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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Mar 2010 : 10:21:13 AM
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My gelding has had a foot imbalance, I noticed a flare on the inside wall about the same time he looked slightly unlevel, my vet x rayed both front feet so my farrier could see what he needed to do.
He has wide web shoes fitted now they are fitted quite far back to support the heal, and hang over the edge to encourage the foot to grow outwards as this foot is quite upright. the flare has almost grown out, it has taken about four months and I caught this really early. he looked level after about 2 shoeings but still looked unlevel on a circle for a while but he is sound now.
I notice on one of your pictures the wall on one side is quite a bit longer, I would definitely consider having them x rayed so the farrier can work from this.
I have considered barefoot but the tracks are very stony near us too and he really feels the sharp stones even with shoes on so I don't think this will work for me. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2010 : 5:19:29 PM
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This thread is very interesting to me as I also like to keep my horses unshod. However, Ali, our six year old has always seemed 'footy', she just never seems happy on a hack and it appears to get worse as the ride goes on. She's never hacked for more than an hour and a half. She did have shoes on for a while, but this made no difference. The soles of her feet seem quite sensitive, as she sometimes flinches when I'm picking them out (carefully). I've checked teeth/back etc just incase it isn't her feet.
Loosefur - I am very interested in your comments regarding diet - is there something I could be doing to help her? She's mainly on Horsehage 'Hoofkind' which I think contains no molasses, I better check.
I'm wondering if boots would help her, if so, which would people recommend? Also she is still green, so do I need to get her used to them before just launching on a ride, just in case she has a fit at the feel of them!
Any advice greatfully received. |
   
Louise, Warwickshire |
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loosefur
Gold Member
584 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2010 : 6:22:53 PM
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Hi Louise
It sounds like your mare is very sugar sensitive. She may even be Insulin Resistant. To find out more about that I highly recommend joining the Yahoo discussion group TheMetabolicHorse. There are blood tests that can be done to determine if this is the case.
There is plenty you can do diet wise to help her. To check whether Hoofkind contains molasses you will need to check the small print on the ingredients label - the website doesn't say one way or the other. What sort of grazing is she on? A small proportion of horses can't cope with even tiny amounts of grass and have to be permanently dry lotted and fed only on low sugar/soaked hay. But for most simply restricting grazing, either by putting on a starvation paddock, using grazing muzzles or stabling/yarding during the day is sufficient. Is she fed hay or haylage? Soaking hay for 12 hours before feeding will leech out most of the sugar. There is some disagreement over whether haylage is okay to be fed at all - but it all depends on the sugar content and you can only find that out by having your haylage analysed (Dengie offer a service where you send them a sample to analyse). I would also highly recommend adding a magnesium supplement to her feed. The Hoofkind already contains magnesium according to the website but not in a high enough amount to make a difference. Either magnesium oxide (which you can buy off ebay) or Magrestor (which is a purer version of magnesium and therefore better absorbed by the body).
You can tell an awful lot by looking at the hooves themselves. Do they have lots of growth/stress rings round the hoof wall, which indicates a problem with sugar sensitivity? What's her white line like when you look at the underside of the foot?
As for boots - they are probably going to be essential for your mare but the best ones for her will depend on the size and shape of her feet. If she fits into the sizes of Easyboot Gloves I'd recommend them first - if you measure her feet and post the sizes on here I'll be able to tell you if they'll fit. It's always a good idea to fit them to the horse and let them have a walk and trot in them before riding in them. I've not yet seen a horse react violently to them but you never know - it really depends on the horse. A short lunging session with the boots on is a good idea.
Hope that helps some  |
Edited by - loosefur on 25 Mar 2010 6:24:13 PM |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2010 : 12:18:33 PM
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Thank you so much for your detailed reply Loosefur.
Lots to be going on there, she is fed hay, but it is very variable as we are supplied by the yard owner - at the moment it is very rich, so soaking is a good tip and I shall do that. She is in at night, but once it's warmer I could swap her to in during the day. I shall certainly be ordering some Magnesium for her - she's having seaweed too, not sure if it helps.
Looking at her feet, I'd say they are slightly narrow and upright but not excessively so - they have improved since she's been barefoot. She does have stress rings, quite a major one about an inch down (is that about 2 months ago?) I don't remember any changes at that time, but it could have been simply a different batch of hay. I didn't take as long to study her feet as I'd like this morning, but I did measure them: they are 4 3/4 inches wide and 5 1/4 inches long - she is due a trim though, so perhaps I should remeasure then. Does it matter that one hind hoof was just a tiny bit shorter than the other?
