Barefoot and frozen ground.

[MrA]

I put Ales boots on tonight as he isn't moving around the field that much due to the ground. He's obviously finding it harder to walk on the frozen ruts in the middle but was fine on the flatter ground at either end and the mud control mats.

I just thought I felt some heat in the fronts today so thought I would see if they helped. As soon as I had put them on he walked straight across the whole field and looked alot more comfortable.

He does occasionally get sore after a trim, and sometimes struggles on gravel/stones so I'm hoping its just the frozen ground.

Anyone else experiencing similar? The ground is like concrete!

 

[MrA]

 

[carthorse]

I can quite believe he's struggling with the frozen rutted ground, I know several horses that are.

It concerns me slightly that you say he's sometimes sore after a trim, shod or unshod a horse shouldn't be worse after a trim and if they are I would suspect an underlying problem.

 

[Huggy]

Hogan's definitely struggling on the frozen rutted ground. Luckily it's only about 20 ft around the top of the field, but I wince when I watch him coming over it. He's barefoot, and a bit tender on the gravel tracks, but usually fine after the farrier. He's getting front shoes on next visit, partly because of the rough terrain on the tracks, but also his front hooves are "rolling" a bit, and despite remedial trimming, it's not improving. Hope its nothing worrisome with Ale.

 

[MrA]

My trimmer would always know when he might be sore. I can't remember the exact cause but it was because he wasn't having much regrowth but she had to still do something.

He did have one bout of footiness with warm feet and slight raised pulses so went straight on bare patch with soaked hay. He was only getting long grass prior to that though so I think it might have been more the hard ground?

He was negative for Cushing's/EMS when tested although that was a couple of years ago now. I think part of the problem is he is retired and apart from the mud mats stands on soft ground the whole time

 

[Mary Poppins]

Ben is barefoot and has been absolutely fine on the ground. Nothing seems to bother him and he doesn’t seem to notice if the ground is hard or soft. He hasn’t had his feet touched at all in almost 3 years and this approach is most definitely working for him.

 

[carthorse]

After the trouble I'm having I don't think I'd have a lot of faith in a negative acth test if a horse was symptomatic - not saying Ale is. Little In tested negative but I was so unhappy I pushed for Prascend and it made a big difference, but a lot of damage has already been done :'(

 

[MrA]

I've put him on a small patch this morning of just flat ground. He's footy on the ruts but was barely noticeable on the mud control mats. Left the boots on. Some heat in his feet. Will just keep him there and see how we get on with just hay.

I only had him tested for Cushing's as he was a bit footy on stones once and tends to hold his winter coat a bit longer than some horses. There are no spare boxes at the moment so I can't bring him in. Hopefully the heat goes soon, I couldn't feel raised pulses.

 

[chunky monkey]

I got both boys in yesterday. I noticed chunky was very short in his stride. When i turned him back out he took it very gingerly. He slipped several times on his barefoot hinds too as he walked back down the bank. Im not rutted as such but being on the bank on hard ground is obviously causing some slips and possibly strained muscles.
Billy also seemed to have a short stride too when i took him for his little ride. So i think he has probably slipped on the ground too.

 

[MrA]

The way I see it is ale has gone from living on mainly soft with just the mud control mats to 6 days of living on concrete/ gravel. He only had a trim less than 2 weeks ago too and I was told then he isn't having much growth at the moment which won't help matter. This is all I'm hoping it is anyway

 

[carthorse]

I hope that's all it is too Ale, it was just the comment about sometimes sore after a trim that concerned me.

 

[Jessey]

Honestly Jess was dog lame in walk the first frozen morning, she had a big lump of frozen mud in the seat of corn akin to a stone, much better once that was gone but still tentative, it’s her thin soles I put her boots on and she was instantly marching about much happier. I’ve spoken with my farrier friend and we’re going to try casting her feet for a couple of cycles to get the soles thickened up. Casts were apparently delivered to my house yesterday but I’ve not found them yet so I’m going to go knocking on neighbours doors now and will hopefully get them on this afternoon

 

[Trewsers]

None of ours are shod but it's difficult to tell if the frozen ground is bothering them as they are pretty ginger on the yard due to the thick ice, and Storm doesn't get left out long enough in her paddock for me to be able to tell properly. I don't think Zi is struggling, but he can be a bit of a pansy in bad weather and isn't staying out too long before he's back up and wanting into his apartment. I hope Ale is okay. As already said I wouldn't be surprised if the cast iron ground isn't giving him a bit of bother.

 

[MrA]

Walking much better this afternoon, heat slightly reduced. Do boots make hooves hot? He's in cavallos which are completely enclosed.

Still sore but alot less noticeable in walk, he chased the shetty in trot but was noticeably short. Moving around alot more too. Not standing unusually, happy to pick up hooves, not shifting weight

 

[Jessey]

My friend up the road messaged me last night to say her Clydie cross has bruised feet from the hard ground (her farrier had been out) and she’s never had sore feet before.

Fully enclosed Boots will make feet a bit warmer for sure, if you’re concerned about lami I’d keep a close check on digital pulses.

 

[MrA]

Walking normally in boots this morning, took them off for a while to allow feet to air and so I could spray frogs, he was worse without them but not awful, walking round alot. His fronts felt alot cooler after a short time out of the boots, barely any heat in hinds. I could detect his pulses yesterday but they didn't feel bounding, today I couldn't find them at all in his hinds. My new farrier has offered to go and look at him today.

I actually rugged him today because the wind has changed direction and we are due rain and high winds today. Pic of him stomping his foot at the shetty this morning

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Fleur and Suze are fine on the frozen ground, Buddy is a bit more cautious, not lame just being careful, he was galloping on the soft snow yesterday but a bit more careful on the really frozen stuff. Aimee is wearing boots on her fronts which have always been poor, her hinds are good but her front feet have always been rubbish and she had bruised her soles. She seems happy in the boots if a bit clumpy.

 

[Trewsers]

Walking normally in boots this morning, took them off for a while to allow feet to air and so I could spray frogs, he was worse without them but not awful, walking round alot. His fronts felt alot cooler after a short time out of the boots, barely any heat in hinds. I could detect his pulses yesterday but they didn't feel bounding, today I couldn't find them at all in his hinds. My new farrier has offered to go and look at him today.

I actually rugged him today because the wind has changed direction and we are due rain and high winds today. Pic of him stomping his foot at the shetty this morning View attachment 105502

That shettie is too cute! And look at Ale waving his leg! lol that's a right girly stamp tell him from me! hahahaaa.

 

[Huggy]

Walking normally in boots this morning, took them off for a while to allow feet to air and so I could spray frogs, he was worse without them but not awful, walking round alot. His fronts felt alot cooler after a short time out of the boots, barely any heat in hinds. I could detect his pulses yesterday but they didn't feel bounding, today I couldn't find them at all in his hinds. My new farrier has offered to go and look at him today.

I actually rugged him today because the wind has changed direction and we are due rain and high winds today. Pic of him stomping his foot at the shetty this morning View attachment 105502

Love the wee one in his rug!