Barefoot - feet just not growing?

[Pink's lady]

For all those barefoot fans out there.

Brodie's feet just aren't growing:confused: In fact they are 'not growing' to such an extent that he's now very foot sore and is having shoes back on next week:(

WHY? He has beautiful shaped feet that are really hard but they just don't grow. He's spent the last 6weeks doing nothing other than walking about the muddy field and has so little foot left he's now sore. He had his front shoes on 12weeks ago and STILL doesn't have enough foot growth to need a shoe change (and hasn't done enough work to wear them out either) - it's not a case of wearing them off - they're just not growing:confused:

He was doing short walks on smooth pavement most days but with boots on, and it made no difference and he slowly worn off all the extra growth he had. He stopped that 6 weeks ago because he split his heel (trying to kill a new addition to the field:rolleyes: ) and couldn't wear his boots and he's too footy to go without. He is feed a good general supplement and is also in Biotin. Sadly I just can't afford to feed Formula4Feet or Farriers formula.

It's such a pain. I really want him barefoot (I'm slowly weaning all the others off their shoes - Kim and Kalli are only shod in front and they will get them off when the weather improves and Pink and the others are all barefoot) but they just won't grow! In fact, right now I would just like him to grow enough horn the hammer nails into!

Any suggestions other that 'shoe him' or 'fed him F4F' (which I doubt will make a difference to be honest - the biotin has made no difference at all)?

[galadriel]

When my new farrier radically re-shaped my horses' hooves, I was amazed at how they started to grow. Previously they'd HAD to have shoes; Kat particularly wore off all 4 feet faster than they grew. After just one shoeing cycle with the new trim shape, I pulled all Kat's shoes, and she's been growing hoof like crazy since then.

Perhaps your horse needs a different trim. The people on the forum at horseshoes.com might be able to offer you some advice. They usually want to see side-on shots of the feet, as well as a shot of the hoof heel-on, hanging down so the sole is perpendicular to the camera. Oh heck, that's a horrible description--here's an example:
http://lady-of-lothlorien.com/horses/kat/hooves-10-14-2006/s-nearfore-flat.jpg

[Pink's lady]

But the problem is that there is literally NOTHING of his feet that can be reshaped. He's given himself a very close live-sole plane trim and there is no other horn to come off - his feet would bleed if more came off.

This is the only picture I have that's anywhere near his feet now. This was 4months ago. Now his feet a about 1cm shorter and is now wearing the sole callus off (hence the soreness)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Pinkslady/Brodie/Brodierighthindfoot.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Pinkslady/Brodie/Brodierighthindsideveiew.jpg

I will scrub his feet on sunday and take new pictures however and see what other think.

[LokiSofi]

Dakota was footy when he first went barefoot and his feet wren't growing quickly and were crumbling (from years of having shoes nailed into them they were struggling to cope without shoes) so I began applying Keratex (it hardens feet and promotes growth) Within a very short time his feet were perfect. He no longer wears shoes and has strong feet which grow quikly. My farrier is amazed as he thought I was mad when I asked him to remove Daks shoes.

[galadriel]

I have to confess that the overall shape looks pretty good to me, with my limited knowledge...but there's so much I don't know about feet :)

I wonder if his frog is recessed way below the bars? It looks like that might be the case, but could be an illusion of the photo.

It also looks like maaaybe there's more slope to the hoof than to the pastern, but can't really see enough of the pastern.

[No_Angel]

id go and ask on enlightened equitations barefoot section, theres loads of hoof anoracks over there, im sure ive heard something about feeding magnesium can help feet.

[Bobbin]

I am no expert on barefoot but I have researched it quite alot since Bry went BF 4 months ago, I also have a very good EP trimmer who is very knowledgeable (sp).

Firstly are you feeding a magnesium suppliment such as calmag or if you can get hold of some magnesium oxide. This is a very important suppliment for horses with no shoes on as most horses are probabaly defficient in it to some degree.

Also you didn't say that you have done any walking out on tarmac without the boots. The tarmac is supposed to stimulate the growth of the hoof. I know it's not nice to watch your horse hobble about, believe me, Bry is still a little footy on the roads but it really is a must that you do some road work to get that old bloodflow going. Why not just walk out in hand to begin with. Contrary to popular belief winter is not the best time to go BF as the gound is soft, I'm not sure of the facts behind it but all I can say is that Bry suffered no footyness at all untill the wetter weather set in now I guess she's not on harder ground enough which is affecting the foot.


Keep at it girl.

xx

[Bay Mare]

Contrary to popular belief winter is not the best time to go BF as the gound is soft, I'm not sure of the facts behind it but all I can say is that Bry suffered no footyness at all untill the wetter weather set in now I guess she's not on harder ground enough which is affecting the foot.


That's what I was told when I wanted to go barefoot. We waited until the spring when the ground was less soggy. To grow the feet need stimulation and they don't get the same stimulation in soggy fields.

Saffy's feet seem to barely grow in the winter but in the summer I have to rasp them down every week otherwise they just flare and crack. I couldn't believe how much hoof she was growing when the weather picked up.

I'd agree with walking in pads and walking on tarmac but you'd be better off discussing it with your EP (or a nearby EP) who can have a properly look at the feet and give you the best advice which MAY be to put shoes on for now and try again in the spring.

