Very wet ground, recently barefoot, Cleantrax & White Line Separation!

[PaulnasherryRocky]

I took some better(ish) pictures today and actually I think the fieldpaste/disinfectant washes i've been doing might have started working, as it's the first day that it doesn't look any worse. I may be able to get away without doing a cleantrax soak just yet.

Today a friend has lent me some cavallos and I've got some cut-up prolite pads in them to add some cushioning, which has made a huge difference in how he's moving. If I work out how, I will upload a short video of how well he is walking now - he was starting to walk like a pottery old man!

After his next trim (or maybe the one after) I will get him his own pair of boots and some sole mate pads to go in for cushioning to wear just on our walks.

Thank you for the talc tip!! I got some artimud today and the talc stops bedding sticking to it straight away. I put this on after using red horse sole cleanse (I promise I do not work for Red Horse products in any way shape or form - I just seem to use everything by them)

Again I can't thank you all enough for your advice (on this post and all of my others!)

 

[Adina]

Have you thought of using hoof boots in the field to keep whiteline free of mud and debris ? After an abscess was cut out by farrier, my mare was left with a hole. I disinfected hole , plugged it with cotton wool , put on her Fusion hoof boot and turned her out in a muddy field. Yes it stayed on. Boot was taken off when she came in, so foot could dry. Since then I have used hoof boots instead poultice boots or nappies and tape. A small amount of vetrap to keep Animalintex in place, with a hoofboot and horse can go out with her buddies.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

Have you thought of using hoof boots in the field to keep whiteline free of mud and debris ? After an abscess was cut out by farrier, my mare was left with a hole. I disinfected hole , plugged it with cotton wool , put on her Fusion hoof boot and turned her out in a muddy field. Yes it stayed on. Boot was taken off when she came in, so foot could dry. Since then I have used hoof boots instead poultice boots or nappies and tape. A small amount of vetrap to keep Animalintex in place, with a hoofboot and hors2e can go out with her buddies.

Thanks Adina, the only thing that's stopping me do that at the moment is the boots I've got let water and possibly grit in the top - I'm worried his foot will end up wetter and thrushier with the heat if he is in them for long periods of time. (I could be completely wrong about that though!)

I'm testing the staying power of the artimud today and since stuffing the holes with cotton wool far less rubbish is getting in there.

Boots in the field is definitely my next point of call though, and hearing it works for you makes we want to try this sooner

 

[paddy555]

Thanks Adina, the only thing that's stopping me do that at the moment is the boots I've got let water and possibly grit in the top - I'm worried his foot will end up wetter and thrushier with the heat if he is in them for long periods of time. (I could be completely wrong about that though!)

I'm testing the staying power of the artimud today and since stuffing the holes with cotton wool far less rubbish is getting in there.

Boots in the field is definitely my next point of call though, and hearing it works for you makes we want to try this sooner

I don't understand the logic of putting boots on in a muddy field which is probably the surface on which your horse is really comfortable. Horses feet were designed to live and to cope with the world.
If you do boot in the mud then boots, most makes, will let in mud and means there will be mud with the associated gravel, grit, small stones etc (whatever is in that mud) which will be in the bottom of the boot and therefore the WL.

Boots will not keep the feet dry and clean in the field they will simply create a nice warm place for bugs and the feet will still be wet. They may be a good solution for a specific problem eg keeping an abscess area dry.

 

[PaulnasherryRocky]

An added question / update..

How fast can white line separation fix itself? Only, when i wrote this thread, I could stuff quite a lot of cotton wool/field paste in the gaps. Over the last week or so, the amount of cotton wool i've been able to stuff in the gaps has gone down to zero!

Farrier came today to trim and said there was no separation - does this mean I'm thick and it was never actually white line separation, or could my horse have simply worn his feet down on our in hand walks every evening? (10-20 mins per day across tarmac & pea shingle)

Or is it possible for it to rebuild/sew itself back together in such a short space of time?!

(I wasn't at the yard when farrier visited - otherwise I would have asked this to him. He text me to let me know there was no separation & feet generally looked OK)

 

[Tarragon]

I do keep my ponies barefoot and I do most of the trimming myself but I am no expert. However, I do think that it is early days for you at the moment and I would just get very regular trims in the first place and exercise with boots on if they are struggling a bit, plus make sure that the feed is hoof friendly with no sugars.
I understood that if the foot is trimmed correctly (sort of angled into the hoof IYKWIM) that the weight of the horse helps to keep the white line tight.
I think you just need a bit more time.
In my opinion a lot of the treatments are useful to combat things like thrush, but the photos you posted all looked like healthy feet to me.

 

[ester]

F has separation (due to flare) at the end of a 6 week trim cycle, all disappears once you trim .

So essentially yes if it’s only the last bit which is separating/doesn’t have great connection.

Sounds like good news, don’t over think it