My horses feet are bad! How can I improve them

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vickybentley

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Hi all,

I have a TB who has bad feet in the summer. In the winter he can go 7-8 weeks keeping shoes on no issues, however since his last shoeing his back shoes became a bit loose after 4 weeks. I'e now had to get my farrier out twice to tighten shoes, one of the nails came out because a small chunk of the hoof where the nail was has come away.

He has very cracked feet at the back, his fronts are good, but the back ones let him down! I use kevin bacon on his feet as recommended by my farrier, but I am not convinced that this is enough to keep his shoes secure and feet in good condition throughout his 6 week shoeing cycle.

I've heard about various supplements but many people say applying solutions straight to the hoof is better. I was wondering whether biotin may work, but there's so many options I'm lost.

The grass in our fields is very rich at the moment so I have a feeling this isn't helping.

Any advice appreciated, thanks!
 
I’d cut out any commercial compound feeds, if you are feeding them.
I’d feed a good quality broad spectrum vit & min supplement.
I’d continue with the Kevin bacon
I’d reduce your showing cycle to 4 weeks for the next 2-3 cycles then try 5 weeks.
When you next have the Vet out I’d ask their opinion on foot balance and quality of shoeing, and if they think not good enough get a reccomendation for a different farrier
 
generally speaking horses should make enough of their own biotin which is why a broad spectrum no iron vit/min supplement is a better idea usually. (pro-earth, forageplus, equimins adv complete, equivita all good options)

It is worth considering the possibility of infection/treating anyway the white line (this can be trickier when they are shod/depends on size of cracks etc).

and yes I would go to 4 weeks cycle while he is struggling.
 
ester said:
generally speaking horses should make enough of their own biotin which is why a broad spectrum no iron vit/min supplement is a better idea usually. (pro-earth, forageplus, equimins adv complete, equivita all good options)

It is worth considering the possibility of infection/treating anyway the white line (this can be trickier when they are shod/depends on size of cracks etc).

and yes I would go to 4 weeks cycle while he is struggling.
Click to expand...

This.

My farrier suggested that I get Red Horse CleanTrax for a hoof infection, there was a long wait as it was out of stock, so I continued spraying with Tea-tree mist (Equimins or Ozoil) and by the time the CleanTrax arrived the infection had cleared up.


ETA, my farrier advises *not* putting anything on the outside of the hoof, except water. In dry summers, he suggests wetting the soil around the water so that the feet don't get too dry. Foot health comes from the inside, so a low sugar/starch, high fibre diet is best. I would avoid alfalfa too, as some horses find it difficult to digest and ime digestive issues affect the whole horse, not just the gut.
 
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Not sure you should really let him go 7 - 8 weeks between shoeing even if the shoes do stay on. Some of your problems in the summer may stem from overlong shoeing intervals in teh winter.

I bought a young connie recently with terrible feet. He had been shod on a 7 - 8 week cycle for about 6 months. We shortened the shoeing cycle to 4 weeks and it took almost 8 months to be able to get back to 6 weeks. We also feed biotin. Horses are not in fact capable of synthesizing (making in their own body) biotin - they have to get it from feed / the digestive process. There is quite a lot of evidence (in horse feed terms) that supplemental bioavailable biotin can help. You need to find a supplement with 20mg or more per dose; it must also contain zinc, calcium and metthionine otherwise it just won't be absorbed. It will take at least 8 months to see a change as the hoof wall grows slowly.
 
Yes, I should correct what I say to reflect the fact that it is microbial fermentation/gut flora that produces it hence deficiency isn't that usual outwith things affecting that process.
 
It's counterintuitive, and maybe not the right time of year with you presumably wanting to ride, but my TB with horrendously cracked and flat feet improved hugely when his shoes were removed. He is still barefoot because he is retired, and his feet will never be brilliant but even a couple of months for the nail holes to grow out and the sole to get stimulation from the ground might really help. Boots might be a good idea if he struggles without shoes
 
i always keep to a 6 week shoeing regime even if the shoes look ok.dont forget the feet are growing all of the time so if shod wont trim themselves like they do if not shod... i would suggest that you dont let his shoes go longer that 6 weeks because that will cause his feet to break up .. IMO as a horse owner for over 50 years , i think its best to feed a supplement to help with hoof growth rather thanjust put stiff on the feet....i feed formula4feet and it seems to work for my horses. its trial and error to see what works for each individual horse so it may be worth googling the various hoof supplements...
 
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