeks. You'll see them tighten up massively, less hoof wall height, less sulcus as the frogs chunk up. I'd like to see those lateral flares reduce (which they probably will naturally, but you can help then alone by taking the flared bits up a little). Once that's happened I wouldn't be surprised if your horse doesn't require hoof boots at all. What sort of turnout do they have (ground type!).

I do know the word great though so that’s a relief

 

[ycbm]

I am going to sound incredibly thick but I’m not even sure what most of these things are I think I need a beginners guide on words such as “sulcus”.

You don't sound thick, you sound enquiring.

Honestly they look great for 10 weeks.

they do!

You'll see them tighten up massively

get smaller

, less hoof wall height

the sole will look as if it runs straight into the wall instead of the wall standing up at the edge of the sole

, less sulcus as the frogs chunk up.

a shallower dip down the middle

I'd like to see those lateral flares reduce (which they probably will naturally, but you can help then alone by taking the flared bits up a little)

the bits sticking out on the side will get smaller

. Once that's happened I wouldn't be surprised if your horse doesn't require hoof boots at all. What sort of turnout do they have (ground type!).

Me neither.






You're welcome

 

[motherof2beasts!]

You don't sound thick, you sound enquiring.




they do!




get smaller



the sole will look as if it runs straight into the wall instead of the wall standing up at the edge of the sole


a shallower dip down the middle




the bits sticking out on the side will get smaller




Me neither.






You're welcome

Thank you that’s very helpful , I needed a translator, it now makes sense.

 

[tda]

I will take more pics tomorrow. I’m keen to hack more but equally don’t want to wear his hooves to nothing he is walking out nicely but is more hesitant down hill.

Glad they look pretty healthy , this is new to us both.

You won't wear them down to nothing, honestly. The foot needs simulation, and new growth.
It's he's happy enough, get on and get some miles in

 

[PoppyAnderson]

A really good test is to see how the hoof is landing. Get someone to walk the horse past you. Put your phone/camera literally on the floor and video the horse walking by. Then watch the video back in slow mo and see how the hoof lands. You want heel first landing. This tells you so much about the functionality of the foot.

 

[dominobrown]

We need more photos such a front and sides. I do recommend doing mapping. I use TACT

 

[Breather]

The foot looks pretty healthy. The shape of the foot though is rather asymmetrical. The foot is wearing in places, so the horse is landing the foot Asymmetrical foot will result in an asymmetrical body..
Asymmetrical body will result in an asymmetrical foot..
If the horse lands on a wonky foot/feet, the wonkiness, inevitably, causes the leg and rest of the body to move differently in order to compensate for the uneven landing of the foot/feet.
Likewise, asymmetry in the body (sometimes caused by a wonky saddle and rider, injury or bad teeth) affects the feet because they can't physically land evenly. When they can't land evenly, the weight bearing surface is altered, therefore the foot/feet grow asymmetrically.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I thoroughly recommend this book for barefoot newbies .

Natural Barefoot Trimming, The Hoof Guided Method by Maureen Tierney.

It’s fairly short at 50 pages, but it is packed full of helpful advice, case studies and photos.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[motherof2beasts!]

A really good test is to see how the hoof is landing. Get someone to walk the horse past you. Put your phone/camera literally on the floor and video the horse walking by. Then watch the video back in slow mo and see how the hoof lands. You want heel first landing. This tells you so much about the functionality of the foot.

I’ll give that a go , thank you

 

[motherof2beasts!]

We need more photos such a front and sides. I do recommend doing mapping. I use TACT

I’m going to do more pics today , thanks for the video

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I thoroughly recommend this book for barefoot newbies .

Natural Barefoot Trimming, The Hoof Guided Method by Maureen Tierney.

It’s fairly short at 50 pages, but it is packed full of helpful advice, case studies and photos.

Amazon.co.uk

Ordered thank you!

 

[motherof2beasts!]

The foot looks pretty healthy. The shape of the foot though is rather asymmetrical. The foot is wearing in places, so the horse is landing the foot Asymmetrical foot will result in an asymmetrical body..
Asymmetrical body will result in an asymmetrical foot..
If the horse lands on a wonky foot/feet, the wonkiness, inevitably, causes the leg and rest of the body to move differently in order to compensate for the uneven landing of the foot/feet.
Likewise, asymmetry in the body (sometimes caused by a wonky saddle and rider, injury or bad teeth) affects the feet because they can't physically land evenly. When they can't land evenly, the weight bearing surface is altered, therefore the foot/feet grow asymmetrically.

