Shoes off!!

D

Dazed'n'confused

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 September 2014
Messages
631
Visit site
Hi all! Just wanting some advice/reassurance re taking the shoes off my 4 year old ID x WB! She came to me shod in front as the area she came from was very flinty & that's what they 'did'. On my farrier's advice I had her shod behind 3 months ago.
I have become increasingly skeptical that she needs shoes & have fed her a diet that is as low sugar etc as possible & she's on Pro Balance+. I have done so much reading up about barefoot that I think I'm starting to seeing double!!
Anyhow, last week the farrier came & I just couldn't bring myself to have the shoes back on so we're barefoot - eeek!!
So far she's sound on all surfaces, even stones (unless she treads on a really large one) & she's striding out on the roads a lot better than she ever did before! She lands heel first..... She's out at night & in for a while during the day with soaked hay. She's worked 6 days a week (within reason as she's only 4 & was backed in Feb). She's fed a handful of Graze On & a small handful of Spillers High Fibre Cubes as she refuses food without them! I add to that the Pro Balance, salt & mint to hide the taste! She's quite fussy for a chubby & won't eat any molasses free chops.... Alfalfa makes her itchy....!
Any helpful hints & tips welcome please! Many thanks!
 
Well done!! You sound to be doing absolutely fantastic and have got everything right re diet and hacking out on Tarmac to condition her feet. Hopefully she shouldn't go footy but if she does some boots can be really helpful to get more miles on their feet. So my advice is to keep on keeping on! And some pics would be lovely, I have IDs and would love to see an ID x WB :D
 
Thank you Nellrosk - will keep going & see what happens!! It's hard when the whole yard thinks you've gone bonkers & your farrier just shakes his head!!!
As soon as I work out how to post pictures I'll do so!! Lol! She's very Irish in looks but has that Warmblood 'diva streak'!! However she sees sense a lot quicker than my Dutch mare & has been such fun so far!!
 
Yes I had that with my yard!! Now on a much smaller yard where everyone leaves you to it and I'm so much more relaxed about the whole thing :) Lol she sounds great!
 
Don't worry about what others think, the first little glitch and you will be advised to shoe ......... resist!
I was asked why I did not get a bigger horse ............ well I only plod around, so a pony is big enough, and as for shoes .......... well my farriers were quite happy, they had no reason to shake their heads ... sound as a bell and never needing trimmed!
I was so happy that i felt safe on the road, and even have a little canter sometimes, grass verges being too dangerous these days
 
Last edited:
This year I had 3 mares with foot abcess where grit had got into the sole. Vets bill £1000 blacksmith fitted plate one mare had to be kept in box his bill £500. Shoes on or off make your own choice
 
sywell said:
This year I had 3 mares with foot abcess where grit had got into the sole. Vets bill £1000 blacksmith fitted plate one mare had to be kept in box his bill £500. Shoes on or off make your own choice
Click to expand...

Sorry sywell I don't understand what your point is? Are you saying your horses got abscesses because they were unshod? Because I would say they had more underlying problems, my bf horses don't struggle with abscesses anymore than my shod ones do.
 
NellRosk said:
Yes I had that with my yard!! Now on a much smaller yard where everyone leaves you to it and I'm so much more relaxed about the whole thing :) Lol she sounds great!
Click to expand...

I think they just think I'm old & losing the plot, which suits me fine!! In the next month or so she'll come home to join my 2 year old diva & her fat nanny so there won't be anyone "giving me their opinion"!! :)
 
Bonkers2 & Ester, thank you for your support! I wish my farrier was helpful but you'd think I was asking him to solve world poverty when I ask him about hooves....!! :/
Anyway, I will give it a good go & fingers crossed that I manage to get diet/work right & she benefits! I'm also trying to get the 2year old's hooves right - she's inherited her mothers flat front feet but I'm determined to help her all I can so that when she starts work next year at this time she can cope barefoot! I may be asking a lot of 'numpty' questions over the next few months!!!
 
The farrier and vet agree that with the wet winter they had a lot of similar problems with unshod horses and I would not have had the problem if the horses were shod. We are on very sandy soil which normally drains very well and we have never had such a long spell of wet weather.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top