TB Feet- what's to be done?

skint1

skint1

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Well, in an effort to sort out our ex racer's very low heels she's been wearing pads for the last 6 weeks,
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It wasn't that she appeared in any discomfort (and she is the kind of girl to let you know) but that they just didn't seem to be getting any better despite our farrier's best efforts through normal shoeing so we asked our farrier and vet to work together to come up with a solution as to what we could do to help things along. At first, they thought heart bar shoes but turned out she couldn't have them beacuse she doesn't have enough heel to even put them on :( so our farrier suggested the pads.

I don't know if it is coincidental or not but in the last month (since having the pads) her work has come on very well, she's better behaved in the school, working on a contact, bending better, 2 things that usually ended up with her throwing paddies before. But... she's also had chiro treatment during the last couple of months too for a rotated/slipped pelvis and a change of instructor so it could be any or all of those factors which have led to her more serene state of mind.

Anyway, during week 5 the farrier came out and said that there hadn't really been enough growth in her feet for him to do anything with them so he will be coming out again week 8 (if that makes sense) and if there is no growth then, the pads will have to come off.

I am quite worried about this because then what do we do? What if the pads are the only thing making her really comfortable? Why won't her feet grow whilst she is wearing them? Surely this time of year they should be growing like mad. Is it really bad that there has been almost no growth in the last 5 weeks?

I will get these questions answered by my farrier but just wondered what H&H people thought, and if you'd had any experience like this with pads, or flat low heels and what you did that worked?
 
I would suggest you get a copy of Feet First by Nic Barker and co (off Amazon). It really does give great advice on improving the feet - diet, problems and stuff. It also talks about the pros and cons of going barefoot to rehabilitate the feet altogether. I have found it really useful, love that book !! sm x
 
Just a thought, have you got her on a hoof supplement?

My TB / ID struggles with good horn growth & is flat footed. She is on a daily dose of GWF Nutritions farriers aid and I apply cornucresine around the coranet band daily.

Farrier agrees that it has made a very big difference, been doing it for 6 months now.
 
I think "Feet First" sounds like it might be a good read for me generally, I know so little about feet beyond that they should see a farrier regularly.

On the subject of supplements, she's been on Biotin for a couple of months now, but I will check out the one that you mention.

Thanks for replying!
 
It's weird because in the flesh it looks a lot more aligned than it does in the photos, I don't know if it's to do with angle, my daughter was holding a foot and a camera at the same time.
 
I've got that book, J.... welcome to borrow it... pm me your addy and I'll send it off to you.

Hope all ok with you and your lot. Was lovely to see J at her yard last week :)

J xxx

(blimey, we're all "J" lol)
 
Both the pad AND the shoe have been put on crooked. If it was me I think I would be seeking the advice of a respected, experienced remedial farrier.
 
Amandal, is under-run not the same thing as low? It may be that I have my parlance wrong.

J- PMing address to you now! J was really happy and excited to see you last week, and you took the most gorgeous photo of her and the Bellzilla Beast which I really love!

That yard has been such a godsend I can't begin to tell you, our first venture out of South Leaze Farm was a bit fraught, I will have to tell you about it sometime I think you'll be amused. I didn't know what to expect when we moved again and this time to a dreaded "livery yard" but it is actually fabulous in so many ways I never expected that at all!
 
TB... I give up with their feet lol.

Troy has gone barefoot now since he keeps ripping his front shoes off (barefoot at the back anyway) and taking half his hoof with him! Couldn't walk in from the field two weeks past Wednesday. So now he gets that stuff I can never prononunce in the red and black tin round his cornet band each day, ProPlus in his feed and Shires Equiboots on to go out in to allow his feet to grow. & just in two weeks, he seems MUCH happier :)
 
I really recomend cornucresin sp?! ponios got horrible tb feet that crumble and crack and used to loose at least a shoe a week, but now she can go 6-7 weeks no cracks and have healthier feet than some of the natives at the yard It works miracles:D
 
My Tb also has typically flat feet and low heels combined with s-l-o-w growth so I know just how you feel. My farrier (excellent bloke! and well respected locally) has been determined to get George's feet to be the best possible and at his visit yesterday he seemed pleased that our hard work is paying off. I have George on Top-spec comprehensive balancer which has a hoof supplement in it. I massage cornucrescine in to his coronets every day with a toothbrush to stimulate extra growth and he is shod with natural balance shoes. I'm convinced that all these things combined are helping, you can definately see a stronger band of growth in his hooves and his heels are starting to come up. I would definately recommend a similar course of action for your horse, its a slow process but I'm sure it will work in the end.
 
skint1 said:
Amandal, is under-run not the same thing as low? It may be that I have my parlance wrong.

J- PMing address to you now! J was really happy and excited to see you last week, and you took the most gorgeous photo of her and the Bellzilla Beast which I really love!

