Trouble with finding hoof boots

[Mule]

I recently took off the beast's shoes to give his hooves the chance to improve. I have contacted a few people about hoof boots for riding as he has very thin soles. (This is a long post but basically I need some ideas on what to do with this horse)
I heard back from Carolyn at Urban hoof today. I hope she won't mind me quoting her message.

"Looking at the size images and the hooves as a whole I am really struggling to find boots that will fully cater for your horse and stay square. There are uneven heels on each hoof combined with the shorter to wide length on the fronts means that in a lot of cases you are almost 2 sizes of boots different. You will not find a boot that will fully stay square in faster pace works such as riding.
Is there any way of speaking with your farrier now the shoes are off to reduce the heel height and therefore over time level your horse out more?
I am here to help but fit is essential".
She suggested some boots he could wear for turnout but he's ok for that. I'm at a loss now 🤔

Btw, these are his hoof measurements)
LF 155w x 150L

RF 157w x 135 / 140L

LH 141 / 142w x 150L

RH 145w x 149L
"All uneven heel height, mass heel distortation".
She suggested boots that would do him but only for walking in hand as she reckons they wouldn't stay on for ridden work.

 

[ester]

it can be an issue until hooves improve, can you keep him just walking until they start to improve?

It would be interesting to see the photos to see what she is describing?

 

[Mule]

it can be an issue until hooves improve, can you keep him just walking until they start to improve?

It would be interesting to see the photos to see what she is describing?

I'm a bit nervous to post them... They really are bad, but here goes. (I promise you his problems are conformational, he has always had good care) His feet could also be cleaner in these photos, but meh,
ok hang on I have to try to upload the bloody things

 

[ester]

we will have seen worse

 

[Red-1]

I think you will be surprised how quickly they change. As long as you can comfortably get him from stable to field, then I would start with just turnout and/or work on an arena. Then start with 100yds road walking.

The heels will come back where they meet the ground. The foot will become longer from the heel, even though the toe will also likely come back.

Looking forward to when you have uploaded your photos.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

The challenge with hoof boots is having a horse with hooves that fit their sizes.

We have had success with load of fiddling around by putting thin pads in the bottom of the boot to improve fit in the initial stages. Lots of fiddling and cutting of pads, much trial and error.

I found the hoof boot companies not that helpful. They were product pushers and really couldn’t solution very well.

The horse we needed them for has very wide but short feet. That is not going to change and I rejected the advice of the hoof boot company to let them grow a bit so they fit, over quality advice from farrier.

 

[Mule]

Here are the hooves in question; I have a lot more pictures but I have to compress them on a slow computer so i'm uploading these ones first. He is eating a sugary lick in one of them, which i know is bad for his hooves but i had to bribe him to come on to the concrete for the photos, (he feels his feet on concrete)

 

[Mule]

More pics. I've done a bit of research on uneven heels and one thing that's emphasised is these horses tend to stand with the same leg always forward. (Which he does) I'm also suspicious that this imbalance might be related to his one-sidedness. He was going for an x-ray to investigate this until something else happened for me to deal with first. Anyway whether it's bodily imbalance that's leading to uneven hoof wear or uneven hooves leading to assymetry in the body, I just don't know.

 

[EnduroRider]

I was going to suggest Evo boots as they are adjustable in several different dimensions and you could set them up unnsymmetrically if needed. I have used these for one of mine that has similarly wider than longer hinds. However I have just had a look at the size chart and it looks like the largest size is just a touch too small (for fronts at least). Perhaps keeping an eye out to see if they launch a larger size anytime.

 

[Mule]

I was going to suggest Evo boots as they are adjustable in several different dimensions and you could set them up unnsymmetrically if needed. I have used these for one of mine that has similarly wider than longer hinds. However I have just had a look at the size chart and it looks like the largest size is just a touch too small (for fronts at least). Perhaps keeping an eye out to see if they launch a larger size anytime.

I will, it's a shame they're a bit too small.

 

[Red-1]

Gosh, they are funky heels. I really think you are doing the right thing taking shoes off. I think in just 3 months they will be unrecognisable.

The heel that is long will come back to be more even with the other IMO. The toes will also come back. The hoof will become more compact.

I would get a barefoot trimmer after a month or so. They will help recognise what needs to change and what would be better staying as a support for the other issues that caused the funky shape to start with. Slowly slowly and I bet they will be fabulous!

 

[Mule]

Behold the x-ray of one extremely thin sole. Bear in mind, he has never has his soles touched by a farrier. His first owner said that his feet were so sensitive he had to be given a year off after breaking for him to develop more. Apparently lots of walking on hard ground helped. (The bottom x-ray is the thin one).

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Yes they are a bit funky aren't they.

It looks like they are the same width and length?

6"?

If so my big boy has had to have some find boots and he has big hooves.
He actually has an equine fusion jogging shoe for a abcess turnout boot which is a size too big

Anayway back to my point, I tried the one cavello size six trek with a regular sole on him and it fits well.
I have some on order and will hopefully be here soon but he measured 6" width and length.

It looks like he might be okay with them and you can always pad them out if need be.

Hoof boutique do a rent option, you could always send the pictures to them and see what they come up with?

 

[Mule]

Gosh, they are funky heels. I really think you are doing the right thing taking shoes off. I think in just 3 months they will be unrecognisable.

The heel that is long will come back to be more even with the other IMO. The toes will also come back. The hoof will become more compact.

I would get a barefoot trimmer after a month or so. They will help recognise what needs to change and what would be better staying as a support for the other issues that caused the funky shape to start with. Slowly slowly and I bet they will be fabulous!

