TB's feet, day after shoes off, what do we think?

[dressagelove]

So, Im too excited and wanted to get some pics at you and see what you think so far.
He is a little footsore already today, even on the soft arena, but Im trying not to panic! lol

Hope this works, Im still a bit of a novice with photobucket:

http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums... Feet December/Jan 2012 Archie goes shoeless/

Compare those to these taken pre-shoeing in December and I think we are getting somewhere already no?

http://s1104.photobucket.com/albums/h330/Hayley_Sheppard/Archies Feet December/

 

[TigerTail]

Dont panic!

Question, what is the red around his heels/bulbs here??

 

[dressagelove]

No idea...? A bit discoloured from mud / poop?

 

[Janah]

Look at uknhcp.myfastforum.org.

They will give you loads of information.

Jane

 

[TigerTail]

hmm almost looks sore/raw to me - thats why I thought id better check!

Ive seen a lot worse looking feet, my own mares included ( ) though they look a bit boxy in shape to me. How big is the horse those are under?

Youve also got some thrush going on in the central sulcus which id be scrubbing out and spraying with silvetrasol then packing with field paste

 

[dressagelove]

Okay cool, thanks tigertail. He's 16.1hh

yeah, I know he has some thrush, I'll try that thanks. Anything I can do about that soreness, redness, or should that harden up over time?

 

[amandap]

I'd do a thrush treatment regime this may be part of the reason for any soreness. It becomes obvious when shoes removed because frogs are no longer lifted off the ground. Circulation and nerve endings will be working better too.
A soak in cleantrax and application of a good product daily. I believe red horse products are good. Anti fungal (canestan 2%)cream mixed with an antibacterial cream injected or crammed deep into the frog cleft daily is another option after the soak. I've read of folding gauze and 'flossing' gently to clean and apply cream deep into the cleft works too.

Let him take his time and keep to soft surfaces or smooth road. You can tape on pads as a tempory measure for harder surfaces. Avoid stones altogether if possible till he is more comfortable or use boots.

Don't panic but do what is necessary to keep him as comfortable as possible. Best of luck and don't forget time is part of the equation and varies from horse to horse.

To clarify. Soak in cleantrax once not daily. Follow the instructions with the product.

 

[kirstie]

Maybe pm cptrayes on here, she is very good for info about barefoot and what you should be feeding etc. Think she has a Christmas name at the moment though.

Search barefoot in NL an stable yard and you should find her and stacks of info.

Good luck

 

[amandap]

Santa paws I think.

 

[dressagelove]

I'd do a thrush treatment regime this may be part of the reason for any soreness. It becomes obvious when shoes removed because frogs are no longer lifted off the ground. Circulation and nerve endings will be working better too.
A soak in cleantrax and application of a good product daily. I believe red horse products are good. Anti fungal (canestan 2%)cream mixed with an antibacterial cream injected or crammed deep into the frog cleft daily is another option after the soak. I've read of folding gauze and 'flossing' gently to clean and apply cream deep into the cleft works too.

Let him take his time and keep to soft surfaces or smooth road. You can tape on pads as a tempory measure for harder surfaces. Avoid stones altogether if possible till he is more comfortable or use boots.

Don't panic but do what is necessary to keep him as comfortable as possible. Best of luck and don't forget time is part of the equation and varies from horse to horse.

Thanks so much Amanda that's a great help, I will get on that tomorrow!
Thanks everyone SO much who have helped me out, I stable alone so it's so nice to have this forum to fall back on with such a wealth of knowledge

 

[MissMistletoe]

Thankyou for sharing those photos

There really are some helpfull people on here, so keep us posted.

 

[amandap]

Glad that helped. Do only one soak of cleantrax (if you decide to do it) not daily as it reads. Do the other stuff at least daily though. Soaking in 50/50 solution of apple cider vinegar/water is another option but tbh I'd use one good soak of cleantrax first to hit it on the head.

Large vehicle tyre inner tubes or rubble sacks are a cheap alternative to soaking boots for bigger horses if you can get one. Garages over here give punctured ones away. Car ones are only good for Shetlands and small horses.

 

[dressagelove]

Am I likely to get red horse products and the cleantrax from a tack shop or somewhere like derby house etc? Or shall Ijust send for them online? Just eager to get hold it asap!

 

[amandap]

I use this online shop. Justine is very helpful and delivery is fast. http://www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk/treatments.html

The canestan might be worth a try first then switch to redhorse.

 

[TigerTail]

silvetrasol from the link amandap posted - cept they didnt have the new big bottles in when i ordered mine before xmas grr

red horse stuff i order from them direct usually

 

[Oberon]

Apart from that hideous crack

the hooves look pretty good to start off with
http://www.hoofrehab.com/wallcracks.htm

You've got decent wall connection, heels aren't too contracted for long term shod hooves and the frogs look pretty dense and meaty already.

