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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342
 
Location: Alabama | my gelding has CRAPPY feet, he just doesn't grow much foot, or a very strong hoof wall...
THANK god for my farrier who takes such great care of him... none of my other horses have this issue, nor have they ever.... i have fed hoof supplements & sealants, and MAY see a difference since I've used them... any suggestions on getting him to have a healthier foot? |
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 Expert
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Location: Gainesville, TX | Have you fed the gelatin packets? A lot of people seem to swear by these. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 342
Location: Alabama | i did, but only till i could get hoof supplement... may should go back to them |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 564
Location: Texas | My vet said gelatin too. I just got some in and started feeding it yesterday. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | 10 lbs or more of alfalfa, 8 ounces of flax daily, and properly barefoot trim for 6 months and your horse will have much much better hoof, would be my opinion and suggestion.
It is very hard to get a horse with weak hoof to get a whole lot better without barefoot trimming. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I have a gelding who is probably the worst hooved horse in the world - I blame the appaloosa genes. If his feet aren't peeled back to the frog and bleeding just two days after trimming, then I'm feeling pretty good. He gets gelatin and an all around senior supplement (hooves, joints, immune support), like he has for years.
Last year, I started to use Keratex Hoof Hardener and that stuff is like MAGIC. He actually had hooves for the first time in 20 years when I started that, and you can see the difference in where the new hoof is versus the old hoof. Apply it daily and watch them harden in a matter of weeks. His feet are still too bad to even consider shoes, but he now has hard, solid back feet that can go 4 weeks without cracking, his front feet still peel like butter but they are much better than they were, and only getting harder when we keep applying it like we should.
Warning: The Keratex Hoof Hardner is serious stuff. Do not get it on your skin or the horse's skin as it can and WILL cause chemical burns. It says it in the directions, but I'm telling you as someone who has used it, they are not kidding. I got it on my hand one time, and it was only on there a few seconds and my hand bubbled up for days afterwards. |
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  Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Tdove - 2015-09-24 8:35 AM 10 lbs or more of alfalfa, 8 ounces of flax daily, and properly barefoot trim for 6 months and your horse will have much much better hoof, would be my opinion and suggestion. It is very hard to get a horse with weak hoof to get a whole lot better without barefoot trimming. I second Tdove's advice. Take him off of all processed feeds and all supplements that contain synthetic vitamins or minerals. If it lists calcium, magnesium, etc on the ingredient list, those are synthetics that have been added. Lastly, if his hindgut isn't functioning properly, he won't fully utilize anything you feeding, so it's important to be sure and get the hindgut functioning properly so that he's able to utlize the nutrients he's eating to grow a strong hoof. I would start him on the Cur-OST EQ Total Support or maybe the EQ Stomach to remove the inflammation from the hindgut and encourage proper nutrient assimilation.
Edited by Herbie 2015-09-24 9:13 AM
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| i have a mare with good sole depth and extremely thick hoof wall.. the conformation of her front feet is spot on but she has negative palmar angles with her backs. We helped mother nature the best we could but ultimately you cant change it. we resorted to putting rear wedges on and that has seemed to be the best solution. So I have fabulous hoof quality not so great rear conformation. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Thistle2011 - 2015-09-24 11:17 AM
i have a mare with good sole depth and extremely thick hoof wall.. the conformation of her front feet is spot on but she has negative palmar angles with her backs. We helped mother nature the best we could but ultimately you cant change it. we resorted to putting rear wedges on and that has seemed to be the best solution. So I have fabulous hoof quality not so great rear conformation.
Is she lame from this? |
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The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| komet. - 2015-09-24 11:53 AM
Thistle2011 - 2015-09-24 11:17 AM
i have a mare with good sole depth and extremely thick hoof wall.. the conformation of her front feet is spot on but she has negative palmar angles with her backs. We helped mother nature the best we could but ultimately you cant change it. we resorted to putting rear wedges on and that has seemed to be the best solution. So I have fabulous hoof quality not so great rear conformation.
