Newly barefoot and over tracking

D

deicinmerlyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 January 2008
Messages
1,152
Visit site
TB had front shoes off 2 weeks ago and backs off on Tuesday. He is hugely over tracking and has pulled off his front over reach boots. I very nearly left them off when i turned him out thinking that without shoes he would be less likely to over reach. Thank goodness I left them on!

Any ideas on the possible cause/reason for this? Is there anything that I should be doing?

He is slightly sore on his front left but this has not been since his shoes came off, it is partly the reason i had them removed.

thanks
 
Mine over tracks too, and pulls one of his hoof boots off when we're out- it does my head in!! No matter how well I put them on, the blooming thing always ends up flying past my head at some point in the ride!!
 
Do you have pics of the hooves?

Are they too long?

You can hear my old boy slapping his front hooves with his hinds when he is walking along. He's been barefoot for 10 years. He's always done it but he's never over reached (shod or barefoot) for the 21 years I've had him.

You find they are more careful with their feet unshod as the hooves tend to be shorter and neater than shod and they have better proprioception.

I'm sure you can appreciate that it's early days yet for your boy though. I wouldn't worry :)
 
Billie1007 said:
CPT - can you explain a little more? My mare over tracks just slightly sometimes......
Click to expand...

Almost everyone looking for a dressage horse looks for a big overtrack. It scores well in the walk parts of dressage tests, where an overtrack is essential and the bigger the better. It's an indicator that the horse will also very likely have a good canter and that it uses its back to full effect.
 
cptrayes said:
deicinmerlyn the rest of us spend our lives searching for horses with a big overtrack :D

It's a REALLY positive thing!
Click to expand...

Oh! Yes I know, (I think!) but I suppose I am worried that he is not moving his front feet out of the way in time!! He has a very good canter, well all paces really but since I've had him (3yrs) (OTTB) he has from time to time had problems with his feet due to shoeing. Thin concaved soles, contracted heels. This time he was hopping lame and front shoe was removed with suspected abcess. to cut a long story short, no pus but then nerve blocked and lame in other front, so shoe off that too. Vet says it is inflammation due to nails going in thin walls. I think he has thrush. he is now sound in right front but still not quite right in front left. He marched out on Tarmac yesterday but i can tell he is a little sore but massively better than I ever expected! When i first asked Vet if i could take his shoes off, something i have been thinking about for a while, he said no, he couldnt cope. But then agreed that it may halp, so glad I have both the Vet and Farrier on my side (for now anyway)

Oberon, i will try and put some pics up. Thanks
 
My tb had a massive overtrack and used to pull shoes off weekly.

Barefoot I have never had an injury because of the way he moves and don't use overreach boots. This includes hacking, jumping, schooling and being an idiot in the field.

Recently I had a big tack room clear out and sold a wide variety of overreach boots from our shod days, except the Premier Equine pink kevlar ones, nobody wanted the pink ones :(
 
cptrayes said:
Almost everyone looking for a dressage horse looks for a big overtrack. It scores well in the walk parts of dressage tests, where an overtrack is essential and the bigger the better. It's an indicator that the horse will also very likely have a good canter and that it uses its back to full effect.
Click to expand...


Oh good lord, in that case my mare is unusual! She is only really just learning to hold herself in the canter and we are still taking a lot of work getting her to work over her back or even from her back end. Oh well it might be a sign of good things to come :)
 
Pics, not great I'm afraid - Not very good at this! I can't seem to make them bigger :)

Feet
Feet12Nov12002.jpg

Feet12Nov12006.jpg
 
OP - you're absolutely right, can't really tell from the photos, but I would hazard a guess and suggest your horse's feet have run forwards and he is unable to get his fronts out of the way in time. Happens a lot, especially in the shod horse.

Most commonly a product of diet and shoeing/trimming either in isolation or combination.
 
He has never over reached whilst being ridden and has (had) a good front length of stride too. He wears over reach boots in the field because he mucks about, which is why as he had his shoes removed I debated whether to put them on.

I was just a little concerned as his back stride now looks bigger than his front iyswim!

Thanks for your input. I am probably over analysing, learning, researching and worrying :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top