Back hooves hitting each other?

Lucyad

Lucyad

New Member
Mar 30, 2006
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Renfrewshire, Scotland
Oscar sometimes stands on his own back hooves when walking, and sometimes also when trotting. At first I thought he was over-reaching, but he isn't - it is definately the inside face of his back hooves that click over each other. I cam home from a weeks holiday during which he has just been turned out in the field to find that he has actually clipped off his hair so that it stops just at the white band round the top of his hoove (his feathers extend over this all the rest of the way round). The main wall of his hoof is in good condition, however I am a little concerned that the white band is getting scuffed.

Has anyone experienced this, and could anyone recommend anything to prevent it? I wondered whether he should permenantly wear overreach boots on his back feet despite the inevitable comments that I had put them on the wrong feet! I would be worried that they would rub if left on long term though. Could it be to do with a confirmation defect, and/or could it be improved with certain exersize?
 
you can get rubber rings that fit round the fetlocks that are useful for this.

it is essentiually a conformation issue - he is what is called 'base narrow' which means thatthe hind legs don't go straight down from the hips, they go in slightly so the feet are close together. it can sometimes be improved by schooling and strengthening the muscles of the hind quarters, but that will be limited in how much it can do, depending on how unfit he is now, and how much of it is caused by slack muscles and how much is his actual conformation.
if it has gotten noticeably worse while you've been away and he's been doing nothing, then you may be able to get quite an improvement by keeping him fit.
 
He's just brushing behind then? You can sausage boots to stop that - I'll see if I can find a pic. They are hard to put on and not likely to come off easily, you'd have to take them off now and agan to clean them and stuff of course.
 
Oh great - anyone know where I can get them mail order? His feet are basically too big for his body I think - he is CD x TB and so has a bit of a funny mixture of huge hairy feet and a relitavely slim body. He was also shod by a different blacksmith just a few days before I left, which might have not helped (though he is highly recommended and seemed very good).

It does seem to have got worse while I was away, but it was only for 1 week, and he is often only ridden say 3 or 4 times a week. I have noticed that he has put on weight, despite reduced rations fed by me neighbour, as the grass seems to have taken a growth spurt in the last week! I wonder if that is causing him to do it more. Otherwise the only thing I can think of is him trotting around to make up for not having any exersize!
 
I tried to find a picture of them on the horse but there is none anywhere online :( some member must have a picture somewhere!
You open the clip at the back and put them on over the hoof (you've to lift up the foot) they sit around the pastern and are fitted quite loose.
 
Among other things, as a horse's hind end gets stronger, the hamstrings tend to get very strong and sometimes contract a bit. The hamstrings are on the back and inside of the legs--when they contract, they can pull the legs inward and *make* a horse more base-narrow.

Making sure to stretch the hamstrings regularly as part of your other routines can help alleviate this. You can find hamstring stretches in the PDF available on the front page of my website: http://lorienstable.com/
 
Galadriel - had a look at your web-site (looks great!), but didnt find the right like I dont think....Would certainly be interested in any appropriate remedial measures I can take.

I have found these.....

http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCode=54437

....which have a picture, however this is far above where Oscar strikes himself - he hits his hooves, not his fetlocks. The bit I am concerned with damage is the white band at the top of his hooves - he has sliced the hair round the inside in a neat line just along the top! I dont want him to start slicing himself...I wonder if fetlock boots would be better? Has anone got a pic of them correctly fitted? Otherwise, I will just have to go down the overreach boots route - this would protect the correct bit of his foot, but I just cant be bothered with all the sneers I will get having them on his back feet!!!
 
Yup, my Bonnie used to have exactly the same issue. 2 fetlock rings/sausage boots, one on each hind leg, stopped her injuring herself.
 
Lucyad said:
http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCode=54437

....which have a picture, however this is far above where Oscar strikes himself - he hits his hooves, not his fetlocks. The bit I am concerned with damage is the white band at the top of his hooves - he has sliced the hair round the inside in a neat line just along the top! I dont want him to start slicing himself...I wonder if fetlock boots would be better? Has anone got a pic of them correctly fitted? Otherwise, I will just have to go down the overreach boots route - this would protect the correct bit of his foot, but I just cant be bothered with all the sneers I will get having them on his back feet!!!
Click to expand...

although he is actually hitting himself further down, his foot as it raises will be going where the boot is, so by stopping the hoof from getting that close to the pastern above, it will also protect the coronet band.
 
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