Would you be happy with these hooves? *pics*

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NellRosk

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Hi everyone,

My boy had his back shoes taken off 9 weeks ago. He will have his fronts off when the showing/ hunter trial season is over. His diet is good and I'm doing gentle roadwork to try and stimulate hoof growth but he seems extremely footy still and his hooves don't seem to be growing much. They seem very small in comparison with his body (he is a 16.1 ID). Anyway just a few pics, could I have some opinions please on how they're looking :)

Thanks

near hind
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off hind
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Well done for taking the shoes off. :)

If you look at the 'behind' photos showing the heel bulbs, you can see that they are contracted. This will decontract with time now that the shoes are off.

You are right to stimulate the hooves. If you think that he's too footy on the roads, you could start with other surfaces (sand, grass etc...) and then progress onto tarmac when he's ready.

You say the diet is good, but it would be helpful to know exactly what he eats as many feeds are too high in sugar and starch even when they have the Lamimitis logo on.

ETA - do you know why he has lots of event lines?
 
Faracat said:
Well done for taking the shoes off. :)

If you look at the 'behind' photos showing the heel bulbs, you can see that they are contracted. This will decontract with time now that the shoes are off.

You are right to stimulate the hooves. If you think that he's too footy on the roads, you could start with other surfaces (sand, grass etc...) and then progress onto tarmac when he's ready.

You say the diet is good, but it would be helpful to know exactly what he eats as many feeds are too high in sugar and starch even when they have the Lamimitis logo on.

ETA - do you know why he has lots of event lines?
Click to expand...

Hi thanks for your reply!! The front shoes will come off in a few months :) Can I do anything to help the heels decontract?

He's okay on smooth tarmac but any stones and he hobbles along poor boy.

He has a handful of hifi molasses free, baileys lo-cal balancer and a bit of micronised linseed. And I add more linseed and alfa-beet in winter. And he's on restricted grazing.

No I don't, I've had him 8 years so it's not like I don't know his history. Can you suggest any reasons why? Could it be when the grass flushes through?
 
Change in diet, low grade laminitis...

The diet he's on now is pretty good. :) Check the ingredients of the Baileys balancer (I don't know if it's a good one or not), does it have good level of copper, zinc and magnesium?

Re the stones - could you sweep some of the road/driveway to give you a stone free section of tarmac to walk up and down on?
 
I would investigate the frog central sulcus. Just poke inside gently and if it's deep I would treat myself. Thrush in there can cause tenderness. Try and keep to where he is comfortable if possible. How the hooves look is a tiny part of the picture, how the horse feels is the main point as to whether hooves are good for that horse.
 
Faracat said:
Change in diet, low grade laminitis...

The diet he's on now is pretty good. :) Check the ingredients of the Baileys balancer (I don't know if it's a good one or not), does it have good level of copper, zinc and magnesium?

Re the stones - could you sweep some of the road/driveway to give you a stone free section of tarmac to walk up and down on?
Click to expand...

Hmm the laminitis comment is interesting as he has always struggled with his weight but I do everything I can to try keep it off. He's never been lame but I suppose the shoes could have masked this? I asked my farrier and he just mentioned 'grass'.

I'll check the balancer, tbh I'd like to have him on the forage plus one but I'm worried keeping 2 big ID's on it will work out too much which is why I went for the bailey's as it's one of the more reasonably priced balancers..

And no I can't do that I'm afraid :( we keep them on a working farm and it's a gravelly track off the yard, there's sections of grass I can take him on so will keep doing this whilst he is uncomfortable.

To sum up do you think his feet are doing okay?
 
amandap said:
I would investigate the frog central sulcus. Just poke inside gently and if it's deep I would treat myself. Thrush in there can cause tenderness. Try and keep to where he is comfortable if possible. How the hooves look is a tiny part of the picture, how the horse feels is the main point as to whether hooves are good for that horse.
Click to expand...

Okay thanks, he's never struggled with thrush but always worth a try! Yeah, he seems happy most of the time, just the odd time he looks very uncomfortable on stones :(
 
If you are going to be riding him on the stony farm tracks I'd invest in a pair of hoof boots for him so you aren't restricted in his exercise while his feet develop.
 
Hoof boots just on the back are fine, you can get some for the front too when you take those off. Mine has been barefoot for 2 years. Although his feet are the best I've ever seen them he still goes forward better on stony surfaces with his boots on, so he always wears them when we are going anywhere challenging.
 
How old is he and what does the rest of him look like? I'm only asking because those feet (to me - and I'm not a vet/farrier) look like they may have been mildly laminitic in the past. Possibly some old bruising on pic 4.
 
rachyblue said:
How old is he and what does the rest of him look like? I'm only asking because those feet (to me - and I'm not a vet/farrier) look like they may have been mildly laminitic in the past. Possibly some old bruising on pic 4.
Click to expand...

He's a 14 year old 16.1 ID. Always struggled with his weight but he has always been on restricted grazing and worked. Can they get mild lami without being lame?
 
Yes, low grade laminitis can manifest as mild footiness or stiffness on turning a tight circle. Might be worth getting him tested next time the free cushings tests are on.
 
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