Pony with very flat soles - advice on how to toughen them up

[cptrayes]

I find that the trim can improve the concavity quite a lot. I have noticed that many times over the years on different horses.

I have never seen a horse trimmed whose feet increased in depth at the point of the frog which was not also either coming out of shoes, having a change of diet, being worked differently, on new medication, or a combination of any of those things.

I guess we must be talking about horses which were being very wrongly trimmed (for that horse, even if it looked good) before the change was made.

 

[Welly]

Why not try Keratex Hoof Hardener It kept my horse more comfortable all his life. And if your pony was born with these feet and is now 21 you are not going to change the feet that much so it is just a case of keeping him happy.

 

[maccachic]

Come over any time (altho I have just sold Mark and Brenda has pretty good feet). Weather is around 24-26 degrees over here and the beach is pretty warm - sure I can't tempt ya.

 

[maccachic]

Thanks for that explanation MC, it would have been nice to have been able to see your horse in person but you're a wee bit far for dropping in for coffee

Sorry my post above was in response to this.

 

[Oberon]

[SUB][/SUB]The Cushings is almost certainly the cause. I think he probably needs boots or shoes. Many Cushings horses are like this, and they can be very difficult to manage barefoot.

If you decide to shoe for his comfort, please don't think of it as a failure. It's just the disease he has that makes it necessary sometimes.

Agree.

My beloved old boy had Cushings. Through diet and medication I managed to keep him rock crunching for almost 3 years. But then he became uncomfortable on all but soft surfaces. I had actually booked a farrier to come shoe him to give him his last summer in comfort. Sadly I lost him before the appointment.

In the face of metabolic disease, if relief via boots isn't practicable then shoes (IMO) are the best option

 

[cptrayes]

Come over any time (altho I have just sold Mark and Brenda has pretty good feet). Weather is around 24-26 degrees over here and the beach is pretty warm - sure I can't tempt ya.

:

 

[kizzyh]

I've managed to locate a barefoot trimmer who is only a couple of miles from me so am going to get her to come look at him and see what suggestions she has. Thanks for all the replies they have been a great help. x

 

[paddy555]

I have never seen a horse trimmed whose feet increased in depth at the point of the frog which was not also either coming out of shoes, having a change of diet, being worked differently, on new medication, or a combination of any of those things.

I guess we must be talking about horses which were being very wrongly trimmed (for that horse, even if it looked good) before the change was made.

no I am not talking about wrongly trimmed horses, nor just out of shoes or with changes of diet etc just mentioning that fact that I have found that the trimming can improve the concavity. (as opposed to leaving the horse to self trim)
I only commented as someone mentioned it earlier.

 

[cptrayes]

no I am not talking about wrongly trimmed horses, nor just out of shoes or with changes of diet etc just mentioning that fact that I have found that the trimming can improve the concavity. (as opposed to leaving the horse to self trim)
I only commented as someone mentioned it earlier.

But the horse is not self trimming by my definition If there was foot to be taken off. The definition of self trimming is that there is nothing to be taken off. A horse who is just not trimmed, but whose foot becomes more concave if it is trimmed, was simply not having the correct foot management.

And if it was being trimmed but a change of trim makes the foot more concave, then by definition the trim being done in the first place was not right for the horse, was it?

 

[maccachic]

One trim didn't make the foot concave its took many months and had to resolve bar, angle and under run issues to achieve this.

This horse struggled to canter on hard ground didn't have traction last season he was jumping on hard ground with not 1 slip ditto for very wet hunting ground.

 

[cptrayes]

I was never talking about one trim MC, and I knew you weren't either.

 

[paddy555]

But the horse is not self trimming by my definition If there was foot to be taken off. The definition of self trimming is that there is nothing to be taken off. A horse who is just not trimmed, but whose foot becomes more concave if it is trimmed, was simply not having the correct foot management.

And if it was being trimmed but a change of trim makes the foot more concave, then by definition the trim being done in the first place was not right for the horse, was it?

Obviously your experiences are different to mine. I am only commenting on what I have found possible.

 

[cptrayes]

Obviously your experiences are different to mine. I am only commenting on what I have found possible.

I do not understand this comment. Your experience does not conflict with the situations that I have described.

It is quite straightforward. If a horse is routinely being trimmed, and a change of routine trim, when nothing else at all is changed, improves the feet, then clearly the original trim was not right for that horse.