TB with bad feet - any advice any farriers on here?

[Meowy Catkin]

RE feed, you need to cut right down on sugar. So no molasses and look at the % of sugar in the feed. Molasses free Hi Fi and speedibeet are good in this regard.

I really think that you need to change Farrier. The one you have now is obviously not able to help this particular horse.

I'm sure that the right Farrier can help your horse with shoes, but I would seriously consider giving the horse a break from shoes to help his hooves. You could always do this when the ground is softer, so that he copes better.

 

[cptrayes]

how much turnout and grass is your boy getting? Do you boot him to even turnout?

ETA I know the barefooters are suggesting taking the shoes off, but serious question.... This horse would be crippled just walking across the yard let alone out to the field and forget riding!! How on earth would it be managed? Boot the whole time?

I have done two like this. One with xrays to show how thin his soles were, whose feet could also be bent with my fingers. And another who was always shod one front foot at a time because he could not stand to be shod without a shoe on the other foot.

You boot them to get them to and from the field, and you stop riding them until they are sound in the boots.

Then you expose them gradually to longer and longer times without boots on surfaces which are more and more difficult.

It's not rocket science. It takes patience. But at the end of that time you will have a horse with feet which are healthier than you have ever seen them.

The OP says that the horse is "well covered" and that could well be a clue.(I haven't read the whole thread, sorry if this is not correct) If he is a good doer he may be insulin resistant, which will cause both the "good doing" and the bad feet. Even if he is not IR, horses with feet like this need a diet stripped of unnecessary carbohydrates to produce strong feet.

 

[galaxy]

Interesting, thanks for that cptrayes. OP said the horse is well covered but I know she means for a tb and compared to what he was like when she got him = hat rack! As she said earlier he is on minimal feed and grass and I would condition score him 2/3 there is no fat pockets in him but his ribs are not visible.

 

[Oberon]

Finally I am back on. Thank you to everyone for their comments it has led to very interesting reading and lots to think about. Until Galaxy and I took the pictures this evening I never realised how bad his feet actually were, unfortunately I have no knowledge of feet and do rely on my farrier (I guess in some people eyes that makes me a bad horse owner). I have had the same farrier for years and knew of him from previous shares I had so trusted his work. I have 2 TB's and the other one has no problems with his feet at all. The horse in question has never been lame whilst wearing shoes, but as Galaxy mentioned when he loses a shoe he cannot walk on the slightest bit of uneven ground and even looks uncomfortable in the field.

With regards to changing feed what would you all recommend for those that said to change it? He is well covered so I do not want anything that will put weight on him or make him fizzy.

Please don't beat yourself up. And I am sure your farrier is doing the best job he can with the foot in front of him.

I would agree with Gloria Victous that those shoes look heavy for him.

The feet are not bad. They are SICK.

To say they are bad is to assume it is hopeless.

To say they are sick is to assume they can get better

The great thing about hooves is that if you give them a chance - they get better (and quickly).

I have no problem with people choosing to shoe - but I do have great sadness when the hooves are never given an annual break from shoeing. That (and diet) is how they get so sick in the first place.

First thing you need to do is tinker with the diet to one that makes his hooves happier

I'll send you a pm about diet .

No one here is suggesting taking the shoes off and allowing your horse to be cripple. So don't panic - there is no hard sell to join the Barefoot Taliban .
But if you wanted to take the shoes off and give his hooves a break - there are ways of doing it that means your horse will not be in pain.
We can help you with that if you wanted to think about it at a later date.

But for now - just concentrate on the diet and see how he goes

 

[horse_lover]

Please don't beat yourself up. And I am sure your farrier is doing the best job he can with the foot in front of him.

I would agree with Gloria Victous that those shoes look heavy for him.

The feet are not bad. They are SICK.

To say they are bad is to assume it is hopeless.

To say they are sick is to assume they can get better

The great thing about hooves is that if you give them a chance - they get better (and quickly).

I have no problem with people choosing to shoe - but I do have great sadness when the hooves are never given an annual break from shoeing. That (and diet) is how they get so sick in the first place.

First thing you need to do is tinker with the diet to one that makes his hooves happier

I'll send you a pm about diet .

No one here is suggesting taking the shoes off and allowing your horse to be cripple. So don't panic - there is no hard sell to join the Barefoot Taliban .
But if you wanted to take the shoes off and give his hooves a break - there are ways of doing it that means your horse will not be in pain.
We can help you with that if you wanted to think about it at a later date.

But for now - just concentrate on the diet and see how he goes

Thank you I appreciate your help and will definately be making changes to his diet