ponyparty
Well-Known Member
My horse came in from the field yesterday with a chunk of hind hoof missing and a raised clench (on the outside), my friend sent me some photos (I haven't seen him since Tuesday, eek! Friend and sharer have done him the last few days). I had been thinking his feet, hinds especially, looked cracked around the clenches - not THAT bad though. Anyway, they look a right mess now.
When I first knew him, and had him on part loan, he only ever had front shoes on - his hinds used to look great without shoes. The vet advised me to put hinds on last September while we were treating for hock arthritis and back issues "to give the hocks more support" (I had already had to put fronts back on, on vet advice, even though farrier said hooves were just starting to show signs of recovery and to stick with barefoot - he was footy becasue of the rich grass where he was stabled at the time). I obliged as I was going through insurance and didn't want to invalidate the claim. That claim is nearly finished now; I'm thinking of whipping the hinds off and letting them recover, and then perhaps, maybe, trying fronts off again if we have another mild winter (he struggled with frozen ground last time I tried). Get some really good hoof boots for riding as the Cavallos I have do the job protecting his feet but seem really clumpy and I'm not convinced they encourage the correct breakover.
Thoughts? Am i being silly? Should I just stick to what the vet says?
Photos to follow, can't type very well on my phone and can't do photos very well from my laptop so doing each post separately. I will be having a good look at them when I go up to see him later, I have alerted my farrier to the fact he may need to come out.
When I first knew him, and had him on part loan, he only ever had front shoes on - his hinds used to look great without shoes. The vet advised me to put hinds on last September while we were treating for hock arthritis and back issues "to give the hocks more support" (I had already had to put fronts back on, on vet advice, even though farrier said hooves were just starting to show signs of recovery and to stick with barefoot - he was footy becasue of the rich grass where he was stabled at the time). I obliged as I was going through insurance and didn't want to invalidate the claim. That claim is nearly finished now; I'm thinking of whipping the hinds off and letting them recover, and then perhaps, maybe, trying fronts off again if we have another mild winter (he struggled with frozen ground last time I tried). Get some really good hoof boots for riding as the Cavallos I have do the job protecting his feet but seem really clumpy and I'm not convinced they encourage the correct breakover.
Thoughts? Am i being silly? Should I just stick to what the vet says?
Photos to follow, can't type very well on my phone and can't do photos very well from my laptop so doing each post separately. I will be having a good look at them when I go up to see him later, I have alerted my farrier to the fact he may need to come out.
