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Soft and Barefoot pony needs hoof help!

3K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  Bay Lee 
#1 ·
My pony is barefoot because he hates:evil: the farrier- but that means we can't ride much on the road- which is a big problem because we have no arena or bridleways without roadwork. We've tried hoof hardening supplements but they have failed- any more suggestions?? :think:
Thanks,
Lady Neigh
 
#3 ·
Have you tried putting boots on him? You can just put them on when you're riding and take them off when you're done.
 
#5 ·
There are several manufacturers of boots, here is an ad for one:

Easyboot Epic EasyCare, Inc (Equine - Supplies Tack - Sports Medicine - Barefoot Boots)

Price, quality, ease of use, etc vary from brand to brand. The good thing about them is you put them on and off yourself as needed. Most horses can do with just the front feet booted up but some need them on all four corners. In the long run they are cheaper then shoes.

You do want one with some type of gator like the one in this ad to keep from losing them. They can step them off or get them sucked off in the mud. The gator keeps them attached to the leg after they fall off. Bright colored ones are also easier to find then black.
 
#8 ·
If he didn't like the saddle would you ride bareback? What if you had a child that hated shots, would they be immunized? You have to do what is best for those that you are responsible for even if they don't like it. I'm sure all of my geldings would have rather skipped the trip to the vet that saw them gelded but it was much better for them in the long run.

Even if you don't have shoes put on, your horse still needs to have good hoof trimming in order to stay healthy and sound.
 
#10 ·
Hi,

It's not that he's bare that he can't cope with roadwork. It's that he, for some reason, has unhealthy feet. My bet is that lack of farriery care is at least contributing. I'm also betting you'd have a very hard time finding boots to suit, if he's not getting his feet looked after properly too. You need to teach him to be confident of having his feet handled, and confident with others doing it too, including Men With Tools<GG>. That means that you may have to enlist the farrier to come do some training if he will & *is good & patient with horses*, without worrying about actually getting the job done necessarily, or someone else *that's good with horses & training* to help. You don't necessarily need metal shoes, but you do still need to ensure his feet are well cared for.
 
#12 ·
How long did you try the hardening supplements for? The effects don't start showing until about 3 months later and it takes around 6 months for a "whole new hoof" to be there.

Also agree with the teacher her to stand for the farrier, it is part of being a riding horse, she is going to have to deal with it. My mare likes to move backwards while having her feet done, so me and my farrier got talking and when she was having her feet done one time and was about to go back we had her so she had her rump pointing towards the electric fence, both me and my farrier knew this, she moved back hit the fence and got a zap. She then stood nicely for the rest of the visit.
 
#14 ·
He WILL stand for the farrier. He WONT have shoes put on. He sees the farrier every 6 weeks. He has had laminitis in the past so is kept on strip grazing and kept at the perfect weight. We had him on hoof hardener for 1yr and it did not help. I have found boots now that fit (had the farrier check).
Thank you all conserned, and all that helped.
LadyNeigh
 
#16 ·
Mabye you should intoduce BOSS to his diet..Its amazing for hooves, .....I have a navicular horse, and Ive been through alot to make him confortable, Today, he is barefoot, and not a limp in sight..I bought the Easyboot Bare with gators for when he was newly trimmed, until I figured out that trim was not the one for him.....You could walk around with a hammer or some kind of tool, and eveytime you pass by your horse, pick up his foot,knock on his foot with your tool, play around with it for a few seconds, then walk away, he might of had a bad experience with a ferrier....His hooves might be sore also, and the nails hurt....some pure MSM might also be a good idea, its helps alot for pain...My guy gets Flaxseeds also for the anti-inflammatory benefits.( plus his coat shines)..Good luck..
 
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