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Veteran
Posts: 171
 
| Be waiting since Saturday for a corrective horse shoer to contact me, more than likely he will suggest wooden shoes again and PLR shoes.
What is working for your thin soled horse?
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| Regular shoes have always worked just fine for the two thin soled horses that I own. Both are senior horses now. One I'm still competing on and he still wears shoes. The other one is retired and we've been able to pull his shoes and just paint with Keratex if he gets ouchy in wet weather and we have to keep his feet cleaned out good as he gets sore if he gets packed up with wet dirt etc. |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| Ritkens and the Theraplate. It had increased her sole depth. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | A certified Natural Balance Farrier. |
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Veteran
Posts: 185
| My horse was thin soled. I got myself a proper barefoot trimmer. I literally got off him and brought him in for the regular barn "farrier" the first time he was due to be trimmed after I bought him and he lamed my horse for 2 weeks!!!!!!   I am not kiding! Still so angry....that man is never coming within 100ft of my horse again! No farrier will EVER touch my horse again! He was ouchy and very very sensitive even on sand in the arena for 2 weeks. WTF. Took a long time to build back up the callus and bring his foot back!
Got a proper barefoot trimmer. His hooves look great, healthy, strong and are tuff. Sole is much thicker. Just this sunday we were out on a trail ride and went up a steap incline made entirely of rocks! Not nice big smooth things either! Big and little pointy and ruff! He just marched up that hill. Quite a long climb too. If you want a better hoof let them grow one without a shoe there to f- things up. IMO |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I keep mind shod on the front year round. He was super thin and low soled when I got him. Had been barefoot most of his life and wouldn't walk down a small gravel road.
His soles have improved with a good feed program and I can point to the growth when I started him on Exceed 6 Way.
A good farrier makes a huge difference. I liked the one I had in MI alright, but the one I have here is far superior. Horse looks and moves better than ever. |
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Member
Posts: 19
| This problem has been a thorn in my backside. I have tried just about everything! I currently have a 2 year old with very thin soles. My farrier suggested getting a blood test to see if she was lacking anything since she is only 2. The blood test showed she was low in iron, cobalt and a few other things. My vet had me put her on a redline which is a liquid vitamin supplement and started painting her soles everyday. I use save a hoof on the bottoms and keratin hoof gel for the outside when its raining to keep the soles tough. I also will stall her up during the summer rain storms. If its not raining or a heavy dew i use the keratin hoof gel on the soles and on the hoof capsule every day! My farrier just came back after 6 weeks and said her feet looked great! Her soles had grown, where hard, and she was completely sound. She is barefoot and he doesn't touch the soles or do much to the frog. This is my 2nd horse with thin soles and the first one i keep shoes on with leather pads or equithane. If you can correct the problem with out shoes you and your horse will be better off. Good Luck! |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Nevertooold - 2014-06-24 1:21 PM
A certified Natural Balance Farrier.
This.....plus I shoe mine except during winter months. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 300
| My mare gets wedges due to her angles but I just keep shoes on her til the snow flies, then the ground is soft enough to pull them. I may look into putting pads on her front feet for her next shoe job though because I long trot on alot of gravel roads and she still gets ouchy when she steps on bigger rocks.... |
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I keep my change in my pockets
Posts: 2985
Location: MN | My senior mare stays in front shoes year round, otherwise she has a hard time getting around. It is spendy for mare that doesn't even get ridden. |
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Veteran
Posts: 171
| Wooden shoes on the front ran $200 last year. Altogether I spent a little of $1500 in two month getting him sound again, because last year the thin soles stressed him and we got a touch of founder so he was in wedges for a month.
I have him on a supplement called farrier's formula (since last June)
I am just so discouraged & upset.
I love my normal horse shoer as he just lives about 5 miles from the house and shows up when he says he will be there. I have to do what is best for my horse.
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  Veteran
Posts: 241
| What about pour in pads like Equipak soft or Equipak CS if thrush is a concern? they are really easy to do and protect the bottom of the foot while still providing pressure on the frog as needed... |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | What worked for me: pull the shoes and go barefoot, find a farrier that specializes in barefoot trims, Easyboots if/when necessary, Keratex Hoof Hardener often, Theraplate a minimum of twice per day, exercise and time. |
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Veteran
Posts: 185
| Diet is important.
More hay,grass, fiber... less grain. Cut the high sugars and bad starches.
Hoof supplement (I feed California Trace its a hoof supplement/general hay balancer).
Balancing your minerals/vitamins is key. Really you should test your hay and balance from there but I think caltrace does a good job of covering what is generally lacking. My hay supplier can change.
He looks so shinny on caltrace! He also gets flax too. |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| I have one that has thin soles and I have been dealing with it for years. I have fed every supplement on the market and given it a fair chance like feeding for a year. I have yet to find anything that has help the soles. I have his hooves in pretty good shape but those soles are hard to fix. I keep the horse shod on all four feet year round. He threw a shoe last week and is limping on that foot. When I bought the horse 11 years ago the girl who is a friend and has ridden a LOT of horses told me I would probably have to keep shoes on him. She was right. He is shod flat with no pads--nothing fancy. That works for me. |
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 Ditch the Stirrups
Posts: 5369
Location: Sorrow Not! Defending against workplace bullies | Mine was so thin soled he fractured his coffin bone hitting a rock in the pasture. tried to keep him in boots and barefoot trimmed but there is no way. I have him completely sound now and ride him every day on rough trails, plus compete at jackpots. Horshoers Secret supplement and pads on the front are what has helped him. |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | Wooden shoes sound like a completely different issue is being treated? I see them used for laminitic issues most often.
Thin soles need protection. My guess is your reliable local guy might be able to put pads or pour in pads to help protect your horse. Think of it like a human walking barefoot on rocks- some can really do it- others not so much. If you have some sort of cushion boot for him to use until you decide how to treat him- that will really help. Protect, protect, protect (any time he is on anything other than deep shavings or sand- that means the horse trailer, concrete, even a hard dirt lot). |
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Member
Posts: 40
Location: okeechobee,fl | readytorodeo - 2014-06-24 1:19 PM Ritkens and the Theraplate. It had increased her sole depth.
I agree with the Theraplate!! |
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Veteran
Posts: 294
| I fed Equipride and cut out starch. HUGE difference! He runs barefoot and running in the 1d . He could hardly walk a couple of years ago. I trim myself and then have a natural barefoot farrier come 2 x a year just to make sure I'm doing OK. I really think Equipride is amazing.. |
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