Sorry - another barefoot thread- UPDATE the shoes are off!

ImmyS

ImmyS

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...well her backs anyway.

So Celines hind shoes have come off today, she seems very sound just seems a little shocked that on hard ground she can actually feel her feet! All dietary changes have also been in full swing for around a week and I'm hoping she's going to have her fronts off aswell next time. However I will be changing farriers, my farrier is happy to leave backs off but isn't very 'pro barefoot' unfortunately so will be switching farriers before the next visit.

Excited to see where the barefoot journey takes us and will keep you all updated!
 
Cool, def keep us updated.

Have you got some boots ready for the fronts. Idiot pony has taken a whole to be sound on the concrete without his booties ( but we have been waiting for his three abcess holes along his hoof wall to grow out and him to harden up after two weeks of draining) he is doing fab in his boots and moving so well in the school.
 
Glad to here yours is doing well in their booties! I haven't got boots yet, her fronts will probably be coming off soon after Christmas so waiting until then. I'm slightly confused though, as you are supposed to measure for boots after they have been trimmed, but I know celine will need boots straight away most likely so can she be measured for boots while her shoes are on? Also what boots do you use?
 
ImmyS said:
Glad to here yours is doing well in their booties! I haven't got boots yet, her fronts will probably be coming off soon after Christmas so waiting until then. I'm slightly confused though, as you are supposed to measure for boots after they have been trimmed, but I know celine will need boots straight away most likely so can she be measured for boots while her shoes are on? Also what boots do you use?
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Yes, measure soon after trim, but the main thing is to make sure she only gets a light trim, sole and frog do not need to be trimmed hard like farriers like to do to prepare foot for a shoe, just make sure there is no disease. The wall is often left, just rounded off, depends on growth, and farrier.
You can get boots posted overnight so no rush, Cavallos are the cheapest. I think you can try Cavallos first if you are just going to use them for a short while. The must not swivel when on the feet, I think I went for the size up, and in fact should have gone with the size down.
I posted them back and in a few days I abandoned the idea all together, the footiness had disappeared, it seems more obvious at the beginning, later on the sole thickness increases so she should not be so sensitive, it varies from horse to horse.
The wall will tend to chip [you may have a rasp ready], and the sole will probably flake or go chalky as the old stuff is exposed to the ground.
You can wait a few days to see if boots are essential, walk out in hand and hack on smooth tarmac, she should soon walk out nicely landing heel first, and not toe first.
Use a hoof pick and a brush to clean out the frogs before and after riding to inspect the feet, just ask on here on a day to day basis, as the biggest changes occur early on.
Regular work can be gradually introduced, she should not be worked till footsore, this is counter productive.
I found that I could control sugar intake better when stabled at night, that makes sense, and I soaked all hay/haylage and fed plain feed: no cereals, no molasses, no alfalfa. Once things are stablaised, say 6-8 weeks you can tweak things to fit in with performance and workload.
Micronised linseed [100gms] and minerals [25-40] are needed, the barefooters seem to like pro balance+.
It is probably best to start with everything in place, and then you can be sure she is getting everything right from the beginning.
 
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Miss L Toe said:
Yes, measure soon after trim, but the main thing is to make sure she only gets a light trim, sole and frog do not need to be trimmed hard like farriers like to do to prepare foot for a shoe, just make sure there is no disease. The wall is often left, just rounded off, depends on growth, and farrier.
You can get boots posted overnight so no rush, Cavallos are the cheapest. I think you can try Cavallos first if you are just going to use them for a short while. The must not swivel when on the feet, I think I went for the size up, and in fact should have gone with the size down.
I posted them back and in a few days I abandoned the idea all together, the footiness had disappeared, it seems more obvious at the beginning, later on the sole thickness increases so she should not be so sensitive, it varies from horse to horse.
The wall will tend to chip [you may have a rasp ready], and the sole will probably flake or go chalky as the old stuff is exposed to the ground.
You can wait a few days to see if boots are essential, walk out in hand and hack on smooth tarmac, she should soon walk out nicely landing heel first, and not toe first.
Use a hoof pick and a brush to clean out the frogs before and after riding to inspect the feet, just ask on here on a day to day basis, as the biggest changes occur early on.
Regular work can be gradually introduced, she should not be worked till footsore, this is counter productive.
I found that I could control sugar intake better when stabled at night, that makes sense, and I soaked all hay/haylage and fed plain feed: no cereals, no molasses, no alfalfa. Once things are stablaised, say 6-8 weeks you can tweak things to fit in with performance and workload.
Micronised linseed [100gms] and minerals [25-40] are needed, the barefooters seem to like pro balance+.
It is probably best to start with everything in place, and then you can be sure she is getting everything right from the beginning.
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Thank you for your reply, very helpful.. With backs off now I was planning on taking her out 3 times a week in hand for about 15-20mins and build up from that. I know that it will still be very early days for her hinds, but I'm hoping she'll pretty comfortable on them by Christmas, then take her fronts off.. Her diet is currently unmolassed beet, plain chaff, oil, salt, gp supplement, added biotin and magnesium, which I thought was an ok basis that I can tweak etc... She will have to be out 24/7 however, but with regards to sugar levels etc.. She doesn't seem to be sugar sensitive in the slightest, but obviously this may change when barefoot so will be kept an eye on.
 
