Rubbish TB Hooves

lizijj

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My lad has cracks in his front hooves from the coronary band down. Our farrier digs out the cracks to get air to them?? Any advice - biotin doesn't seem to do it! Need to show him this year so short cuts also grateful!

Thanks :)
 

maggiesmum

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Its a myth that TB's have rubbish hooves, what do you feed and how much grass does he have access to? Is he from a racing background? Is he currently shod and when was the last time he had a shoe holiday? Digging out the cracks is unlikely to help as its weakening the hoof wall. Pictures are sometimes helpful?

Often they're allowed far to much grazing and fed high sugar / starch feeds in an attempt to keep weight on - all these things will hinder the horse in growing a strong healthy hoof.
 

lizijj

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Thanks for your replies - He lives out 24/7, last time shoes came off (last winter) he was almost lame with sore feet. No hard feed, only ad lib hay. Weight is spot on for his one or two hacks a week. No visible ribs but no apple bum/neck. Ground is pretty good other than round the feeder where it is muddy - but not a lot I can do about that I'm afraid :S He's actually 3/4 TB x ID and 17hh.
 

lizijj

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No racing background, came straight from a 2yo from VERY good grass - he now has 6 acres with great natural hedges/shelter, shared with 2 other small horses and 2 small ponies.
 

Ladydragon

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You may find THIS thread of mine of some use Lizzijj...

I have had some great advice regarding my TB and his abysmal feet...

New farrier starting a shoeing schedule on Wednesday who is completely happy with the aim of getting (if possible) his feet to a level where he can go shoeless at least over winter - maybe more... Baby steps at the moment though... :)
 

Nocturnal

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Its a myth that TB's have rubbish hooves, what do you feed and how much grass does he have access to? Is he from a racing background? Is he currently shod and when was the last time he had a shoe holiday? Digging out the cracks is unlikely to help as its weakening the hoof wall. Pictures are sometimes helpful?

Often they're allowed far to much grazing and fed high sugar / starch feeds in an attempt to keep weight on - all these things will hinder the horse in growing a strong healthy hoof.

I agree with this 100%. TBs are not born with crap feet, they're made through unsuitable feeding, management and shoeing. If he was so sore last time you took shoes off, that would suggest that his feet are severely compromised. I'd take a good look at his diet and make some changes. :)
 

tallyho!

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It is probably access to grass that is doing it. He may benefit from some time off grass and a mineral analysis. Or you could get the vet to check his metabolism by doing a liver function test.

Bad feet is almost always diet related. Bad shoeing does not help in other cases but most of the time farriers are only trying to work with what they have in front of them.

Before you add in supplements, please do consider a forage analysis first or else you may be adding in things that are already at a high level. Remember some minerals and vits prevent the absorption of others. Then, I would give him a detox before you add in the correct minerals for him.

As for digging out cracks, I feel this will only make it worse. A crack indicates pressure on the front of the hoof as well as weak structures. You can't fix the crack, but you can grow him a decent new hoof.
 

maggiesmum

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It is probably access to grass that is doing it.


Totally this... My 2 TB's are turned out overnight and stabled during the day with soaked hay otherwise they're both footy. Modern day grass management has made grass a pretty unsuitable feed for horses, over fertilised and very few species of grass available for them.
At the very least try getting him off the grass for a few hours a day with hay, it'll also give his feet a chance to dry.

Forage analysis and mineral balancing is he way to go in a perfect world but failing that I'd try him with a small feed of something like speedi-beet with at the very least mag ox and brewers yeast, or oberon speaks highly of Pro Hoof and I believe equimins meta balance is similar.
You cannot do anything to the hoof itself to improve it, no amount of lotions or digging will fix the problem, you can only grow healthier feet.
 

Clava

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I agree with this 100%. TBs are not born with crap feet, they're made through unsuitable feeding, management and shoeing. If he was so sore last time you took shoes off, that would suggest that his feet are severely compromised. I'd take a good look at his diet and make some changes. :)

Totally agree.
 

amandap

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My lad has cracks in his front hooves from the coronary band down. Our farrier digs out the cracks to get air to them?? Any advice - biotin doesn't seem to do it! Need to show him this year so short cuts also grateful!

Thanks :)
Being the owner of the 'crack queen' TB, I can categorically tell you this is down to diet. Sugars being the biggest culprit.
My mare had a/nother hoof collapse early last year after a period of 24/7 turn out. I brought her into my yard, fed well soaked and rinsed hay and hey presto the cracks grew out in a few months and her hoof shape changed dramatically. When I first had her and she had the most horrifying hooves I also did disinfecting regime with sprays etc. but found last year this isn't actually necessary (although I did do a couple of sprays at first) the main thing is getting sugars out of the diet. As well as grass and possibly un soaked hay stop any compound feeds and mollassed/pelleted balancers and switch to a strict laminitic diet. This is a good starting point. http://www.ecirhorse.com/images/stories/Emergency_Diet.pdf
Then you can look to a regime and balanced diet that suits her in the longer term. Cracks will not heal they have to be grown out and imo your horse needs a period of rehab. My mare isn't shod.

Sorry if this sounds blunt but severe cracks are a sign something is very wrong in the diet department.

ps. When I first had her I didn't cut grass out of her diet or soak hay and it took a good two and a half years to grow out her cracks.
 
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amandap

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A ha!! You're sophie's mum amanda, never realised that. :)
Yep! I still get it very wrong especially re grass. The turnout 24/7 was unavoidable at the time but wont happen again no matter what while she is in my care. We are now back to limited grazing (when temp permits) with still improving hooves.
As an aside, I have also discovered another problem over here which has very obviously been affecting her gut, fluoridated water! I had no idea 73% of Irish (Rep not North) water is fluoridated and since I've been collecting rainwater for drinking her poos are completely normal even on some unsoaked hay and some grass! I had tried all sorts and in the end had concluded her huge softly formed droppings were just her.
It was confirmed yesterday that my water is fluoridated. :mad: I wont go into why I haven't drunk it for a long time. :cool: :D It explains the pristine troughs etc.
 
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muff747

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My TB was labelled by most of the different farriers I had as one with cr**p feet. I found some farriers could shoe him and the shoes stayed on until the next six week appointment. Other farriers somehow couldn't keep shoes on him, with my same regime and timetable for shoeing, so I concluded it was down to the way he was shod.
I proved them all wrong, and my vet too as he is now barefoot and his feet are twice as strong as they were when shod. I expected them to split and crack and abcess at first but they didn't, they just transformed themselves into beautiful strong hooves that rarely even chip nowadays.
 

lizijj

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Thanks for all your replies, I don't have a stable and our field shelter was pretty much destroyed in the winter storms - however, I will look to put some hard core down...
 
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