To shoe or not to shoe?

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shadowboy

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I have a 3.5 year old NF and in a fortnight he is going off to have some intensive schooling/hacking/growing up before being turned away for the winter- I have backed him and started him off but am on holiday for two weeks in a fornight so though it would be a perfect time to get some solid work in and then on my return he can be turned away for the winter and come back to work in spring.

He is currently barefoot and as yet has never been shod but he stuggles on stony tracks and even at current rate of work (2 days a week hacking) there is little to no hoof growth so I was wondering if its worth shoing him for the intensive workload then taking them off again over winter or just leaving him to see if he can manage- she is planning on working him 6 days a week on various terrain/schooling etc (no idea how much actual roadwork but I assume at least a few times each week.
 
Work out what is wrong in his diet that he can't cope with a tiny amount of work without protection. My first guess would be that you have had him out 24/7 for the whole summer. If he gets better as the grass dies, you'll have your answer. You may also have some mineral imbalances in your grazing and it would be worth getting an analysis done to see. Meanwhile, make sure you feed him 20g a day of magnesium oxide, as a starter.
 
He is in during the day everyday and out at night in a tiny bald paddock. He never.gets feed is there any other way to give him the magnesium?
 
Try equine licks that have magnesium in them? I think the calming type ones tend to include magnesium. Failing that, get Farriers Formula - its brilliant stuff for improving hoof quality IMO. Its expensive but its small cubes so you can feed them by hand if you dont do proper hard feed.
 
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