Strengthening hooves barefoot

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YogaNurse

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I aim to keep my 4 year old cob barefoot but he has started to get a bit footy over stones since doing a bit of road work.

Does anyone have an suggestion on how to harden his hooves so as I want to avoid putting shoes on. I’ve ordered some Kevin bacon hoof and will get some hoof boots if necessary :)
 
I start with all of mine barefoot, they are on a low sugar diet , nothing special just a basic chaff and sometimes a hoof supplement. I have my own hoof rasp and take off any chipped or split edges before they travel up the foot. They are dressed in Silverfeet or another hoof balm twice a week minimum and if they feet become short or they get footy, I do not hesitate to shoe.
 
I have found going sugar and alfalfa free hard feed has helped (less so in the spring and summer as more sugar in the grass and they get only a handful of oat chaff and sugar free beet anyway!)
I have also found a better trimmer who does not take the feet too short- mare used to always go slightly footy after the farrier trimmed her as he went too short.
 
Lots of horses on British grazing get an excess of iron and/or manganese. They need copper to counteract it. I would try one of the no iron/no manganese/high copper supplements from Equimins, Forageplus or Progressive Earth.
 
ycbm said:
Lots of horses on British grazing get an excess of iron and/or manganese. They need copper to counteract it. I would try one of the no iron/no manganese/high copper supplements from Equimins, Forageplus or Progressive Earth.
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That’s interesting, I’ll look into this and give it a go. Thank you
 
I’m not giving anything at the moment as grass is quite good. Have had to restrict him this week as he has gone slightly cresty. Do you think a supplement would help?

buzyizzy said:
Diet related I would imagine. What is he having to eat? Is he out on good pasture?
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There's short and short, if they are continuously wearing the foot down, there's only so far it can go . I much prefer barefoot ponies, but I've got to shoe one of mine next week as his feet are not going to take any more wear with the amount of hacking. One of mine went a tiny bit too short and it took a while for it to grow to a normal shape.
 
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Hoof_Prints said:
There's short and short, if they are continuously wearing the foot down, there's only so far it can go . I much prefer barefoot ponies, but I've got to shoe one of mine next week as his feet are not going to take any more wear with the amount of hacking. One of mine went a tiny bit too short and it took a while for it to grow to a normal shape.
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But if a horse is comfortable and happy, how can the foot be 'too short'? They can't wear any further back than the sole, and if the horse is sound on all surfaces, I don't get the point of putting shoes on?
 
YogaNurse said:
I’m not giving anything at the moment as grass is quite good. Have had to restrict him this week as he has gone slightly cresty. Do you think a supplement would help?
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That's probably got a lot more to do with him having gone footie than the amount of work he's doing. I think getting him of the grass and rid of that crest would help.
 
ycbm said:
That's probably got a lot more to do with him having gone footie than the amount of work he's doing. I think getting him of the grass and rid of that crest would help.
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Thank you, I didn’t put 2 and 2 together as he wasn’t cresty at that point :( he is in the fatty paddock now so hopefully crest and footyness should resolve. This is exactly the reason I don’t want to shoe as it will mask any indicators!
 
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