All his feet are asymmetrical , backs too, much shorter on the insides. He has physio every 3 months and recently no issues , bar a fall in the field but all hooves were asymmetrical before that too. I’ll take pics today , the front are actually more symmetrical than the backs.

 

[ycbm]

A really good test is to see how the hoof is landing. Get someone to walk the horse past you. Put your phone/camera literally on the floor and video the horse walking by. Then watch the video back in slow mo and see how the hoof lands. You want heel first landing. This tells you so much about the functionality of the foot.

You also need to look from the front and you want both sides of the foot to be landing at the same time. He'll first and level may take some time to achieve as the horse changes the feet to allow it.

 

[ycbm]

We need more photos such a front and sides. I do recommend doing mapping. I use TACT

Sorry DB, I can't agree with you.

I absolutely do not recommend this for anyone new to barefoot. It focuses far too much on symmetry and correctness which applies only to horses with a symmetric and correct body. With feet that asymmetric it will do nothing but cause worry about how "imperfect" they are. And making them more perfect if the horse is not perfect can actually cause cracks and lameness.

A newby barefooter needs their hand held by a good foot care person (could be a farrier or a trimmer) and definitely does not need to be focusing on symmetry and perfect ratios and angles, especially not at this stage.
.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Do you have a good trimmer on board? Or a farrier that is sympathetic to barefoot? I agree that the hoof wall is a little high, and yes, the back of the frog needs to start working, but this should be a slow process, and steer clear of anyone who wants to file the feet into balance. Cavallo have a good video on line called the Barefoot Trim, and it shows you what to aim for. If we ever get any dry weather, it may be worth cutting foam triangles out of flip flops and duct taping them to the hoof for exercise. Once you get some circulation going in the frog, the heel will start to build up and your horse's movement will start to balance the hoof and tighten everything up.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Right here are loads of pics for the experts!

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I think we need to see a front on shot which includes the bottom part of his chest to help us understand the wear.

I'd be happier with less height in the hoof wall at the toe, though that could depend on what they look like from the side at ground level.

They're looking pretty healthy for 10 weeks.
.

I’ve added a few more pics which hopefully gives a better pic.

 

[MissTyc]

You don't sound thick, you sound enquiring.




they do!




get smaller



the sole will look as if it runs straight into the wall instead of the wall standing up at the edge of the sole


a shallower dip down the middle




the bits sticking out on the side will get smaller




Me neither.






You're welcome

THANKS!

 

[dominobrown]

Sorry DB, I can't agree with you.

I absolutely do not recommend this for anyone new to barefoot. It focuses far too much on symmetry and correctness which applies only to horses with a symmetric and correct body. With feet that asymmetric it will do nothing but cause worry about how "imperfect" they are. And making them more perfect if the horse is not perfect can actually cause cracks and lameness.

A newby barefooter needs their hand held by a good foot care person (could be a farrier or a trimmer) and definitely does not need to be focusing on symmetry and perfect ratios and angles, especially not at this stage.
.

Fair enough and I see your point, however I think its important to educate yourself on what you should be looking for. By no means I wouldn't recommend trimming unless you have a in depth knowledge of the anatomy of the foot and are adapt with the tools. Once you really understand the anatomy you can start to understand why the foot grows they way it does and why the foot might be growing asymmetric.

Obviously I do understand this is complicated, and the more I have learnt the more I realise I don't know! I can recognise a foot I like, and a one I would eb concerned about but I am not at the stage of thinking of trims that could fix everything. So totally understand where you are coming from ycbm.

It is a minefield though and a lot of barefoot trimmers and farriers actually make things a lot worse by trimming out heels or trying to the 'mustang roll' or other silly things. Luckily, although there is a lot of resources out there ( I personally find TACt useful but understand it might not be for everyone, Linda is helpful with answering questions etc), I have friend that helps me and does some training so I get hands an experience of what I am looking for and what to do. To be honest I rarely trim my own horses feet, my farrier does, though he is very good at it and knows how I like my horses feet trimmed.

As for as the asymmetry goes, some of my horses do not have perfect limb conformation (TB is slightly turned out from knee for example) yet it is still helpful to imagine what in the internal structure of the foot looks like. He is now barefoot after being one of the typical TB's with horrible under- run feet and extremely thin soles. It is interesting to see how the angles of the hind feet etc can effect further up the limb and the back (some are saying that it is a contributor to kissing spine- interesting and can see how it makes sense but would like to see some research studies?)