Is she lame from this?
nope. during pre purchase she showed the VERY VERY beginning of a lesion via radiographs . This particular lesion was directed related to her rear hoof angle. Her wedge is very conservative and she is reset every 4-5 weeks it has even made her track up under her self better. wanted to add she flexed 100% sound at pre purchase.
Edited by Thistle2011 2015-09-24 12:00 PM
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| FlyingHigh1454 - 2015-09-24 8:50 AM
I have a gelding who is probably the worst hooved horse in the world - I blame the appaloosa genes. If his feet aren't peeled back to the frog and bleeding just two days after trimming, then I'm feeling pretty good. He gets gelatin and an all around senior supplement (hooves, joints, immune support), like he has for years.
Last year, I started to use Keratex Hoof Hardener and that stuff is like MAGIC. He actually had hooves for the first time in 20 years when I started that, and you can see the difference in where the new hoof is versus the old hoof. Apply it daily and watch them harden in a matter of weeks. His feet are still too bad to even consider shoes, but he now has hard, solid back feet that can go 4 weeks without cracking, his front feet still peel like butter but they are much better than they were, and only getting harder when we keep applying it like we should.
Warning: The Keratex Hoof Hardner is serious stuff. Do not get it on your skin or the horse's skin as it can and WILL cause chemical burns. It says it in the directions, but I'm telling you as someone who has used it, they are not kidding. I got it on my hand one time, and it was only on there a few seconds and my hand bubbled up for days afterwards.
I don't know about your App but my old App had fabulous feet. Couldn't get a man near him for the first few years I had him so I just took a file to his feet before I showed him and never had any issues. All the road riding I did took care of keeping them short. This was back in my 4H days and teen years, and road riding was the only riding I could do where I lived. I am amazed that he never even had an abcess from all the gravel on the roads.
The mare I am running now has particularly crappy feet which I blame on Thoroughbred genes. They are shallow, shelly and low angled. They are cracking on the exterior almost all the way up the hoof but my blacksmith tells me the cracks don't go through the whiteline. I started her on Farrier's Formula by Life Data about 1 1/2 months ago and fed her twice daily with the Double strength stuff for over a month. I am just now beginning to see some healthier hoof growth coming from the coronet band. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | DL Methionine pure powder for 6 months. Keep out of wet pastures and mud. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Rice bran. Over time this increases growth. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Barrelracingroper12 - 2015-09-24 8:20 AM
my gelding has CRAPPY feet, he just doesn't grow much foot, or a very strong hoof wall...
THANK god for my farrier who takes such great care of him... none of my other horses have this issue, nor have they ever.... i have fed hoof supplements & sealants, and MAY see a difference since I've used them... any suggestions on getting him to have a healthier foot?
As others said you need to feed to fix the internal problem.
I found with my horses all of their feet improved ten fold when I switched their mineral, I went from Hoffmanns to buckeye. And my horses feet looked healthy before, so I thought.
Also how often are you trimming, everything I have read on keeping a horse barefoot says they should be trimmed every 4 weeks, and you shouldn't even be taking off much, some barefoot trimmers only use a rasp.
Applying fish oil on the cornet will assist in moisturizing the hoof wall. This was recommended by my vet, I bought the fish oil capsules at Walmart, applied 2 per foot at the cornet band daily. Took the horse back to the vet two weeks later and he was in awe how much healthier his feet were. This horse had contracted heels due to dryness |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 375
Location: San Antonio, TX | Formula4feet
Hands down the best!! I have fed it to several of mine with not so great feet. The new hoof growth is visible and the horn is in better condition. It will not change the "shape" of a hoof.
My horses are fed alfafla twice a day all they can eat grass or hay and moorman mineral. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I agree w/TDove too -- alfalfa and flax... will help tremendously! (renew gold :) )
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Regular
Posts: 68
| hammerdown - 2015-09-24 8:30 AM
My vet said gelatin too. I just got some in and started feeding it yesterday.
how much gelatin do you feed a day?
