Hi all!

For those who don't remember me...I have an 11 yr old OTTB that just came off the track last year.  He started racing as a 3 yr old so he has had shoes on for a long time. When I got him home I had his racing plates pulled by a farrier other than my own (mine was on vacation). He had to wait a few days for shoes to be put back on and I could tell he was very tenderfooted.  However, I was at a barn that had a very rocky indoor arena.

Now, I am at a barn that has an indoor that is sand and his stall is well bedded.  He has very low heels and in an attempt to help stimulate some growth, my farrier and I decided to try him barefoot for the winter.  Wed night he wasn't too sore, I free lunged him in the arena and I could tell he was a little off but it wasn't bad.  One thing to note was that he had a slight hesitation at the walk, even with shoes on so I think his RF hoof had been hurting him a while.  Thursday night, he looked like he thought he was going to die on that right front hoof.  I helped him walk up to where our indoor wash rack was and soaked his feet in hopes to help the heels spread easier.  I thought that he had bruised heels on that one hoof so I went and got some animalintex (great stuff by the way) and put the first of it on at 1:00pm on Sunday.  When I went back around 7pm to change it, he had popped a small abcess but was still lame on that hoof.  Monday, only did one dressing of the animalintex and when I took old dressing off, there was still some oozing but now it was oozing black like thrush.  I went out to change dressing this morning and there was some yellow ooze but still black coming out too.   Over the course of the last few days, I have seen improvement but he just still seems so sore on those heels.  I will change dressing again tonight and then in the morning but that should be the end of it.  

Then I need to try to get his hooves to toughen up.  I had been using Karetex twice a week for about a month before removing his shoes.  Apparently it wasn't enough.  I've read that venice turpentine works well but I also had a vet say that DMSO helps relieve pain.  

I'm hoping that some barefoot people out there can give me some suggestions.  He is not flat footed and has decent hooves except for the low heel.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

 

 

 

If your horse has always worn shoes it's going to take a lot more than a week or so for him to be able to go around completely barefoot and be comfortable.  I would say more like a few months, at least.  But you're doing the right thing keeping him in good bedding and only riding in a sandy indoor arena.  I wouldn't ride him on anything else for quite a while, and be on the lookout for more abscesses.  The only way to get tougher, stronger hoof walls is to grow them, and that comes from the inside out; a good, nutritionally balanced diet and correct, regular trimming for about a year.  In the meantime there is a good product called Shur Hoof that will help his soles if applied dilligently.  Stay away from the DMSO if you haven't used it before, can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.  It will pick up anything and everything it comes into contact with and basically put it right into your horse.

Thanks for the reply.  At this point, I can't ride him.  His other front foot is fine except on rocks.  He is ok on concrete...like I said that has gotten better over the last couple of days.

I hadn't really planned on leaving him barefoot except for the winter.  I need to get him to where I can ride fairly quickly and if he does well, I'm thrilled to leave him barefoot.  However, show season starts in March and I need to be able to ride at least some this winter...I can't go 3 mos without riding and then hope to get him ready for a show in 3 weeks at the beginning of March.  I basically haven't ridden the month of December and probably won't due to the holidays.  The horse I had before this one had worn shoes his whole life and I would pull his shoes for the winter and then put them back on come Spring.  I know, I know, every horse is different.

I have used the DMSO before but I always had it mixed with furacin, never straight.  A vet told me to paint it on with a paintbrush on his heels to help with the bruising.

Ange1seyes:

He is ok on concrete...like I said that has gotten better over the last couple of days.

I hadn't really planned on leaving him barefoot except for the winter.  I need to get him to where I can ride fairly quickly and if he does well, I'm thrilled to leave him barefoot.  However, show season starts in March and I need to be able to ride at least some this winter...I

then unless you plan on riding him only on concrete or in the sandy arena only, you better put the shoes back on, otherwise you're just asking for more bruising and sore feet or abcesses.  horses don't go from being shod to comfortably barefoot that fast.  you might try putting some boots on him, they've come a long way with boots these days and there are a lot of different brands out now with major improvements. 

