redpepper
New User
My horse has been barefoot for 8 years, trimmed by a good trimmer. He wears hoofboots to hack, but last year I noticed that he struggled even wearing boots on our stoney tracks in the summer. On grass or in a school he's fine.
He lives out on a track, muzzled when necessary, all summer. Every summer he does seem a bit tired and almost depressed. I'm wondering if it's his hooves and I may be better shoeing, at least in the summer?
Today I noticed he was rather sluggish, not lame, or pottery, but just walking more carefully than usual.
He's on sparse pasture but the grass is growing even though it's only half an inch long - therefore sugar rich. I'm wondering about low grade laminitis... There's no foot pulse.
He's fed soaked meadow hay and everything sugar free.
He's also been diagnosed with kissing spines recently - which I've read can be a result of sore feet (I'm not sure if this is true though)
Would you try shoes?
I'm so worried shoes may make things worse, or mask the LGL so I won't realise until it's full blown laminitis.
Help!
He lives out on a track, muzzled when necessary, all summer. Every summer he does seem a bit tired and almost depressed. I'm wondering if it's his hooves and I may be better shoeing, at least in the summer?
Today I noticed he was rather sluggish, not lame, or pottery, but just walking more carefully than usual.
He's on sparse pasture but the grass is growing even though it's only half an inch long - therefore sugar rich. I'm wondering about low grade laminitis... There's no foot pulse.
He's fed soaked meadow hay and everything sugar free.
He's also been diagnosed with kissing spines recently - which I've read can be a result of sore feet (I'm not sure if this is true though)
Would you try shoes?
I'm so worried shoes may make things worse, or mask the LGL so I won't realise until it's full blown laminitis.
Help!