That yard has been such a godsend I can't begin to tell you, our first venture out of South Leaze Farm was a bit fraught, I will have to tell you about it sometime I think you'll be amused. I didn't know what to expect when we moved again and this time to a dreaded "livery yard" but it is actually fabulous in so many ways I never expected that at all!
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Under run and low heels are two different things. But the horse can have both.
Low heels is where the heels are in the correct place ie at the widest part of the frog, but do not grow fast or at all. So stay short. Under run heels is when the heels are no longer at the widest part of the frog but have moved forward toward the toe.
http://www.healthyhoof.com/case_studies/Nick/Nicky.htm
This may explain it better.

It may be due to diet, in which case supplementing with a good hoof supplement. Magnesium, sodium and calcium have shown to aid good hoof health.

I think that to deal with this is to keep the heels short. Short heels are better than long heels, especially for under run heels. If they get too long, they will just migrate farther.
I think what may be an issue is weak soft tissue in the heel area. If the digital cusion is small, this will give the impression of low heels. If you can build up the back part of the hoof, the sensitive tructures like the digital cusion and lateral cartilage, this should help. Tho its hard to do with shoes on the horse that take the weight off the heels. The heels need to be able to work in order for them to develope.

I think its a matter of managing this, or correcting it. I dont know how shoes fix this problem, but i do know how removing them can help.
Maybe look into it as an option. After all, when the problem is addressed, there is no reason why you cant have the shoes put on again.
 
Nickles1973 said:
My Tb also has typically flat feet and low heels combined with s-l-o-w growth so I know just how you feel. My farrier (excellent bloke! and well respected locally) has been determined to get George's feet to be the best possible and at his visit yesterday he seemed pleased that our hard work is paying off. I have George on Top-spec comprehensive balancer which has a hoof supplement in it. I massage cornucrescine in to his coronets every day with a toothbrush to stimulate extra growth and he is shod with natural balance shoes. I'm convinced that all these things combined are helping, you can definately see a stronger band of growth in his hooves and his heels are starting to come up. I would definately recommend a similar course of action for your horse, its a slow process but I'm sure it will work in the end.
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I dont believe that thoroughbreds have typical flat feet naturally. I think that a lot of people and farriers assume that they have, so shoe acordingly.
 
This is very interesting, thank you all. We have her on Biotin but perhaps need to explore some of these other supplements, I remember looking at the Corn-unspellable stuff in the shop when we bought the Biotin, so we could at least do that in the immediate term whilst we decide the longer term approach.
 
skint1 said:
Amandal, is under-run not the same thing as low? It may be that I have my parlance wrong.
Click to expand...
Sorry, just got back here and Jennyharvey has answered this with a better link. I did have a really good link with direct comparison shots but couldn't find it. I agree short and under run heels are completely different from my understanding.

Mta... I love Azure's story on that site Jennyharvey put the link too. Go to home and read other case histories and stuff on there, great for learning.
 
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Take the shoes off and go barefoot. My tb was diagnosed with collapsed heels just over a year ago. Remedial shoeing was given to me as an option, but his feet were so bad that there was no way in this world would they even take the shoes or even keep them on. We went barefoot, thinking that being the typical sensitive tb that he is, he would never cope. However, a year down the line, his feet now look amazing, could take and keep shoes on if needed. He competes in showjumping barefoot and successfully. When he hacks out he has to wear hoof boots. I never ever believed that he would cope, but he has proved me wrong. I tried all the hoof supplements under the sun and none of them ever made his feet look as good as they do now.
 
I would look at her diet.

Biotin doesn't work as well on its own as when fed with a properly balanced diet so look into a hoof supplement. Even some of the cheaper ones work well but you may also find that feeding the recomended amounts of a general purpose supplement like equivite will help as it has all the nutrients she needs in it. Including biotin. they do take time to work - up to about 3 months so I would ask your farrier not to write off the pads to early. I would use them for AT LEAST another two shoeings if not more.

I would also look at using either kevin bacon hoof dressing or cornucrescine (or both on alternate days) to encourage growth from the coronet band down. I swear by them both.

Lots of horses feet aren't doing too well this year as it has been so dry. You just have to do all you can to help.
 
Its not actually the dry weather that causes the problem. Its the fact that the feet get waterlogged when standing in wet fields, then come drier weather the feet dry out to much.
Wild horses in australia and parts of america live in the hottest and driest areas. And have good feet. Dry is good. The horse is very capable or regulating what moisture it needs, without us plastering hoof oils on them.

The reason many horses hooves crack is because of shoes and dietary imbalanced.
Shoes allow bacteria in through the nail holes, which can cause cracks if it gets bad enough. Good strong feet comes from a good diet containing all things the horse needs. May be worth getting a recommended supplement designed for good foot growth.

Magnesium, calcium and sodium also show to be effective for god growth.
 
I've had my ex-racer for just over a year now. Her feet have been an ongoing issue but are finally coming together. I use Farrier's Formula hoof supplement and I can see a clear difference in the hoof that has grown in since I began using it and what was there before. It is harder, healthier and grows faster than it did before. My farrier was very pleased with the difference.

I agree that excellent nutrition combined with a good hoof supplement makes a lot of difference. And that a good farrier is a must.
 
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