Ange1seyes:

I have used the DMSO before but I always had it mixed with furacin, never straight.  A vet told me to paint it on with a paintbrush on his heels to help with the bruising.

Just be aware that whatever is on the paintbrush, along with whatever is on your horse's hoof, is going into his body right along with the DMSO.  Can you get his foot safely clean enough?  And of course make sure you're wearing rubber gloves unless you want to take it too!

We use easyboots, the transition to barefoot takes up to a year for older horses. my wife has even roped with the easyboots on her mare when she first started barefoot, the mare was 10 years old when she took the shoes off.

 I agree with txspots.  That is not a transition a horse can make instantly.  In fact, to complete the full transition on his back feet it took my gelding about a year and change with good trims to be solid on all surfaces.  But after initial shoe pulling, I could ride him in about a week if I used my Easyboots.  I did not expect to ride him completely bare for at least a month or so (in an arena with soft footing/sand).  Painting substances on the foot will not harden the sole, but putting venice turpentine on right before you ride will reduce stinging.  It sounds like his feet definitely need the winter off to recover and I highly recommend you worry more about that then when show season starts.  Remember, you AND he will enjoy riding and showing a lot more if you put his body's need before anything else.

 Ange1seyes, you have a PM, check your inbox.

To me it sounds like, shoes or no shoes, he needs more time to recuperate.  I'd forgo the upcoming show season ansd work on getting him sound.  I'd leave the shoes off and not work him until he's sound... using easyboots after that point to make the transition.  Make sure you get a GOOD farrier out regularly to check on his progress.  You also might want to use easyboots when walking him on bumpy/rocky ground even when not riding.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.  We have had marked improvement since I first posted.  He popped an abcess and then I had some thrush to deal with.  He was so much better last night.  Thank goodness as he would not tolerate not having a job for very long (gotta love the TB work ethic). 

My farrier is wonderful...spoke with her last night and we are going to re-evaluate him in another week but I am seeing progress daily now.  I think we will be back to riding this weekend.  It would be nice if his hooves would be tough enough by show season to leave him barefoot as I'm liking what I see when he is trotting around the arena.  This winter the only place he will be ridden with be in the indoor sand arena.  In a weeks time, I can already see a concavity forming on the bottom of his hooves.  They are truly amazing animals.  Thanks again for the replies and suggestions.

Ange1seyes:

In a weeks time, I can already see a concavity forming on the bottom of his hooves.

You better call the Guiness Book of World Records then!!

txspots:

Ange1seyes:

In a weeks time, I can already see a concavity forming on the bottom of his hooves.

You better call the Guiness Book of World Records then!!

No joke -- I think what you are actually seeing is probably old sole that has sloughed off and exposed the healthy layer underneath.  It does give a more concave appearance, but it will take a LOT longer for true concavity to form.

I had my mare's shoes removed about 1 1/2 years ago.  I have to say that it took about a year for her to be completely comfortable without them.  Her movement also feels much better.  She had stiffer movements with the shoes on.  Her movement seems much "freer" and relaxed. When her shoes were first removed I used Easyboots whenever I rode her.  I like how the easy boots cover and protect the entire sole.  I still use them if I am going on a trail ride in an area that has lots of gravel.  You might want to try using them if you really want to keep him shoeless for the winter.  They are easy to use once you have put them on a couple of times.

I like the easyboots too, Arab.  Kinda hard to put on, but I don't worry about them coming off, that's for sure.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I thought I would post an update.  As it turns out the hoof that he was so ouchy on had an abcess that broke open.  He has consistently been getting better since then.  Still slightly ouchy on rocks but way better than he was.

We don't ride outside...he is an OTTB so we are still working on getting used to trail riding and we've had so much ice recently that it hasn't been safe to try to ride out with a buddy.  So the nice sandy arena is it pretty much for the winter aside from an occasional hand walk.

As far as contacting Guiness Book of World Records, we wouldn't really qualify since as I mentioned before he wasn't completely flat footed when I pulled his shoes.  It is just more noticeable now that he has no shoe on. 

Thanks again and I hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

 

 Glad to hear the positive news!