weak hooves!!! help!!

Well, my horse is only 5 he seems to have very weak hooves the farriers out ever 2 weeks and we can't afford it!, he looses shoes (only seems to when we have a good gallop) and I want him to go barefoot for the reason of ardening his hooves, but my mum said no straight away as he does ALOT of roadwork, is this true? Can you still have a barefooted roadwork horse? And can anyone suggest anything to harden his hooves so he holds his shoes better??

He's on a biotin supplement and I use just a hoof grease on him everyday! Please suggest anything else, we really cannot afford 4 new shoes every 2 weeks! Thanks .....

Does your horse have all 4 shoes? Maybe to make t cheeper you can just have 2 in the bac, or 2 in the front. Does he loose his front more than the back or vise versa?

-chelsea-

He looses them equally really, like wise now he has one front and one hind shoe remaining. I would consider just having 2 shoes but like I say when he doesnt have shoes (or when he's lost them) his feet flare ( the hoof wall falres out, and the remaining bits of the hoof wall hang off) and I don't really want to keep him half shd becaues his feet are so weak they might under go further , more servere damage.

Im very sorry, the only thing I can think of is shoeing the hooves that mostlry loose the shoes. Im sorry if I think of something else ill let you know.

-chelsea-
I Wish You the Best Of Luck!

I've had horses in the past that threw shoes very easily like that. It's very hard to deal with and sometimes the hoof supplements don't help at all. Perhaps you should try hoof boots instead of shoes. Boa boots are suppose to be good and Easy Boots. You have to be careful that they fit you horse properly and do not rub. I prefer to leave mine barefoot but they don't do much road work.

It really depends on the horse for the roadwork and how much it will effect him... some horses I help take care of are barefoot and can go on the road no problem, but some are sore after a day of it. If you are just walking on the road it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but if you do try it, start out with limited road work so his hooves have a chance to get harder. Also, what is your farrier's opinion?

Hi,

Would like to know what your farrier says, and why he hasn't suggested anthing, MAYBE YOU NEED A SECOND OPINION.
If your hose is in a clay, muddy area this will shorten the life span of the shoe staying on, as the mud or clay when dry will swell, therefor pushing the shoe away from the hoof.
As far as riding without shoes, I would not suggest it, as you seem to ride alot, and going bare foot will not harden them, they could make them widen and split, also if the surface you are galloping on is hard you could get splints or worse fracture his peddle bone.
You may also need to look at his diet, is he getting the appropriate vitamins and minerals. Good hay or grass is one thing, but may not be sufficient enough.

I would stop oiling his feet everyday that might be a large part of your problem, it is most likely making his hooves very soft and unable to hold the shoe. Also if you are in the USA look for a supplement called horseshoers secret it works very well. You might want to look into a different farrier as well, it doesnt sound as if your current one is being very helpful.

I have had GREAT success with my horse being barefoot. During the transition period he wore boots where his feet may have been sensitive. You need to find a good barefoot trimmer. We have 15 horses of all breeds and not a one wears shoes and ALL are perfectly sound. The barefoot trimmer we use does something called a "mustang roll" that keeps the feet from spreading and cracking. Look up Pete Ramey for more information on barefoot horses. Good Luck

I does the same as Chance01 Barefoot on my morgan works pretty well. Her feets are strong and healthy, and she has never been deferred for any kind of problems, even it's winter or summer time. In Canada, a friend, Lane, has his horses out on lava stones. He has a huge pasture, and one part of it consisted of these stones, which builds up the hooves. A very good suggestion to try out, if you know what you are doing, and how to trim the hooves! Very important!