Rescue with horrible hooves. In severe shape! Don't know where to start...

Hey Everyone!

I rescued a two and a half year old filly from a slaughter auction back in February. It has been a long few months with her. She came to us incredibly sick, skinny, and scared. Really, really bad shape.

She is very fearful of anything new and reacts at a high level. We've barely been able to groom her with a soft brush for more than five minutes.

Two weeks ago she came out of the field limping in extreme pain. We noticed she had a nail stuck in her left hind frog. We didn't have a clue how we were going to get it out because she hasn't let us touch below her hock without kicking. Luckily our friend/trainer was scheduled to come out that day. We managed to calm her down and continually touch her legs until we could eventually hold the hoof long enough to pull the nail out with pliers. We successfully got the nail out without any harm to her confidence or our delicate bodies. Hee hee. Our vet proscribed 10 days of SMZ TMP (antibiotics) to prevent infection. We came out of that on a nice high because that was a MAJOR step in the right direction with her. It seemed to be fine until...

14 days after the nail she came up lame again. We decided that we needed to check the hoof for abscess or infection. We managed to get that hoof up long enough to check it and even pick it out. (First time with a pick near her!) Then we figured we'd just try the others as well. Why not? She was being so good! It took some time but we got her to lift all four hooves, pick them out, and applied tea tree oil to all of them. It was then that we discovered the extent of her hoof condition.

We knew her hooves would be bad but seeing them for the first time put us in shock. Now, please don't think we've neglected her, if we would have pushed it any sooner, she would have been sent 5 years backward in progress and we would be dead.

I doubt anyone has ever touched her hooves, nonetheless worked on them. Poor thing doesn't know how to stand while one of her hooves is in mid air.

I will try to get pictures but for now I will just give a description of them. For starters they are long (not terrible) and misshapen. The outside, hoof wall, is very cracked and chipped. It also seems very weak. The inside looks very soft and moist yet dry at the same time and in 2 out of 4 hooves, the frog is in really bad condition. Almost nonexistent. There wasn't a bad smell or much discoloration though. Her hooves seem very flat and wide too. Not much depth if you know what I mean.


So, now that we know we can get to her hooves, we can figure out our plan of attack. I just don't know where to start.

I've been told it starts with nutrition. She's on a very comprehensive, quality diet. I've also been told mixed things about supplements, worth it or no? Then, topical solutions...what and why?

Sorry I've just blabbed your eyes off! I just really want to help my girl out! She deserves it! I'll do anything to help her, I truly love her and want the best for her.

What should I do..and WHY should I do it. What are you experiences?

P.s. We are going to introduce her to a rasp next week. We will eventually have our farrier work on her but she currently only halfway trusts 3 people. Our farrier tried getting close to her back in May but it wasn't a pretty scene.

Thanks!!

Oh, and I was thinking about doing a thrush treatment this weekend just in case.

So this may be like putting a band-aid on a broken leg, but in my experience a hoof conditioner may help her. I have had horses with cracked feet, breaks, lateral and vertical cracks and it helps with all of it. It is also antibacterial. It helps keep moisture in the hoof, and soaks in really quickly.

The reason I recommend it is because it is VERY un-harsh. You just brush it on the hoof. Its a good training opportunity too. My gelding used to not let me pick up his feet, this stuff helped him realize every time I bend down does NOT mean he has to do work or hold his feet up. I just brush it on the coronet band and wala! Moist hooves. It is very non invasive and inexpensive and worth a shot I think.

I have tried hoof supplements in the past, it really depends on the horse. For one so young, I would think a multi-purpose supplement would be more appropriate if you go that route. If she was malnourished, then she may need more vitamins that she lacks.

Wow I don't what you are talking about.

You rescue a horse in February and just now training it to stand to have its feet trimmed.

In my opinion that's neglect.

If the feet are as bad as you say they are, sedate the horse, take care of the feet then train the horse to stand to have its feet trimmed before next trimming.

Its not that hard to train a horse to stand on 3 feet to have its feet trimmed.

Don't mess around just do it.
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Dang try not to be so harsh!

Although I agree she could have sedated the horse and gotten her feet done she said in her original post that she has been working with the mare. The foot problems weren't evident until she picked up the foot. You can't judge the mare as "it's not that hard." You've never met the mare so back off.
We knew her hooves would be bad but seeing them for the first time put us in shock.

In original post: "Now, please don't think we've neglected her, if we would have pushed it any sooner, she would have been sent 5 years backward in progress and we would be dead." How is that not clear?

The mare is fed, watered, and obviously cared about. She rescued her from a terrible situation. How is that neglect?

I don't think Anvil is being harsh. You got the mare almost 6 months ago and just now you are curious about her feet? Just because she was limping? Her feet should have been taken care of a long time ago. The neglect comes when you wait till there is a problem seen. Why not way back in Feb?
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Hi Equest. I had a new farrier out to see my mare because she supposedly had her hooves trimmed, I paid for it to the BO, but when I moved her realized they were horribly long. Well he didn't want to trim off too much because she was in with a new, small herd and he didn't want her having balance issues. The new BO told me that. But I wasn't pleased with the trim, didn't think he'd trimmed enough but am willing to give him another shot, because what he said made sense. BUT the outside layer was chipping and peeling. And I called him about it and told him I also had his money in an envelope pinned to the bulletin board in the barn. Well next time I went, he'd picked up the money but nothing was done about her hooves (it drives me mad when people won't return calls. I made an appt. By voicemail, and I didn't go because he never called to confirm, just went on out and did it.)
Well it was horribly hot for two weeks, and the BO and I emptied the tub of water, and gave the horses a whole fresh tub of cold water, plus put a new mineral salt block out. Next time I'm out, my girls hooves are just fine. Once we made a little mud in that area by the barn, all the peeling and chipping stopped. OH, very long story to get to the point. When I'd gone out and noticed his money was gone, was a note on the bulletin board, 'Laura, get some hoof conditioner.' So I'm just saying it must be good stuff, LOL except my name ISN'T Laura so I didn't know the note was for me! Also I agree with Anvil, not about the neglect because I don't judge things like that, but I would recommend you sedate your mare, get her feet really looked at and trimmed and do the training later.

With a horse that has been a rescue and abused its not just a "dont mes around and do it" type deal, that's how people get killed and horses turn into completely unmanageable horses. You need to work on being less harsh this person has obviously done the best she can and I think she's doing great. Learn some manners and be polite.

Although I do agree with the sedating the horse and training later. You guys have to find a farrier that's willing to hold all of a horses weight while trimming horrible hooves.

I think the saying 'no hoof no horse' is pretty accurate. If her feet are really that bad then, like the others are saying, sedate, trim and treat.

The conditioner idea is a good un. So many horses have poor, cracked, dry feet that can be solved with a simple lick of conditioner. Cornocresin (sp??) works wonders sometimes... O.o

Here's what you're not understanding. From Feb to now the hooves have not been touched. I understand the horse has issues but in any case the hooves are important and should have been taken care of way before the OP saw a problem. There are ways to get this animal under control for feet and vaccs. Should have been done months ago.
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