Barefoot pics

[MrC]

Recent pictures of Kias feet.

Barefoot 24yr old Welsh D x Appy, 14.2hh and cereal intolerant.

Diet of good quality hay, turnout on grass from 8am to 4pm winter and 24/7 in summer. He is hacked out on all terrains 3/4 times a week. Same yard and fields for a full year.

Feed in winter

Veteran vitality
Senior fibre
Turmeric
Glucosamine/msm
Cinnamon
Linseed
Beetpulp

Feed in summer

Senior balancer
Unmollassed alfalfa or Hayley's chaff
Turmeric
Glucosamine/msm
Cinnamon
Linseed
Beetpulp

Due the farrier on Friday

His condition at present

Fronts

Hinds

What do other bare footers on here think? He is sound in all gaits on all but the roughest terrain.

 

[Jessey]

Looking good, to me it looks like they are chipping away nicely giving a good roll to them, the only thing I would want to address is the balance on those toes at the front to try and give better/straighter roll over and to address the flare in the first pics. Having said that you need to take the whole leg confirmation into account before adjusting that. My girls feet have the exact same wear and I find a little tweek in between farrier visits just keeps her better balanced

 

[juliecwuk]

how often is he trimmed?

 

[MrC]

Every 12 weeks as per farrier due to the fact that any earlier and there isn't really anything for the farrier to do other than roll them.

I have a rasp myself but I really need a tripod for him as due to his arthritis he won't hold the foot up himself long enough for me to roll them.

 

[Jessey]

I had one welded out of old re-bar which was cheap and works, ive also heard of people using a Christmas tree stand with a stump in it

 

[MrC]

I think something like the above would help me keep a roll on the feet however balancing the deviations is something I'd probably leave to the farrier

I do like to get opinions and what people think as often you see the feet that often that you don't notice subtle things.

 

[newforest]

The bars look too long as they are almost the same length as the frog.
Have you had thrush. The sulci looks quite deep.
He has worn the toes in the first pic assuming it's not being trimmed as a straight toe.

What does your farrier say? What's his thinking on boots. If mine was ok apart from I would be booting.

 

[MrC]

I have boots I don't use them as he's never footy except on very sharp stones.

Farrier is I general pleased with his feet and other than a roll and balance never has to do anything.

The deep sulci I flush with bactakill when needed but he is not a horse who suffers much from thrush.

 

[Kite_Rider]

If he's sound and your farrier and yourself are happy then I'd just continue what you are doing. I don't think it's about having a pretty hoof, it's about if that hoof works for that horse at the end of the day, if it aint broke don't fix it.

 

[popularfurball]

Would just keep an eye on flare on the quarters as that will put pressure on the chip/crack and I would be doing more thrush washes of the central sulcus. Frogs are nice but sulcus is deep and narrow - there shouldn't be a groove in the centre really.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

If its only in rocky places hes tender I'd go with boots.
I use boots on mine but only in certain rocky parks.