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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
   
Location: Missouri | I've asked before about this horse and was told the cracks were surface cracks and not to worry. But, I feel like his feet are falling apart now! Are they as awful as they look?
Back story, he was my main man, feet were in rough shape (VERY overgrown) when I first got him three years ago. They had vertical cracks all over. The largest cracks never did go away. This spring, vet said it was time to retire due to arthritis in his knees  In June, I had his shoes pulled and he's been turned out since. His last trim was about 4 weeks ago.
Prior to him being turned out, he was on feed with biotin, in addition to a biotin supplement.
His feet are getting worse by the day! Is he just one that can't go barefoot?
Any suggestions? Recommendations? He is 20. I attached two left pics, two right, and one of his general condition. All were taken today.
Thanks so much for any help. He's really special and I want him to be as comfortable as possible!
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Dang they are a shelly mess, if he was mine, I would put shoes back on him and get him back on his supplements. Were the supplements working befor you pulled shoes and turned him out? Is the problem with his front feet only or all four? |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Holy ****!!!! This horse is out of balance.. As everyone can see... Notching the crack without going through to the white line is not working..... Get the horse back in balance and lace the vertical cracks.. and add Biotin to the diet!!! And be prepared to wait a year.. It takes that long to grow a hoofwall from the hairline to the ground.. (where is that stupid bich that keeps saying to notch a vertical crack?) THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T DO THAT!!! |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Yikes. The vertical crack was notched by the Amish farrier that trimmed him last.
We are in a VERY bad location for farriers.
Here is a picture of his left foot in Feb. His shoes were off for the winter. I put him on the additional biotin after this photo. I know I took picture 60 days later, but can't find them. I also had his shoes put back on in March, so I don't know what made a bigger difference?
The other photo was taken in May and was never intended to be a picture of his feet, so I'm sorry about the quality. You can get the idea of what he looked like in shoes though. This job was done by students at the Heartland Horseshoeing School. They were in the area doing a clinic, so I brought him by. The put the side clips on hoping to hold his feet together. I wasn't able to continue with their treatment, though. There is a possibility that they will be back, or at least one of their instructors and I could definintely have him done again.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I have tried every even slightly recommended farrier that will come!!! I cannot haul all of mine to have them done, but I would be willing to take him anywhere that could help.
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | eta: problem is in front feet only. Back feet don't have any cracks and only minor chips |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | just4fun - 2014-08-22 11:39 PM
Yikes. The vertical crack was notched by the Amish farrier that trimmed him last.
We are in a VERY bad location for farriers.Â
Here is a picture of his left foot in Feb. His shoes were off for the winter. I put him on the additional biotin after this photo. I know I took picture 60 days later, but can't find them. I also had his shoes put back on in March, so I don't know what made a bigger difference?
The other photo was taken in May and was never intended to be a picture of his feet, so I'm sorry about the quality. You can get the idea of what he looked like in shoes though. This job was done by students at the Heartland Horseshoeing School. They were in the area doing a clinic, so I brought him by. The put the side clips on hoping to hold his feet together. I wasn't able to continue with their treatment, though. There is a possibility that they will be back, or at least one of their instructors and I could definintely have him done again.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I have tried every even slightly recommended farrier that will come!!! I cannot haul all of mine to have them done, but I would be willing to take him anywhere that could help.
Â
Is it just the front feet or all four, I would be feeding a good supplement and find or keep trying to find a good farrier, dang they look pretty bad to me. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | just4fun - 2014-08-22 11:42 PM eta: problem is in front feet only. Back feet don't have any cracks and only minor chips
Thats were all his weight is, I would be keeping his front shoed for sure.. Hes a good looking fella, I have a gelding thats got crappy shelly feet to, hes out in the back pasture but going to bring him back up to get him back on a supplement for his feet. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | just4fun - 2014-08-22 11:39 PM
Yikes. The vertical crack was notched by the Amish farrier that trimmed him last.
We are in a VERY bad location for farriers.Â
Here is a picture of his left foot in Feb. His shoes were off for the winter. I put him on the additional biotin after this photo. I know I took picture 60 days later, but can't find them. I also had his shoes put back on in March, so I don't know what made a bigger difference?
