Also, he is barefoot currently. Farrier came out yesterday and cleaned up his feet and he was rather sore afterwards but I think most of it was the trim more than anything else. Just after throwing the shoes, he was a bit ouchy on the big gravel but otherwise fine.
However people have been rumbling that perhaps he will "have" to go in shoes. Reasons for that are as follows:
- Hocks have some slight lateral rotation under weight (i.e. they twist sideways slightly, especially inwards). So there is uneven wear on the back feet. This is what the vet check said.
- Flat soles. To my inexperienced eye the back feet are okay, but the front feet are very flat. [Coincidentally, the front feet are also the ones that have been shod...] Anyway this is what my trainer mentioned.
- Not much heel (farrier said this). Also some bruising in the heel quarters (vet check).
- Possible mild arthritis in the front fetlocks (vet check).
Farrier only mentioned the lack of heels, saying the rest of his feet was "okay."
I'm willing to go either way, as long as it's best for him. If he stays barefoot, I'm entirely planning on getting all the education I can to at least upkeep his feet between trims myself. Perhaps do all of it myself, if possible. The problem is that I'm not at all convinced that shod is the best way for him. And so I turn to you, The Cyberspace Readers. Barefoot or shoes? What's your preference and why?
You know I'm going to vote barefoot. :) BUT you have to have a good trimmer to make it work. TBs can be tricky to transition, and the first problem you're going to have with those typical TB flat feet are the thin soles that go along with them. This is what will probably make him be sore initially. The only way to get soles to grow (thicken) is to stimulate them. That will never happen with traditional steel shoes, as they don't allow the sole to touch the ground. So by being barefoot, his feet will get stronger. You can use Epona shoes (they cover the entire foot; they were essential in Lily's making it barefoot up here with the harder footing), or boots like EasyBoots and Cavallos for example, to make the transition phase easier.
ReplyDeleteTry to find a good barefoot trimmer in your area. Some farriers do good barefoot trims, but the traditional farrier will simply trim the hoof as he would for a shoe, and just leave the shoe off. There is a method to a natural barefoot trim: imbalances must be corrected with the trim to make it work for the horse. Google barefoot trimmers in your area, then call and talk to them, and ask about their experience trimming TBs and transitioning them to barefoot from shoes. Stay away from trimmers using the Strasser method-it is very severe, and while it may help foundered horses, it can cripple a normal horse. Read up on Jamie Jackson and Pete Ramey; they are advocates for the wild horse trim, which won't necessarily work for every horse (footing, diet, and movement have big impacts), but this will give you an idea on what to look for and what the ideal hoof looks like.
Another big thing: a horse should NOT be sore after a trim that has been done correctly. They might be ouchy on gravel/rough footing, during the transition phase, but they should NOT be sore all the time.
I LOVE this site, and it was what got me convinced on barefoot for Lily:http://www.barefoothorse.com/
I'm happy to answer any questions you might have! Lily had no heels and she has mismatched feet, and she is doing FANTASTIC barefoot.
As a horse person as well as an equine vet's wife I've seen and heard examples to prove and disprove probably every argument for and against. In an ideal world with ideal (and identical) horses, riders, trainers and "hoofcare specialists," you might be able to say THIS is the best way to do things for all horses. But we don't live in such a world, so you have to do what works best for River – and usually takes time to figure out. What works also doesn't stay static, so you must be open to change as well.
ReplyDeleteMy last horse HAD to be shod in the front; Lance is going barefoot and seems to do well with it, but I do put Cavallo Simple Boots on the front when I ride him on rocks and gravel.
Best wishes in figuring it out for you and River!
I'm pro shoes. Yes, barefoot is more natural but the way we keep, ride and show horses is no longer natural. If adding a shoe helps my horse stay happy and sound, I'm good with it. If we weren't trying to compete, I'd probably have Simon barefoot.
ReplyDeleteIm going to agree with Shemovedtotexas. In this day its best for horses like River to be shod. I am 100% for keeping a horse barefoot if they have good strong healthy hooves but in some cases its best to just leave the shoes on.
ReplyDeletePro barefoot. There isn't anyone in this world I value more than my natural trimmer!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you are really interested in educating yourself on it, start here:
http://www.barefoothorse.com/
I am always willing to help, too :).
I've been having this same dilemma! I have an almost 5 year-old thoroughbred who has never been shod. When I brought him home last May, I took him fully expecting that I would have to put shoes on him. BUT, he goes so well without them, that I've started to re-consider. Sometimes shoes cause more issues than they solve. For example, some of your boy's problems could be from incorrect past shoeing etc. It's hard to say. (By the way, if you leave him shoe-less, his soles will toughen up and he will be less ouchy. I recommend using turpentine or Absorbine hooflex on the bottom of his feet to help with that!).
ReplyDeleteThe only issue is that my guy and I are now going Novice eventing- so there's the issue of needing studs one day. Also, his front feet are kind of chipping around the front. It's not aesthetically pleasing, but it's hard to tell whether it's really structurally unsound or just some chipping from the dry/wet we have this time of year.
I personally prefer him barefoot for the same reasons you mentioned above, and so far he's not been lame at all like that. Even my farrier, who shoes EVERYTHING, eventually started to agree with me that he doesn't think he needs shoes. 8 months ago he was saying he WOULD need shoes, and then when I asked him about shoes, he took that back! Why ruin a good thing, you know? However, I'm too afraid to try to correct him between farrier visits. It's not as simple as just shaving the extra off and rounding his hooves out. The farrier makes little corrections every time he comes out to account for how my guy is growing and his balance and read the balance of his hooves to make corrections for that. That kind of thing can take A LOT of skill. So you may need to do a lot of your own research and training before you can competently trim your guy.
Well, that was a novel, but I had thought about posting a similar post as this one!