Minimising concussion on the roads

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JillA

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My horse has pigeon toes (I bred him and they came from his mum, so he is here for life!) and right from when he was broken and being ridden on got sticky on the roads, in company or on his own. Eventually we realised he was bilaterally lame in front, so slight and so even it was hard to spot.
He does a fair amount in the school and as soon as I had it put in I could feel his relief that the surface was better for him. But we are just starting to build in a little road work again, and I don't want to get to the point where it makes him sore. Any ideas? He is shod in front because he had thin sensitive soles, but pads were dismissed as being too likely to encourage fungal infections. Bandaging to support and if so above or including his fetlocks? I am doing as little and often as I can but try and only do two or three times a week to allow his fetlocks to settle after each outing. Any ideas (and please don't say barefoot, tried and didn't suit, with or without boots)?
 
can you get some hoof boots on over the shoes? I've heard of people doing it maybe the easyboot epic style would work.

My horse also has/had thin soles (we had a lot of unexplained lameness) which was diagnosed through xrays we went down the egg bar route which helped but was like putting a plaster on a broken bone. He also has pigeon toes and dishes.

For me we went back to scratch diet changed minerals etc and we are now unshod and in boots on the fronts still a long way to go and it's not easy. I also realise it's not the answer for every horse so I'm not trying to preach.

Does he cope with the backs unshod ok? have they been unshod for long? This is how I started before we went fully unshod.

Could it be he has some thrush in the central sulcas on his fronts that are making him sore, this happened to me despite me thinking that I was treating it.

Another thing that made my horse footy was having under run heels and long toes (I thought they were fine) and addressing this has helped although we've still a way to go :)
 
Thanks Victoria - he hadn't worn shoes at all for around 10 years until he went footy and we found the best thing was to shoe in front. His soles were paper thin, despite mineral supplementation and biotin, and a low sugar diet - the vet who saw them was seriously concerned about the integrity of his feet. They are much better now with shoes - very good farrier says he is happy with the improvement (more better quality biotin) and doesn't mention any other problems. His feet are as good as they are going to get - the problem is with his fetlocks joints and unequal stresses and shocks as he goes on hard surfaces.
 
the concussion wont be made better really unless the surface he goes on is more giving- metal and roads doesnt give. it can also be a little slippy which can aggrevate issues.
the only thing if you cannot take his shoes off it to try hoof boots over the shoes...??
 
Have him shod with plastic composite shoes, I prefer Epona but am using Hoof-it at the moment on a driving mare as hooves too big for Eponas. Both can be nailed on as usual, glued and nailed but with less nails (2 each side) or just glued, but won't stay on as long in our climate. I have glue and nails and they are removed & refitted every 7 weeks same as metal shoes. I buy all the shoes and glue an my farrier trims, glues and nails.
The Epona I buy from a supplier in Germany and the Hoof-it from America. Has certainly given my oldies a new lease of life (they had both been barefoot for the last 10 years).
 
Thanks Yertis, that sounds as though it could be a plan. I have messaged my farrier to see what he thinks and whether he has a tame supplier he can get some from. He isn't a dyed in the wool metal shoes man, so he might well agree with you on that.
 
The problem with these boots, is if your horse is pigeon toed, the tend to rotate as you ride, happened to friends horse and gave up on them after having spent hundreds on them to be fitted ect.
 
The only way is to go barefoot. You cannot escape road concussion with shoes and if you say booting is out of the question, then well, you have no option but not to ride on the roads. Booting over shoes is, to me, a little pointless.
 
Shoes increase road concussion quite dramatically - do some research on google and you'll see what I mean. Shoes DO NOT protect the hooves and legs from concussion, they make it worse.

That is a LOT of the reason that Shy is barefoot, and if we do a lots of roadwork, he wears his Cavallo horse boots with pride.
 
Might be worth looking at whether the diet was really compatible with barefoot. It is about much more than biotin. Mine had VERY thin soles but they are improving since I've had her shoes off and followed a barefoot diet. She wears boots to hack due to stoney paths but is sound on tarmac.
 
Thin soles is a symptom of poor diet and also poor stimulation whether that be due to trim or long term shoes and hoof conformation. Nothing to do with genetics.

Just something to think about.
 
Agree with this. What's the actual diet?
I had my thin sole mare on hifi and fibre cubes...supposedly low sugar starch.
Now on fast fibre, linseed meal and pro balance and the difference is amazing. Today we did twenty mins on the lane and tranversed a section of yard with hardcore gravel and large stones. She was careful on the stones but otherwise fine.
Soles used to flex from finger pressure.
 
Yes I thought I had a low sugar and starch diet with full vitamin and mineral balance but have noticed a huge improvement in her hooves since going onto a proper barefoot diet. She's now on speedibeet linseed and pro hoof with fenugreek.

Even if you don't want to take the shoes off a barefoot diet will help.
 
One of the things that still concern me about shoeing thin soles for "protection" is that...

If you can flex the soles with your fingers, how does suspending the sole high off the ground with shoes protect the sole? The force coming down the leg onto the pedal bone will be pushing down on that very same sole like jumping on a trampoline.

Then, secondary problems like under run heels, tendon problems, back problems etc arise as the horse tries to redistribute its weight so as not to put too much pressure directly on its weak sole.

People think shoeing to a compromised foot is helping a horse. It may do in the short term and give you a rideable horse for a while but another problem will come about as the stresses and stains on the foot cause abnormal pressure.

If you must shoe, shoe to a healthy foot. If the foot is not healthy, ask your farrier what can be done and if he suggests a period of rehab where you don't ride for a while, respect that. Most farriers will be happy to help but believe their job is to give you a sound horse for the next 6 weeks.
 
My driving cob is pidgeon toed too. We had issues with my previous farrier.
I tired Bf for six months he's had alot of veterinary imput X-rays and the like so we have a clear idea of what was going on inside .
He was not happy ,BF his diet was excellent but as soon as we increased work he was not happy.
There's been a lot of discussion from experts about him and it was decided to shoe him. This was done by a well known farrier with my farrier present so he can manage the issue going forward .
The horse feels amazing never better , so before trying BF I would advise you to seek the advice of a really top farrier I would do this through your vet my horses conformational fault means he needs the support of these very carefully applied shoes if he's going to work hard .
I will get him four to six months a year with out shoes during this time he will work lightly in the school and do short bits on the road we know now he tells us exactly how much he's happy with so that's what I am going to do listen to him.
 
Can't help I'm afraid op just wanted to say my first thought when reading the thread title was...... try to avoid landing on your head. :o:p
 
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