Opinions on these feet please :)

[timbobs]

Just thought I would update pictures as he's been barefoot a couple of weeks now. Have tried to take better photos this time!

I've been hand walking him a couple of days a week to try and stimulate the feet. He's mostly sound, he only struggles a little with the right fore on some surfaces. The others all seem fine.

The photos on the left are the originals and today's on the right.

 

[timbobs]

We are now a few weeks into barefoot and he is coming along really well!

I have upped the walks which he is loving and he's much more comfortable in his feet- will get more photos later.

Does anyone have any advice on bringing him back into work? He's been off since early October and I will bring him back Feb/march time for weekend hacking.

He's currently getting hand walked 2-3 times a week over Friday-Sunday as that's when I can get down in daylight for 30mins-1hr depending on the time.

Shall I continue this plan when I get on again? Was thinking of walk only hacks at the weekend until the clocks go and can then slowly build up from there.







How do you think he's looking at the moment?

 

[tallyho!]

Lovely horse He's got such a lovely face a big kind eyes. He's looking great weightwise too - do wish my own horse could look more like this but sadly, she gets rather tubby without much work.

Because of the work I do, kids etc, I struggle to keep up the exercise over winter she gets a couple of months off (Nov/Dec). Xmas is easier and Jan is quiet so this is when I bring back into work. Last year I started a kind of interval training, a bit like humans starting to run, trot 1min, walk 2min for 20 mins the first time, then increase the trot duration after 1 week. etc.. any decent interval training can be found online. It got her fit pretty quick. Remember it's every other day for a month. The body needs rest. Use one day as a brisk hack in walk, use hills if poss. Then the 2nd month is more trot and less walk with short canters.

I did this all on tarmac as we had no school (well, the paddock we use is a basically a pond in winter) and out hacking. I added cavalletti and jumps to add interest. I did some fun rides over summer to increase stamina. Seems a shame to let her holiday and "undo" it all but as a young horse, she needs a break mentally and physically. She coped pretty well so I will do again this year.

How are you getting on with the trims for your boy? The only thing I would say about those feet is to keep the toes short as they are starting to look long.

 

[ycbm]

I think he's doing well, with a great new angle of growth at the top. Does he normally stand like that on the back?

If so, then he may not be comfortable on his back feet yet. It's surprising how many have more trouble with the backs than the fronts. That will come right in time if it's the feet.

There does look like a possibility to me that he isn't quite right in his back somewhere, and as a precaution, especially if he doesn't stop 'camping under' soon, I would get him checked out for back/SI/hind leg issues.

 

[timbobs]

Lovely horse He's got such a lovely face a big kind eyes. He's looking great weightwise too - do wish my own horse could look more like this but sadly, she gets rather tubby without much work.

Because of the work I do, kids etc, I struggle to keep up the exercise over winter she gets a couple of months off (Nov/Dec). Xmas is easier and Jan is quiet so this is when I bring back into work. Last year I started a kind of interval training, a bit like humans starting to run, trot 1min, walk 2min for 20 mins the first time, then increase the trot duration after 1 week. etc.. any decent interval training can be found online. It got her fit pretty quick. Remember it's every other day for a month. The body needs rest. Use one day as a brisk hack in walk, use hills if poss. Then the 2nd month is more trot and less walk with short canters.

I did this all on tarmac as we had no school (well, the paddock we use is a basically a pond in winter) and out hacking. I added cavalletti and jumps to add interest. I did some fun rides over summer to increase stamina. Seems a shame to let her holiday and "undo" it all but as a young horse, she needs a break mentally and physically. She coped pretty well so I will do again this year.

How are you getting on with the trims for your boy? The only thing I would say about those feet is to keep the toes short as they are starting to look long.

Thanks for the suggestions for when I bring him back into work, the interval training sounds like a great idea!

He's only had shoes off 3 weeks so he hasn't been trimmed yet. Farrier is due back in Jan to trim. Maybe he needs to be done more frequently than 6 weeks- what do you think?

I think he's doing well, with a great new angle of growth at the top. Does he normally stand like that on the back?

If so, then he may not be comfortable on his back feet yet. It's surprising how many have more trouble with the backs than the fronts. That will come right in time if it's the feet.

There does look like a possibility to me that he isn't quite right in his back somewhere, and as a precaution, especially if he doesn't stop 'camping under' soon, I would get him checked out for back/SI/hind leg issues.

He doesn't usually stand like that- the photo was taken a couple of weeks ago a couple of days after the shoes were off so he was a bit sore. Will keep an eye on him though and check how he's standing and make sure he's back to normal. The kick injury he had was to his right hind. When the bottom photo was taken the cut and bruising were still healing so maybe he was still sore from that too. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[tallyho!]

Thanks for the suggestions for when I bring him back into work, the interval training sounds like a great idea!