You can see the pressure that the quarters have been struggling with in the coronet...it looks 'pushed up' around the quarters - interesting that is where the crack is

I reckon they'll blossom pretty quickly with enough stimulation (gently at first).

In the days before Red Horse products, my trimmer treated my old boy's long term sulcus thrush by syringing with saline (salt water) to clean and then packing with Sudocrem swabs.

She smooshed some gauze swabs (small bits of rag would do) in a tub of Sudocrem and stuck them in the sulcus with the help of a hoof pick. Change every day and hey presto!

Nowadays I use Red Horse's ArtiMud and Field Paste for maintenance but I have to say he has never suffered since I got the diet right.
http://www.redhorseproducts.com/Hoof_Care

Once the thrush was treated (after two weeks of the Sucocrem swabs) the heels just pinged open and decontracted.

The Cleantrax is a soak blast for stubborn cases of thrush. It may be beneficial for your horse in order to get into that crack and neutralise any hidden nasties in there.
http://www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk/Hoof-Treatments

If she'll consent to a hoof in a bucket - it may be worth a go.
There's a bit about thrush on here
http://www.hoofrehab.com/frogtrim.htm

 

[dressagelove]

Thanks Oberon
Although you are using some jargon there and I havent the foggiest what you are on about! lol, maybe I will pick this up in time, but 'heels decontracted?' and which bit are the quarters? The back park of the hoof? Unsure what wall connection is also...

Thanks anyhow I have ordered some stuff of equine podiatary and will get cracking!

 

[amandap]

Decontracting is the hoof opening up evident mostly at the back. The frog, heel and bulbs become squashed together (contracted) often in shoes and when thrush is present in the frog central sulcus. Have a look here at Lucy Priory's blog. It's a great resource generally for all things hoofy. http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/about-time-heels-decontracting-at-last.html

 

[TigerTail]

I think you are right about th pressure on the quarters Oberon, that stress crack is so similar to what my mare ended up with when her hooves were over trimmed and boxy

She's 16.2............

 

[amandap]

Farriers tend/have to trim the sole level for shoeing. Barefoot horses have the wall follow (and a bead just above)the live (untrimmed) sole plane generally.
Look up quarter scoop on Lucy's blog and mustang roll.

 

[Oberon]

Thanks Oberon
Although you are using some jargon there and I havent the foggiest what you are on about! lol, maybe I will pick this up in time, but 'heels decontracted?' and which bit are the quarters? The back park of the hoof? Unsure what wall connection is also...

Thanks anyhow I have ordered some stuff of equine podiatary and will get cracking!

Sorry

Contracted, pinched, weak, non weight bearing heels with a slit of sulcus compared with a meaty heel and firm digital cushion that can comfortably weight bear for the desired heel first landing (v imp for the tendons).

The quarters are the area round the sides of the walls. In a wild hoof there is a slight 'scoop' at the quarters.

The theories are that when the horse put it's weight on the hoof, it flexes outwards ever so slightly to absorb force and that this 'scoop' at the quarters (usually just a mm) allows more room during loading. When you shoe a horse (while it is lifted up and not weight bearing) in it's non flexed state....then it can't move and flex when the horse loads it.

It's like putting a pair of really skin tight jeans on - and you're OK standing in them....but you can't walk in them

.

Being constantly fixed into this non flexed state puts pressure on the walls. In movement, the force has to go somewhere and as the shoe or ground won't give - then the coronet has to. In areas where the pressure has been high, you will sometimes see that the coronet looks 'pushed up' (it SHOULD be straight all the way around).

I can see this around the sides on your horse - and this also coincides with The Crack. Perhaps the pressure became too much for the wall to deal with?

Wall connection is the connection of the wall to the coffin bone. It indicates how healthy the laminae is (the meat that bonds the two things together).

Look at the first two inches of wall from the coronet. This is the angle the horse WANTS to grow. It's pure and lovely with no mistakes in it.

If the diet is bad or the hoof care is bad, you will get this:

But your horse's connection looks pretty good

 

[dressagelove]

Thanks for that Oberon, fascinating and makes so much sense its untrue! Im snowed under with uni work but when I get a respite I will read up on barefootedness! So interesting

 

[Oberon]

Thanks for that Oberon, fascinating and makes so much sense its untrue! Im snowed under with uni work but when I get a respite I will read up on barefootedness! So interesting

You don't need to read up...you'll see it all in person

 

[amandap]

Farriers tend/have to trim the sole level for shoeing. Barefoot horses have the wall follow (and a bead just above)the live (untrimmed) sole plane generally.
Look up quarter scoop on Lucy's blog and mustang roll.

Read wall not sole!