hows my TB looking?

marley and danni

marley and danni

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hi all!

i have changed my TB's diet as he was looking a little scranny a few weeks ago. i wasnt to worried as the grass is poor and he was getting ridden quite a bit medium work i would say.

so he was on Baileys Grass and some low cal feed nuts he was on this twice a day, along with 8 hours a day at grass (poor pasture though) then litterally as much as he would eat in haylege when stabled.

now he is on calm and condition and baileys just grass. still out most days at 8 hours a day but 2-3 days a week he is kept in with a 3rd feed and as much hay as he can eat.

his work load consists of. hacked out monday wednesday thursday and sunday, most just walk trot and canters only gallop on a sunday. he is jumped on a saturday for roughly and hour (schooled at same time) he is also hacked to the paddock in a walk and trot and a canter on way home. he is lunged on a friday and a tuesday, he is also schooled the same day as lunging on the tuesday only.

hes very fit. i know still lacking is topline! but this doesnt happen in a matter of week will come over time.

i think hes looking better weight wise and hopfully the spring grass will help and he should be living out in a good pasture once we move feilds in may.!

anyways so here he is!



BTW hes an 8yo TB 15'2 at a push bum high and loves his work (especially the hacking which is why i do it alot)
 
The first thing that jumps out when I look at the photo are his hooves. Don't believe the 'TB's always have awful hooves' rubbish - it's just not true. Is he an ex-racehorse?
 
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He looks good :) (apart from his hooves which look a bit underrun and very bullnose on the hind)).

edit - cross posted with Faracat
 
glad his condition looks good photo taken last week and shoes due next week so why they look underrun!

but weather hasnt help here past 2 weeks it has been very dry and hard ground so his feet look terrible dont ussually get cracks or anythign but i noticed last week he had 4 cracks only minor ones but i was like oh noo! so i am glad we are getting a bit of rain to get some moist into his hooves!

2 years a go his hooves were terrible and its a work in progress with my currect farrier to get them perfect or as close to! 2 years a go he was lame all the time couldnt do anything with him and usper footy. but since changing to my current farrier even after the 2nd shoeing by him there were a noticable difference and hes not had a lame day (due to his feet) since having this new farrier so for 1.5yrs lameness free so hes defo doing somthing right.

Also he had a major abcess hence the hole in the back right foot!.

the back toes look like the do because hes a typical lazy TB who drags his toes . farrier does square them off too.
 
Condition looks fine :).

I'd also be concerned about his feet, however. Under run heels aren't something that can be fixed by a single shoeing - it's more complicated than simply being due for shoeing. The fact that the farrier squares off the toes also suggests he's struggling against flare, which is usually dietary, and can also cause underrun heels, particularly in shod horses.
 
Looks fine to me. Wish my boy looked that well. Am also feeding C&C but results are taking a while - you're restored my confidence in it, so I'll give it a bit longer.
 
i know everyone alsways comments on his hooves. but myself and farrier are doing the best we can and keep a close eye on them.

i am completly aware they are not the best in the world but there are horses with hooves in far worse condition.

farrier has been doing best he can for 2 years me too i adjust his diet according to what my vet and physioand instructor suggest.

he does have great hoof growth (farriers words) and on the last shoes his said the difference in his feet from 2 years ago is a big difference especially the under neath and the walls.

they no longer crumble or get cracks (other than this time round).

please No more comments on his hooves as this thread was on weight. i understands concerns but i hear the same things over and over.

thansks
 
Weight looks good, first thing that jumped out at me was his hooves too I'm afraid.

I don't believe being due for the farrier would cause them to look that underrun though.

ETA: Sorry just crossed posted with you about no more hoof comments.
 
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3oldponies i would give it a little while he take a bit to work and i have been giving him 3 medium sized feeds with it for 3 weeks and its just kicking in now, once he starts living out in may i will put him back on 2 feeds a day.
 
The hooves are worse than just being due for trimming and fresh shoes. I think that the fact that he is an ex-racer is the key here. He's probably been constantly shod from two years of age (did he have a 'letting down' period when he finished racing?).

I'm glad that you have found a better farrier. Talk to him RE the under-run heels (near fore and off hind look the worst in that photo, but it's not a good hoof angle photo). Also the near fore has a very long toe - it's a very flat hoof. It would also be worth your while looking at his heels from behind, are they contracted? Also look at his frogs - what are they like?

ETA - sorry M&D I hadn't read your post as it wasn't there when I started to type this.
 
