Re: Ex racehorse Thoroughbred going barefoot! Piccies

 good luck with going barefoot, are you having a barefoot specialist farrier come out to trim feet? also have or are you considering diet and things? i think theres such a thing as a barefoot diet? not sure.. supplements like rosehips, seaweed ?  havent seen any other posts about this but would love to no how you get on :)  x 

Re: Ex racehorse Thoroughbred going barefoot! Piccies

Here is a great forum for you to join. It is ful of info for you about keeping your horse barefoot. There are people on there that have tb's barefoot.

Here is the link

http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php

Re: Ex racehorse Thoroughbred going barefoot! Piccies

all our three are barefoot ,  balin our TB and cracker have never had shoes on and both are fine with it.  william for last year has been barefoot, our farrier trims apprx every 8 weeks.   once you have his feet trimmed just keep an eye on his hoof growth. 

Re: Ex racehorse Thoroughbred going barefoot! Piccies

ZZ was barefoot from 2002 until 2009 when she had her laminitis, she now wears aluminium heartbars on the front.  Welshie came to me in 2002 and the first thing I did was have her shoes removed - not a problem at all.  Anya, bless her arrived with me about 4 years ago and had had her shoes removed just before, she's a TB, and all 3 of mine have fabulous feet.

Anya was a little footy to begin with, but with a good diet and regular trimming they are all fine.  In fact my farrier arrives and needs a new rasp as my girls feet are like rock!!  Anyway I always have the farrier to Anya and Welshie every 8 weeks and ZZ every 4. Good luck

Re: Ex racehorse Thoroughbred going barefoot! Piccies

OK, one week into being barefoot, my farrier removed the front shoes and as to be expected, he was sore when we walked him to his stable accross the yard, but a different type of sore than when he would yank his shoe off. Next day needed to get him to the field, trouble is, there is a long track and its stony with small and large rocks, it was awful getting him to the field, he winced with every step and it took forever, he hit his front hoof and held it up, I felt such a terrible mummy. Let him free in the field and he tore around, so feet are fine on the grass! Tried to get him back in that night and he refused to move onto the track, we had to leave him in the field for 3 days while I tore around like a mad thing going to various tack shops trying out different types of hoof boots, eventually got some size 2 Cavallo hoof boots and after 3 days were able to get him out of the field, he looked really wierd wearing them, like a pair of wellies attached to his feet but, they done the trick.

One week later. Feel like we have gone backwards a bit, two days ago, he had quite a big of heat in the front feet but, cool in back and I know that with new barefoot or even long term barefoot, you have to watch out for LGL as they can now 'feel' their feet and will hobble and watch their sugar, hence a different diet for new barefoots. He has good turnout to encourage hoof stimulation but bringing him in at night so cant eat 24/7 - the paddock is not lush grass, but enough of it. When we took his hoof boots of last night after getting him in from the field, he didnt want to walk accross the concrete yard to his stable, he was very sore, previously I would say 70% sound on concrete but, last night approx 50% -

He has been tearing around the field with and without his hoof boots so, wonder if he has bruised his soles, watching him trot and canter around this morning in the field he is still 100% sound on grass.

Felt for pulse and it was same on front as back. They are not hot but, very warm. Am still scrubbing with diluted hibi scrub, as advised because there are lots of holes in his hooves and has large black areas, gently scrubbing sole/frog as well as he has a lot of black thrush. He is walking front first, which is to be expected.The frogs are still soft unlike his backs which are rock hard (we took his back shoes off when we got him last autumn) -

Photos of the yard and the track