The shoes are off.....now what??!

[Sneedy]

Please be gentle with me, I don't think I've ever posted in NL and its taken me days to pluck up the courage to do this!!!

So, where to start?!

My lovely ginger chap (in siggi - ID x TB, 13yrs old), has had his hind shoes off since the spring. My decision for this was because he's always had awful feet ie brittle and very fragile, but in the past has needed hind shoes due to needing studs for XC. His feet weren't bad last winter, but by about March they started to crack again and I really couldn't face another summer like last summer where his shoes where held on with filler and the farrier was visiting almost weekly, so off they came!

I'm on a great yard with a very unusual dynamic, think Parelli meets BD !!! But we all get on really well and respect each others methods. So, I had great support with my decision re taking the hinds off, I kept the boy in work, albeit mainly schooling (we no longer event, compete BD to medium level), and when he felt confident I started hacking again, with absolutely no drama (we have direct access to bridleways and forestry tracks).

So, happy days! His back feet (to me) look amazing, they are solid with no cracks and I wonder why the hell I didn't do it sooner!!

Now for the bit I'm stuck on.......

He pulled a front shoe (and a load of hoof) off in September and since then the foot had not been so good, cracks and then clenches rising etc. So the last time the farrier came I suggested giving his fronts a rest and take the shoes off, which we did. I thought that he'd be ok as the ground has softened nicely and hopefully he'd be ok to work in the school.

So, we're 2 weeks into being totally unshod, and so far he seems to be coping with walking over the car park (quite stoney) and working in the school, I've even jumped some fences......and boy have my stress levels reduced as I'm not worrying about shoe sucking mud etc !!

There was a barefoot trimmer on the yard last weekend who I quizzed and watched with interest, and I never thought that I'd admit that everything she said and did made sense (the girls on the yard find it hysterical that Mrs 'conventional' is showing an interest in their crazy ways ).

So......the questions:
Do I stick with my lovely farrier, who really has worked his balls off for me (remember I said hind look amazing, even barefoot lady said they look really good), or do I take the plunge to a trimmer (which farrier won't approve of having heard his grumbles)?
Is my horse likely to cope with no shoes all year round?
I've read about diet being important (he's fed HiFi light, Allen and Page Ride and Relax molasses free, haylage, and obviously grass, but not loads of it)
At the moment his fronts look horrible, how long will they take to improve?
How can I help him through this - the hinds were no bother at all but I'm expecting challenges with the fronts off

I'm sorry this is so long and a bit of a ramble, but I've read so much my brain hurts so I'm hoping for some words of wisdom!!

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

I would stick with the farrier - like you said he has worked hard for you and has made your horses hinds better.
It will take a while to know whether your horse can cope without fronts, probably when the ground starts to harden up in spring next year would be a good time to decide.
Be prepared to consider hacking routes for 'stoneyness' and some enforced days off due to them being footy. If you can achieve barefoot however great - it saves my wallet loads!!!

 

[floradora09]

I'd 100% stick with your farrier! He must be a good farrier to have kept your horse's feet in good shape, and as you say, has worked very hard. He knows your horses feet well and will be happy at seeing them improve, after all, any decent farrier should only want the best for their client's hooves. Also it's worth not pissing him off by swapping to a barefoot trimmer especially after everything he's done for your horse, because if you want shoes on him in the future...

In my opinion, farriers do a lot more training and see a huge variety of hooves/horses, that their experience is invaluable- I could never get rid of mine!!

Edit- My horse is currently shoeless at the moment (on farrier's suggestion, and has been for the last few weeks, rubbish feet etc.. coping v well!)

 

[dafthoss]

I would try your farrier he knows your boy and has been supportive of the change and seen the improvments in his hinds, mine was done by a farrier at home but I'm yet to find one down here that doesnt want to whack shoes on him. I would ask the trimmer any questions your farrier cant awnser when they are arround and ask them about boots if you want some as I would think they would have more expiereance with types and shapes than the farrier then you can hack out without worring.

 

[cptrayes]

I would also stick with your farrier, some of them really are good!

If you ever see him trim sole callous off, particularly at the toe, challenge him and if necessary sack him. But all the while your horse walks away from a trim as sound as he walked over the the farrier, he's doing a fine job.

If your boy struggles on the fronts, use boots.

If you have sensitivity issues, read Feet First, available on Amazon.

If you need help, ask on here.

Time to improvement - one month. Time to radical improvement clearly visible 3 months max.

If you can get his diet right, which may require a restriction of daytime grass in spring/summer and/or mineral balancing, then there is no reason why he should not do fine barefoot. If he is good in winter but goes footie in spring "when the ground goes hard", say to yourself "when the grass goes sweet" instead, and change his grazing to limit grass from 11am- 7pm if possible.


Welcome to the club !!

 

[Sneedy]

Thank you so much everyone! I really was expecting to be told trimmers are the only people that should touch an unshod foot.

I don't want to upset my farrier as I may need him one day , and as has been said 'they're not all bad'!

I think I'll take some pics and maybe post them in a few months to get opinion as to whether we're on the right track?

Re grazing, he's not out for hours on end and we don't have unlimited grazing (now a good point!), but I'll definitely bear that in mind if he goes footy!

Thanks again