A little barefoot update - can I improve her frogs?

Rubic

Equine Karaoke Queen
Apr 15, 2012
3,771
571
113
Glasgow
So Rubic has been barefoot in front for nearly a year now (barefoot behind for nearly 2 I think!). Generally they are looking quite good. I've gone back to my farrier for trimming. Now we are starting to walk out on stony tracks she is coping well, she has the odd off step when she stands on a particularly jaggy stone but she was like that even when shod sometimes. We do have some small chips after out couple of walks out but nothing I am worried about as I think it is just excess hoof wall being "self trimmed" a bit while walking.

I think her frogs are looking a bit poor at the moment though and could do with beefing up. The frogs are better on her hinds but her fronts are narrower and appear to be shedding so have lots of nooks and crannies for nasty stuff to get in at. She isn't thrushy but I worry that could develop. I do hope her frogs will bulk up a bit though, I have heard the walking will stimulate them more.

She is on a low sugar diet and is muzzled so I'm unsure what else I can do to her diet to improve them. People have suggested trying to get extra minerals in her (copper etc) but she just stopped eating all that (forage plus) and I'm not sure I could persuade her to eat it again! A friend is bringing stuff over on Wednesday to see if I can try to get a little extra in her.

I've been spraying cider vinegar on them every few days and am considering adding neem oil and tea-tree oil to the mix as both are good for being antibacterial, antifungal etc.

Is there anything else anyone would suggest?
 
When I was looking at it the big thing lots of people suggested was putting pea gravel in an area they go regularly, like round their trough, so even when you can't walk her she would still get that important frog stimulation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rubic
That is meant to help Jessey but unfortunately I can't really do that at my yard. We do have gravel tracks around the yard though and I hope walking on that a few times a week and building up the time on it gradually will help instead of putting pea gravel down. In an absolute ideal world I'd have her on a paddock paradise system with pea-gravel areas but I just need to make do with what I have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
I really really recommend the Red Horse Field Paste. Ziggy's frogs after his remedial shoeing were rubbish, soft, flaky, disintegrating and non-existent. Regular application of Field Paste has really helped them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rubic
I scrub feet with tcp/anti bacterial type wash (I first aid section at supermarket) every day or two days for a few weeks and that seems to set a good base for rebuilding the foot :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rubic
J&Z, I was thinking about that as have heard good things and it was recommended.

PF, I was going to get something like that or Milton but as I've already got neem oil, tea tree and cider vinegar I figured I might as well give that a bash first. I might get a cheap toothbrush though to get in about all the nooks and crannies. Her frogs have been looking a little better since the CV so maybe the addition of a couple of other things will help!
 
Red horse products are amazing! I have sole cleanse and field paste love them, also have swan antibac which if wet I find just stays on abit better than the sole cleanse when she is in. I cant find it to but online but get it off my farrier. also even just a walk uo and down the track once a day I find helps stimulate enough ti see improvement. I can see a difference if I have a week of not doing it.
 
newrider.com