Shoes off update, with photos!

[Red-1]

It is 3 1/2 weeks now for Jay with no shoes. He has been walked out 3 times a week for 15-20 minutes and lunged or ridden on the school. I rounded off the edges where they broke up and also where the white line was stretched, other than that Jay has trimmed his own feet whilst out walking. He had an initial soaking in Cleantrax, a few applications of Keratex hoof hardener when they seemed a bit soft, and some hoof grease to waterproof him when he has gone out in the wet.

He is doing OK, never lame. Some days he has been more free moving than others so if he has not seemed as free we have just turned out for a few days. I have been surprised at just how small his feet are, but I thought the experts on HHO would be able to reassure me that Jay still has feet, just smaller ones than he had before!

What I am glad to see is that his heels are changing already!

Near fore...

under...

Off fore

Near hind

Off hind

The plan is to give him to the new year and if he is happy to start dressage, and hopefully do a bit more steady hacking. Then in spring either put shoes on or try him competing without......


Edited to say, the undersides of the rear hooves are the wrong way round for anyone sharp eyed!

 

[xgemmax]

Wow they look really great already!

 

[cptrayes]

Since you sent a really nice request for my opinion, here I am

I think they are some of the best looking just-out-of-shoes feet I've seen. There is a deception that they are bull nose, but I think it is an illusion left over from trimming in shoes to bring the toe back. You have some super concavity and some lovely sole callouses. Don't worry at all about them being small. Small feet are strong and capable, and much easier to stop from going splat (a technical term ).

Keep an aggressive treatment going with those central sulcus splits over the winter, they could easily allow thrush to take a hold. Daily peroxide or sudocrem would be my choices.

Don't trim off those long bars, they are going up the side of his frogs for support. As his foot gets stronger, you will be able to measure his progress by the way he gives up those bars for himself.

Those frogs look unnaturally smooth to me. Try to get your trimmer only to take off really tatty bits in future

It sounds like you are doing all the right things, so good luck with the next few months.

 

[Red-1]

Thank you for that much appreciated.

I think my only concern is the front toes, they have a bit of bruising on the sole at the front, and a split - particularly noticeable on the near fore. On the days he is not as free forward moving I think the toe bruise is the cause??? He is sound, and rarely gimps on a big stone, not every day, but maybe once or twice when taken out on the road.

Thank you both xgemmax and CPTrayes.

 

[cptrayes]

Photos can be very deceptive, but it does look as if at least three feet have old bruising at the toe (pink along the white line). This isn't at all unusual from the way farriers adjust the angle of the foot by removing toe callous and then putting a shoe on the pared away sole. If I'm right, he'll be very happy that you've taken away the pressure that caused those bruises (and the little cracks in the sole at the toes of the front feet).

 

[cptrayes]

Thank you for that much appreciated.

I think my only concern is the front toes, they have a bit of bruising on the sole at the front, and a split - particularly noticeable on the near fore. On the days he is not as free forward moving I think the toe bruise is the cause??? He is sound, and rarely gimps on a big stone, not every day, but maybe once or twice when taken out on the road.

Thank you both xgemmax and CPTrayes.

We cross posted, see my answer I wrote while you were asking the question

I put the occasional gimping on a stone down to having enough feeling in the feet to realise that it would be a good idea not to put full weight straight onto a big sharp stone.

I can never quite understand why people think it's better that some horses in shoes never feel stones.

 

[Red-1]

Thank you again. I just re-read your initial reply - there is no "trimmer", only me. My farrier taught me to trim on my last horse, and I removed the shoes and trimmed myself. I can therefore tell you that it has been about 9 weeks since the frogs were trimmed. His feet are a LOT smaller than they were, and I think this is why the frogs are smooth, they have been walking on roads a lot, and have been a lot lower to the ground surface than they have been used to.

I have let him self-trim after an initial 2 weeks of daily shaping - just to help him with the shape he was throwing. At the rate he is going I am thinking it will be a long time before I need to trim again.

His feet are thrush free, the only place that is even suspicious is at the side of one of the rear frogs, I think it squashed slightly to one side. It is only a suspicion, no real soft bit, it just smells a tiny bit when investigated with the hoof pick.

I will take more photos in another 4 weeks. I think the nail holes will be right at the edge by then.

 

[cptrayes]

I wasn't suggesting he has thrush, it's pretty clear how clean his feet are. But one of those sulcuses in particular is still very deep, so just disinfect it daily as a precaution. I had completely healed one on my paint horse, but to my shock yesterday I lost the end of my hoof pick in a really nasty deep hole because I got complacent about it

It's great that you can trim him yourself if he needs it

I am about to find you a photo of a foot that got so much smaller that it was impossible to re shoe with the shoe that came off it!

 

[cptrayes]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IaGqwoQlnmA/SgWalWdwVvI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/Zfc6qAriOnA/s1600-h/PICT0122.JPG

 

[Red-1]

Wow, that makes Jay's foot look bigger by comparison! Thank you for your posts, HHO at its best.