Supplement wise Top Spec Anti-Lam is getting good write ups plus having a good hard look at the diet. I've got Saff on Anti-Lam but not for long enough to see any major changes. Other horses on it have cracking (not literally) feet though and you can 'hear' the difference when the trimmer is rasping!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do :) It may be worth your while just trying again when the better weather comes.

[coss]

this is the problem i have with my 29yo. no hoof growth as in, nothing... She is out in a field which is really muddy so her feet aren't wearing down and her feet are hard. She was shod over the summer but last time the farrier came out he told me that there was no hoof to nail to without turning her hoof into a teabag! he said taking the shoes off would promote growth but it hasn't. I don't know what to do, i bought some mac boots for the fronts as her back feet aren't as bad, there is a few mm of growth. i am just leaving her out in the field with little stone work as when she did do roadwork it wore away the hoof and it didn't grow back.
I'm just very careful of where i take her.

does your horse's feet get worn down in the field?

[Bobbin]

does your horse's feet get worn down in the field?

Not in this weather I shouldn't think.

[KateWooten]

If there's no nutritional problem, then I would have thought that movement over crunchy gravel would promote wall and sole growth. I haven't heard that tarmac will do this - it's more the massaging & gentle abrasion of the sole that you want to stimulate growth. The ideal would be to walk and trot in a well surfaced fine gravel arena or round pen.

[Bobbin]

http://www.barefoothorses.co.uk/page15.html

This website is very good, if you read this page it says that tarmac is useful.

Walking your footsore horse on a gravelly surface isn't really that nice. My horse will pick her way round the gravelly bits on the road. That tells me she is not comfortable walking over it so I'm not ging to make her.

[KateWooten]

No, not the gravelly bit of the road - that would hurt before helping. I know I've hurt my mare inadvertenly when walking her over a concrete driveway that has gravel on the top - that's a very unforgiving surface. I was thinking more of that deep, fine gravelly surface you sometimes get in jumping arenas or posh turnout paddocks - over her it's a fine grey gravel - but deep, you know, so that their feet sink into it, but still have some grip. It gives more of an all over massaging, gently abrading, callousing effect on the whole foot, rather than just the outer wall that you get with tarmac.

Have to admit, I used to really worry about doing too much roadwork with my barefoot ponies ...all last year, I could only really ride them once a week outside of the paddock because it was half a mile on roads otherwise. Since meeting the Pete-Ramey-style trimmer this year that hasn't been an issue at all, and the more the feet wear, the more they grow - so maybe it's the trim, or maybe it just takes time for the feet to get the habit of growing more ?

[MelanieD]

What biotin supplement are you giving? There's more things than just biotin that are essential for hoof growth. Magnesium oxide or calmag would be worth a try. TopSpec is really good and at half dose works out cheaper than F4F. For a really cheap one NAF Biotin has a lot of other good things for hoof growth in as well as biotin. The hoof wall in that pic does look really thin and there doesn't seem to be much inner wall so it's not surprising they are wearing down quite quickly, heels look pretty good though they do look pretty low in the side-on pic. It does take a few weeks for good inner wall to start coming back after the shoes are off, usually it's not too bad and just have to be careful of too much wear, but slow growth rate added to that can make things difficult. If the diet is already fine and no way to encourage more growth that way then boots with sole mate pads in and 20 minutes or so walking every day can really encourage growth.

[cvb]

Pink's Lady. I hate to go all old fashioned on you, but have you tried the cornucrescine trick ? It being a mild blister, it stimulates the blood flow at the coronet, and hence helps growth.

Of course this is a bad time of year, with the short day length, poor nutrition levels in the grass etc. But it might still be worth a try, at least to get you to where you can reshoe ?

Fi has no back shoes on, and hasn't needed them trimmed in yonks - and she is just out in the field or ridden weekends on sand. But she IS growing hoof, as her fronts show (where she has remedial shoes).

Perhaps Brodie is growing hoof, but is wearing it down at the same rate ?

[Yann]

If wear and growth are too much out of kilter then you could always try Keratex hoof hardener, it does work. Although you're better off sticking to the sole and bottom of the hoof wall rather than the sides as it can make the wall brittle.

[coss]

i've used keratex. it made the hoof harder but no extra growth.

[Wally]

Been there, done that, some cannot go barefoot as hoof growth willnever keep pace. If you want to ride a hard fit horse on all terrain,. sometimes you will have to shoe. As much as you'd love to go barefoot.

[coss]

Been there, done that, some cannot go barefoot as hoof growth willnever keep pace. If you want to ride a hard fit horse on all terrain,. sometimes you will have to shoe. As much as you'd love to go barefoot.

but some horses dont grow enough hoof to put a shoe on ;)

[Wally]

but some horses dont grow enough hoof to put a shoe on


So what's the answer?


At least if a shoe can go on at some point you can arrest wear. I have yet to see any hoof a glue on will not go on.

[coss]

i think anything like that is worth a go if possible.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i used cornucresent on curlys coronets when she first had her shoes off, got some on her white sock and its still stained yellow :rolleyes: seemed to do the job though!