Well it sounds like you are well prepared. Boots are the main thing after diet. Should be straightforward. Have you joined phoenix forum?
 
tallyho! said:
Well it sounds like you are well prepared. Boots are the main thing after diet. Should be straightforward. Have you joined phoenix forum?
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No, someone else has mentioned that though, so will be the next thing on the list! I'm still not 100% clear when I should measure her for boots, because she will need them straight away when her shoes are taken off, but when her shoes are taken off she won't be trimmed straight away, so can I measure her for boots now, or when? I'm not sure.. Sorry if I sound dim, but this part is confusing me the most!
 
ImmyS said:
Any other advice? (:
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If you haven't already join http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php

I was in your position a few months ago took the hinds off but I didn't get the transition right ie kept feeding him high sugar feeds and didn't sort out the mineral side of things. I also didn't gradually increase work load..expected him to be hacking out on stones in the first week woops! Needless to say poor boy was not happy so I had to have the shoes back on.

Anyway I went back to the drawing board with help from oberon cptrayes and some others and did things properly. He is now rock crunching galloping flat out on stony tracks trotting on roads etc.

I'm taking the fronts off next time he is due to be shod mid december ...:)
 
victoria1980x said:
If you haven't already join http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php

I was in your position a few months ago took the hinds off but I didn't get the transition right ie kept feeding him high sugar feeds and didn't sort out the mineral side of things. I also didn't gradually increase work load..expected him to be hacking out on stones in the first week woops! Needless to say poor boy was not happy so I had to have the shoes back on.

Anyway I went back to the drawing board with help from oberon cptrayes and some others and did things properly. He is now rock crunching galloping flat out on stony tracks trotting on roads etc.

I'm taking the fronts off next time he is due to be shod mid december ...:)
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This is exactly what I've been scared of so trying to get everything right, especially before fronts are off because I know they are going to be tricky... Backs aren't going to be too bad I hope, she happily dragged me across the yard, on uneven concrete, to her feed bucket this evening!
 
Good Luck with your journey to barefoot. Its hugely satisfying to see the improvements in their feet. I found my mare was hesitant walking in hand on stones to start with but able to be ridden on grass straight away so I was able to keep her in work to stimulate the feet. After a couple of weeks I started short rides up the lane once she was better in hand on the stones. Front boots were essential from the start and I went for Gloves at the recommendation of my trimmer - do find a good one of these, mine has been fab at supporting and encouraging me. Just build up the work slowly, 'listen' to your horse, adjust the work/surface as she needs and take lots of photos to chart your progress. I hope it all works out well for you :)
 
unicorndreams said:
Good Luck with your journey to barefoot. Its hugely satisfying to see the improvements in their feet. I found my mare was hesitant walking in hand on stones to start with but able to be ridden on grass straight away so I was able to keep her in work to stimulate the feet. After a couple of weeks I started short rides up the lane once she was better in hand on the stones. Front boots were essential from the start and I went for Gloves at the recommendation of my trimmer - do find a good one of these, mine has been fab at supporting and encouraging me. Just build up the work slowly, 'listen' to your horse, adjust the work/surface as she needs and take lots of photos to chart your progress. I hope it all works out well for you :)
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Thank you! The farrier I'm switching to sees the other girls horse at my yard, who is barefoot behind, has to have fronts due to medical reasons, however the farrier is very supportive of barefoot, and the girl trusts him completely, so I'm hoping he's going to be very helpful in the process. I'm in the fortunate/unfortunate position that I can't ride atm due to no saddle, so will be only taking out in hand for the meantime anyway :)
 
Measure for boots the moment the shoes come off! This is the most vulnerable time. When people say wait for the feet to change, I think "what's the point?" by then they may well be redundant.

Unless you have time to just turn away, then boots may not be needed until later but why wait? Get boots, get riding, Exercise is so important.

