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 Expert
Posts: 2604
  
Location: Texas | 11 year old, 1250+ lbs, 16.2H absolutely gorgeous built palomino gelding ran a phenomenol 1D barrel pattern without even trying. I have owned this guy since he jumped off the trailer as a wild 5 month old colt fresh off his momma. I have done all his training and he has had only the very best of care his entire life. Fast forward to the issue...
He has been plagued with hoof issues his entire riding life. He has small hooves for the big body that he has to carry. He also grows very little to no heel, which are run forward, and has VERY thin, flat soles. He has never gone more than 5 weeks between trims and I usually do rasp touch ups between trims. I have tried EVERY supplement and gadget out there to increase growth & sole depth with little to no success. He has been barefoot the majority of his life except for a few times when I resorted to special, very expensive shoes in hopes of helping him. But since he has very thin walls and doesn't grow much hoof, after a few shoe settings his hooves were destroyed. Just looking at the horse you would never know there was an issue. He walks sound on concrete and on soft ground in my pasture. But when you ride him you can feel how short strided he is. I tried riding him in boots, but the boots I have are too big for him. Fortunately I live on real sandy ground. He will move out, but you can tell it is not 100% comfortable for him. I have been and can probably continue dealing with the front hoof issues. However...
August 2015 he developed a lameness in his right rear. Had an MRI done and it revealed lots of soft tissue damage & inflammation. I stayed off him for over a year, but he is still not sound on it in a circle after a year and a half. I have all but given up on my dream horse. I don't know what to do with him. Do I just let him be a beautiful pasture ornament, using him to pony my other two horses and trail ride on, and continuing to pay for hay & hoof trims? I keep spending money on trying to find something to help him but not having any success except wasting a lot of money. I am afraid to sell him because I am afraid they will try to barrel race on him. He has a huge heart and will run & work the pattern on three legs if asked. He is still rideable and useable, but just can't be a barrel or pole horse without risking terrible damage. I have a friend that might want him as a trail horse for her husband. Just not sure if I will regret selling him, giving him away, him being gone, etc. Any advice?
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I have a gelding with similar issues. We don't know what spring will bring for him as the corrective shoes are damaging his hoof wall even more. However, he has a permanent place in my pasture. He has given me 8 years of his life in competition and has earned his retirement if that needs to be the case. My niece rides him, I pony colts on him. I can pluck around the pasture with him. He means the world to me and I don't consider it wasted money feeding and trimming him because I feel he has earned it. I guess I don't ever consider selling him because I don't think he would be cared for and I need him in my life. Even if it just to brush and love on him. He is good for my soul. As long as he is comfortable, he will stay here. |
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Veteran
Posts: 197
| I had one about the same age when he came down with EPM for the second time. This time he had muscle wasting in his hind end muscles and I tried everything to restore it, but it just never came back how I would like. He was basicly sound, but did not feel it was fair or safe to run him any more. He may have been fine and ran a slower D, but he too was a solid 1D and had won me lots of titles and awards over the years. I had owned him since he was yearling. Anyway, he was a pasture ornament for about a year and I really did not feel he was happy not getting the attention he used to. I too struggled to see him like that and not use him. I ended up giving him to a family that I vetted well before doing it. He gets brushed and loved on almost daily, and ridden around the pasture a few times a week. When I have checked on him, he is happy and cared for. As hard as it was to haul him and drop him off that day, I feel it was best all the way around. He is now 16 this year and happy there still. ( I check on him about 1-2x a year.) We do have an agreement in writing that he returns to me if they choose not to keep him. I know that may or may not happen, but it is there. |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
 
| If you come up with an answer, let me know. I have a now 6 year old that I raised. He is gorgeous, athletic, well bred and seriously needs a job to keep him out of trouble. The problem is a bad back, that surfaced after a few months of getting broke school. Out of nowhere he broke in half, now if he hurts he just freezes up. Have put some money into him but hubby does not like him and is unwilling to open the pocketbook to the bottomless point to figure out what the exact issue is ,let alone fix it. We are talking thousands for a colt that has done nothing and may be unable to really DO anything. Now he has gotten regular chiro visits, multiple xrays, injections etc, but a body /are not in the picture. So what's a girl to do, besides feed him, try to keep him comfortable and put up with is mischievous ways? Selling him is out of the question. Nobody is going to pay for him just to sign up for a parade of vet bills and I don't see anyone else taking care of him as well as I am willing to do because I "made" him....he's still my baby Boy. Sigh...at least he's purty....
