First hack semi barefoot!!!!

[Nik-n-Kia]

Here are some piccies from our first hack without back shoes!!!

Getting ready to go
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image001.jpg

The lane from the farm
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image002.jpg

The road to the forest
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image003.jpg

The lovely countryside that I'm priveledged to live in
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image004.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image006.jpg

More main road but going home this time
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/Image005.jpg

We went to the forest which you can see in the 4th pic and had a blast as it is all grass and the forestry cuts it for the dog walkers. He did good with no back shoes on but i'll be able to tell more tomorrow.

Let me know what you think!!! Just thought I would share!!!


Nikki xxxxx

[Bay Mare]

That's brilliant :) Well done. Nice piccies and countryside :D

[Nik-n-Kia]

Thanks BM we had fun!!!

Was such a nice day!!!

Going to go out again during the week to the forest soas not to put too much pressure on his feet.

Had two short trots and he just went forward as normal which was good!!!

Nikki xxxx

[Bay Mare]

That's great news :) and it's good that you're being sensible, it's easy to overdo it when they seem ok :)

Am loving the ears in the piccies :)

[RobaDob]

great piccies :D
love the exercise sheet..what make is it? :)

xx

[Nik-n-Kia]

The excercise sheet is a shires one that i've had for ages and just refuses to leak or anything!!! Nice and fleecy on the inside and waterproof on the outside and the reflectors are good too!!

He is always funny when out a hack with the faces he pulls are hilarous.

Nikki xxxxx

[Yann]

Lovely pictures :) All that roadwork will be ideal for conditioning the feet, just keep an eye on how much they wear early on, your horse will tell you if he's struggling at all :)

[Nik-n-Kia]

Thanks yann!!! I only have to go down that road to get to the forest which is all grass so do you think that that will be too much three time a week???

Im just not wanting to hurt him any!!!

Nikki xxxx

[Yann]

Hind feet are usually in much better shape regardless than the fronts, so you might well be OK. Just watch out for signs that he's not 100% happy, he might go more slowly than normal, step shorter or try to walk on the grass for example.

[Nik-n-Kia]

THANK YOU!!!!:D :D

I will look out for these signs and if I see them then I will stick to the little school I made in his field.

I just want his feet not to be crumbly and the farrier suggested this so I thought I'd give it a shot as I'm always paying for extra shoeings which is getting costly.

Nikki xxxx

[Yann]

Don't be surprised if you lose a few chunks of wall round the nail holes as they grow down towards the floor, but it's nothing to worry about, think of it as the foot getting rid of bits it can do without :)

[Nik-n-Kia]

Yeah I was worried about the holes but the farrier just said that the would break off :confused: But I feel much better that i know that it isn't a bad thing and not to panic if it does!!!!

Why do you think that the fronts are better??? They were the ones that were the most damaged last year?? Do you think it's because after that I was schooling for him to take his weight on his hinds more, instead of being on the forehand all the time. He was basically sitting like a front laminitic but it wasn't laminitus before the vet sorted it out. Nerve blocking for three weeks solid and box rest for about ten/twelve weeks:mad:

What do you think???

Nikki xxxx

[Yann]

Don't know if you misunderstood me there? Front feet usually have more problems than the hinds, partly because of the fact they take more weight but also I think because of the different way they are used by the horse.

What was the diagnosis on your horse's problem? Sounds like it was pretty serious, glad you're out riding him again now :)

[Nik-n-Kia]

Sorry that was meant as a question..... i have heard that the fronts are ususally worse..... im such a idiot when trying to post sometimes!!!

He had been shod wrong for nearly a year. the farrier was being lazy and not trimming/balancing the feet right and he ended up with his toes in the air and his heels taking all the weight and movement. I was jumping, competing and schooling regardless as I'm rubbish on farriery issues really need to get my knowledge up. He ended up with seriuosly bruised heel and infection of the tendon sheath (i think that that was the term that the vet used) and stretching of the ligaments. His legs were twice the size when it finally got too much.

The vet was appalled by the state of his feet and I had to get remedial shoing of the front feet with wedges and the backs were trimmed right in with front shoes made to measure on them. He has not long got the wegdes off the front feet but as i said the backs have got worse lately.

I'm trying to build up knowledge so that I can't get taken advantage of again but this farrier has done it to other horses too not just mine.

Sorry it was soo long I'm not good at short reply as I tend to over explain!!! :rolleyes:

Nikki xxxx

[Yann]

That's awful :( Unfortunately there are some very poor farriers out there and it's normal for people to trust the trained professionals they use. I'm glad your horse is on the road to recovery. A really good reference book about shoeing is No Foot No Horse by Martin Deacon, everybody with a shod horse should own it :D

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/026-3167235-3288468?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=no+foot+no+horse+martin+deacon

[Nik-n-Kia]

Thanks Yann your a great help!!!!

Nikki xxxx