Molly has gone barefoot

[LunaRose]

Molly threw a shoe 10 days ago and on Thursday I had the farrier out and asked him what the thought about her going without fronts (she never has backs). He said she was a perfect candidate, lovely hard feet and she had been fine with the missing front. So decided to go ahead and have the other front taken off. So far she seems fine tho I havent done any work with her, just keeping her hooves nice and clean.

It seems that everyone has an opinion tho as to what I should do next - as leave them alone if she is fine or put various lotions and potions on her hooves.

Should I leave well alone if she is fine? When should I do work with her? A few of the people onthe yard are hacking out in the fields tomorrow but I wasnt sure if it was too soon to ride her?

So unlike all the unsolicited opinions I am currently seeking any advice from those in the know!

 

[Flipo's Mum]

I don't know if I'd bother with any lotions or potions if her feet are tough enough already. If she seems fine I'd go for it but be wary of the terrain not being too stoney or hard in the first instance. I guess there's only one way to find out if she's ok though!

 

[popularfurball]

Conditioning of the hoof happens inside out not outside in as long As her diet is low sugar/starch/protein then she should be fine some are more sensitive than others.

Work over different terrain may help too but why fix what ain't broke

 

[LadyEarth]

My experience of barefoot horses has always been that the transistion is very easy :smile: So much so that when Ursula arrived three weeks ago pulling her shoes off was just about the first thing we did. I've always ended up with horses that have good feet which is a help but I think the habit of shoeing horses is hard to break and so people expect it to be more complicated than it is.

Of course it is important to be considerate to the new feeling she will have. I habituate mine to different terrain by having it in the field and yard, (rubber mats, bark chippings, hard core, grass, mud, sand) but I think the sensitivity is down to the individual horse rather than whether they are wearing shoes or not.

 

[juliecwuk]

i would def go out on the hack tomoz! field riding shouldnt be a problem at all, i would just allow her a little bit more time on roads and gravel...in that i prob wouldnt go straight out trotting on roads, i tend to allow walking on a verge if its safe to do so, but other than that just carry on as normal and allow her to get used to it in her own time!

 

[learningcurve]

I would think Molly will be fine for a hack across the fields.

I had my boys fronts removed today, it is the second time I have tried it and gave up too easily last time due to a very stony track we have to go down to leave the farm.
My boy was fine last time ridden in fields or on tarmac roads.

I took him for a little in hand walk up the (slightly improved) track today and he was fine ,well apart from trying to eat the grass verge.

I did have my daughters ponys shoes removed a couple of years ago he never had much of a problem with stony ground right from day one.

Have a nice ride tomorrow.:biggrin:

 

[LunaRose]

Thanks for the input will let you know how we get on!

 

[whitby which]

Conditioning of the hoof happens inside out not outside in as long As her diet is low sugar/starch/protein then she should be fine some are more sensitive than others.

Work over different terrain may help too but why fix what ain't broke

:nod:

External lotions are mostly a waste of time - just make the hooves look pretty! IMHO hoof hardeners mask problems and potentially encourage retained sole, which in turn causes bruises.

I am guessing the farrier has trimmed the hooves after he took the shoe off - I would just make sure you keep a bit of a bevel around the wall, because until the nail holes grow out it could be more prone to splitting/cracking.

Keep riding as much or more than before, because more movement will stimulate better and stronger hoof growth. Just listen to her if she wants to avoid stones for a while, don't panic if you get the occasional 'gimpy' step once or twice a ride for a while - if it is just the one ouchy step at a time, it just means she is learning what uneven ground feels like, not necessarily that she is lame.

And enjoy:dance:

 

[LunaRose]

Well hacked her out - feet where fine which is about the only part of her that was! LOL posted about her antics in the cafe area.