For Tbone I was going to suggest pads until you said shoeing tears up his feet. Grasping straws I do remember an old vet told me that soaking their feet in kerosene would toughen the soles up??? Have a friend that used to paint something on her horse's soles to do the same thing, don't remember what it was.
I feel for ya. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: California | One HUGE thing I learned with my horse.... Has your farrier ever trimmed the Bars? Most farriers don't. Could you post a pic of the bottom of the hoof cleaned out or PM?
Basically the bars line either side of the frog-about half way down. These typically grow outward, but when not trimmed, can end up covering the whole sole of the foot & also growing down into the hoof. Think ingrown toe nail. Now imagine that across the whole hoof.
Considering the age of your horse, it's about the perfect timing that the bars would start causing major lameness issues. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1357
Location: Mississippi | As far as the sore feet, I have used the glue on shoes from Sound Horse Technologies with good success. They offer a therapeutic pad that is very cushioning to the foot. My farrier would trim the hooves, and my husband and I would put the shoes on. If you have no experience with shoeing, or using a fast-drying epoxy, I would recommend letting the farrier do it if he is willing. I have changed farriers, and we are trying to go back to a regular shoe now with fair success. I am giving a hoof supplement. Good luck. Sore feet are the devil! I'm no help on the soft tissue injury. I had one that I never could get back competing after a suspensory injury. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Please be extremely careful IF you decide to sale. Recently had a horror story come true for a friend who sold a horse with a similar situation to a person she considered a friend at the time. The horse ended up being sold as grade to a lil girl who was running him in rodeos and he was so eat up with ulcers from pain he was skinny as a rail. It was awful we both cried. |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | TBone - 2017-01-24 9:55 AM 11 year old, 1250+ lbs, 16.2H absolutely gorgeous built palomino gelding ran a phenomenol 1D barrel pattern without even trying. I have owned this guy since he jumped off the trailer as a wild 5 month old colt fresh off his momma. I have done all his training and he has had only the very best of care his entire life. Fast forward to the issue...
He has been plagued with hoof issues his entire riding life. He has small hooves for the big body that he has to carry. He also grows very little to no heel, which are run forward, and has VERY thin, flat soles. He has never gone more than 5 weeks between trims and I usually do rasp touch ups between trims. I have tried EVERY supplement and gadget out there to increase growth & sole depth with little to no success. He has been barefoot the majority of his life except for a few times when I resorted to special, very expensive shoes in hopes of helping him. But since he has very thin walls and doesn't grow much hoof, after a few shoe settings his hooves were destroyed. Just looking at the horse you would never know there was an issue. He walks sound on concrete and on soft ground in my pasture. But when you ride him you can feel how short strided he is. I tried riding him in boots, but the boots I have are too big for him. Fortunately I live on real sandy ground. He will move out, but you can tell it is not 100% comfortable for him. I have been and can probably continue dealing with the front hoof issues. However...
August 2015 he developed a lameness in his right rear. Had an MRI done and it revealed lots of soft tissue damage & inflammation. I stayed off him for over a year, but he is still not sound on it in a circle after a year and a half. I have all but given up on my dream horse. I don't know what to do with him. Do I just let him be a beautiful pasture ornament, using him to pony my other two horses and trail ride on, and continuing to pay for hay & hoof trims? I keep spending money on trying to find something to help him but not having any success except wasting a lot of money. I am afraid to sell him because I am afraid they will try to barrel race on him. He has a huge heart and will run & work the pattern on three legs if asked. He is still rideable and useable, but just can't be a barrel or pole horse without risking terrible damage. I have a friend that might want him as a trail horse for her husband. Just not sure if I will regret selling him, giving him away, him being gone, etc. Any advice?
