Poor feet and shoeing - any advice?

C

celia

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2005
Messages
1,122
Location
North East
Visit site
My TB has very poor feet (not helped by bad shoeing in previous home
crazy.gif
) and is always losing shoes. My farrier has been fantastic and his feet are looking better but his front feet are so bad it's getting difficult for him to put shoes back on - it's a bit of a vicious circle as everytime he loses a shoe it's less likely the next will stay on.
crazy.gif
He's suggested that we try either racing plates (mainly because the nails are so much thinner) or stick-ons. The only other option is to take them all off and wait for his feet to grow. I'm happy to do this if it'll mean his feet are better in the long run but it would be quite difficult at the moment. However we're moving house next month and he'll be on grass livery so this would be much easier then.
I was wondering if anyone had any experiences of stick-ons (good or bad) as although I've heard of them I've never seen them used before. Would also be glad of any experiences/advice anyone can offer regarding the other options. At the moment I think it's a toss up between trying the stick-ons or persevering with normal shoes until we move when he can go barefoot until his feet have improved.
confused.gif

Would also been interested in any advice as to improving the quality of his feet - at the moment he's having formula4feet and i've recently started feeding him black sunflower seeds. I know it's going to take a while to see the effects (especially as his feet are quite slow growing) but any other ideas would be appreciated.
Sorry for such a long post any help is greatly appreciated!
 
i use effol on both of mine after a recommendation from my saddlers and its fab. it really strengthens the hoof, i never lose shoes any more! (touch wood!!!)
 
I to had the same problem when I bought my Tb 3 years ago. He now does everything in OR boots, turned out in them, ridden in them - the only time he doesn't have them on is in his stable!

As for improving his feet, I asked my farrier the same thing 3 years ago and he suggested keratex, which is again a feed supplement which takes 6/12 months to get into their system - but Jack's feet are fab now and he v v rarely looses shoes!
smile.gif

Also, Keratex do a 'hoof hardner' which you put on about once a week, and it helps strengthen the hoof wall. It's about £24 quid a bottle, but well worth it. A friend of mine put her horse on the feed supp bout 4 months ago, and bought the hoof hardner to, she phoned up the keratex help line and they suggested using the hoof hardner everyday for about 6 weeks - and it worked a treat - his feed are much stronger and not cracking/crumbling as much.

Do you think your TB would be OK without his shoes on? Mine goes crippled lame whenever he looses a shoe (v rarely now thankfully) but I'd never be able to take his shoes off cause he's barely be able to walk and if yours really does have terrible feet , will they not just crumble and flake away?

Take a look at the Keratex website and perhaps give them a call, it's worth a try? Good luck!
www.keratex.com

MX
 
Hi thanks for that - forgot to say he already wears overreach boots when in the field or being ridden!
Living out I think he would be ok barefoot as when he does lose a shoe he's fine in the field - although very sore on hard ground. It would mean not doing much with him for a while but as I said if it helps in the long run I'm happy to do it. That's something I would have to think about though!
crazy.gif
 
My mare went through a period of having awful feet - chipped v.easily etc. My farrier pulled all 4 shoes at the start of winter (October), put her on formula4feet for 6 months and put shoes back on around Febuary
 
If I was you I would take his shoes off and turn him out for 3 months or so. He probably will be very footsore for a few weeks, and he may even get one or two abscesses, but in the long run it will do his feet the world of good. One of our point-to-pointers used to lose a shoe about once a week and didn't grow much foot, but after leaving shoes off last summer he was fine all last season and hasn't lost a single one since, and the farrier isn't complaining that he has nothing to nail onto. His soles are not as sensitive either.
 
My TBx has really bad feet and Kevin Bacons hoof dressing is the only thing which is stopping his feet cracking at the moment in this wet weather. I apply it before he goes out in the morning and also when he comes in at night and we havent lost a shoe for 2 weeks
shocked.gif
Quickly touching some wood
grin.gif
 
I have the same prob with my large lad - he is back on Farriers formula after loosing a shoe and I am really not sure farrier will be able to put another on - it looks a mess. I have tried Keratek and actually founf that it made the matter worse rather than good. Sorry !!!!!

I am fingers crossed that he can get one on thursday !!!
 
a friend is also struggling and been told of, and trying, cavelli or caravelli boots? someone on here will know if ive got the spelling right. good luck.
 
I agree that taking off the shoes for a while might help.

I've seen good hoof improvement over a 4-6month period using a biotin supplement, keratex on the coronet/coronary band to stimulate hoof growth - and - really frequent visits from a trimmer. My personal theory is that chipping and cracking is mostly down to the mechanics of the hoof rather than the composition of the hoof if you see what I mean. Given how heavy a horse is and the small surface area of the feet, I think it sounds very likely that any minor imbalance is likely to increase the stress hence likelihood of cracks or chips. I therefore chose to have the hooves trimmed more frequently for a while (removing less hoof than if the trim was done every 6 weeks).

The biotin was for the tissue, while the trimming was the engineering. The Keratex product I used was the regular one that is supposed to stimulate blood flow (not the hoof hardener).

Some people who keep their horses bareforot use boa boots or other barefoot boots when working horses on pebbly ground etc.

Anyway it does take about a year unfortunately for it to all grow out.

Good luck :-)
 
I am having the exact same problem with my TB mare at present. I blame the weather and inbreeding.

I have currently got back shoes off for three months and am using Keratex hoof hardener as recommended by the farrier. I did this some time ago with my other horse and it worked a treat. Once the nail holes grow out the hoof is much stronger. I have my fingers crossed!

I am also about to try, on user recommendation, NAF Pink Powder. It is a digestion improver, which contains Biotin. Hopefully this will improve absorption of the Biotin. Farriers Formula has made little difference for mine in two years, so I thought I would try something else for a few months.

I am also purchasing Cavello boots (also Dallmer Clogs) as suggested by the farrier, to allow me to ride on the road and pebbly surfaces. Apparently these rubber shoes are used sucessfully by long distance riders, who carry them in case their horse loses a shoe en route.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top