Shoes coming off next week. what does the aftercare consist of?

[charleysummer]

My pony has very hardy feet, she has just been shod as she was bought shod and stayed shod as she was doing a fair bit of roadwork- however now she will not be doing much roadwork and i feel she would be better off barefoot so her hooves can absorb impact instead of it being send up her tendons as she is recovering from a ddft and is back in full work by september/october time.

So shoes are coming off next farrier visit next wednesday so is there any specific aftercare? should i feed biotin or anything like that? and would you reccomend buying some boots for her if she goes out on the roads (she does a bit but not much). and if so what boots!

thanks.

 

[tallyho!]

There isn't really that much aftercare, the hooves sort of take care of themselves but, it is important to give a good diet based on what the hoof needs. Starchy & sugary foods should be avoided but those high in calcium & iron & zinc like speedibeet & hi-fi are really good choices.

Mine doesn't really get a feed though as out 24/7 but gets a bowl of speedibeet, chaff & herbs after work.

I've got a laminshield lick in the field.

So many boots!!!! I have cavallos and really like them but there are loads on the market. Easycare inc are the biggest company. Roadwork is actually good for hooves though. Make sure you transition steadily so walking out in hand on roads to begin with so pony gets used to it. I would suggest some reading too.. "Feet First" is a essential reading imo. I would start googling pete ramey as a start point. He's a farrier who advocates barefoot and has some good articles. You should also search barefoot stuff on here - lots of stuff to read!

It's a way of life barefoot. You have to think as nature does.

 

[Emma S]

Keratex Hoof Hardener is fab stuff for hardening the soles to reduce the foot soreness. I used this on my tb's when they went barefoot, definately helped!

Be prepared for foot soreness to last for a while and just give them time to adjust, one of my boys was only footsore for 2 weeks, the other a month.

 

[tallyho!]

Just be warned, keratex although many claim it works wonders is actually formaldehyde and can dry the hoof wall out.

 

[Clava]

Just be warned, keratex although many claim it works wonders is actually formaldehyde and can dry the hoof wall out.

Agree, I used it recently as in the past I had tried it on my TB when she first went barefoot, but on my pony last month it caused the sole to really dry and crack. I wont use it again.

Also agree that diet is the key as Tallyho mentioned.

Bootswise - I have used Renegades which are good, but I now love my easyboot Gloves but make sure you hire the fit kit to get the right size.

 

[charleysummer]

thanks for the replies, she is currently having a handful of hi fi low sugar and pasture mix with her msm supplement twice daily. her back feet are unshod and are very tough and hardy so im sure she will cope well once she has gotten used to it. just got to bite the bullet and go for it !

 

[TarantuLove]

you won't regret it

 

[LStarr]

Hello this is my first ever post I have not really done the forums thing before, eek!
My advice would be to start applying a disinfectant now in preparation for the shoes coming off this will make sure that any bugs that might be lingering are dealt with in advance and

Don't go overboard on moisturiser cos it might make the hooves too pliable when you really want them to be hard so they are stronger
Keratex Hardener gets my vote every time - apply it everyday for a week or two after the farrier's been and then a couple of times a week.
Get a good diet into your horse, not just biotin as horses need the full works, look at multi-vitamin type supplements which give all the nutrition you need
Harden up the soles in advance if you can to make the transition easier

As for the formaldehyde thing in the hardener, it doesn't dry the hoof out, it's not neat and it's a low concentration, and it made my horse feel more comfortable quickly so it gets my vote!

 

[Mish]

Get yourself a reputable Barefoot trimmer, before I get shot down in flames, YES they are out there. Have a look at the barefoot sites, there is loads of information on them. Even some farriers are now going on the barefoot trimming courses, if you look on the Farriers Registration Council you will see that some of them have had the barefoot training. Good luck, it is definitely worth doing.

 

[zandp]

Get the diet right and you shouldn't need to apply hardener. I have 1 who's always been barefoot and 1 I took barefoot last August. Diet, exercise, movement in the field are all the key to staying sound.

I'd highly recommend Thunderbrook Feeds for a "barefoot friendly" diet, both horses love the food (very different horses - 1 very good doer, 1 half TB), both are in great condition and 2 months now of using it the good doers feet look better, white lines are less stretched, feet are healthier. I did use a speedibeet/chaff diet but this diet for my 2 is noticably different and better.

Key to us when transitioning was increasing the exercise on different surfaces gently and slowly, I walked her in hand for 2 weeks on country lanes as she was finding them a bit difficult before I rode her on them. Increasing the exercise on roads / gravel etc slowly meant that she wasn't in pain, as the transitioning shouldn't hurt the horse. I was going to get front boots but borrowed some instead and so far this year she hasn't needed them, although she does still pick her way on the stony forest tracks.

She moves much better now than she did and 2 years previously she was having remedial shoeing because of a number of foot problems she'd been diagnosed with, also her off fore coffin joint has arthritis in it but I haven't seen any stiffness (which had been seen previously) since going barefoot.

 

[Serephin]

oops sorry, wrong post!

 

[charleysummer]

thanks for the replies, i've noticed the thick 'walls' around the frog have snapped off completely- i picked the hoof out and a whole chunk of sole came off (assumed this is because she doesnt need them now? as her back feet have none..) her feet have been very warm since but cooling down now. shall get some hardener, cant remember all the lovely detailed info ive been given right now but i shall have another re read and act upon it ! have been putting purple spray inside the feet as i thought they were going a bit smelly and have cut off the loose bits of frog that were pocketing poo and things. she seems to be going nicely, havent really ridden her properly yet as i want her feet to adjust and stuff first