ImmyS have you got a reading list sorted?

http://www.hoofrehab.com/

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Jamie Jacksons book.

Nic Barkers Book - Feet First.

Lots more... once you join Phoenix you will be very well supported. So much of the resource you need on there and much more!!!!
 
tallyho! said:
Measure for boots the moment the shoes come off! This is the most vulnerable time. When people say wait for the feet to change, I think "what's the point?" by then they may well be redundant.

Unless you have time to just turn away, then boots may not be needed until later but why wait? Get boots, get riding, Exercise is so important.

ImmyS have you got a reading list sorted?

http://www.hoofrehab.com/

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Jamie Jacksons book.

Nic Barkers Book - Feet First.

Lots more... once you join Phoenix you will be very well supported. So much of the resource you need on there and much more!!!!
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Yes got a very very long list of reading to do, thanks to lots of people's suggestions. Great, will measure her as soon as they come off then, especially with her fronts I think it will be important to get the exercise going and get the circulation moving asap! Thanks again
 
I took my horses hind shoes off 4 weeks ago, had a few steady weeks or walk and trot rides, now almost back to normal. Still taking it steady on gravel ATM, but sound as anything on roads and grass. Glad yours is going well. I'm doing it as suck it and see as may want hinds on for increased work in spring, and other soundness issues allowing will likely need studs for sj and xc. :)
 
Stencilface said:
I took my horses hind shoes off 4 weeks ago, had a few steady weeks or walk and trot rides, now almost back to normal. Still taking it steady on gravel ATM, but sound as anything on roads and grass. Glad yours is going well. I'm doing it as suck it and see as may want hinds on for increased work in spring, and other soundness issues allowing will likely need studs for sj and xc. :)
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This is my approach, give her the best chance to start with and then suck it and see, if she needs shoes then she needs shoes, I just hope she will be comfortable barefoot, for her long term soundness and happiness
 
BF is easy but it's a steep learning curve and the hoof is your teacher and it will change the way you see horses forever if you get into the science bits. Some people do, some don't... anyway. All very interesting and worth looking into as it will teach you a lot more than just about diet and hooves!

The worst that can happen is you turn into a bit of a hoof geek. That's no bad thing considering without the health of the hoof, you really do not have a horse!

It's fascinating and has completely changed the way I view the horse. Not in a bunny hugging way, no, I was even more keen to do mad stuff like go round a xc course on the hardest ground imaginable and canter on roads!!! lol :D
 
tallyho! said:
BF is easy but it's a steep learning curve and the hoof is your teacher and it will change the way you see horses forever if you get into the science bits. Some people do, some don't... anyway. All very interesting and worth looking into as it will teach you a lot more than just about diet and hooves!

The worst that can happen is you turn into a bit of a hoof geek. That's no bad thing considering without the health of the hoof, you really do not have a horse!
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All I do is research research research! I will definitely become a hoof geek, unavoidable I'm afraid!
 
ImmyS said:
All I do is research research research! I will definitely become a hoof geek, unavoidable I'm afraid!
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Ha ha! You will get to the stage of analysing growth rings and sole concavity and become obsessed with lateral cartilages and you will start to spout words and recite the periodic table... no-one really understands unless they are fellow geeks! :D:D
 
tallyho! said:
Ha ha! You will get to the stage of analysing growth rings and sole concavity and become obsessed with lateral cartilages and you will start to spout words and recite the periodic table... no-one really understands unless they are fellow geeks! :D:D
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And your husband's eyes will glaze over as soon as you start chomping on about the hooves you've just seen.....:p
 
Oberon said:
And your husband's eyes will glaze over as soon as you start chomping on about the hooves you've just seen.....:p
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Hahaha!!! lol :D My husband just says "can you stop using my mac to satisfy your foot fetish please!!!!???"

I do keep leaving pics of hooves open... :o:o
 
My mares shoes came off Wed eve and she has barely noticed, marching out on the roads in hand, her feet are changing already. I had boots on the ready for the fronts and she hasnt needed them.

these are 36hrs after the shoes came off and after her first walk:

feet002.jpg


feet001.jpg


Im trying not to get too obsessed by it all!!!
 
tallyho! said:
Pah ha ha! Good luck with that one! :D:)
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Seriously Im doing well, she is a Ulcer horse so been on a barefoot diet for 18 months, just added linseed and pro balance (she has probiotics in her stomach drugs). And what will be will be, she keeps choosing to walk on the stones!! Its appears I didnt need to have shoes on her all this time!!!
 
Don't worry, it's not that bad really... I think your mare probably is a natural!

(pun intended, but not very good... I know)
 
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