El22
Member
So a bit of backstory:
These feet belong to my 8 year old welsh section D, he has been barefoot behind since September 2011 and barefoot in front since May 2012 when he was out of work due to an injury. He went barefoot since both the farrier and I felt it was pointless to stick a shoe on when he isn't working and the farrier feels that giving horses a break from shoes is good for their feet - I agree.
Now he has been sound since removing the shoes and has never been sore on them. He has done up to 1 hour walking in hand on the roads barefoot (part of getting him started again) and seems to cope very well. I am keen to keep him barefoot for the future.
Feedwise he eats soaked hay, grass during the day and a small amount of balancer, he also has access to a salt/mineral lick in his stable. He is still tubby from being out of work so the idea is to lose as much tubbiness as possible over the winter and get him gradually "working" fit again.
However he shows some interesting wear patterns on his feet... and when the vet looked at him felt strongly that he would be better off shod, with special extension on his feet.
She said he lands outside to inside on the fronts and inside to outside on the hinds, resulting in flares appearing on the side he weights less. I have spoken to 3 different farriers however who say that forcing him to change may cause more probelms and that if he is happy leave him barefoot.
Anyway take a look... I have before trim and after trim pictures.
Right front
Right Hind
Left hind
Left fore
Left fore sole
Left hind sole
Right fore sole
Left fore after trim
right fore after trim (he was stood with this foot in front of the others which is why his limb looks a funny angle)
Right hind
Left hind
Left fore sole
Left hind sole
Right fore sole
Right hind sole
So any hints or tips to keeping him with naked feet?
Any obivious probelms? - I can see the lines on them next summer if we have the same amount of grass growth poor beasty will be having a grazing muzzle on as well as being strip grazed.
These feet belong to my 8 year old welsh section D, he has been barefoot behind since September 2011 and barefoot in front since May 2012 when he was out of work due to an injury. He went barefoot since both the farrier and I felt it was pointless to stick a shoe on when he isn't working and the farrier feels that giving horses a break from shoes is good for their feet - I agree.
Now he has been sound since removing the shoes and has never been sore on them. He has done up to 1 hour walking in hand on the roads barefoot (part of getting him started again) and seems to cope very well. I am keen to keep him barefoot for the future.
Feedwise he eats soaked hay, grass during the day and a small amount of balancer, he also has access to a salt/mineral lick in his stable. He is still tubby from being out of work so the idea is to lose as much tubbiness as possible over the winter and get him gradually "working" fit again.
However he shows some interesting wear patterns on his feet... and when the vet looked at him felt strongly that he would be better off shod, with special extension on his feet.
She said he lands outside to inside on the fronts and inside to outside on the hinds, resulting in flares appearing on the side he weights less. I have spoken to 3 different farriers however who say that forcing him to change may cause more probelms and that if he is happy leave him barefoot.
Anyway take a look... I have before trim and after trim pictures.
Right front
Right Hind
Left hind
Left fore
Left fore sole
Left hind sole
Right fore sole
Left fore after trim
right fore after trim (he was stood with this foot in front of the others which is why his limb looks a funny angle)
Right hind
Left hind
Left fore sole
Left hind sole
Right fore sole
Right hind sole
So any hints or tips to keeping him with naked feet?
Any obivious probelms? - I can see the lines on them next summer if we have the same amount of grass growth poor beasty will be having a grazing muzzle on as well as being strip grazed.
