Newly barefoot hinds - how quickly to build work

ktj1891

ktj1891

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I took the plunge today from previous posts to remove my guys hind shoes. I took him for a short walk in hand on road today and over some gravelled areas and gave him a short trot and he seemed fine today. Can I continue in the school as normal? How quickly should I build up hacking? Should I worry if he has to cross stony areas out hacking? Just looking for a bit of advise and support on this. All advise will be taken on board.

Any questions just ask.
 
When we took Kal's back shoes off - nearly two years ago now - he took to it like a duck to water. We continued in the school as usual and round the polo track, but we had no need to do roadwork so I can't comment on that.

Honestly, I think all horses are individual and you'll just need to assess how he looks/goes.

P
 
My TB only has front shoes.

I ride him like any other horse. I take it easy over stony ground, but otherwise he doesn't have a problem.

If your horse isn't showing signs of being footsore, you should be fine to continue in the school as per normal. When hacking I wouldn't treat him any different...

Obviously don't go hooning over gravel or rocks etc and don't take him out to the rockiest place you know but if you come to stony areas, let him pick his path and speed. They tend to find the least painful spots to walk, just like we do. He will be alright, just use your common sense :)

Bo is happy to walk (slowly) over gravel and stones, I just let him go at his own speed. He hasn't come up lame in over 12 months of having naked hind feet.
 
**PHOTOS**

Just for reference - sorry the ground is not level which really doesn't help. Only took front and sides of his front feet and got soles also of hinds! What you think/advise?

FRONT LEFT
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FRONT RIGHT
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LEFT HIND
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RIGHT HIND
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His right hind seems to had a tad of thrush so I put some disinfectant in it today!
 
Wow they're quite bullnosed and lots of event lines.
I remember you saying he had ulcers? That'll be coming through the feet as well as has in mine after going barfoot and having ulcers. Dare I say your horses feet look similar to how mine was... And underrun.

Red horse products so a sole paint which is amazing on Thrush, would highly recommend.

Work wise I would do whatever your horse is comfortable with. Do lots of walking on school surface and also tarmac. I carried on as normal and after 6 months barefoot his hinds look really good and have changed shape alot.
Fronts are however are a challenge as the changes will take longer.
 
Thank you for response yes very bullnosed. I am hoping him being barefoot will sort this. No he doesn't have ulcers he was scoped for them but completely clear. Just really concerned at what work I can do with him - dont really want it to affect what he's doing ATM but will play it by ear. Is it worth getting hoof boots?
 
Let your horse guide the workload.. They will improve with more work but I would up it gradually - 2:1 work:day off seems to work well with mine :)
 
Yeah I just don't want to over do it you see. Has some stony gravelly areas and don't want to bruise him or go foot sore!
 
***Another question***
My guy had his shoes off last Tuesday 23/04/2013. Since then he has been in the school and on the roads 5 times ranging from a 10 minute to 30 minute walk on tarmac, he was also jumped for the first time yesterday in the school.

Would he be okay to go xc schooling on the 6th May - we will only be having a play and popping 2'3-2'6 fences? Its on grass and sand into some fences.

So far hes shown no signs of lameness, if he stands on a stone he someone goes sore while hes on the stone but then walks away fine straight away no further short steps.

Opinions would be useful!
 
I think that as much as you can worry about doing too much you can also be too cautious!

I would have no issues going to the xc if I were you - I have 4 Tb's all of whom never got back shoes on when they were shod, they evented, hacked, hunted etc with no issues. I just pulled their hind shoes and cracked on. There is a lot less of a transition with the hinds than the fronts usually.

Mine all did so well b/f behind I pulled fronts too.

What do you feed - the bullnosing on the hinds can be diet related?
 
Scarlett said:
I think that as much as you can worry about doing too much you can also be too cautious!

I would have no issues going to the xc if I were you - I have 4 Tb's all of whom never got back shoes on when they were shod, they evented, hacked, hunted etc with no issues. I just pulled their hind shoes and cracked on. There is a lot less of a transition with the hinds than the fronts usually.

Mine all did so well b/f behind I pulled fronts too.

What do you feed - the bullnosing on the hinds can be diet related?
Click to expand...

Ah yeah I think he should be fine too, just don't want to over do it, as I said he seems fine except if he steps on certain stones he may go ouch for the stride hes on the stone but recovers fine.

Yes the bullnosing has been mentioned before. He is on Pure condition and micronised linseed, plus glucosamine and milk thistle supplement. Not keen to change his diet if I don't have to as hes made major condition improvement on this feed.
 
Initially do more in the school and gradually build up road work, should be absolutely fine on grass or a surface (so xc schooling should be fine) just be aware and take care if for instance to get to the school (or XC) he needs to walk over large angular stones or similar (eg in the car park).
 
Have you heard the 'hooves are like boobs' analogy? If you have breastfed any children this will ring a bell!!
 
I would not normally advocate caution but you have a few issues in those feet that suggest that you need to be a little careful. The are bullnosed and underrun, underrunning being less common in hind feet. The two together are highly suggestive of negative or at least 'flat' coffin bone angle. If you do too much jumping/athletic work before the heels have built to support the back of the foot, the horse can get a sore back. So my advice would be to take it steady, increase a little at a time and check for back stiffness on a very regular basis.

Work will build the heels and put it right in time, and a low carb/high fibre diet should sort out both the bullnosing and the obvious white line separation and flare that you also have going on there.

In time, taking the shoes off your horse will probably prove to be the best thing you could have done. Many horses like it would end up fitted with wedges to improve their back pain and poor hind foot placement.
 
Oh no I am not one for rushing but I would like to continue doing what I do he jumped for the first time in 6 months at the weekend and he's going for a little play at boomerang next week. However moving forward he's not joed regularly anyways maybe once a fortnight. Thank for advise though. Now to find hoof boots!
 
Hi Everyone,

Just to update my guy has been barefoot behind for 2 weeks now and he seems to be coping perfectly fine. Went XC schooling at Boomerang yesterday and he was find walking over really stoney/gravelly car park and coped fine with there small stoney gravelly take off and landings. Will take some pics at the 1 month marker and see if there is any noticeable improvements.
 
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