Opinions on these BF feet please?

itsonlyme

itsonlyme

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It has been a very long road with Molly (and it's still going :cool: ) She's a pain in the bum, and was unsound in heartbars for 5 years :eek: before we went barefoot 14 months ago. Her feet have changed massively in that time and she is much much sounder, but she is constantly battling thrush (lives out 24/7 & has minerals balanced to the grazing) and wears her feet unevenly. She's VERY pigeon-toed in front, and cow-hocked and bum-high at the back :o
I've opted for the celery trimming approach, so she hasn't had a rasp near her feet for over 4 months. I'm just letting them do their 'thing' and see how we go.
I'd be interested in peoples' opinions on them though. To those that also advocate celery, would YOU still leave the uneven-ness? :confused:

Right fore (the problem foot) album http://s172.beta.photobucket.com/us...ht Fore?&_suid=135369824398305323494876006489

20121123_135857.jpg



Left fore album http://s172.beta.photobucket.com/us...ft Fore?&_suid=135369824398305323494876006489

20121123_135657.jpg

Right hind album http://s172.beta.photobucket.com/us...ht Hind?&_suid=135369767882707294133781148613

I know it looks like there's a hole in the middle of her central sulcas, but it's not - it's just a flap cos she's shedding and the camera makes it look deep.

20121123_135815.jpg


Left hind album http://s172.beta.photobucket.com/us...ft Hind?&_suid=135369767882707294133781148613

20121123_135740.jpg


Thank you in advance :)
 
Have you tried 'Pete's goo' deep in the central sulcus and is it sore if you push the pick in (gently at first of course)? PG is triple antibiotic and canestan creams mixed, cramed into a big syringe and plunged deep in. The collateral grooves look deep and I wonder if the sole is there to stabilize the hoof to protect the frog? I used some mastis cream a while back on deep sulcus infection with great effect but I can get it over the counter here.

I'm not much good with balance but I believe you need to video her walking from front, side and back and see how she is landing and moving. Also, with the wear at the toe I'm wondering if she is landing toe first? That would point to sore frog or weak back of the hoof.

ps. Just looked at the album and heels look quite high and there is evidence of dietary issues, ripples etc. Is she metabolic?
 
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She has honestly never had a footy day in her life. Even when the shoes were pulled & her frogs were rotten, she was rock-crunching. She never reacts to hoof-pick-poking either, but i know it must have been sore at some point, even if it isn't now, so i think she's just very stoic.
As for Petes Goo, i ordered the triple antibiotic ointment off the American ebay & treated her with it as he says to. That was months ago now though, so it might be worth blasting it again. It's just so wet atm & it doesn't help that we don't have access to any dry area (we've got a shelter but she rarely uses it. Also got a sand paddock, which is dryer than the grass but still wet). I hibiscrub them out or Milton scrub. Then spray with tea tree & eucalyptus oil spray or pack with sudocrem or Hoof Stuff. Depends what mood Im in! :) Our manganese is extortionately high & i do believe that is the main problem :(
 
Regarding the hoof balance, I agree with amandap (seem to do that a lot ;)); the hooves need to be considered in the context of the horse as a whole - so how she moves and lands, as well as how the hooves support the limbs at rest. Do you have any photos of her standing which show the front & hind limbs straight on? I also find photos of the back of the foot whilst its on the floor helpful for assessing balance.

Broadly speaking, I'd say that if she's getting sounder then you're on the right track :).
 
Just to say thank you for posting, as I am on the same journey (horse living out 24/7, wet fields, celery trimming, slightly uneven wear on one front hoof, central sulci a bit deep, worked through a wide variety of thrush treatments, but horse basically sound).

You're ahead of me on the forage testing (livery arrangements make that difficult for me just now).

I am also interested in whether to leave the unevenness, so I'll be following replies closely :).

ETA my horse also has exactly the same "break" mid bar on his uneven front hoof.
 
I am certainly not a trimmer but there are some schools who might trim bars and any compacted sole. The compacted sole question (remove or not) is one I am interested in myself and would love to get my hands on (kidnap) an AANHCP trimmer for this reason.
 
Brightbay said:
In effect, using work on a variety of surfaces to keep feet in shape, rather than using a rasp (so trimming using "nothing sharper than a stick of celery). Coined originally by Nic Barker at Rockley, afaik.
Click to expand...

Oh I thought that was self trimming :o

That's what mine is doing then and I am quite impressed with her feet already. I have pics if anyone is interested :)
 
Celery trim is a term coined by Nic Barker of Rockley farm. It is allowing the horse access to a variety of surfaces, appropriate diet and enough comfortable work over a variety of terrain to maintain his own hooves. The only tool to go near the hooves is a stick of celery... or words to that effect. lol
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.ie/#uds-search-results

See Brightbay beat me to it.
 
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I have to say that I sympathise with anyone trying to do 24/7 out and barefoot, especially in the last year. I could not manage any of my three that way, they would not be sound. For me, dry "turnout", in my case in a barn where they live overnight together and still move a lot, is a godsend.

Sorry I can't advise on your horse OP, I wouldn't even want to try to rehab a difficult horse in your circumstances, so you have done well to get the improvements that you have.
 
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