Riders Rasps - 4 weeks between barefoot trims?!! and a thrush question.

[Orchardbeck]

Hi, all. About a month ago I posted about me being told my mare having a 'twisted sole' and not having a clue about what my farrier was on about - hopefully a link to post containing pics below.


http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=599400&highlight=twisted+sole

Anyway, he trimmed them up and they looked much better. I have since been learning as much as I can about good barefoot feet, bought 'Feet First', looked at websites (any more links and suggestions are very welcome as it has become my new fascination - much more interesting than saddles!!).

I am now treating her for thrush - I actually wonder if it has been there a while on a low scale and I haven't assigned it enough importance but they seem particularly smelly. I had some NAF Pro Hoof Rock Hard in my bag (must have been feeling flush at some point!!) which I painted on the frogs and soles yesterday - it says to do it everyday for 7 days, then weekly after that. I made sure her shavings/rubber matting bed was as dry as possible - going to add sawdust next time I think. Is there anything else I can do?

Anyway, on close examination, her feet seem to be more worn at the toes, especially on her hinds where she is stiffer, but the sides seem longer, almost to the point of needing a trim again. I checked my diary and it is only 4 weeks since the last trim! I'll try and get some more pics tonight.

Is this a bit crazy? I mean she is good at growing hooves, but 4 weeks between barefoot trims?!! I'm contemplating getting a Riders Rasp, but I feel a bit nervous of using one if the growth to sides is needed for some reason. Can anyone help me to decide if it is a good idea or not, or offer any general advice on using them? Will my farrier go bananas?!!

I had put her on Top Spec Senior balancer at the time of those first photos which was great for her joints (suspected stifle stiffness, possibly age related) but not so good for her waistline/neck and she put on too much condition, so to be on the safe side, she is now on Top Spec Antilam, and I add magnesium and Top Spec 10:10, along with a bit of Top Spec Top Chop Lite - she keeps sifting the pellets and supplements out though and leaving this so I have left it out the last two days and mixed the rest with water - she has cleaned up. So thinking about changing this to Speedibeet if she needs it.

She is turned out daily with her grazing muzzle on, which, alongside reducing her forage intake to hardly anything as she seems not to bother with the grass regrowth taking so long), seems to stop her from moving around as much - she was flying around the field when on the Senior balancer but now seems to snooze more. She also stands with her hinds underneath her more again now - she has done this for years but seemed to stop when on the Senior Balancer and 'stretch out' - I have heard the 'goat on a rock' phrase bandied around and this is probably quite apt.

Would thrush cause this? I'm also constantly concerned about laminitis as she had this in early May two years ago due to rapid grass growth after fert was put on her field. Cushings is also a possibility - she is 23. I check her pulses regularly.

I'm sorry for the essay, but I know barefoot peeps like a bit of background, so hopefully it is useful information. Please help!

 

[Orchardbeck]

Anyone? Although if you got through that lot you desrve a medal...

 

[weebarney]

my old pony will sometimes do the goat on a rock look but vet said it his ligaments getting slack as he gets older,.

 

[Brightbay]

lol, lots of questions!

I am sure a more knowledgable person will be along shortly to talk about diet, but in the meantime I will make two observations.

I have seen the goat on a rock when horse's hind frogs were thrushy. I have also seen it when his front feet were sore - so it doesn't necessarily have one single cause. What I have observed is that if you let it go on a long time, you can sometimes end up affecting the angle of the pedal bone in the back feet (it sort of tips up instead of being level). This in turn can cause discomfort and put strain on ligaments and tendons. And it's a right beggar to fix too, but it is possible.

The tucked under hinds can also be a reflection of what's going on higher up - and just to be really annoying what's going on higher up can sometimes affect the hooves too. You mention stifles, and this is something can definitely affect hooves.

I would get farrier out maybe a week early, and when he/she is there, ask to be shown how to tidy up hooves in between visits

 

[Landcruiser]

I would expect the toe to wear more than the sides of the hooves, due to the breakover. If she's moving correctly, I'd expect to see wear on the bars and back of the hoof too.

How long between trims depends partly what she's doing. One of mine does a lot of roadwork, to the extent that he totally self trims and has only been checked and "tweaked" for months. I think the last time he was properly trimmed was about September, after a lot of off road (grass) riding and a holiday.

My other one has been out of work and is currently re-habbing with in hand walking on the roads for 20-30 minutes a few times a week. Otherwise he's on grass or stabled. He's on a 4 week trim cycle, and needs to be, to keep his feet balanced and stop the toes growing too long (which they do if it's left much longer).