Rubbish feet, keep losing shoes

K

katymay

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 April 2012
Messages
576
Visit site
my new boy came to me with poor front feet, I have changed his diet and he currently gets grazing, topped up with haylage or hay dependent on suppliers, a small feed of fast fibre, Happy hooves molasses free and a Naf Pro Feet supplement, for his first farrier visit with us he felt that the type of shoes he was wearing were not helping, (natural balance shoes) he said it looked to have caused his walls to crumble a little by the way the nails were put in, and despite his best efforts when removing the shoe it removed chunks of wall that had cracked, so he shod him with normal shoes and nailed in as best he could with what was left, he has been shod about three weeks now, I haven't done a lot of work with him, maybe hacking two - three times a week all on road, the last couple of nights we have been on two hour hacks with a bit of trotting and his feet didn't sound right, shoe didn't seem loose but on one foot it looked as though the nails no longer had anything to hold onto and low and behold I found his shoe off this morning.
I am desperate for some diet advice or tips to improve his feet, would it be better to take his shoes off for six weeks, give him a good trim and just do some gentle walking out in hand every day? I fear that there is nothing left for the farrier to re-attach the shoe to successfully and have a feeling I would be ringing him every week to get it put back on.
his back feet are in perfect condition, no issues at all!
many thanks in advance, if I could manage pictures I will add some later,
oh, and he is a Dales X, 12 years old
 
Two thoughts for you....

If the diet is good it could be the problem is digestive and the goodness isn't getting absorbed. This could be ulcer related. Or a good probiotic may help.

Also look at glue on shoes. The "soundhorse" website is particularly good. Even if longer term you go barefoot, a spell in glue ons to allow some foot to grow without nail holes could help.

Would be fascinated to see pics :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top