My first barefoot rehab has taken his last step.

[ycbm]

This is a celebration, not something to be in any way sad about.

I had a horse diverted to me, effectively on his way to an appointment to be put to sleep. He had paper thin soles, no heels, long toes and he had been through the whole gamut of shoeing and drugs and was still unsound. He was 9.

It was very early days for barefoot rehabs but I wanted to try to save this horse. He was sound in boots within 12 weeks, and until the day he died he barely took a lame step. He won dressage cups, he hunted, he was absolutely adored by the couple who I gave him to.

Counting back, I'm struggling to remember, he had an additional 15 years of a wonderful life.

How is it that vets are still recommending these horses are PTS because their feet are "too weak" to go barefoot?

Me on him at about 3 months.

 

[eahotson]

This is a celebration, not something to be in any way sad about.

I had a horse diverted to me, effectively on his way to an appointment to be put to sleep. He had paper thin soles, no heels, long toes and he had been through the whole gamut of shoeing and drugs and was still unsound. He was 9.

It was very early days for barefoot rehabs but I wanted to try to save this horse. He was sound in boots within 12 weeks, and until the day he died he barely took a lame step. He won dressage cups, he hunted, he was absolutely adored by the couple who I gave him to.

Counting back, I'm struggling to remenber, he had an additional 13 years of a wonderful life.

How is it that vets are still recommending these horses are PTS because their feet are "too weak" to go barefoot?

Me on him at about 3 months.

View attachment 127103

What a lovely story.Well done.

 

[seriously festive equine]

Beautiful! I love the barefoots myself! Always gone barefoot with all the horses i have owned!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Well done, and what a lovely life he had!

 

[SEL]

Lovely that they kept in touch and isn't it great to be able to celebrate that life knowing he only had it because of you.

 

[paddy555]

..

 

[ycbm]

Please edit your post to remove his name @paddy555 , it is not fair on his owners to identify them like this. If I had wanted him named I would have named him.
.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

This is a celebration, not something to be in any way sad about.

I had a horse diverted to me, effectively on his way to an appointment to be put to sleep. He had paper thin soles, no heels, long toes and he had been through the whole gamut of shoeing and drugs and was still unsound. He was 9.

It was very early days for barefoot rehabs but I wanted to try to save this horse. He was sound in boots within 12 weeks, and until the day he died he barely took a lame step. He won dressage cups, he hunted, he was absolutely adored by the couple who I gave him to.

Counting back, I'm struggling to remenber, he had an additional 15 years of a wonderful life.

How is it that vets are still recommending these horses are PTS because their feet are "too weak" to go barefoot?

Me on him at about 3 months.

View attachment 127103

Really inspirational post @ycbm 15 additional sound years… amazing.

I’m still on straight lines, hacking lightly with my most recent barefoot rehab horse. I have felt steered towards pts by one vet with her. It’s been 17 months since she arrived with us and 16 since shoes came off. She’s worlds away from where she started but we still have a long way to go.

 

[Ceriann]

Pretty inspirational and encouraging for someone who’s thin, flat soled mare is into her second year of barefoot management. Told by my previous farrier it shouldn’t be done and a sceptical (albeit prepared to be supportive) vet. Not always easy but I know more about feet than I ever thought possible - main thing being, I still have a huge amount to learn!

Thank you for sharing.

 

[ycbm]

For those who are going through it or thinking of going through it, I'm certain that today this horse would have got a diagnosis of EMS. He arrived very fat, yet acted as if he was starving. To get his feet right it was more important than anything else to get his insulin under control. It was that weakening his feet.

I've never had any doubt that a considerable part of the success that Rockley had was that horses who went there fat were sent home slim.
.

 

[Red-1]

He looks beautiful. He has a big legacy, as it is partly through your posts and experience that I have now taken 5 horses barefoot myself!

 

[paddy555]

Please edit your post to remove his name @paddy555 , it is not fair on his owners to identify them like this. If I had wanted him named I would have named him.
.

sorry, I thought that as you had posted a pic of him he was already identified. Post edited.

 

[webble]

Ah great achievement handsome boy

 

[Kunoichi73]

What a great story and what a lovely horse. It seems so sad it's being advised that horses like that are PTS.

 

[snowangel5]

What a lovely photo

 

[pistolpete]

Why can’t vets get behind barefoot?

 

[SO1]

Why can’t vets get behind barefoot?

Bert is unshod and my vet recommended when I bought him that I kept him that way as it is better for horses.

 

[spookypony]

What a lovely post!

I've moved from the UK, somewhat conservative in barefoot terms (though rapidly changing, I think), to Austria, which is astonishingly even more conservative in barefoot terms, at least at my yard! Or perhaps it's that I've moved from doing my own thing for a long time, to a large yard with many "competition" horses? I recall that when the Spooky Pony was on the Scottish Home International endurance team, we were the only barefoot 'n' booted combination in the whole competition (an Irish mannie even came running out of his house to berate me for not putting shoes on him, even though he was booted---yes, this actually happened!). Now, I'd say about 1/3 of the horses competing, at a guess, are unshod. EMS and Cushing's are now household terms, and horses are being diagnosed and treated younger than even 10 years ago. Track systems and Equicentral setups are already far less exotic (though here, I feel like a total weirdo again).

You have been a great advocate on this forum, ycbm, and surely appreciated through the ups and downs by many.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Why can’t vets get behind barefoot?

My current vet is happy with barefoot but equally happy with well shod. She’s more concerned with balance that how it’s achieved but she’s very happy for me to do mine barefoot.

 

[Ratface]

Old Horse came to me (many years ago) shod in front only. When I retired us from showjumping, due to not being able to stop him deciding on which course we were jumping rather than the one we should be, I tried him barefoot all round. Didn't suit, so waited another few years, and he's now totally barefoot. Still hoons around but trots sound over the gravel into his stable yard with no problems. Farrier is happy with his feet, so all good.

 

[ycbm]

My current vet is happy with barefoot but equally happy with well shod. She’s more concerned with balance that how it’s achieved but she’s very happy for me to do mine barefoot.

Is she happy for the horse to find its own balance even if that results in a noticeably asymmetric foot?
.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Aw lovely photo. I think in the next few years a lot will change, vets seem to be more onboard than they were in my experience

 

[twiggy2]

I love that you gave him so much life by trying for him

 

[Trouper]

An achievement to be proud of @ycbm.

 

[Birker2020]

What a lovely story.Well done.

Yeah well done YCBM, its a massive victory really.

 

[skint1]

What a great story, and what a wonderful gift for that horse, and in return for those who loved him.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Is she happy for the horse to find its own balance even if that results in a noticeably asymmetric foot?
.

Mine will xray to make sure that the internal bones are in balance before suggesting anything like shoes.

My sister horse has had to go into shoes, has been BF all his life but the yard is not doing his hooves any favours and with other diagnosis going on we agreed to try it for a bit as it was other issues causing the uneven wear etc.

She was in tears when they went on but the difference in him is amazing.
The farrier shod to the xrays, and has said if he moves to a more suitible yard he has no problem with him being bf again.

He has just as many bf and shod and is always an advocate for bf if it will work with the horse and yard etc.

He was trimmed by a BF Trimmer before hand and even she has said sometimes the yard set is not good for the horse if you cant move they need to be shod.

Mine is BF and only had backs on to recover from an OP.

We have always had a mix and as long as its not hiding a lameness i am pro what works for the horses set up....know plenty who say their horse cant cope with shoes and won't even try and think about it