Putting shoes ON

[Nudibranch]

I use boots when mine is borderline footy - she is insulin resistant so it's a case of permanently watching her weight. They're easy to use and means I don't have to worry about stones.

In your case one thing I'd do is ask the vet to test her for PPID, EMS and IR as despite the crazy weather there's usually an underlying reason they get a bit footy.

 

[Merri]

They are like putting a rigid plaster cast on a limb - the living structures stop working well and atrophy. In the case of the hoof it's mainly the digital cushion that atrophies and so the back of the foot becomes weak. Long term outcomes include navicular syndrome. Look here http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/p/key-blog-posts.html for lots of reading, Pete Ramey is good (he was one of the first modern barefood advocates) and there is loads on this forum too (search 'Barefoot Taliban in the archive - there were a lot of arguments a few years ago but it seems to be fairly well accepted now!).

Thank you

 

[Merri]

I think it is more healthy if a horse can go barefoot, but then if I want to work mine and I think she would do that better with shoes, she has shoes.

I am planning that she keeps shoes for the summer while we are doing more, then pull them again over the winter. She will stay without them until I feel that she would do better with them again.

I find boots a faff.

Thank you, we have so many things going on at the moment, it's quite overwhelming to be thinking about boots! (Other than horse related!)

 

[Merri]

I use boots when mine is borderline footy - she is insulin resistant so it's a case of permanently watching her weight. They're easy to use and means I don't have to worry about stones.

In your case one thing I'd do is ask the vet to test her for PPID, EMS and IR as despite the crazy weather there's usually an underlying reason they get a bit footy.

Yes, vet had mentioned this to begin with, but was pleased with her progress, so said no need to.

 

[Merri]

Thank you to all for the replies.

 

[Orchard14]

Are shoes a 'bad' thing, then?

No, I wouldn't go as far as saying that. I consider myself to be pro barefoot and not anti shoes. I have horses that are shod throughout the event season but barefoot as much as possible like when they are on holiday and over winter, the others are barefoot. But I would never shoe to create soundness, a horse that is only sound in shoes is NOT sound and something is wrong. Whether that's thin soles, white line disease or laminitis, none of these conditions are helped with whacking metal onto a hoof and actually can hinder these conditions quite considerably.

They are like putting a rigid plaster cast on a limb - the living structures stop working well and atrophy. In the case of the hoof it's mainly the digital cushion that atrophies and so the back of the foot becomes weak. Long term outcomes include navicular syndrome. Look here http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/p/key-blog-posts.html for lots of reading, Pete Ramey is good (he was one of the first modern barefood advocates) and there is loads on this forum too (search 'Barefoot Taliban in the archive - there were a lot of arguments a few years ago but it seems to be fairly well accepted now!).

Agree with the above and Rockley Farm is a great reference to use when you need some barefoot inspo. I think the horse world is leaning far more in favour of barefoot now that more research and information is available.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I'm actually wondering if starting to do roadwork (once the horse is not footy) would actually help. When the shoes came off my mare I started to lead her out in-hand along the road as I was told that tarmac is brilliant for unshod hooves. It really did help transform her hooves.

ETA - if you haven't done it, treat for thrush. My grey looked 'footy' recently and despite her frogs looking alright, a treatment for thrush meant she looked fine again.

 

[Merri]

No, I wouldn't go as far as saying that. I consider myself to be pro barefoot and not anti shoes. I have horses that are shod throughout the event season but barefoot as much as possible like when they are on holiday and over winter, the others are barefoot. But I would never shoe to create soundness, a horse that is only sound in shoes is NOT sound and something is wrong. Whether that's thin soles, white line disease or laminitis, none of these conditions are helped with whacking metal onto a hoof and actually can hinder these conditions quite considerably.

Agree with the above and Rockley Farm is a great reference to use when you need some barefoot inspo. I think the horse world is leaning far more in favour of barefoot now that more research and information is available.

We've had her barefoot for a year, but the vet has advised shoes just to help her over the uneven surfaces (there's a lot in our yard, unfortunately.)

 

[Merri]

I'm actually wondering if starting to do roadwork (once the horse is not footy) would actually help. When the shoes came off my mare I started to lead her out in-hand along the road as I was told that tarmac is brilliant for unshod hooves. It really did help transform her hooves.