That's a relief, I really hope they get better. It's got to the point that I think if it's not improved he will have a much shorter working life. He's 12 now.

 

[Gloi]

They are certainly feet that will benefit from a barefoot rehab. You'll see a lot of change over the next months.

 

[ester]

Well that shows the problem fairly well, am not surprised she was struggling to find a solution. My suspicion would be something higher up but I think it will be interesting to see how they change. No labels on the photos but it looks to me like both the RH/off side hooves are more assymetric heels wise?
nosing at xrays

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Behold the x-ray of one extremely thin sole. Bear in mind, he has never has his soles touched by a farrier. His first owner said that his feet were so sensitive he had to be given a year off after breaking for him to develop more. Apparently lots of walking on hard ground helped.
View attachment 38511

Those heels definitely need coming down.

Wear abouts are you op?

You could see if anyone on the barefoot pages has any idea on boots plus any second hand ones for sale as they will change massively in six months time.

 

[Mule]

Yes they are a bit funky aren't they.

It looks like they are the same width and length?

6"?

If so my big boy has had to have some find boots and he has big hooves.
He actually has an equine fusion jogging shoe for a abcess turnout boot which is a size too big

Anayway back to my point, I tried the one cavello size six trek with a regular sole on him and it fits well.
I have some on order and will hopefully be here soon but he measured 6" width and length.

It looks like he might be okay with them and you can always pad them out if need be.

Hoof boutique do a rent option, you could always send the pictures to them and see what they come up with?

From what I understand it's the uneven heel bulbs that are the problem with fitting boots. The hooves are different sizes (the measurements are in my 1st post) but it's the heel bulbs that make fitting difficult.

 

[Mule]

Those heels definitely need coming down.

Wear abouts are you op?

You could see if anyone on the barefoot pages has any idea on boots plus any second hand ones for sale as they will change massively in six months time.

I'm in Ireland. I could join the barefoot group alright and hopefully get some ideas.

 

[Mule]

Well that shows the problem fairly well, am not surprised she was struggling to find a solution. My suspicion would be something higher up but I think it will be interesting to see how they change. No labels on the photos but it looks to me like both the RH/off side hooves are more assymetric heels wise?
nosing at xrays

My suspicion is it's something higher up too. I must have a look again and see which hoof is which. Now that I think about it he is far less flexible when stretching to the left doing carrot stretches. It takes a lot of supplying exercises for him to feel flexible on the right rein. He also needs an awful lot of work every time I get the physio out. Do you think that's related?

 

[ester]

If I'm right on my hoof ID then it seems likely.

To me the heels need to come back not down but that is probably something that needs to happen with the other changes rather than just trimming, to me anyway.

 

[Mule]

If I'm right on my hoof ID then it seems likely.

To me the heels need to come back not down but that is probably something that needs to happen with the other changes rather than just trimming, to me anyway.

i'm think you are right about the hooves. It's only when you said it that i noticed it too. It just shows how helpful having discussions about these things are. I wonder where and what is the problem further up?

 

[ester]

yup it really stood out to me that it might be on one side. With regards to where, not my speciality!

 

[Mule]

yup it really stood out to me that it might be on one side. With regards to where, not my speciality!

Very interesting. I'm going to have to get the physio out more often. I'd like to have the vet look at him too. What did you make of the second x-ray

 

[ester]

It's tricky to see exactly because you seem to be seeing some of the wooden placing block too.

 

[Mule]

It's tricky to see exactly because you seem to be seeing some of the wooden placing block too.

I got a shock when I saw it because there's barely any sole there. I showed it to the farrier, who wasn't really surprised. Anytime he has tried to use hoof testers on him he has pulled his hoof away. The farrier thinks his hoof conformation may be a result of his breeding. His sire was tb and his dam was a heavy id/tb mix. He has the thin soles and horn that some tb's have and unlike tb's he has a bulky body for his hooves to support.

 

[Mule]

The beast is no longer tender when walking on hard ground. He even marches when he's in his field! So I'm very encouraged.
I'm going to start a thread in veterinary and hoof care to document the changes, for anyone that's interested.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just work him on ground his comfortable on without boots for now, I took my horses shoes off in July and he was crippled on and off same thing thin soles, I bought cavallo boots and they just about fit him now, his hooves have changed so much, his comfortable on soft ground can walk on hard but not on stony tracks. I tend to do a day on soft ground in the school without boots then next day a walk out in the boots, I am still doing in hand walking out, but light ridden work in the school.

 

[spookypony]

It might be worth picking up a pair of cheap used Cavallos on Facebook, to tide you over. They're pretty forgiving for fit. But tbh, if he's already walking well on hard ground, maybe just avoid stony tracks until his feet are a more normal shape. The Hoof Bootique do a hire scheme and a trial scheme, which is great for finding the right brand for your horse.

 

[Mule]

Great advice thank you both.

It might be worth picking up a pair of cheap used Cavallos on Facebook, to tide you over. They're pretty forgiving for fit. But tbh, if he's already walking well on hard ground, maybe just avoid stony tracks until his feet are a more normal shape. The Hoof Bootique do a hire scheme and a trial scheme, which is great for finding the right brand for your horse.

I would just work him on ground his comfortable on without boots for now, I took my horses shoes off in July and he was crippled on and off same thing thin soles, I bought cavallo boots and they just about fit him now, his hooves have changed so much, his comfortable on soft ground can walk on hard but not on stony tracks. I tend to do a day on soft ground in the school without boots then next day a walk out in the boots, I am still doing in hand walking out, but light ridden work in the school.