How warm is too warm? (hooves)

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EmzT

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My horse has his shoes removed 9 weeks ago. He is still quite sore but improving slightly with time. His hooves always feel very warm to me. Somedays they are warmer than others, sometimes they are only warm around the coronary band, and other times the whole hoof is warm.
I know barefoot horses have warmer feet than shod horses, but how do you know if it is just improved circulation or laminitis?

He is fed a small amount of Fast Fibre and hay. He is turned out all day and the grass is starting to grow. He never had any history of laminitis when he was shod and he was on a very high sugar diet back then!
 
Lame is too warm :)

For laminitis check pulses, not warmth. Newly barefoot feet are often very warm and barefoot feet are normally warmer than the same foot shod on the same horse, as you know.
 
OK that puts my mind at rest a bit! Thanks.
You know how it is. You feel heat and you panic!
I am pleased with how he is progressing in the last few days.
This barefoot is a steep learning curve.
 
He's a bit like a new bricklayer at the moment, building callouses. To do that he needs more blood to go to his feet and this little bit of "inflammation" is good, not bad. It's nature's own "cornucrescine" if you like :D

I do suggest that you turn him out at night instead of during the day now the grass is coming through though, just in case.

And make sure you know how to feel pulses and get to know what is "normal" for him.

As long as he is getting a bit happier on his feet each day, he's fine, but if he starts to go backwards then you need to work out why.

Good luck.
 
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