Horse doesn't like gravel but doesn't seem sore

elise

elise

New Member
Jul 23, 2003
597
0
0
47
Farmington, MN, USA
www.ineedanap.net
I always assumed my horse was tender in his feet and was just sore when walking on gravel. But a friend pointed out that he wasn't limping at all or acting like a horse normally acts when sore. She thought it looked like he was just very unsure of his footing when on gravel.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm still tempted to try a pair of boots to see if that makes any difference. We don't ride on gravel often enough to justify shoeing him, but when we do have to cross gravel it takes a good long time to get there.
 
Yes, almost exactly :)

How long has your horse been barefoot? Mine's had hers off since...about February, and for a while she was "footy" on gravel, but never lame or sore once off the gravel. Now she'll walk across gravel fine if I'm leading her; if I'm riding, she'll cross it, but tries to get to wherever the least gravelly part of the path is.
 
Some horses are just sensible and recognise that certain ground surfaces need to be taken carefully. Perhaps they remember being ouchey on gravel and so don't want to take the risk again?
 
Grace O'Malley said:
Yes, almost exactly :)

How long has your horse been barefoot? Mine's had hers off since...about February, and for a while she was "footy" on gravel, but never lame or sore once off the gravel. Now she'll walk across gravel fine if I'm leading her; if I'm riding, she'll cross it, but tries to get to wherever the least gravelly part of the path is.
Click to expand...

He's been barefoot for atleast 6 years, probably a lot longer than that. However, he's only had regular farrier trims for the past year. Prior to that his previous owner trimmed them himself a couple times a year :/ From the way it sounds he's been slow on gravel for quite a while.
 
ive got a few like this, ceryn has been barefoot all her life (shes 13)but as shes been kept mostly on fields (broodmare) she is still carefull on gravel, i can feel her stride shorten and occasionally she trips when theres a pointy bit that gets her. im going to put maddie hoof boots on her to see if shes any different.
murf has been barefoot since last novemebr, sound from day 1 but still carefull on gravel, maddie has been barefoot the same amount of time and is still very footy on gravel, she walks for a bit and then just doesnt want to move, so she has hoof boots.
Susie has been barefoot all her life (also 13) and as shes done lots of roadwork and gravel work all her life her feet are rock crushng and she goes over any terrian at any speed, im hoping to get all my lot so there feet are as good as hers. shes also had laminitis and recovered really quickly as she was barefoot.:)
 
My horse is also funny when on gravel. Before I bought him he didn't have shoes on the back hooves and he got a bit footsore. He now has shoes and has had them for about 3 weeks and is no longer sore but I think he still associates the gravel with pain as he will do everything in his power to avoid it and when I make him walk on it he kinda tiptoes along with really short, dawdly strides
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back