What would you do with these dreadful hooves?

JackDaniels1

JackDaniels1

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Photo's of fronts here (backs are better!) - been barefoot for just over a year now. Diet is out 24/7 on what would really be described as fairly poor grazing, has ad-lib hay (did have haylage last winter but swapped onto hay this winter), 1/2 scoop of speedibeet twice a day with a little veg oil.

For those of you who have read my previous posts, this is the horse who is very reluctant to go forwards (I hear you say 'no wonder' but this same horse who came to me with front shoes on and was still exactly the same and we did well if the shoes lasted 10 days without pinging off!) She is obviously lame trotting up on hard ground, looks sound trotting the field.

She is not doing anything at the moment, she is happy in the field. My thoughts are now to shoe and have the vet out. I know there are a decent amount of knowledgeable people on here so thought I'd ask what your thoughts were if this horse was yours......

PS - we have tried boots!
 
What would I do? Get a decent vitamin and mineral supplement into her for a start off, and switch from veg oil to micronised linseed. I'd make sure she is getting the right feed for a start off as that will help grow decent feet.

Who trims her feet? What do they say about them?

However.. you say she is "obviously lame" on hard ground. Have you had her feet and legs x-rayed and/or scanned? During the year (you said?) that she has been lame, has she been seen by a vet at all?
 
Well the hooves don't look nearly as bad as I thought given the title of the thread. OK, they are chipped and the second photo shows some flair. What do the hooves look like from underneath, the sides and from behind?
 
As chestnut cob has said a decent vit & min supplement (I've always found Spillers Equivite does the job), regular trims, an opinion from your farrier and the vet (both at the yard at the same time could only be helpful). That said, I have seen a lot worse!
 
Faracat said:
Well the hooves don't look nearly as bad as I thought given the title of the thread. OK, they are chipped and the second photo shows some flair. What do the hooves look like from underneath, the sides and from behind?
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I have more photo's - could I e-mail you them?
 
chestnut cob said:
What would I do? Get a decent vitamin and mineral supplement into her for a start off, and switch from veg oil to micronised linseed. I'd make sure she is getting the right feed for a start off as that will help grow decent feet.

Who trims her feet? What do they say about them?

However.. you say she is "obviously lame" on hard ground. Have you had her feet and legs x-rayed and/or scanned? During the year (you said?) that she has been lame, has she been seen by a vet at all?
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A barefoot trimmer comes out every 6 weeks. She has said that in all the years she's been a trimmer, I am only the 2nd person she has said maybe it's time we call it a day and she has a vet who will tell me to put shoes on her. She is growing virtually zero new hoof.
 
JackDaniels1 said:
A barefoot trimmer comes out every 6 weeks. She has said that in all the years she's been a trimmer, I am only the 2nd person she has said maybe it's time we call it a day and she has a vet who will tell me to put shoes on her. She is growing virtually zero new hoof.
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Do you have boots? If not try getting some and seeing if shy is any better. I would look at diet, CP and Oberon are fab with diet.

I would get a lameness work up done any way. Just to be sure but that's just me.

Is she trimmed every time? When my girls had shoes off last year they haven't been trimmed since, farrier just looks over them and leaves them. They don't look pretty but they are sound and rock crunching so being pretty isn't needed.
 
slightlyconfused said:
Do you have boots? If not try getting some and seeing if shy is any better. I would look at diet, CP and Oberon are fab with diet.

I would get a lameness work up done any way. Just to be sure but that's just me.

Is she trimmed every time? When my girls had shoes off last year they haven't been trimmed since, farrier just looks over them and leaves them. They don't look pretty but they are sound and rock crunching so being pretty isn't needed.
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No, not trimmed every time. Yes, we've tried boots as mentioned in first post, made no difference to her wanting to go forwards - this is what is making me think there is more of an underlying issue as she just does not want to go forwards.
Surely if I had vet out to do a lameness examination, wouldn't he just say ''put shoes on, she's obviously not comfortable?'' - I spoke to one of the vets at the surgery (not my usual one) and I explained situation and she said obviously the horse isn't comfortable so the vet will probably just say put shoes on! - not helpful!
 
could you post some more pics? some of the sole. Also perhaps a side view with the camera down on the ground to get a better idea of the angle.

Horse is not forward going, feet are not growing very much and footsore. Have you tested for cushings?
Sorry I haven't followed your story but have you any cushings symptoms in order that it could be ruled out.
(pot belly, muscle wastage, loss of topline, excessive drinking/peeing, hairy, mucky sheath if it is a gelding.)

I think I would be looking at a good supplement to see if you can improve growth. I use equimins metabalance but there are also the forage plus and pro hoof ones.
 
I would change my trimmer and get xrays (with the amount of growth rings there is something underlying). Have the hooves always looked so boxy?
 
Have you tried any supplement to help with hoof growth? I use NAF's Pro Feet and it honestly did wonders for mine, he kept throwing shoes and was getting to the point of not having enough hoof left for the shoe! But ever since using this stuff and changing farrier his feet are great, good growth and so much stronger! I would still suggest getting the vet if lame and reluctant to go forward, arrange a nerve block and that will tell you if its the feet are the problem or higher up?
 
If you look though the growth rings are only on the bottom half of the hooves you may find they will get better once the rings have grown down and you get a healthy foot, i would do a lameness work up though just to be sure its not something else.
 
JackDaniels1 said:
not a wind up
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You have been a member of this forum for four years and presumably have had some interest in horses in that time and you have never learnt that horses who are lame [and have bad feet] are in pain?
GET A VET : regardless of your own opinion it is time "call it a day" and get this poor animal diagnosed by a professional.

TAKE ACTION
Buy three months supply of Hoof Pro and 20kg of Micronised Linseed [charnwood Milling]
Start off with 100gms of linseed and build up the minerals in accordance with instructions from Pro Earth
Add to 400gms [when dry] non molassed s/beet and a bit of non molassed chaff. Make sure it is fed wet as dry beet will swell up in stomach and may cause colic.
If , like justabob, you think that spending money on proper food is a waste of money, then maybe you should ask the vet how much it will cost you if if you have to "call it a day".
 
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JackDaniels1 said:
not a wind up
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No, I don't think this is a wind up at all. JD there is no point on spending money on supplements until you know what you are dealing with. You really must get x-rays then you can act accordingly, the fact that he is not going forward does tie in with navicular.
 
justabob said:
No, I don't think this is a wind up at all. JD there is no point on spending money on supplements until you know what you are dealing with. You really must get x-rays then you can act accordingly, the fact that he is not going forward does tie in with navicular.
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Yes I think this is the way forward rather than supplements. My fear is the vet wont do xrays until he has seen the horse lame shod
 
Tiffany said:
Just out of interest, what makes you say looks like a navicular foot? Reason for asking is that my girl has got navicular and her feet look nothing like OPs photos
although like OPs horse, my girl's feet hardly grow.
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tiffany what do your girl's hooves look like? just out of interest
 
OP they aren't the worst feet I have seen although rings would suggest to me that something is going on or has changed in recent months.
If vet unable to locate problem I would be asking for x-rays and/or scan if you haven't already.
 
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