Sore feet

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lovecharles

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My horse has just gone bare foot. He lives out and as far as i'm aware, has always been shod on the front. He is off work atm. He had them removed three weeks ago and is still hobbling about! He has no stones stuck in his hoof ect, i have checked several times. Is this normal and what can i do help him?
 
not definate, IDxTB. he has typical TB feet and the farrier said it should do him good to be off shoes for a while.
(if you can shed any light on his breed, feel free!!!)
CIMG0921.jpg
 
Unfortunately most horses who are shod for years will feel sore if you take their shoes off and expect them to go barefoot, if you have decided to go down this route, it may be a few months before things change. You need to be careful with him to try to protect his feet and give them a chance to harden up. Your farrier is the best person to advise you on this.
 
My boy (connemara) hobbled about for several weeks when he first went barefoot (was being turned away for a month).
He was fine on grass but any rough/stoney surfaces were a no go at this time.
It doesn't help when conditions are wet, as this softens the foot further.
Avoid rough/stoney ground until his feet harden.
You will need to do an element of road work to condition his feet and help harden them (if you want to keep/ride him barefoot).
I found the first 6 weeks were the hardest and after that my boy seemed alot happier.
Keratex hoof hardener is good in the transitional stages.
If you are worried I would contact your farrier just to be sure.
 
Agree with AmyMay - some horses aren't designed to go bare foot especially not those with TB type feet. Unless you trust your farrier a great deal I'd be seeking a second opinion. WIthout a good barefoot trimmer you will probably end up with worse feet than you started with as his heels will collapse further.
 
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