The other photo was taken in May and was never intended to be a picture of his feet, so I'm sorry about the quality. You can get the idea of what he looked like in shoes though. This job was done by students at the Heartland Horseshoeing School. They were in the area doing a clinic, so I brought him by. The put the side clips on hoping to hold his feet together. I wasn't able to continue with their treatment, though. There is a possibility that they will be back, or at least one of their instructors and I could definintely have him done again.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I have tried every even slightly recommended farrier that will come!!! I cannot haul all of mine to have them done, but I would be willing to take him anywhere that could help.
Â
Yes.. very wide quarter clips to prevent expansion in front of the frog is a good idea... I can't see how thick the wall is so maybe lacing is not an option if they are thin... I remember something from school tho.... a good farrier can extend around the toe and drill short holes and screw it in place... a radiator clamp band... just cut it off..
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Poor farrier, underslung heels, long toe especially in the second picture.
You need to find a good barefoot trimmer, or educate yourself to fix the problem.
As komet said he is unbalanced as well.
To get rid of the cracks and shelly feet, you need to feed internally, I would feed flax, maybe some silica, you could give a bit of coconut oil as well.
I would also start putting fish oil at the top of the cornet to moisturizer the foot. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on? |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | cheryl makofka - 2014-08-22 11:50 PM Poor farrier, underslung heels, long toe especially in the second picture. You need to find a good barefoot trimmer, or educate yourself to fix the problem. As komet said he is unbalanced as well. To get rid of the cracks and shelly feet, you need to feed internally, I would feed flax, maybe some silica, you could give a bit of coconut oil as well. I would also start putting fish oil at the top of the cornet to moisturizer the foot.
So, turning him out isn't an option anymore?
He's spent the last two months as a wild brumby and loved it! lol! |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on?
No, never had a problem with lost shoes. |
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 Vodka for Lunch
Location: Lala Land | What did your vet advise going further with this horse? |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM
And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on?Â
#5 is the standard for normal horses... Tho there are slimmer nails... Not sure what they are today.. Capewell and Izumi were our nails of choice.. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | just4fun - 2014-08-22 11:56 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on? No, never had a problem with lost shoes.
Now thats a good sign, when he was on supplements could you tell if his feet looked better/less cracking ? |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | komet. - 2014-08-22 11:59 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on? #5 is the standard for normal horses... Tho there are slimmer nails... Not sure what they are today.. Capewell and Izumi were our nails of choice..
I would worry about the bigger nails causing more cracking with his dry shelly hoofs. I would want the slimmer nails till the dry shelly got under control. |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Lovin Life - 2014-08-22 11:56 PM What did your vet advise going further with this horse?
No hoof advice. I took him due to lameness in right front. Being told he was done was shocking and sickening. I couldn't think to ask any questions.
He was injected in both knees in March and May. He is still lame.
Vet did say we could try IRAP, but very slim chance it would help as there is too little joint space.
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | YIKES! Your farrier is 99% of your problem. Really look at the 2nd picture you posted, the top section of the foot is the angle his hoof "wants" to grow at but the farrier is allowing him to have underrun heels & WAY to much toe. If the trim was correct it would help a ton with the cracking as the way he is trimmed is causing a lot of stress on the hoof wall & causes the cracks. His feet are cracking & chipping in part as their own way of trying to trim themselves to where they need to be. I really don't think your issue is nutrition if his back feet are normal & healthy looking. I drew lines on the one pic to show where his foot should be.....
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-23 12:00 AM just4fun - 2014-08-22 11:56 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on? No, never had a problem with lost shoes.
The vertical cracks are always present. I do not think the supplement made a difference with those. Maybe with the chipping? But, again, could have just looked better b/c he had shoes.
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-23 12:02 AM
komet. - 2014-08-22 11:59 PM Southtxponygirl - 2014-08-22 11:53 PM And another thing, I would make sure who ever does the shoeing to use small nails for now. Does he have a hard time keeping shoes on? #5 is the standard for normal horses... Tho there are slimmer nails... Not sure what they are today.. Capewell and Izumi were our nails of choice..
I think the race nails are slimmer... The head size fitting into the nail holes in the shoe is what you watch... A #4 head will be small enough to let a normal shoe slop around... |
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