Can you afford to keep him? If so-time heals A LOT of issues.....you may even find a better farrier......If you think you have a good farrier-keep looking-there are GREAT farriers out there (personal experience: will tell the story if needed but not all good farriers match every horse) If you let him rest and be that pretty pasture ornament you may heal up that soft tissue damage. (I'm talking a couple years) If you can't afford to keep him-sell him to someone you KNOW will not use him to run barrels OR turn your head and walk away from him. The only way to keep him off the pattern is to keep him-some people have no problem paying to keep a horse running-no matter what.... |
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Go Get Em!
Posts: 13503
Location: OH. IO | He would stay in my pasture.I will never let another one go after I learned my lesson with the last one. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Let him be your beautiful pasture ornament and use him as your pony horse.. Thats what I would do for him. I think you will regret letting him go, theres no guarantee that he will go to a home that will not try to run barrels on him again, unless you just loan him out to your friend for her husband to ride and then if they decide to not ride him anymore then bring him back home..But I would not sell him to anybody, if you do he will fall into the wrong hands sooner ar later.  |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Oh I forgot to ask you have you ever tried the PHT magnectic bell boots on him? I have a gelding that founder last spring and I really and truly belived they helped him and he has thin soles also. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Southtxponygirl - 2017-01-24 11:38 AM
Let him be your beautiful pasture ornament and use him as your pony horse.. Thats what I would do for him. I think you will regret letting him go, theres no guarantee that he will go to a home that will not try to run barrels on him again, unless you just loan him out to your friend for her husband to ride and then if they decide to not ride him anymore then bring him back home..But I would not sell him to anybody, if you do he will fall into the wrong hands sooner ar later.
^^ This ^^^ |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| The only home I would even consider is Dos Brias in Brenham. She is always looking for safe trail horses for guests to to ride. They pamper and take excellent care of the horses there. Sorry he is not staying sound for you. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 623
Location: /ARKANSAS | applying formeldahyde will make the hoof hard. I have had to use it before |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Before I gave up I'd try putting magnetic bells on him to increase the circulation and hopefully encourage some growth. I'd also try using the Vettec Products (Adhere, Equi-Pack, etc.). We had one horse that had horrible feet (I mean HORRIBLE). They'd chip or crack, were soft, prone to falling apart and he needed shoes. I used a Biotin supplement which in helped him grow a better foot but his feet were still bad so we used the Vettec products. It was enough to keep him sound and able to rodeo and eliminated any foot related lameness we had. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12842
| I retired my horse and he will never leave my house. He has earned that much. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2347
| I had a similar situation with my gelding and I retired him at 10 years old and he will be with me forever. I can trail ride him and I use him to pony off of. If you can afford it, I would keep him. Time may heal that soft tissue injury further. My horse has done nothing but improve over the last three years. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 891
| First I want to say I'm sorry that your horse is not feeling well. My first barrel horse had feet issues, which caused him to have a sore back as well. I had a great shoer at first, but he quit shoeing & I unfortunately got one who took off what little heel my horse had & that was a down hill spiral from there. I tried everything from every supplement to magnetic bell boots, you name it, I bought it. Nothing helped. His feet were a genetic thing.I could of bought a new home for what I spent, but this horse was well worth it. Kept him running with egg bar shoes & equithane & that helped, but he just quit clocking & I could see he wasn't as happy running as he had use to be. I retired him at 17 , which is young for a solid, open barrel horse. There wasn't anything I wouldn't of done for him or did do. Different vets, you name it , I did it, but there comes a time where you have to stand back & say, is this horse going to be happy & 100% sound running barrels without using drugs. My answer for Stewart was No. He had a happy retirement here. I still rode him out to check cows & trail ride. I lost him 2 years ago & my heart has never been the same. He was my first barrel horse. Won me my first saddle, buckles, more money than I paid for him & the most important thing is he taught me to win & loose. We were very close. Everyone had great advice. But sit back & look at your horse. Do what is best for him. I know you will. Give him a soft hug & kiss from me. Sorry this was so long, but your post reminded me of Stewart. He is the horse is my avatar. |
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Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | I guess I should have explained more that I can live and work with the thin soled front feet. I have changed barefoot trimmers and am seeing significant improvements already. But I highly doubt he will ever have "enough" sole to be 100% comfortable 100% of the time. But I can work around that by riding him in boots. What I was doing when I was running him was warm him up in boots, pull the boots off right before running, make my run and put the boots back on. I can live with that.
