What do you think of these feet?

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superpony

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He has navicular and has been barefoot for about 14 months. At first I was really happy with them but now I worry his front feet are getting too long and splaying out? But I admit feet isn't an area I am confident in or feel I know much about. However my vet also raised her concerns about them. What do you think? These are a day after a trim.

Front Feet:
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Front Left:
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Front Right:
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Back Feet
IMG_1902_zpsdf53b0f0.jpg
 
I would not be happy at all, it looks as if a trim is desperately required, not done the day before:eek: The toes are long, heels underrun, white line is stretched not nice and tight, your vet is right to be concerned.

Is the horse sound?
What are you feeding?
I am sure there will be more comments and advice:)
 
If this was transition or due trim I wouldnt be surprised. But after being barefoot for a while and just trimmed I'd be questioning farrier/trimmer. Have they made any comment on it?
 
I think your problem is a diet one, those white lines are desperately stretched and that is always, to my knowledge, a diet issue. That wide black furry line should be about 1/8th inch of tight smooth cream or white material.

If you haven't changed anything in his diet then I would start to think about testing for Cushings and IR. Is he a good doer? Is he overweight (be honest, can you feel his ribs, how easily?)

I don't think this is a trimming issue (other than that whoever trims him should have been advising you that things were going wrong and needed exploring) The trimmer cannot take off those flares, they are being caused by the spread white line. If they rasped them off, the wall is not thick enough to take it, and they would expose the white line.
 
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the white lines look very stretched after 14 months, perhaps some diet improvements? are the frogs on the floor? they potentially look quite contracted?
 
Thanks everyone. :) His frogs are quite close to the floor. Hes a tb and quite a poor doer, infact wanting to adapt his feed really as he has lot quite abit of weight (can see his ribs at the moment just). He is currently fed Hi Fi Lite, High Fibre Cubes and Magox with 1/2 a bute. He is also on ad lib hay. He has good days and bad days.. without the bute I would say he is 95% sound. He is currently in very light work.., I brought him back into work about a month ago doing walk and very small amounts of trot.
 
Wow - def cause for concern.

I would think there is both dietary and trim issues - who is trimming them?

For poor doers I like thunder brooks basemix and live oats + Pro Balance from ebay for high mineral quota without any sugar or hidden nasties.

Is he sound on all surfaces?
 
Thanks everyone.

TigerTail - he isn't fully 100% on stones/hard ground.

PandorasJar - haha yes and some feather for a tb!! Hes national hunt bred so abit heavier.

Maccachic - yes thats what I worry about hence I fed him ad lib and lots of fibre to try and help.. :(
 
I have a TB with Navicular (among other things). She has extremely good feet, but I too adjusted her feeding the other week to a more barefoot friendly one.
I am feeding 2/3's of a stubbs scoop of speedibeet with a sprinlking of chaff (chaff is because I have 2 bin fulls left and not throwing it away ;)) oil (currently corn, again to get rid of but moving to linseed in the next few weeks) twice a day. Evening feed has added 1 scoop of 99% glucosamine supplement. My horse was on bute until 2 weeks ago but now sound without.

Farrier worked very closely with vet to trim as best he could to help with all the things the x-rays showed, I would not be happy if my horses feet looked like your horses and I would think it would be hard to keep him/her sound. My horses feet aren't that long when she is due to be trimmed :eek: Has your farrier spoekn to your vet and discussed the best course of action for trimming??

I would either point your farrier in the direction of the vet and see if they can discuss it and come to an agreement on what needs doing or have a look into a new farrier/BFT and see what they say, I would think also adjust the feed to help.

Good luck!
 
Can I just ask, is he under a barefoot trimmer or a farrier? (Would I be correct in guessing a farrier?)

I ask because the latter, often (but not always, don’t shoot me down anyone!) will just do a pasture trim which in my opinion, is really inadequate for a fully functional bare hoof. Alternatively the horse is trimmed as though shod but they just don’t put the shoe on…

A barefoot hoof, does and should work very differently. If you haven’t already then I would suggest a properly qualified barefoot trimmer rather than a farrier to come out and help you get things back on track.

In response to the original question ..the foot looks flared and out of balance to me … heels are under run, angles look wrong and white line compromised. This won’t be helping your horse’s existing Navicular condition :(

Sorry, hope that doesn't sound like I'm having a go, I'm not - just trying to offer a, hopefully helpful, opinion :) But it is just my opinion!

All my horses are succesfully barefoot and happily compete as such. A good trimmer was key, as well as a careful diet and management. Hope that helps.
 
Baker - thank you, has she come sound without the bute now her feet have improved? No I have a bft and she hasn't spoken to my vet.. as my vet was all for keeping him in eggbars.. but he was crippled in them. Really difficult situation. :(


PortuguesePony - thank you too! No don't feel like you are having a go at all, all very helpful much prefer people being honest then tip toeing around!! Infact it is a barefoot trimmer that does him. He was sound and happy (without bute) until 3 or 4 months ago, but now seems to need that 1/2 a day. :(
 
Phew -thanks! But wow .... I am very surprised, and disappointed to hear that this is what his feet are looking like under the care of a barefoot trimmer :( Particularly as you said they have not always been like this/are worsening.

What has the trimmer said about his feet and how they have now become? Did he/she take photos when they took the horse's case on? Perhaps a new trimmer might be in order; as others have said these feet don’t look like they have been recently attended to I’m sorry to say. (Not that anyone is doubting you I’m sure, just how the last trim was applied) I would really be unhappy with those feet, particular if he has recently become more dependent on bute and I would be looking for my trimmer to help me understand why and how things were changing and what we could do to help put things right.

Hand walking on tarmac for instance will help re the under run heels but without starting with a balanced trim, I think you will struggle to get the rest in order.

I hope you manage to get to the bottom of things so he is more comfortable again.
 
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My boy is underweight but not barefoot and hes currently on pure feeds pure condition and linseed. Have heard good things about feeding fast fibre/ speedibeet with linseed and pro hoof/pro balance.
 
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