To the OP... it can be a minefield out there so I do recommend trying to educate yourself on what you need to be looking for. Finding a good farrier/ trimmer can either be a nightmare but if you find a good one then you will hopefully make loads of progress. I would say keep an eye on those frogs for thrush (not helped with how wet it has been!), I think he looks a little contracted and I would like to see more heel height. Its a slow process and nothing is going to be fixed in one trim!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Maybe take a look at Pete Ramey's Hoof Rehab pages. It wouldn't hurt to get a good barefoot trimmer on board and start bringing the hoof wall back. Asking on this thread will put you in touch with a list of possibles.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Fair enough and I see your point, however I think its important to educate yourself on what you should be looking for. By no means I wouldn't recommend trimming unless you have a in depth knowledge of the anatomy of the foot and are adapt with the tools. Once you really understand the anatomy you can start to understand why the foot grows they way it does and why the foot might be growing asymmetric.

Obviously I do understand this is complicated, and the more I have learnt the more I realise I don't know! I can recognise a foot I like, and a one I would eb concerned about but I am not at the stage of thinking of trims that could fix everything. So totally understand where you are coming from ycbm.

It is a minefield though and a lot of barefoot trimmers and farriers actually make things a lot worse by trimming out heels or trying to the 'mustang roll' or other silly things. Luckily, although there is a lot of resources out there ( I personally find TACt useful but understand it might not be for everyone, Linda is helpful with answering questions etc), I have friend that helps me and does some training so I get hands an experience of what I am looking for and what to do. To be honest I rarely trim my own horses feet, my farrier does, though he is very good at it and knows how I like my horses feet trimmed.

As for as the asymmetry goes, some of my horses do not have perfect limb conformation (TB is slightly turned out from knee for example) yet it is still helpful to imagine what in the internal structure of the foot looks like. He is now barefoot after being one of the typical TB's with horrible under- run feet and extremely thin soles. It is interesting to see how the angles of the hind feet etc can effect further up the limb and the back (some are saying that it is a contributor to kissing spine- interesting and can see how it makes sense but would like to see some research studies?)

To the OP... it can be a minefield out there so I do recommend trying to educate yourself on what you need to be looking for. Finding a good farrier/ trimmer can either be a nightmare but if you find a good one then you will hopefully make loads of progress. I would say keep an eye on those frogs for thrush (not helped with how wet it has been!), I think he looks a little contracted and I would like to see more heel height. Its a slow process and nothing is going to be fixed in one trim!

Thank you , what do you mean by contracted ? He definitely doesn’t have thrush , I use red horse products and there is no soreness or thrush smells!

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Maybe take a look at Pete Ramey's Hoof Rehab pages. It wouldn't hurt to get a good barefoot trimmer on board and start bringing the hoof wall back. Asking on this thread will put you in touch with a list of possibles.

Thank you , I’ll take a look. He is only 10 weeks post shoes so the final nail holes have not yet grown out all together (very nearly have), he wore shoes for years continually so thinking we are pretty early into the process.

 

[Highmileagecob]

It is possible that as the growth pushes the nail holes down the hoof, it acts like a perforation and chunks of hoof wall break away. A good trimmer can roll the edges and lift the wall slightly enabling the foot to roll forward and start to move freely. Is he a cob type? His feet look quite good, six months from now they will look different again!

 

[motherof2beasts!]

It is possible that as the growth pushes the nail holes down the hoof, it acts like a perforation and chunks of hoof wall break away. A good trimmer can roll the edges and lift the wall slightly enabling the foot to roll forward and start to move freely. Is he a cob type? His feet look quite good, six months from now they will look different again!

Yes he is an Irish cob his feet were a lot bigger with shoes on , but although they have shrunk a lot , he isn’t showing any signs of soreness or lameness. He was a bit footy last week but there is the appearance of grass too to throw into the mix.

I’m hoping his hooves change shape enough that I can get some hoof boots fitted as hacking is pretty stony around us, and that’s the bit he struggles with, fine on road. In the meantime I’ve brought some hoof armour which I’m going to do tonight, my last application didn’t seem to stay put.

 

[ycbm]

Fair enough and I see your point, however I think its important to educate yourself on what you should be looking for.

They shouldn't be looking for symmetry in the feet an asymmetric horse.

If the photos above are re showing a true picture then he turns out from just below the knee, or possibly even from the elbow. That will explain why he is wearing one side faster than the other and why he has grown some flare to keep them in balance. He may need to keep the flare and taking it away risks unbalancing the whole leg, though the foot will look prettier.

With a horse like this you need a trimmer who really understands what needs to be left and what is causing a problem.

Mo2B, I think you could be well advised to consult someone who is really good with posture about whether some core exercises would help him turn his elbows in and straighten the front legs, though there is also every chance that growing feet the shape he really needs will do that over time.

They aren't by any means bad, or uncommon, but they do explain the wear pattern you are seeing.

I hope that helps.