Unshod on frozen ground

Copperpot

Copperpot

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Horse has been out of work since September due to various issues mainly DJD. Turned away in field after having hocks injected and Tildren with shoes taken off.

My intention was to retire him but after living out he seems a lot better. So planned to get shoes put back on in the Spring. The vet wants him to have wedge shoes on and try bringing him back into work.

However since the ground has got frosty and hard he is struggling in front. He has flat feet and I think it's uncomfortable for him to walk about.

So get front shoes put back on now or can horses wear the hoof boots 24/7, as this would help him whilst the ground is so bad.
 
I have heard of horses wearing Hoof Boots 24/7 and the only real problem I can see would be with rubbing unless the boots are a really good fit, you might need to use pads too.

Might be useful now with the frozen ground at least and then review after seeing how he gets on?
 
If our unshod oldie starts struggling on the icy ground I compromise and put them on for half the day as I think thats a good halfway house between protecting his feet, and not rubbing. Since putting in rubber matting, straw and a haybar and hayrack in our field shelter we're finding they are using that a lot more this year, I hope that provides some relief for their feet :)
 
I have rubber mats in the shelter but he never goes in there. It's mainly the areas by the gates where it's a little churned up that he's struggling with. When he was in ridden work I was unable to ride if he lost a front shoe as he went lame. But he had been sound in the field unshod until the frost hit.

I am not too convinced about wedge shoes either as worry they will change his biomechanics and cause new problems.
 
Im considering getting a pair for my mare when she isnt in the stable for the exact same reason. (cavallo sports size 3 in case anyone is selling :D)
The frost really can affect all horses feet, have one that has had lami caused by the frost!
 
A quick search and came across old macs g2 boots. Can buy pads and gaitors to go with them.

I will look at Cavallo ones too.

The laminitis thing does concern me with the frost etc. He's never lived out before and has always had shoes on, so it's all new to me.
 
I think you're right to be wary of wedges - I wouldn't touch them with the worlds longest barge pole.

Is there anything you can do to improve the health of his feet? If they weren't so flat, and had better sole depth, he would be more comfortable. Perhaps try adding a mineral supplement if he doesn't get one already. Pro Hoof is my favourite.
 
The Old Macs G2 are a good choice, although more expensive than the Cavallos I like the fit of the Old Macs better on my mare (Cavallos are rather stiff in the heel bulb area). My mare had them on 24/7 for a few days last year and the only problem was that it got a bit manky because it was very wet but if ground frozen you shouldn't have that problem. I think you will still have to remove them everyday and let the feet dry out in case there is a bit of condensation. You can use athlete's foot medicine spray or talc powder inside.

The frost/laminitis relationship can also come from the grass. My mare is sugar sensitive and she definitely gets a bit footy if she eats frosty grass.

If it is just a small area by the gate that's the problem, another idea is to put down a good layer of pea gravel, that's very good for hooves with a massaging effect and good against mud (if you lay down some geotextile below it shouldn't all get sucked into the mud).
 
I'd be slightly worried about leaving the boots on too long, both because of rubbing and also the possibility of fungal infection. If it's only the churned up bits by the gate, I think if it was me I'd let him ride it out - presumably he'll avoid the worst bits if it's too difficult/sore for him. If you need to bring him in, could you put mats or straw down, or use boots then?

I'm interested that he's improved while barefoot - again, if it were me I'd want to persevere with that before banging shoes back on again. In hand walking on smooth roads is best for hoof conditioning, just a few minutes at first and building up slowly.
 
Just another thought, if you have a horse that has soft tissue damage in the foot (like mine used) is it the hardness that is the problem or the fact the ground has frozen into bumps and ruts.

Would the uneven loading on the ligaments cause by rutted uneven ground cause problems both with shoes on and without.

OP why don't you try something with nappies and vet wrap and duct tape (though the latter might be a bit slippy) to get a temporary boot effect and see how he is.
 
Thanks everyone. His problems are DJD off the right hock, side bone in front left foot and pedal bone changes as he has been loading his front end.

I took his shoes off as he has always been a shoe puller, often pulling foot off too and consequently his feet weren't good. I thought whilst turned away the break would help his feet recover.

He will always live out now as despite my initial fears, he has thrived.

If I can get him back into work and sound and comfortable without shoes, I am happy to do so.

I will invest in some boots (any excuse to go shopping) and put him on a hoof supplement.

He is fed hay, happy hoof and a splash of sugar beet as this is what all the others in the field eat!

When I have the boots and weather improves I will do some long lining on the roads to see how his feet react.
 
Try joining the Phoenix forum - there is a "sticky" thread on pros and cons of pretty much every single boot on the market, and people are also very helpful in terms of advice on how to cope.

http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/

To be honest, we have two unshod and one shod in the field, and all of them are finding it equally difficult to navigate frozen ruts, nothing to do with their hooves, they just find it wobbly to walk over (as do I :D).

I believe the lady who runs the online hoof boot shop (is it HoofBootique? or HoofBoutique :D) is very helpful about how to measure and choose sizes, and also does a try before you buy option. Sorry I can't remember the url, I've not used the shop, but a google should get it for you :)
 
Both mine have always been barefoot never a problem as it;s well drained, However this time aound it HAS frozen in ruts, and our oldie (22y young) is being very careful over the very rutty churned up bits by the gate, to the point I was wondering if he was slightly lame - but then realised I can hardly walk on it either. Probably a bit difficult to do now it's frozen, but can you fence it off at all? I'm thinking of pouring a little boiling water in one spot and seeing if I can stick en electric fence post in.
 
Luckily he seems to have worked it out for himself. Usually comes to the gate when I go down to feed as hay but stayed on the nice flat bit. He even managed a little trot. Have moved his water so no going on ruts to get to anything now. Even my friends horses who are shod looked bimbly on the rutted bits, so think I was just being over worried!
 
I used cavallos for 24/7 turnout. They are all leather so didn't rub. They were great. They have air gaps so not ideal for the wet but brrrrrilliant on hard frosty pocked ground. I used it for about three weeks in the snow a couple of years ago.
 
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