The career limiting issue is really the soft tissue injuries down in the right rear hoof. It has been over a year and a half and he still is not sound when turning on it. Vet said some horses never come back from that injury, which I guess my guy will be one of those.
I appreciate your responses. I may just have to keep him so that I can sleep at night!
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | Keep him. I will never sell again. ever. (if I can help it) |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Honestly, you only have 2 options to keep him safe. Keep him as a pasture pet or put him down. I have a very nice gelding that became a pasture pet as a 5yr old. I won buckles and he was just starting to nip at the 1D with very very little hauling. Pelvis injury makes him unsound to ride more than a trot. With his AQHA record I am afraid someone would start to run him again. If I ever got to where I can't keep him, I'll have the vet come and take care of him. |
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Regular
Posts: 65
| If you can afford to have him as a pasture pet, I would keep him. Not worth the risk of selling him to someone who you think you can trust and have that go bad.
On the feet issue, we have a horse like that. We had a great farrier, he told us to start giving him Gelatin......one packet a day. It wasn't an over night fix, but after a good year or more, we could tell a huge difference.
Good luck. |
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 Go Your Own Way
Posts: 4947
Location: SE KS | I see mine every morning/night feed him, love on him and I will bury him.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 490
| Thats a tough decision. I personally would keep him, and if the time came that I was unable to, I would put him down. I have a 16 yr old that I had to retire due to a stifle injury. Shes a quirky antagonizer but the mare has earned her place. I love that Im still able to pet her, ride her and just look at her. Heck I love even having to chunk a feed bucket at her when shes in a mood.... Shes my girl. I got a mare a year ago that is her twin. Down to looks and personality. I see so much of my old mare in her. I am dealing with soundness issues with her and my husband asked me last night what I will do if she isnt able to run barrels. Without missing a beat, I said keep her. She goes nowhere. Together we have overcame alot of mental issues with her and the mare trusts me. She Had been passed around and counted off as a bad horse with behavioral issues. Turns out it was all pain. Imagine that..... Shes made a complete 180 and Ill never let her go. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I kept a horse that wasn't suitable for running anymore because like your horse, he will run through his problems and I was afraid someone would run him until he died. He has severe IAD and is a bleeder. He is impossible to keep fit to run and currently can't even have hay, period, because he can't handle it even when steamed, so he gets hay cubes, pellets and beet pulp. But he won't let you know that. He's a workaholic. I had people that were almost offended I don't sell him, because I "Can't use him". These are the same people that used to ask me to name a price, so I can only assume that they're thinking I would sell him for dirt cheap because of his problems and then they could buy him.
So he's a very fancy trail horse. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 670
Location: Running my kids somewhere. | I had one very similar. I had very good luck with glue shoes with pads and equi-pack. but once it became more than his feet I was lucky to find a friend with the same blacksmith that needed a pasture buddy. He is living the great life and if ever needed he comes back home to live out his life. I owe him that! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | The replies on here about them deserving their retirement and that they're owed a life that doesn't involve someone running them thru their pain helps restore my faith in humanity!! In all honesty, y'all are examples of responsible horse mommas  |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Have you tried glue on shoes?
I would consider "loaning" or free leasing him out to your friend as a trail horse. You retain ownership and he can come back to you if she decides she doesn't want him anymore. |
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I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | fulltiltfilly - 2017-01-27 5:25 AM
Have you tried glue on shoes?
I would consider "loaning" or free leasing him out to your friend as a trail horse. You retain ownership and he can come back to you if she decides she doesn't want him anymore.
That was going to be my other suggestion. I've debated letting people borrow my horse, that I know won't run him. But that way I still retain legal ownership and rights over him, so if I ever thought someone was misusing him I could take him back. |
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Barrel Career Over - What would you do?