He's only had shoes off 3 weeks so he hasn't been trimmed yet. Farrier is due back in Jan to trim. Maybe he needs to be done more frequently than 6 weeks- what do you think?



He doesn't usually stand like that- the photo was taken a couple of weeks ago a couple of days after the shoes were off so he was a bit sore. Will keep an eye on him though and check how he's standing and make sure he's back to normal. The kick injury he had was to his right hind. When the bottom photo was taken the cut and bruising were still healing so maybe he was still sore from that too. Thanks for the heads up!

I think if you toes are getting long after only a few weeks, perhaps a 4-week interval would encourage the whole limb to improve and I did notice what ycbm was saying and if there is some pain, that could be causing him to stand like that but also, a long toe low heel would alter the angles of the joints as you go up the limb, along to hip and therefore spine... keep an eye on that and maybe ask the farrier to spare the hind heels and trim the toes only. It will keep the pressure off the frogs in these early stages too.

 

[timbobs]

I don't think the farrier will be able to come earlier, but will see if he can squeeze us in

Do you think it's worth getting physio out to see if he's tight anywhere before I bring him back into work?

 

[ycbm]

I don't think the farrier will be able to come earlier, but will see if he can squeeze us in

Do you think it's worth getting physio out to see if he's tight anywhere before I bring him back into work?

If he starts to stand more square, I wouldn't worry. If not, just as a precaution, a physio would set your mind at rest.

 

[timbobs]

If he starts to stand more square, I wouldn't worry. If not, just as a precaution, a physio would set your mind at rest.

Thinking about it he doesn't often stand square, he will usually have his back legs one ahead of the other, but he isn't usually tucked under so not sure if it's something to worry about. He will stand up square if I ask him to but when relaxed he won't. Wont hurt to get the physio to take a look anyway I guess!

I'm a worrier when it comes to him so would rather get him looked at

 

[tallyho!]

Thinking about it he doesn't often stand square, he will usually have his back legs one ahead of the other, but he isn't usually tucked under so not sure if it's something to worry about. He will stand up square if I ask him to but when relaxed he won't. Wont hurt to get the physio to take a look anyway I guess!

I'm a worrier when it comes to him so would rather get him looked at

I get a bodyworker out x2 a year whether its needed or not for my mare. It's just become routine for me. She has all sorts of weird ways of standing as she is a spanish horse - they specialise in odd angles. You get elbows and toes all pointing different ways sometimes

It may be that your boy does stand like this when relaxed - don't get paranoid but it just seems a bit forward in front of where the feet should be that's all. If the toe is too long then this is commonly the cause... if you think about it in that position, the tendons will be fairly relaxed. If he positioned himself into the perpendicular line from point of buttock to fetlock then the long toe/low heel combo would pull on the tendons a bit more as the toe will add extra pull. If I were to trim this horse, I would certainly be rasping toe off from underneath as well as the wall, not a lot, just a few mm. I would leave the heels for a cycle or two as he has strong heels looking at the photos.

 

[timbobs]

I get a bodyworker out x2 a year whether its needed or not for my mare. It's just become routine for me. She has all sorts of weird ways of standing as she is a spanish horse - they specialise in odd angles. You get elbows and toes all pointing different ways sometimes

It may be that your boy does stand like this when relaxed - don't get paranoid but it just seems a bit forward in front of where the feet should be that's all. If the toe is too long then this is commonly the cause... if you think about it in that position, the tendons will be fairly relaxed. If he positioned himself into the perpendicular line from point of buttock to fetlock then the long toe/low heel combo would pull on the tendons a bit more as the toe will add extra pull. If I were to trim this horse, I would certainly be rasping toe off from underneath as well as the wall, not a lot, just a few mm. I would leave the heels for a cycle or two as he has strong heels looking at the photos.

I've taken a look through some photos of him and when he is standing square he seems to stand with his hind legs under him mostly.

<a href="http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/ktpony/media/FE93151B-EB3D-454C-990F-20DE7229AB68_zpsiv2apkzm.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o789/ktpony/FE93151B-EB3D-454C-990F-20DE7229AB68_zpsiv2apkzm.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo FE93151B-EB3D-454C-990F-20DE7229AB68_zpsiv2apkzm.jpg"></a>

Waiting to hear back from physio to book st appointment and see what they think. If there is soreness there will get the vet out! He's had almost 3 months off work so he should really be sore anywhere unless there is a bigger underlying issue.

 

[timbobs]

 

[tallyho!]

In all of those photos his toes are actually very long... particularly the last one on the right.

 

[timbobs]

In all of those photos his toes are actually very long... particularly the last one on the right.

That was when he first moved yards before new farrier had seen him. Feet are definitely a work in progress!current farrier is away until new year so can't get them looked at any earlier.

Bottom left picture was taken today 4.5 weeks after shoes off.