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 695
Location: Missouri | We had a couple that had crappy feet. After 60 days on Animal element Detox we see alot of improvement. PM me if you would like more info
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 I Drink Whiskey in Boys Shorts
Posts: 1882
| This is totally irrelevant and off topic, but looking at your horse's rear is torture Herbie. I am a sucker for red horses, especially ones with a nice booty. Every once in a blue moon when I jump on here I always get the torturous pleasure of seeing your horses rear! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Full of Beans - 2015-09-25 4:48 PM
This is totally irrelevant and off topic, but looking at your horse's rear is torture Herbie. I am a sucker for red horses, especially ones with a nice booty. Every once in a blue moon when I jump on here I always get the torturous pleasure of seeing your horses rear!
I think she should have to turn the horse around in her pictures from now on----only front angles from here on out, Herbie!! |
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I Drink Whiskey in Boys Shorts
Posts: 1882
| Chandler's Mom - 2015-09-25 8:26 PM
Full of Beans - 2015-09-25 4:48 PM
This is totally irrelevant and off topic, but looking at your horse's rear is torture Herbie. I am a sucker for red horses, especially ones with a nice booty. Every once in a blue moon when I jump on here I always get the torturous pleasure of seeing your horses rear!
I think she should have to turn the horse around in her pictures from now on----only front angles from here on out, Herbie!!
I like your way of thinking! |
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Whack and Roll
Posts: 6342
Location: NE Texas | Full of Beans - 2015-09-26 12:06 AM
Chandler's Mom - 2015-09-25 8:26 PM
Full of Beans - 2015-09-25 4:48 PM
This is totally irrelevant and off topic, but looking at your horse's rear is torture Herbie. I am a sucker for red horses, especially ones with a nice booty. Every once in a blue moon when I jump on here I always get the torturous pleasure of seeing your horses rear!
I think she should have to turn the horse around in her pictures from now on----only front angles from here on out, Herbie!!
I like your way of thinking!
You guys are too kind! He is a cutie. :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I had several over the years with thin hoof walls grew slow keratex is what i used a lot and i would pack with magic cushion some to, I finally got rid of the last one i had like that a carrier took all his heel of and it would of took years to grow back he grew no heel was thinned walled and couldn't go right with his angles so low,sold him as a trail horse and cut my losses, he was also fed well his whole life just genetics all of his bloodline were prone to low heels and poor quality feet.farrier not carrier lol |
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 Life Saver
Posts: 10477
Location: MT | Trace minerals, a couple of good ones (for low selenium areas) are California Trace or Bonina Equine Freedom. It's even better to get a trace mineral that is formulated for your area. It's really a good idea to get your forage tested to see exactly where you are at on minerals. Many horses are short on copper and zinc. If you have high iron in your forage and feeds you are giving it will compete (along with manganese) with copper and zinc for absorption in the body, this often creates a need to exceed NRC values on copper and zinc. A lot of areas can be magnesium deficient too, horses with sugar problems often benefit from added magnesium.
Supplementing with Omegas 3 &6 along with Vitamin E is also a good choice, especially when the horse is on hay.
Excess sugars can also be a major contributor. It's amazing how many hidden sugars there can be in our horses diets, even when we think we have a handle on it.
Hooves are a gauge of nutrition, get it right and you might be surprised at the quality of hoof your horse can grow!
Edited by ruggedchica 2015-09-28 8:49 AM
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 Member
Posts: 46
| My solution to a horse with crappy feet is to sell it. I had a very nice gelding with horrible feet. We did glue on shoes for a long time. But even then he would need them redone every 4 weeks. I couldn't justify keeping one like that. Sold him to a farriers daughter and he keeps him sound. I tried every supplemrnt, gelatin pqckets, ect. Fought with his feet for 3 years. |
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crappy crappy hooves