Other factors that I think may be relevant (and I shall visit the website you recommend re" Insulin Resistance) are: I feel her crest is quite pronounced even though she isn't very overweight. She has put fat up behind her withers too, which is a little bit like cellulite. Her coat is dull and she is VERY itchy. I have put this down to moulting as it is coming out in handfuls, and added oil (vegetable) to her diet.
A vet saw her about a month ago - and said not to worry about her coat as it would improve once she's moulted.
I shall look on ebay at the Easyboot Glove, as I feel this would be beneficial to her.
Edited to say: Loosefur, I've just looked on the Easyboot website and can see that the sizing needs to be very accurate, Ali's in mm's are: width 121, length, 133. Does this suggest to you that her feet are too long, particularly as she is due a trim? Also I think I may have been slightly over on the length as I took it from the buttress of the heel, but not in the centre (I took it from the slightly longer one on the outside, rather than drawing a line and taking it from the centre to the toe).
Once again thank you for taking the time to help |
Louise, Warwickshire |
Edited by - Montikka on 26 Mar 2010 12:38:06 PM |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2010 : 12:19:45 PM
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I hope you don't mind my jumping into your thread Kelly  |
Louise, Warwickshire |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2010 : 1:37:30 PM
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| I don't mind at all Louise, I'm soaking all this info up - just call me Sponge-Kelly Square-Pants! |
Kelly
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
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loosefur
Gold Member
584 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2010 : 11:16:00 PM
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Hi Louise
From your description your mare certainly sounds like she could be an IR candidate or possibly Cushings - the cresty neck in particular is a common sign. That website/discussion group is a mine of information. It's not unusual that your vet hasn't even considered IR - it's not on the radar of many vets... frustrating but equally they have to retain so much information they can't possibly be experts in everything.
The best time to measure for boots is after a trim, especially for the Gloves as they are designed to fit very snugly so you want to fit them for the smallest your horse's feet are, not when they are at their biggest - even though it's only millimetres different. Re the length - it can be tricky to get this right, it sounds like you might have measured a bit long - try taking the measurement again but using the method on the website. The best way of fitting Gloves is to either get a trimmer who fits boots in to do it for you or hire one of the Fix Kits from The Saddlery Shop. That way you get one of each size of Glove (without the gaiters attached) and you can play around with finding the best fit.
Any more questions just ask.
PS Yes you are right about the hoof growth - average one cm growth per month. Other events that can cause stress rings are chemical wormers, vaccinations, other drugs like anti-biotics.
And PPS - it's fine if the hoof pairs are different sizes... most are slightly different but even bigger differences aren't something I'd worry too much about as long as the feet themselves were healthy. One of my geldings has one front foot half a size in Gloves bigger than the other - it doesn't seem to bother him though! |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2010 : 7:12:34 PM
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Well Loosfur I have spent many hours on that website - thank you for pointing it out to me. I am becoming more convinced that Ali's problem isn't predominately her feet - I think the 'footiness' is a symptom.
Looking at her fat deposits - she even has fullness above her eyes is making me suspect that you are right to question the possibility of IR. She appears not overweight and yet has these fat, lumpy areas, my other mare is slightly overweight too but it is very different - all tummy, no crest and she is shiney, lively and energetic.
Obviously, both of them are now being restricted in their paddock as the grass is coming through - but I suspect the last batch of hay has been FAR too rich (sugary) for them. It is moist, sweet and full
of clover. Incidentally, another horse on the livery yard has suddenly foundered and is on the same hay.
I hadn't considered Cushings or any other metabolic condition as she is only six, but clearly younger horses are still at risk, particularly on high sugar diets with not a lot of exercise.
The farrier (who came last week) thought I was worrying too much!
So, the regime for now is restricted grass, soaked hay and a handful of hi-fi lite. I shall get some Magnesium and try to up the exercise. |
Louise, Warwickshire |
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Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 16 Apr 2010 : 1:47:25 PM
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Montikka, Ali does sound IR. Shef is much the same, although the fatty lumps are nothing like as bad now I've got used to managing her. All mine are on Mag Ox as a matter of routine, and I've found it does help.
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Shoeing and feet, please help!
Square Pants!