ETA - if you haven't done it, treat for thrush. My grey looked 'footy' recently and despite her frogs looking alright, a treatment for thrush meant she looked fine again.

Unfortunately, although my daughter went on the BHS Road safe course, I'm not confident with her going on the roads, they're busy, dangerous roads near our yard. Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

No, she just said that she thought pony was a bit 'short toed' and that shoes would help her (as in protecting her from bruising).

I would ask your farrier not to trim her quite so short next time, make sure he knows that you want to be able to ride her without shoes. I would be loath to shoe a laminitis-prone prone pony, as you can catch any symptoms much faster without shoes.

 

[Goldenstar]

Is the pony working in a sand school a fair bit ?
On boots.
I have three horses using boots some of the time atm , I hate using them they are a complete faff but they help keep horses going while they take shoeing breaks .

 

[ester]

Sorry for the delayed reply was working for a change . The main issue with shoes is that they load the hoof periphally, if you already have a compromised laminae connection due to inflammation (sub clinical lami) then they aren't ideal.

In addition they do restrict movement of the hoof capsule as described earlier.

But they obviously do some good things too, mine is particularly flat soled so obviously they would help him by raising his soles up a bit etc. They can be made to fit perfectly (though you can heat fit some boots now too).

I think only you can judge how problematic the uneven surfaces are for the pony, mine was never 'rock crunching' like some but I was happy to let him take his time and pick over the more challenging surfaces, or go round the edge where possible and I never though him in sufficient discomfort to shoe him (but that was because he had lameness history that was resolved by taking them off too.)

 

[SusieT]

OP -please listen to the advice of your vet who has seen your horse and judged his condition. There is a sometimes tunnel vision on here recommending things that may not work to either make your horse comfortable or rideable. If you want a second opinion - ask another vet who can see the horse in action. Shoes on for sore feet are not inappropriate.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Apart from one poster, (who hasn’t posted on this thread), I don’t think that there is a tunnel vision mentality re shoeing on HHO. On other forums, yes for sure there is, but not here. There has been sensible advice.

I put front shoes back on my PPID IDx mare last summer as she was a bit sore in the field, though she was fine to hack in boots. In the autumn I swapped from a good farrier to an excellent podiatrist, the shoes came back off and, fingers crossed, have stayed off. I took the mare in to the vets two days ago for her SI joint to be medicated, and she marched across the rough hardcore surface on the parking area without any discomfort - the vet was well impressed.

I agree though that boots are a faff, my back was much happier when she was in shoes.

 

[ycbm]

Merri, I think you have missed seeing my question whether the pony was feeling the hardcore to the same extent in the middle of winter as she is now?

If she wasn't, then what you are seeing now is probably the first stage of laminitis, whether or not your vet recognises it, and sadly many don't see sore soles as the warning that it is.

.

 

[ester]

me neither TP, I think we must be reading different threads to other people!

 

[paddy555]

OP -please listen to the advice of your vet who has seen your horse and judged his condition. There is a sometimes tunnel vision on here recommending things that may not work to either make your horse comfortable or rideable. If you want a second opinion - ask another vet who can see the horse in action. Shoes on for sore feet are not inappropriate.

I cannot read the whole thread thanks to "Godzilla" who I would never see in a million years. Anyway from the bits I saw there is no tunnel vision. Something needs to be done about sore feet and why would you shoe if you could boot? It would be pointless. Vets IMHO have little idea about boots for the most part and that is why they say shoes. Boots are not a faff, once you are used to them they take no time at all and they protect the whole foot rather than a shoe that just raises the sole off the ground. Why would you want to get the foot off the ground when you really want it on the ground to see if it is footsore. Sore feet is the major thing you want to see asap especially at this time of the year. They are the early warning system. What YCBM has just said. Sore feet most likely equals mild grade laminitis which quickly moves on. If she has just been trimmed to my mind that simply backs up the lami theory. I this pony was on lami watch earlier then it hasn't just gone away, it can come back so quickly over the space of hours.

 

[Merri]

Hello everyone, I can see that there are more replies, but I cannot 'see' them. There's a huge ad over the screen that I cannot get rid of. Going to see if I can figure out how to attach a screen shot.