Ditto Faracat. Those hooves will be putting a great deal of strain on his tendons and ligaments, we're only mentioning it because of the impact unhealthy hooves can have on the horse - prevention is better than cure :). Your comments suggest you may not quite realise the severity of the problems that can arise as a result - it's not just his hooves that will be affected, but his whole body. We don't want you to find out the hard way, that's all :).
 
faracat its fine. i just get tired of hearing it especially when myself vet physio and farrier are all doing the best we can and the weather doesnt help!

i know they are under run bad heels and cracked but weather is not helping this at all!

his feet always look really bad before shoes and the first 3 weeks of being shod hold up well then the look terrible again when due for the next shoesing.

he is being shod every 5 weeks and is in shoes that are slightly longer to help with the heels.

Also his right hind and both fronts have flaring so farrier has to combat this to, and he is very flat footed.

he never had a let down period as far as i am aware. myself vet and farrier have spoke about letting him have 6 months off shoes. but to be honest we all agreed hes doing fine with what we are doing it is a slower process to get his feet in a better condition but the facvt hes not suffereing not lame and farrier and vet a happy with his progress and physio says hes in sound health and condition I made the desision to leave them on but shorten the shoeing dates.

i just get a little upset, i know its noones on here fault as you dont know me or him but please just listen to me when i say im aware of his feet and am doing the best i can in my situation.

thanks :)
 
thanks! we are doing the best we can and i absolutly love him to bits so would never harm him hes my life!

also im fully aware feet affect everything as no feet no horse as they say!

fully aware it most deffintly affects tendons (especially galloping and jumping and trenous circles) hence he gets schooled and lunged twice a week only and when schooling i dont do dmall cirlces and i also only jump once and for 1hour but most of thats spent schooling around the jumps.

i try not to put anymore pressure on him than i have to or he can cope with. i also boot and abandage if i am at beach or doing anything on harder ground or even soft ground and most of the time when jumping too.

i do appreciate concern i really do but please. this thread was about weight :)

i am also doing best i can in that department! :D
 
OP, one last thing (because I think it might help) then I'll shut up - I had exactly the same issue with an ex-racer (even down to the age and feed - only difference was I only started to panic when the horse started to get twingey suspensories)... I tried shoeing every 4 weeks with extra heel support, but although the feet looked better, the heels didn't come back and the flaring didn't stop. I did find a break from shoes did an amazing job of sorting it, to a point where the hooves would be fine to be shod again, if that's what I'd wanted to do.
 
thanks twostroke i know your only trying to help!

i have had the option and abovs still have the option. but with the way his work is going at the moment(probs a little selfish) i would like to keep them on over the summer because hes going well. i will reconsider again in the autumn around october before ground hardens to see how he goes with back shoes 1st then jan next year if allwell i will do fronts untill show season starts again :)

or thats my plan.
 
Looks in good condition, well done after a hard winter, some are just better do'ers though so maybe you're lucky!! Feet are a bit of an issue, this time next year they could be a lot different, have a word and find a good remedial farrier.
 
Thanks fr comment on weight. I have had bar shoes on him fir 6months befre...when he was constantly lame due to them thry rotted his heels.

I will no longer answer any comments about hooves. Please respect my earier post Nd make no more comments.
 
CobsGalore said:
I think people are just trying to help. I know you are working with your farrier, physio & vet and doing your best by him, but you can't expect people not to comment on something when you post a picture.
Click to expand...

and something which is fundamental to health, condition and feeding.
 
marley and danni - thanks for the encouragement with the C&C it's always difficult to know whether to keep going or try something else. I've upped the amount my boy is getting cos I found out I wasn't giving him enough, so fingers crossed he should start looking better soon:)

To everyone else, leave off with the hoof comments - marley and danni obviously cares very much about the horse and will be trying (as we all do) to do what is right. Opinions are all very well, but sometimes I think we call get a bit carried away . . .
 
Twostroke i did get ur pm but on my phone so cnt reply. Will reply lTer.

Th ks 3oldponies. Id just rTher nt hVe the sMe conversTions Ll time Bout feet.

YeH give it Nother 3 weeks ok the feed see hw hes looking then x doing my lad gd even with the wrk load x
 
Clava said:
and something which is fundamental to health, condition and feeding.
Click to expand...

Good point...

In fact his feet may be the very reason he isn't developing topline.

OP he looks a good weight to me - I wouldn't want any more on him ... I'd just want to build that topline. What is he fed?

p.s... the weather should have no impact on his feet whatso-ever, but changes in weather, meaning higher sugar levels in the grass would...
 
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