Unshod TB hooves - anything look wrong?

[deoni]

When i got my tb she was unshod after the winter off and went very well, hacking miles without problems. Now (on the same feed etc) and has been off and unshod for winter she is struggling on stones and not as forward on the roads as usual, but ok on soft ground. I was going to leave them off if she was like she was last year, but is there anything that looks wrong with them? (bearing in mind have been waiting for farrier a month for them to go back on!) She has been unshod behind a few months longer, thats why they are longer than the fronts!

 

[Oberon]

What is the horse eating?

 

[cptrayes]

Yes, they appear to be extremely flat.

Ditto Oberon, what is the horse eating?

 

[clippi]

Has she had the winter off work? The soles will need to harden up, which will take time.
Is that a great big crack in one of her hooves running up to the coronet band?

 

[deoni]

Yeah, she has always had the crack. She is fed Alfa A Oil, Fast Fibre and pro balance supplement. The only change i have made this year is swapping pro hoof to pro balance to save money. Last year she had the same routine and she has been walked out on the roads gradually since January and yes she has had about 6 to 8 weeks of work completely before that, but has had more preparation and less time off this year too!

Only other thing I can think of different is that last year she spent a lot of time kept in, whereas this year she is out all day.

 

[Oberon]

Hmm.

Swap the Alfa A Oil for an unmolassed Timothy chaff. Add linseed, double the Pro Balance + dose, start adding salt and add a pro biotic.

Then see how you go.

 

[deoni]

Hmm.

Swap the Alfa A Oil for an unmolassed Timothy chaff. Add linseed, double the Pro Balance + dose, start adding salt and add a pro biotic.

Then see how you go.

Thanks, I have wanted a change from Alfa A oil, and I guess the linseed will help keep weight on as well? What pro biotic could I use? Does anything look wrong with her feet do you notice? Sorry for all the questions!

 

[Oberon]

Nothing particular.

Wall a bit round and sole a bit flatter than I'd expect which is why I'm considering diet first.

If you manage to get her moving comfortably, then leave her another trimming cycle and let the extra wall protect her flat sole a while.

I use yea-sacc as a pro-biotic. I get it from the seller of Pro Balance +.

Linseed can put weight on. I was going to use it for the crack for her though

You don't really need a chaff if feeding a fibre feed like Fast Fibre or beet, but if you really want one then Timothy chaff is low impact.

 

[deoni]

Thanks I was just about to ask if i should cut the chaff out. I am about to order some more pro balance so I will get some yea-sacc too, what does the probiotic do? I will also get some linseed, I really would like to leave her shoes off but really want to get out and about again. Will try this first though. thank you.
I think it may be another trimming cycle before farrier comes out either way!

 

[Moggy89]

The crack looks bad to me, but cant totally see what its like from one photo!(and you say she has had it for ever) But I would think about shoes if the crack gets worse unstable.
I would think about shoes in front at least if she keeps feeling the ground especially as the ground gets harder in the summer.
But I would ask your farrier what he thinks as he will know her feet, be able to see how thin they are etc.

 

[dianchi]

To me it doesnt look like you have any matching pairs? Are you having her reguarly trimmed? Sounds like a good move diet wise! From the pics it looks like heels are higher on on one side both hind and front than the other?

 

[TwoStroke]

Do you have a picture of the sole on the foot with the crack?

I'd strongly disagree with shoes for a crack - the hoof wall wouldn't crack if it were strong enough to bear the weight of the horse. In a barefoot horse, only a portion of the horse's weight is taken by the hoof wall, it is shared also by the frog, heel, and a part of the sole. In a shod hoof, however, all of the horse's weight is taken by the hoof wall. So forcing a hoof wall which isn't strong enough to bear a portion of the horse's weight without cracking into bearing all of that weight seems a strange idea to me, and completely illogical.

I would agree with the diet changes, but if leaving the hooves to grow to protect the sole, I would bevel the quarter area of the hoof with the crack, to take it out of a loading role.

 

[deoni]

To me it doesnt look like you have any matching pairs? Are you having her reguarly trimmed? Sounds like a good move diet wise! From the pics it looks like heels are higher on on one side both hind and front than the other?

Hi, nothing has been trimmed since they have been taken off as he wanted to leave them to sort themselves out first! But, the backs were off quite a while ago now (october maybe) as haven't been able to get him out for the past few months to trim them!

 

[deoni]

Do you have a picture of the sole on the foot with the crack?

I'd strongly disagree with shoes for a crack - the hoof wall wouldn't crack if it were strong enough to bear the weight of the horse. In a barefoot horse, only a portion of the horse's weight is taken by the hoof wall, it is shared also by the frog, heel, and a part of the sole. In a shod hoof, however, all of the horse's weight is taken by the hoof wall. So forcing a hoof wall which isn't strong enough to bear a portion of the horse's weight without cracking into bearing all of that weight seems a strange idea to me, and completely illogical.

I would agree with the diet changes, but if leaving the hooves to grow to protect the sole, I would bevel the quarter area of the hoof with the crack, to take it out of a loading role.

I will get a pic, thanks. The crack is on her back hoof and only hasn;t been shod much behind so unlikely I will put backs on. Waiting for the farrier for a trim.

 

[MustangWoman]

My mustang was getting cracks and chips a lot, I put him on Biotin and now he has perfect hooves. The biotin is really good stuff. It's very difficult going from shod to barefoot, just remain patient and remember that the hoof taken care of today is the one you ride next year. It takes a year for the hoof to grow out. I also purchased a riders rasp off eBay, and I put a very round edge around the hooves, it helps cracks and chips heal, and prevents further ones. My Mustang got a little thrushy once or twice, so I trimmed the frog back to healthy frog, and when it grew out it was hard as a rock and now he doesn't show any sensitivity to rough terrains. These are just some examples of what worked for me, but I do swear by the biotin for hoof health. It actually also made his mane and tail super thick... Bonus! He's been on the biotin for 6 months, and it's the most remarkable difference. The other rest of his diet consists of pasture grass, free choice coastal hay, and 3 quarts of Gold Chance 10 feed twice a day. The feed is a pelleted feed, it's a 6% fat and 10% protein. It also has a lot of vitamins and minerals in it, it costs $16.00 a bag here in the states.